Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2005)
Stone Brewing

Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2005)Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2005)
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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
11.26%
Score:
94
Avg:
4.24 | pDev: 8.96%
Reviews:
106
Ratings:
125
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 29, 2023
Added:
Jan 26, 2005
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  3
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by rkhaze:
Photo of rkhaze
Reviewed by rkhaze from California

4.85/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
My goodness. I've had their Barleywine for the last few years and have no posted reviews or notes! What was I, drunk?...or Stoned?
Sorry about the pun.
Here we go. Found at Bevmo in Walnut Creek on 1/24. 7 days before the official release date?
Pours a nice copper color with a small, large bubbled head. You can tell this is a thick mutha by the way the few carbonation bubbles slowly struggle to the top.
Mouth watering smells. Big sweet malt, caramel, orange citrus fruits. On the hop side, its fresh, clean and resinous.The alcohol is certainly present but works well in the whole. Almost a brandy presence to it.
Taste is big and rich. Tangy, citrusy and bittersweet flavors. The malt seems a little sweeter and it picks up a toffee flavor with a hint of nut, vanilla and a wisp of smoke. Had some nuances like it could have been aged in bourbon barrels including that rare coconut like taste. The hops charge in to balance this bad boy and do an exceptional job. Citrusy and resinous. Great melding of huge flavors and alcohol. This is certainly drinkable now but I think would improve with a year of aging to mellow the alcohol a bit more.
Rich, yet surprisingly light bodied all things considered. Full, viscous and slightly oily mouthfeel.
Outstanding drinkability for such a huge beer. Another top notch beer from Stone! Get some, drink some, age some.
Jan 26, 2005
More User Ratings:
Photo of brewandbbq
Reviewed by brewandbbq from New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle stored on its side since 2005.

Pours with light carbonation. Minimal retention or lacing. Toffee, caramel, wet cardboard in the nose. Medium bodied with a slickish, tacky mouthfeel. Stale toffee on the palate with dusty malt and plenty of bitterness on the palate. Finishes with lingering toffee and light cardboard.
Oct 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Kurzman from Rhode Island

Apr 15, 2017
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2016:
Drinking this at stone
Look - Amber reddish color with no head or lacing after the aging as expected
Smell - strong boozy sweet slight Carmel smell. It wasn't in a bb but it smells like it.
Taste - sweet carmalized cherries, really boozy taste
Feel - medium body with light carb
Overall - really strong still after all the ageing but still pretty good
Feb 09, 2016
Photo of johnnnniee
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.77/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle from Mike’s Barleywine tasting, thanks for the opportunity!
Surprisingly still a bit of earthy hop flavor against a sweet caramel fruity maltiness.
Apr 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by nathanmiller from New York

Mar 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.61 by Texaseddie from California

Feb 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by zestar from California

Jul 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by BillRoth from Maryland

Dec 08, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Jul 08, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by jaxon53 from Connecticut

Jul 07, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by t0rin0 from California

Feb 25, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by beerpadawan from California

Aug 27, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by trancesk8er from California

Jun 09, 2012
Photo of drabmuh
Reviewed by drabmuh from Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Old Guardian served in an Old Guardian glass, this beer does not really improve with age but it also doesn't get much worse.

Beer is ruby and clear with a thin lazy off white / tan head of small bubbles, some lacing, low carbonation. Looks good.

Stone biting house yeast with nice MO grain / malt aroma, strong throughout.

Beer is medium in body with a mild bitter and hoppiness on the back end, it is a fine beer with a nice finish but there is this underlying faded, musky hoppiness there. I don't like it as much as the newer ones.
Apr 06, 2012
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle courtesy of drabmuh at last weekend's Stone tasting. Served in a Stone goblet.

Pours a semi-hazy golden-caramel color with a bit of an orange hue. Short head without much in the way of retention or lacing.

The nose brings some caramel and brown sugar, as well as some older hops. Faint fruits in the background. The flavor has a good deal of sweetness and still just a touch of lingering bitterness. Medium body with low carbonation and a mixture of sugar and alcohol.

This was okay, but it's not something I'd really plan to age all that much of in the future.
Apr 03, 2012
Photo of Huhzubendah
Reviewed by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt.

The beer is copper orange hued with a small head that leaves sparse lacing on the glass. The aroma offers caramels, malt, light oxidation, even some old basement. The flavor is decent, but I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the 2004 version. I was quite surprised by how different they were from one another. Pretty simple and straightforward, with a slightly sweet malt bill leading the way. Hop character is nonexistent at this point. A pretty decent brew and fun to try.
Mar 31, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by codynevels from California

Mar 06, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by bearisprime from California

Feb 08, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by PhineasGage from Iowa

Jan 27, 2012
Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2005) from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 125 ratings