Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale (2013)
Stone Brewing


- From:
- Stone Brewing
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 11.6%
- Score:
- +3 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.9 | pDev: 6.15%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 7
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- May 30, 2024
- Added:
- May 31, 2020
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania
4.03/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle, Cellar review from 2022:
First pour is clear, second pour bring sediment that settles to the bottom of the glass. Aroma is a mix of caramel and toffee flavors and then both fruity grapefruit zest and earthy pine resin hops. Taste is similar, the malt sweetness is balanced by underlying bitterness. Long finish. Mouthfeel is both a touch oily and also a bit sticky. Overall still quite enjoyable at 9 years of age.
May 30, 2024First pour is clear, second pour bring sediment that settles to the bottom of the glass. Aroma is a mix of caramel and toffee flavors and then both fruity grapefruit zest and earthy pine resin hops. Taste is similar, the malt sweetness is balanced by underlying bitterness. Long finish. Mouthfeel is both a touch oily and also a bit sticky. Overall still quite enjoyable at 9 years of age.
Reviewed by cheeseheadinMinneapolis from Wisconsin
3.75/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Drank on 4/14/2024 11 years old
Look: slightly hazy/murky amber. a short head that was persistent leaving some nice fine lacing
Smell was ok but you can tell it's age. fruity esters, oxidation.
taste was Ok till the finish. fruit like apricot with hint of plum. A little caramel. At the finish oxidation showed up. The hops fell apart. there was some lingering bitterness in the after taste.
Mouth feel is OK medium thickness, smooth slightly soft.
It was OK , I'm sure this beer was better 5 years ago
Apr 14, 2024Look: slightly hazy/murky amber. a short head that was persistent leaving some nice fine lacing
Smell was ok but you can tell it's age. fruity esters, oxidation.
taste was Ok till the finish. fruit like apricot with hint of plum. A little caramel. At the finish oxidation showed up. The hops fell apart. there was some lingering bitterness in the after taste.
Mouth feel is OK medium thickness, smooth slightly soft.
It was OK , I'm sure this beer was better 5 years ago
Reviewed by Orca from Washington
3.83/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
22oz bottle into a tulip. Pours a slightly hazy (possibly chill hazed) amber with a half-finger off-white head—similar to the 2012 OG recently reviewed.
Aroma is sweet and fruity—brown sugar, alcohol, floral hops.
Taste is equal parts malty sweetness and bitter hops. Caramel, toffee, and apricots balanced by a sharply bitter hop finish.
Mouthfeel is medium-heavy, sticky, lingering. Low carbonation detracts.
Overall a good but not great American barleywine. It’s held together pretty nicely and the hop presence is still there, this just has never been one of my favorite beers.
Nov 25, 2023Aroma is sweet and fruity—brown sugar, alcohol, floral hops.
Taste is equal parts malty sweetness and bitter hops. Caramel, toffee, and apricots balanced by a sharply bitter hop finish.
Mouthfeel is medium-heavy, sticky, lingering. Low carbonation detracts.
Overall a good but not great American barleywine. It’s held together pretty nicely and the hop presence is still there, this just has never been one of my favorite beers.
Reviewed by bubseymour from Maryland
3.68/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.68/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Drinking a 9 year old bottle I found at the store. Not very good. 4 people shared it, 1 drain poured it, 2 of us thought it was so/so at best. 1 guy kinda liked it.
Dec 04, 2022Reviewed by JamFuel from Sweden
4.41/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.41/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a murky brownish orange with fine head and some floaties.
Smell is fruity and slightly floral with notes of leather, wood, cocoa, pine and resin.
Taste is rich and fiery with nice fruitiness. Notes of pine, resin, leather, Ovaltine and brandy, with some floral hints. Powerful bitterness, and very in your face. This has NOT mellowed with age.
Mouthfeel is medium, chewy an smooth, well carbonated.
Overall, a powerful barley wine, has aged with force.
May 07, 2021Smell is fruity and slightly floral with notes of leather, wood, cocoa, pine and resin.
Taste is rich and fiery with nice fruitiness. Notes of pine, resin, leather, Ovaltine and brandy, with some floral hints. Powerful bitterness, and very in your face. This has NOT mellowed with age.
Mouthfeel is medium, chewy an smooth, well carbonated.
Overall, a powerful barley wine, has aged with force.
Reviewed by ilikebeer03 from Texas
3.69/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.69/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Nose is sherry, dark fruit, cherry, plum
Taste is similar. Sherry, plum, toffee. Dark fruits. Mild bitterness. Not bad, but almost certainly better fresh. Waited too long
Oct 24, 2020Taste is similar. Sherry, plum, toffee. Dark fruits. Mild bitterness. Not bad, but almost certainly better fresh. Waited too long
Reviewed by kemoarps from Washington
3.92/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.92/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
2013 bottle (obviously), so about 7 years on it.
Rusty amber like bloody urine, thick with a lot of suspended floaties. Nicely coloured head that sits primly and professionally with some soapy bubbles and a lot of fuzz. Nice curtains of lace as I work down the glass.
Nice is still pretty sweet with candied plum and tobacco and leather.
Flavour is seeing some oxidation but not terrible. Subsumes a lot of the richer caramel/toffee/plum notes I'm looking for, though. MASSIVELY earthy bitter still. Huge pine and a bit of pith. Tobacco stronger than leather, and like I said, none of the sweet rich notes I would expect. This almost reminds me of a relatively fresh well done malty rye IPA kind of thing. Impressive for almost a decade later. I like it, but I miss the rich depth I was expecting.
Moderate body and light carbonation that boosts but does not get in the way of the massive bitterness that still prevails. This is an old school barleywine through and through. 11.6 alcohol is easy to forget.
May 31, 2020Rusty amber like bloody urine, thick with a lot of suspended floaties. Nicely coloured head that sits primly and professionally with some soapy bubbles and a lot of fuzz. Nice curtains of lace as I work down the glass.
Nice is still pretty sweet with candied plum and tobacco and leather.
Flavour is seeing some oxidation but not terrible. Subsumes a lot of the richer caramel/toffee/plum notes I'm looking for, though. MASSIVELY earthy bitter still. Huge pine and a bit of pith. Tobacco stronger than leather, and like I said, none of the sweet rich notes I would expect. This almost reminds me of a relatively fresh well done malty rye IPA kind of thing. Impressive for almost a decade later. I like it, but I miss the rich depth I was expecting.
Moderate body and light carbonation that boosts but does not get in the way of the massive bitterness that still prevails. This is an old school barleywine through and through. 11.6 alcohol is easy to forget.
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