Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2011)
Stone Brewing

Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2011)Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2011)
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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
12%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 15.06%
Reviews:
143
Ratings:
355
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 13, 2023
Added:
Feb 14, 2011
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  105
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by WoodenLeg410:
Photo of WoodenLeg410
Rated by WoodenLeg410

4/5  rDev +3.9%

Aug 10, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of Orca
Reviewed by Orca from Washington

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
650mL into a tulip. Pours a murky amber/mahogany with a thin off-white head. Clears up as it warms.

Aroma is sweet, fruity, floral. Brown sugar, caramel, hops, spice.

Taste follows nose. Good blend of sweet and bitter with a floral, semi-bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is medium-heavy, a tad chewy, clean hop bitterness on the finish.

Overall a solid American barleywine that has stood the test of time.
Jun 13, 2023
Photo of Pegasus
Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Hazy copper-colored body, with a large, dense, and finely-beaded off-white head, with excellent retention. An unbroken sheet of lacing adorns the glass wall. Before a strong light, reddish-gold highlights can be seen.

Aroma: The aroma consists mainly of still abundant pine hops, sweet caramel, and a potent whiff of vinous alcohol. Nothing in the aroma suggests the great age of this sample. The nose is to me, more suggestive of an imperial winter warmer, than a barley-wine. Nonetheless, very pleasing.

Taste: Opens with a very strong wave of moderately sweet caramel and piney and earthy hops. The rather high ABV of 12% presents very well, being mildly spicy and sweet, with a gentle warming sensation. As the taste progresses the spicy notes of the alcohol play off against the sweet caramel and earthy pine hops, offering a well-balanced presentation. Finishes with a lingering note of spicy alcohol, caramel, and at the very last, the hops, which linger on and on.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, very pleasing, with just a hint of carbonation for interest.

Drinkability/notes: A shockingly old "cellar dweller" that faired extremely well in the refrigerator, seeming to me to yet be full of life, perhaps exceeded in longevity only by Victory Storm King. For those that eschew extremely hoppy beers, this one may be just ready to drink! I consider it a privilege to have experienced this rare example. The empty bomber will be accorded a place of honor on my shelves. I would hope that Stone would see fit to brew it again, someday.

Presentation: Packaged in an enameled twenty-two ounce brown glass bomber with a pry-off crown, served in a Duvel tulip.
Dec 11, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by onewayboogie from California

Oct 26, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Jun 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by heysuz from Indiana

Jun 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by bigred89 from Maryland

Sep 09, 2017
Photo of PA-Michigander
Reviewed by PA-Michigander from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Enjoyed this beer 11/19/2016 and it held up well. Kudos to Stone for making a barleywine that can last five years and not show a ton of age or issues.
Jan 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by jeff1973 from California

May 19, 2016
Photo of ONovoMexicano
Reviewed by ONovoMexicano from New Mexico

1.32/5  rDev -65.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Poured into a mini-snifter.

Deep caramel color with a light frothy head. Starts off promising.

But all downhill from there. I took one sip of this and poured out the rest of the bomber (probably 18 ounces). Even after 5 years, this thing is still overrun by hops. It's barleywines like this that turn me off to the American versions. Too much hops fresh and their presence is even more offensive with age. At least fresh you'll get some of the pleasurable flavors of whatever the hop, but aged you just get this stiff, spicy aroma and taste that lack any dimension or real contribution. Well, there is one contribution, just as with fresh, they successfully overshadow the malt flavors and otherwise undermine all that is good about a barleywine. This beer is essentially an egregious example of that.

Interestingly enough, I had a 2014 Double Bastard today and that beer is a much better barleywine than this is, even if not labeled as such. It aged better, tasted better, and had much more of a well-rounded offering of flavors and sensations.
Apr 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.58 by GRG1313 from California

Jun 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by Oakenator from Pennsylvania

Mar 27, 2015
Photo of Hopped_head
Rated by Hopped_head from California

4.8/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This beer was excellent, the first quality barley wine I ever tried
Feb 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.42 by wollefdoogylloj from Virginia

Feb 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by pathman from Ohio

Feb 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.83 by FLBeerGuy from Florida

Jan 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.92 by 29mikoyan from Illinois

Dec 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Nov 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.65 by Texasfan549 from Texas

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Devil_Doc from Texas

Oct 06, 2014
Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2011) from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 355 ratings