Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Chicago, Illinois USA

Perfect! 12 oz. bottle. Pours opaque brown/black, like used motor oil, with no head to speak of. Aroma is rich coffee, sweet sugar syrup, vanilla and oak. Flavor is heavy, sweet, sugary, vanilla, dark fruit, chocolate. Palate is thick, viscous, syrupy, almost no carbonation. This is so rich and flavorful that it absolutely overpowers anything you’ve ever tried. A definite must-have for any beer geek.

Aroma of bourbon balls with an ashy almond presence. Appearance is black with dark mocha head. Flavor of bourbon balls, Aztec cocoa, almonds and roasted marshmallows. Palate was bubbly and lively. A great American beer.

Sampled at friend’s beer tasting. Pours a black oil color with a deep tan head. Aroma is dark chocolates, vanilla, oak, coffee, caramel. Flavor is sweet, but with notes of bitter dark chocolates. Finish is smooth, and alcohol isn’t that noticeable, at least not at the amount I consumed. A wonderful, brew that could only have been better had it been served with a cigar on the side.

Bomber. