Stone Brewing Old Guardian Barley Wine
What the brewers say
“A rich, slightly sweet, caramel-hued ale infused with assertive bitterness and bright hops notes, culminating in a pleasing dryness. While it will evolve with age, the flavor will challenge your ability to wait to drink it.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Citrus orange and slight pine accompany big caramel, toffee, and plum, with moderate cherry and light alcohol warmth. There’s almost some graham cracker.”
Flavor: “A nice caramel, toasty, nutty sweetness carries through from start to finish of the sip and blends well with the juicy orange and slight grapefruit hops character. Alcohol warmth is present and carries through in the finish along with some peppery notes.”
Overall: “This barleywine with big malt and strong alcohol notes was put together well. The malt character and hops worked, and the beer was big but not at the expense of drinkability. The malty component is quite nice and balanced with moderate American hops. The malt and hops profiles are straightforward with nice caramel malt and piney bitterness.”
