Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)
A beautiful bold barley wine. Massive malt and hop notes. Silver Medal
winner at the 2000 Great American Beer Festival in the Barley Wine category.
Gold Medal winner at the 2002 World Beer Championships in the Barley Wine
Category. Look for it in the first quarter of each new year. Can be cellared or enjoyed upon its release.
winner at the 2000 Great American Beer Festival in the Barley Wine category.
Gold Medal winner at the 2002 World Beer Championships in the Barley Wine
Category. Look for it in the first quarter of each new year. Can be cellared or enjoyed upon its release.
3.9
1970 reviews
Escondido, United States
Community reviews
750ml bottle. 2013 Vintage. Pours a hazy rosy amber colour with a thin beige head. WHOA! This DOES NOT smell like I was expecting. A surprising note of cocoa, vanilla, almost Tootsie Roll notes up front, followed by resinous hops, and a little bit of pecan pie. Full bodied, sweet, barley wine done right. Big resinous bitterness out of the gates with caramel forward sweet malt beneath that leads straight into more resinous notes, almost extra strength Fisherman's Friends type notes, caramel, and a long bitter finish that oddly has some bourbon barrel-esque butterscotch notes at the end. It's tasty, it's old, and sadly, it's no longer in my cellar.
For me, this is the king of beers. I had several versions during the years. Today I had a 2015 version, abit hoppier than earlier versions, so it took me a few sips to get used. The beer is hazy dark copper with i nice retaining head. Bold malt an hop tast with brown sugar and boose. On this beer every sip tastes better than the previous one, so you are sad that the bottle is empty. Especially because I can not buy it here and have to bring it on a trip to the US.
Wish I had the self control to cellar each years vintage, but it’s too damn good.
2014 vintage. Really balanced and malt forward like it should be. Brown sugar, molasses and caramel candy. Bit of a bite on the tail end. Has held up really great!
2009, Tap at Stone Berlin, 2015 bottle at home. Pours dark amber with beige head. 2015 sticky, resinous caramel. 2009 more burnt caramel, toffee, vanilla. 2009 wasn't very good at all with grainy, chewy, chalky bitterness.
2009: 6-4-4-3-10
2015: 8-4-7-4-15
Frisch vom Hahn im Stone Berlin. Vintage von 2009. Guter Barley Wine, wenngleich es bessere gibt.
From Nov 2007
This is the early release 2007
It pours from 22oz bottle a hazy copper colour with a 1 finger head of foam. The foam recedes to a fine broken layer and it has some nice lacing.
The smell is of caramel and roasted malt, citrus hops, and some fruit.
The taste has big notes of caramel malt, roasted malt, grapefruit hop bitterness, some molasses, some dark fruit: fig, toffee, a bit of plum...very complex and boy, it has an alcohol kick to it that really warms during and after the swallow. I like how the malt and hop character are nicely balanced and makes it, despite the agressive flavours, a smooth sipping BWSA. Really nice stuff! Oh, and the alcohol becomes less noticeable further into the session.
The mouthfeel is nice and thickish and the carbonation is on the light side. It finishes semi sweet.
Bottom line: A very tasty and enjoyable example of the style indeed. I wouldn't hesitate in buying more. Another great job by Stone Brewing!
Bottle. Great barley wine. smooth. no after shave after taste despite high abv. Will not make the world better, but drink a bomber and you will not care who is president.
Vintage 2007 : Fassware. STONE BERLIN 2017. Ausgewogener UKEarther between MapleSyrupHoneyMaltyness, lovely AlkoKraft & der entscheidenen Resthoppyness🚀 WoodyMoosy, too😁...Vintage 2009. Ebenfalls Fassware. STONE BERLIN 2018. 9/4/9/5/19 I'm A Guardian❤ Angeblich der Extra Hoppy Older. Kann man so nennen...wenn man will. Ist aber auch OG/BASTARDkratzig, perfekt toffeemalty und über alle maße intensiv. Woody, citrusy, WEEDY, boozy und outstanding geaged👽✨😉 Viel später kommt noch ein Hustensaft/WacholderberryAusflug hinzu...ich knie nieder 🙌❤ AGAIN: Tatort STONE BERLIN. Zweiter Geburtstag. Tap. 9/4/9/5/19 He was old, the beast is from the west & the Rest is KUPFERCUTTERBWEASYNESS.....VINTAGE 2010. AGAIN: die 2010er Vintage Version....diesmal aus den Litergrowler :)...9/5/9/5/19 SPERRIG, HOLZIG & 💥💥💥BRACHIAL!!! IMPERIALAPACHE MIT TOFFEEHOPCUTTERPARANOIA💥OLD, CRAZY & ALELAZY💥🔥
From tap at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, Berlin, vintage 2007. Hazy copper color with an off-white head. The aroma is medium hoppy with settled ripe fruits - oranges and some grapefruits - along with a nice dense malty backbone (heavy caramel). Very balanced, good. Full body with a medium sweetness and a light and medium bitterness. The flavor is very malty, sweetish malt with honey, caramel, toasted bread, some sugar mixed with subdued hop notes (orange, some pine) with a lightly bitter finish. A real sipper, very balanced, very good.
Aroma: 8
Appearance: 4
Taste: 8
Palate: 4
Overall: 16
Vom Fass (Vintage 2007) im Stone Brewing Berlin 2017-09 getrunken. 9/4/7/5/15 Ein klasse Barley Wine mit schwachen Hopfeneinfluss. Leider haben die 10 Jahre Lagerung nun so gar keine Auswirkung gehabt was recht merkwürdig ist. Ein solches Bier sollte sich deutlich gereifter und nicht so frisch daher kommen. Schade!
