Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale: Review

A big one pint 6oz bottle.
11.1% abv.
95 IBU.

Pours a pretty looking reddish bronze color with a thin tan head. The carbonation must be toward the low side. The lacing on the glass is minimal if any.

The nose is malty caramel with some grapefruit citrus around the edges. My first sip seemed to be the opposite. Citrus-piney hops wash across the tongue and then the malty notes started to swirl on the palate. After that, it had a caramel malty flavor and citrus hoppy character all mingled together with every sip. I have to say I like the taste of this barley wine. The texture seems to have a creamy smoothness that is felt for a moment when the citrus aftertaste just coats the palate. The 11% alcohol can be felt as it warms the mouth and seems to give me a peppery prickly feel on the tongue. As I finish my first glass I can feel my body temperature warm from the alcohol. This would be nice on a cool spring or cool summer day – Okay, winter would be very nice.

No comments:

Post a Comment