Spring Break
'Old Guardian' serves up high quality barley wine
Mike Partel
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Ok, on with the review. The 22-ounce bomber poured nicely into my snifter as a cloudy, darker amber color with a negligible head formation that was slightly off-white. The aroma that resulted included such esters as citrus (it is an American recipe after all), plum, caramel and toasted barley. It was pretty standard really - pleasant and rich, without overpowering your senses.
After taking a sip, I found a great combination of flavors. There were notes of plum, honey, caramel, citrus, a bit of wood and mild alcohol. With very little after bite, this 11.3 percent hulk went down smoothly and was not overly sweet. I've had barley wines before that really just make you feel as though they are actually cheaply made wine, but this was indeed something you could just relax with. I could picture someone sitting down with some friends, on a stormy night in front of a roaring fire with a glass of this.
This was a well-made beer from high quality ingredients, just as the brewers hoped for. My only problem with it was that I did not have longer to cellar it. Even though it is great when still young, it would have been far superior with an older vintage. It's a strong beer, after all, with flavors that meld more and more over time, aging like its fruit-based counterparts. I would recommend this to anyone who has little taste for over-the-top hop bombs, likes to appreciate beer rather than pound it, or anyone who enjoys a fine wine but would like to venture into the grain part of the world with a good, solid beer.
After taking a sip, I found a great combination of flavors. There were notes of plum, honey, caramel, citrus, a bit of wood and mild alcohol. With very little after bite, this 11.3 percent hulk went down smoothly and was not overly sweet. I've had barley wines before that really just make you feel as though they are actually cheaply made wine, but this was indeed something you could just relax with. I could picture someone sitting down with some friends, on a stormy night in front of a roaring fire with a glass of this.
This was a well-made beer from high quality ingredients, just as the brewers hoped for. My only problem with it was that I did not have longer to cellar it. Even though it is great when still young, it would have been far superior with an older vintage. It's a strong beer, after all, with flavors that meld more and more over time, aging like its fruit-based counterparts. I would recommend this to anyone who has little taste for over-the-top hop bombs, likes to appreciate beer rather than pound it, or anyone who enjoys a fine wine but would like to venture into the grain part of the world with a good, solid beer.
Be the first to comment on this story