Aus dem Growler (Vintage 2009) im 2018-01 getrunken. 8/4/4/5/8 Dieses 2009er ist überraschend stark gehopft. Nein das hier gefällt mir gar nicht.
Despite being a really strong beer it's very easy to drink. I'm not really sure how to describe beer so I'm sorry for the lack of detail.
2015 release, opens July 2017. Malty-bready nose with some orange peel and cherry notes, Medium sweet flavor, with some bitterness. Full body, not at all cloying. No noble hop flavor. Finish is a bit harsh and coarse. No delicacy in the bittering. Good barley wine, but the coarseness of the bittering stops this from being one of the greats.
Draught at MBCC 2017. Low fluffy lasting white head. Clear red body. Spicy sweet fruity caramel aroma. Wineous sweet malt caramel flavor without much hops bitterness, low carbonation and a long finish.
duft: malt sødme karamel lidt rosin dybe mørke toner
smag. malt sød stør eftersmag
Hazy deep brown body with a small, beige, long-lived head that sticks to the glass. Strong aroma of sweet caramel, dark dried fruits and overripe fruits. Very strong flavour of sweet caramel, dark dried fruits and burnt sugar. Incredibly well integrated alcohol. Moderate sweet taste with a heavy bitter and long-lasting finish. Full body, oily texture, moderate carbonation. A wonderful beer that has aged magnificently. There is hardly any hoppy elements left in the aroma or flavour, this is all bitter malt and caramel. I’d like to taste a fresh Old Guardian one day, it will probably be a completely different beer.
[65 cl bottle, 2012 edition, enjoyed 5 years after bottling]
Draught sample at MBCC 2017, green session. Clear, amber colour with a thin, white head. Sweet aroma with rich caramel malts, resin, spruce, dark, dried fruits, some alcohol dense notes. Taste is sweet. Full bodied. Finishes slightly dry and fruity with rich caramel malts, toasted notes and citrus fruits. Big, fat, vulgar - American
Nice toffee notes, low hops level and too sweet. But nonetheless very good beer.
Shared 2016 bottle. Unclear dark amber colour, small tan head, good lacing. Aroma of toffee, caramel, biscuit with light floral and dried fruit notes. Taste is medium to heavy sweet and medium bitter, toffee, biscuit, caramel, some nuts, dried fruits. Medium to full body, oily texture, average carbonation. Great, powerful barley wine.
bomber pours amber with white head aroma is caramel and booze taste is similar
Poured into a snifter, the appearance was a soft dark muddy brown color with an eggshell white foamy finger’s worth of head. Solid sticky stringy lace.
The aroma had some dark fruits, sweet apples, caramel and toffee malts closes with a light tobacco quality. Grassy hops.
The flavor balances between a strong semi-malty sweetness to the dark and apple fruits. Nicely blended aftertaste. Dry semi-smooth sweet finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a solid sipping quality about it. Fairly dry, hop bitterness hits appropriately. Carbonation seems to have died off a bit. ABV still feels on par.
Overall, very nicely done American styled barleywine that I would love to have again.
Sticky mouth, very hoppy, lots of grapefruits and apples. Very full body. Nice.
Pours clear amber with a small beige head. Smells of caramel and resinous hops. Taste is oak, bitter, hints of sweetness. Full-bodied with a smooth texture and average mouth-carbonation, Stone Old Guardian 2015 Classic Release finishes with a lingering woody dryness.
2015 patch. Bottle@Hank’s, Tampere, Finland.
Ar: Medium, soft aroma with plum, sweet fruits and malts.
Ap: Brown color with minimal, light beige head.
Ta: Strong, balanced and soft taste. Great balance between wood, vanilla and bourbon. Wide taste spectrum and medium aftertaste with hops and malty fruits.
Pa: Strong,/medium body with medium/light carbonation.
Ovr: Great, bold and matured. Perfect. Period.
2106 Release. Clear amber with a small white head and spotted lacing. Delicate aroma of caramel and resin. Taste is clean, not too sweet, caramel malts, resin and some pleasant resinous hops to balance, without taking over. Boozy finish. Quite nice barley wine, very enjoyable.
Refrigerated 2007 brown bomber poured into a snifter. Clear dark Amber with small white head. Aroma is caramel malt, lower carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is caramel malt and a little alcohol.
2013 bottle shared at CBB. Apparently each pour got progressively darker with more sediment, I tried the third pour which was a nutty brown. Notes of booze with dark fruit, toffee caramel malts. Similar flavour, raisin, fig, caramel, nuts. Not too sweet, balanced out by a good woody character. Medium body with a warming finish. Very nice.
Tap Dark amber colour with no head.Aroma of dried fruits figs and plums rich malty and nots of caramel and wood,nice smooth warming mouthfeels with good sweet taste and long smooth finish.
2015 release. Murky dark orange, foamy tan head. Deep aromas of roasted caramel, aged hops, wood, licor, spices. Medium to full bodied, soft carbonation. Smooth and creamy. Medium sweet, medium bitter. Delicious rich malty flavors into a controlled malty finish.
Bottle, 650ml. A cloudy dark amber beer with a minimal white head. Aroma is of dried fruits, wood, alcohol and malts. Very well aged. Taste is bitter with some sweetness. Medium bodied, smooth and cremy with moderate carbonation. Rich character of licor and malts.