Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale - Oak-Smoked
Stone Brewing

Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale - Oak-SmokedOld Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale - Oak-Smoked
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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
11.4%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.93 | pDev: 12.72%
Reviews:
187
Ratings:
782
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 02, 2021
Added:
Feb 18, 2013
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  112
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by mikejonze:
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Rated by mikejonze from Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%

Feb 10, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of warmstorage
Reviewed by warmstorage from California

3.57/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I was excited to grab a 2013 Oak Smoked Old Guardian bomber for $10.99. I always know with these older vintages I'm taking a chance with how it has been stored and kept, but at this price, which feels like what I would have paid for it eight years ago, it was well worth it.

Opens with a nice small hiss, pours with very limited head build or retention (not surprising for an eight year old beer.) Poured into a clean goblet.

Look: mostly opaque due to haze, chestnut brown. Some sediment visible in the bottom of the bottle. Limited to no legs.

Aroma: deep notes of leather, some must, stonefruit. Smoked wood, almost a hint of charred / burnt, is slightly evident, especially as it warms.

Taste: burnt / charred dominates. I can tell it's a barleywine in that it carries it, but most other characteristics of a barleywine are hidden underneath the char.

Feel: full, slightly slick. Carbonation noticeable, but not much. Fine for the style. Some warmth / heat, but I'm unsure if I'm conflating the intense char / smoke with that.

Aftertaste is lingering charred / creosote / burnt.

Overall a fun experiment. It's a good thing I like campfires and taking a chance. I'll be delighted to finish this bottle, but I wouldn't rush out to see if the store has more of them. I have another bomber of 2014 (regular) Old Guardian that I'll review soon, and it'll be interesting to see how it stacks up without the smoked.
Feb 02, 2021
Photo of Sellen
Rated by Sellen from Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
1-26-19
Jun 25, 2020
Photo of kemoarps
Reviewed by kemoarps from New York

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2013 bottle (I assume that's the only year they did it?) so about 7 years later? Side by side with the base 2013 Old Guardian.

Somewhat lighter and less ruddy than the base version. Still in the copper/amber range of things, though. Much more clear as well, but still has some floaties. Nice head with good retention and sticky curtains of lace.

Immediately the oak and the smoke make themselves known vs the base version. Lightly sweet wood and faint smoky astringency set the tone, and the barleywine behind it offers mainly sweet fruity notes. The oak is the most recognizable individual note overall.

The oak and the smoke thin this out and smoothe it down nicely, while offering a balance to the big earthy bitterness that is still present. The oak highlights more of the high sweet notes than in the base, and I think if I could kind of split between the two that would be my preferred lane. Maybe I'll cuvee them a bit. This one also lacks the deeper richer notes I typically associate with the style (and that I love so much): the caramels and toffees and the like. There's just the faintest hint of toffee here which is more than I can say for the base version, and I think that's highlighted by the lightness the oak and smoke bring to it.

The carbonation is more brightly effervescent, and the body feels fuller, oddly enough, and more pillowy. The big earthy bitterness that dominated the base is still here, and lingers through the finish, it just has to lurk behind the oak for the duration of the main event, so to speak. Again, the alcohol is easy to take for granted, though it's certainly there.
I'm actually pretty impressed with how these have held up, and wish I'd taken notes fresh to compare (I remember having at least the base version on draft 'live' if you will). I think maybe two years ago would have been slightly preferable, as it may have helped stave off some of what I'm chalking up to oxidation, but without those notes I can't even be sure. I wish they emphasized the richer caramel/etc tones more, but they obviously still display gross competence and I find myself enjoying them
May 31, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by bigred89 from Maryland

May 10, 2020
Photo of pathman
Rated by pathman from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
05/09/20 bottle @ home (2013 release)
May 09, 2020
 
Rated: 3.91 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Jul 10, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From old, undated notes. Poured from the bottle.

Murky, rusty orange hue.

Off-white head; thick lace.

Smoke & sweet caramel nose.

Thick mouthfeel.

Heavy peat-y smoke up front, hint of caramel on the finish.

The smoke keeps this from cloying, so this is a BBQ ready winner for me.
Jun 17, 2019
Photo of neenerzig
Reviewed by neenerzig from Ohio

4.52/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
So, I've had a bomber of this sitting in my cellar for almost 6 years now, as this was originally released in the spring of that year. Poured into my snifter, this beer pours a very dark amber/copper color with some ruby highlights when held up to the light. Has an off-white head that's about an inch thick when first poured that settles to a very thick foam ring lining the inside of the glass with some good sized bubbles, good lacing, and a nice thick surface coating of foam. Aromas of some fairly bready, toasted, caramel malt sweetness along with fairly heavy oak and peat notes along with some plum and dates. There's also some earthy hops notes here. And of course some booze notes. I can sure smell the 11.4% ABV here, and that's just fine. The taste is very similar, with some fairly bready, toasted, caramel malt sweetness along with fairly heavy oak and peat notes along with some plum and dates that give some additional sweetness. And then comes the earthy hop bitterness that also has a dank, resinous quality. Even after sitting in my cellar for almost 6 years, the hops are still, albeit somewhat slightly, the dominant aspect of the flavor profile over the other flavors. But afterall, this is Stone so we should expect nothing less I suppose. I continue to be amazed by Stone's dedication to the hop and how Stone's incorporated it so perfectly into so many of their beers over the years. I mean, seriously, this 6 year old beer has more of a real hop bitterness bite that just ensconces it itself into my tastebuds and palate and isn't interested in letting go and does so in this regard in a way that puts many current, new/freshly brewed IPAs to shame hop bitterness wise. The hops and the oak smoked malts really compliment each other very nicely indeed. And then there's the boozy notes from that 11.4% ABV, which is quite noticeable and also incorporated very well into this beer's flavor profile. Has a fairly crisp, yet also smooth and frothy, also somewhat oily, full bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. The hops and oak smoked-ness really like ti linger on the palate for a long time after each sip. Another fucking fantastic beer from those guys at Stone!

