Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2005) | Stone Brewing
Brewed by:
Stone Brewing
California, United States
stonebrewing.com
Style: American Barleywine
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.26%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Todd on 01-26-2005
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 124 | Reviews: 105
4.25/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
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
358 characters
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
358 characters
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.
157 characters
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.
157 characters
4.61/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
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.
538 characters
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.
538 characters
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.
572 characters
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.
572 characters
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.
513 characters
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.
513 characters
3.1/5 rDev -26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Stone Old Guardian, Winter 2005
Served in DFH signature glass.
A: Pours clear amber with the faintest skim of a head. A light but steady stream of bubble course through beer, which is unexpected.
S: Caramel and golden raisin notes dominate, indicating a hefty bill of crystal malts. Additional aromas include cherries, alcohol, light oxidation, and honey. Smell is more subdued than I'm describing.
T: Taste does not follow particularly well. Malty sweetness, alcohol and medium bitterness comprise lion's share of taste. The alcohol and bitterness have undoubtedly diminished over years, but the other flavors have worn away more rapidly; therefore, alcohol and bitterness have no opposition. The alcohol has a solvent-like edge. However, caramel presence increases a notch when beer hits room temperature.
M: Medium-heavy body an light carbonation. Warming and a little numbing.
O: This bottle of Old Guardian was cellared properly and would certainly be "drinkable" for many years to come. It has not, however, improved and seems to be well past its peak. Too bad.
1,085 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Stone Old Guardian, Winter 2005
Served in DFH signature glass.
A: Pours clear amber with the faintest skim of a head. A light but steady stream of bubble course through beer, which is unexpected.
S: Caramel and golden raisin notes dominate, indicating a hefty bill of crystal malts. Additional aromas include cherries, alcohol, light oxidation, and honey. Smell is more subdued than I'm describing.
T: Taste does not follow particularly well. Malty sweetness, alcohol and medium bitterness comprise lion's share of taste. The alcohol and bitterness have undoubtedly diminished over years, but the other flavors have worn away more rapidly; therefore, alcohol and bitterness have no opposition. The alcohol has a solvent-like edge. However, caramel presence increases a notch when beer hits room temperature.
M: Medium-heavy body an light carbonation. Warming and a little numbing.
O: This bottle of Old Guardian was cellared properly and would certainly be "drinkable" for many years to come. It has not, however, improved and seems to be well past its peak. Too bad.
1,085 characters
Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2005) from Stone Brewing
Beer rating:
4.24 out of
5 with
124 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
In English, explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.