Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale - Oak-Smoked - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Stone Brewing

6-6-19

While the Oak-Smoked Old Guardian was bottled and released in 2013, this BBA variation has only been a draft only release at special events (as far as I know). The original Old Guardian Barleywine is still one of my favorite beers Stone has ever released, and the 2013 Oak-Smoked edition was the same recipe but with oak-smoked wheat malt added. The rich and malty combined with the smoky and wheaty made it a successful release. Sit that bad boy in Bourbon Barrels and I'm not sure anybody could have predicted the beauty that would pour out.

I personally was able to try this amazing beer at a Stone Tap Takeover in Alhambra, CA. The tap list was amazing, and this particular taster blew me away. Here is my tasting breakdown.

Look: Beautiful reddish rust colored body, very small head of dissipating foam.

Smell:Incredibly smooth, never could guess it was 11%. The dominating aromas for this were of oak, bourbon, and dark dried fruit. You really get all the components of the original Oak-Smoked Old Guardian, but the bourbon barrels added in the an amazing sweet booziness, and really enhanced the smokiness with a strong woody quality.

Taste: This beer really started out with a great malty sweetness that balanced perfectly with the smokiness. An incredibly rich profile, one that works so well together with the other present components. While barrel-aging an oak-smoked beer already rich with malt may seem like too much, this became just the opposite. The bourbon barrels gave the beer this incredible sweetness, enhancing the pre-existing rich, malty characteristics with the booze and enhancing the oak-smoked wheat malt with the wood from the barrels. It's pure bliss.

Feel: A medium-bodied beer with unmatched smoothness and a nice warm boozy burn in the finish.

This beer is second to none. Amazing balance, body, and smoothness. All around unbeatable in my opinion.