Eric
Jan 19, 2019
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Reviewed by Orca from Washington

3.94/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dug this bottle from January 2013 out of the back of the beer fridge. No idea what age does to oak smoke, but I'm way behind in my reviews and this one won't be getting any fresher.

650mL into a tulip. Pours a clear amber with a light off-white head, medium carbonation. So far looks pretty good.

Aroma is fruity and sweet, herbal/floral hops. Not picking up any obvious smoke notes (unless I"m imagining just a hint, but that could be because I know what this is). Just smells like an American barleywine.

Taste is ... OK, there's the smoke. Reminiscent of Aecht Schlenkerla. Roasty, a little bitter/acidic. Underneath that, standard barleywine malt and American barleywine hops, which have not surprisingly faded a bit over the intervening half decade. Fruity, floral.

Mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied, slick. Lingers on the palate. About right for the style.

Overall an interesting twist on a hop-forward barleywine. I prefer English style--leave the hops for American IPAs--but it's still a pretty solid offering from Stone.
Aug 16, 2018
Photo of GarrettB
Reviewed by GarrettB from Colorado

3.44/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
May 7th, 2015 - Stone's Old Guardian is already a burly beer, but smoking it makes for a potent potable. Dark and somber in the glass, the aroma is crazy intense, spiced with fine leather and cumin. The flavor is much the same, but with an overwhelming booziness. The hops tries to assert itself, but the maelstrom of ethanol is far too much to cope with, suggesting that the base recipe might be at maximum strength already. Any additional oomph is too much.
May 11, 2018
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Reviewed by WickedBeer from Alabama

4.49/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Rust brown pour , nice even lace. Nice frothy head that settles quickly.

Tons of peat and smoked oak chips. A nice even sweetness of dried fruits and molasses.

Smokey, bitter, oaky, boozy. Bitter hops in the finish. Sweeter as it warms.

Medium body, slightly sticky. Warm, smooth.
May 10, 2018
Photo of babaracas
Reviewed by babaracas from Florida

4.16/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nearly opaque reddish-purplish-brown with thin creamy white cap; couple thin rings of lace. Smell: sweet and boozy with plenty of oak, vanilla, dates and raisin bread. Taste: boozed plum, overripe peach, dates, caramel. Enough clean hop bitterness to balance the sweet. Just a little oxidation, but it works along with the oak to lend some bourbon-ish and vinous notes. Carbonation is on the low end, which also works. Didn't have it fresh, but sitting on this for 5 years turned out alright!
Mar 18, 2018
Photo of LifesAnesthesia
Reviewed by LifesAnesthesia from Virginia

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Aged 5 years - bought at Stone RVA:
L - Burnt brown with hints of dark orange/copper around the edges with a thin tan head that leaves lacing behind. Tons of particulate and a nearly opaque appearance besides the edges.
S - Sweet malt, yeast, and alcohol notes along with notes of caramel. The smell is good but not exactly strong.
T - Sweet malt and yeast up front followed behind by notes of caramel, molasses, dried dark fruits, toffee, all finished with a somewhat pronounced smoky finish. Hops round out the palate but they aren't the punch you in the face bitterness you typically expect from Stone - they are more subdued here.
F - Medium to full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Somewhat sticky mouthfeel.
O - A nice take on the Old Guardian. I'm not sure what aging 5 years did for the flavor as I was not lucky enough to try one back in 2013 - but regardless this is a nice barelywine that mixes things up with a pretty pronounced smoky flavor that rounds the flavor out quite nicely.
Mar 07, 2018
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip. 2013 vintage.

L: Nearly clear caramel/copper pour. 1.5 fingers of white head... falls fast with a nice sticky rim of lacing.

S: Caramel and toffee... mild campfire smoke and dark fruits.

T/F: Caramel and toffee malts... rich and sweet with unsurprising hop bitterness... still potent after 5 years. Well balanced... dark fruits in the background becoming more prominent as it warms. Leaves a sticky coating on the tongue. Medium to thick bodied. Well carbonated... more than I was expecting. Smoke and peat on the finish.

O: Everything I'd expect from an oak-smoked Old Guardian from Stone. Big boozy barleywine... bitter hops, and a strong smoke presence at the finish. Very well done beer.
Feb 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4.1 by TheHopsman from Nebraska

Feb 18, 2018
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Reviewed by ajm5108 from Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a dark ember, just a whisper of a head, no carbonation. Aroma has some sweet malt, Belgian sugar and a good amount of smoke - it works well to counterbalance the sweetness of the malt, and isn't overpowering. Surprised hoe much I liked it - given, it is 4 years old at this point, but the smoke isn't choking, adds a nice husky depth to the beer. It really works well with the hops, which are pretty medicinal and sharp on the regular Old Gaurdian but the smoke helps temper that while working with the bitterness. Smoked beers can be a risk but this one pulls it off
Jan 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 03, 2018
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Reviewed by micada from New York

4.49/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Just had a small taste from a growler pour, obtained from Consumers Beverages as part of their 12 beers of Christmas. Delicious! Smoke, oak, barley wine. The flavors come together superbly. Can't wait to get a full glass with some friends. Good carbonation makes it feel and taste fresh, not like a flat sleeper. ABV a little up front, but does not detract from the sip. I had a mixed attitude on Stone offerings, but this one is a clear winner. Get it if you can...as much as they'll let you take!
Dec 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.23 by Avatar113 from California

Oct 18, 2017
Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale - Oak-Smoked from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 782 ratings