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Steve Wagner
President & Brewmaster |
| Appearance: |
| Clear and golden-hued. |
| Aroma: |
| Big, resiny hop aroma dominates. |
| Flavor: |
| Strong bitterness with complex, dry malt flavors --- alcohol! |
| Palate: |
| Full-bodied, low but appropriate carbonation level. |
| Overall: |
| Give it time! |
  
Lee Chase
Head Brewer |
| Appearance: |
| Light and clear in first pour, but a little hazy as the bottle ended. Our lightest colored Old Guardian yet...pale and understated appearance (like W.S. Burrows) |
| Aroma: |
| Sweet aroma with some significant hops and a little malt, with an indescribable fruitiness (yeast). |
| Flavor: |
| A big hop and alcohol sweetness (alcohol comes across as sweet) with not a whole lot of malt character upfront. |
| Palate: |
| Fairly light and quire drinkable - aside from the fact that it is over 10% ABV! I didn't get much of the metallicness that others were getting from this tasting, but I did get a little of the saltiness. |
| Overall: |
| Young but pretty enjoyable -- I'm sure it will et less hoppy & a little more malty with age. I don't know if I like the fact that the hops will fade, but I look forward to the experience... |
Greg Koch
Chairman & CEO |
| Appearance: |
| Bright, clear and light orangey color. |
| Aroma: |
| Pear? Modest alcohol with muted malt notes. Some hop aromas, but mostly fruity notes (white raisin). |
| Flavor: |
| Pow baby! Arlan mentioned some scotch late back notes, I agree. Islay I think, but without peat. Ocean salty notes, often characterized in a great single malt, are also present in the back --- almost more noticeable a minute or more after the last sip. |
| Palate: |
| Quite dry considering it's a barley wine. Not really a "to style" barley wine, but hey, who in the hell cares --- it's tasty! Some metallic notes that will hopefully mellow...currently reminiscent of touching an almost-dead 9volt to your tongue. |
| Overall: |
| Swirling some of the yeast from the bottle's bottom and adding it to my glass softens the mouthfeel a bit, but it's still pretty aggressive. Arlan thinks it's a bit astringent, I don't agree. "Dry," yes, but not astringent. I like it. Will benefit from a little time in the bottle. I prefer the 2003 recipe better, but then I thought it was brilliant from day one. This one I am certain will grow on me and it will go from "woah" to "hell yeah!" |
Chris Cochran
Marketing & Promotions |
| Appearance: |
| Clear, golden-straw color...maybe a tad towards amber with a nice head retention (CO2 levels seem OK). |
| Aroma: |
| Abundant hop aroma with a minutia of malt (this isn't your Dad's O.G.!) that seems to be more pronounced as it wamed. |
| Flavor: |
| Warming effect right away = alcohol. Rather dry, crisp malt/alcohol notes...especially as it warms up. |
| Palate: |
| Big mouthfeel, carbonation seemed to diminish after initial pour. Smooth. Alcohol complexities everywhere! |
| Overall: |
| Not the usual Old Guardian suspect - in a good way. This baby's going to age nicely...pull up a chair. |
 Arlan Arnsten
Vice President of Sales |
| Appearance: |
| Light amber and crystal clear - although it is bottle conditioned and it did become a little cloudy after the bottom of the bottle was added. A nice white lacey head, but very light color for a Barley Wine. |
| Aroma: |
| Low malt but evident big hop aroma. The "warmth" eminates up even though it has been stored cold! |
| Flavor: |
| Definitely not like the previous Old Guardians Hops and alcohol - the malt comes after a little warming. Subtle and soft malt begins to balance this concoction. Yeast adds the citrus character O.G. is known for. |
| Palate: |
| Dry and big. Scotch-like and very unique. The yeast add roundness to the body - I recommend a "yeasty" taste. |
| Overall: |
| It's a bit young - hold on to this one for a while. The time aged blending will certainly produce a timeless classic. |
 
Toshi Ishii
COO & Brewery Director
Yo-Ho Brewing |
| Appearance: |
| Super clear for bottle conditioned. Medium amber color. |
| Aroma: |
| [Japanese] |
| Flavor: |
| [Japanese] |
| Palate: |
| [Japanese] |
| Overall: |
| [Japanese] |
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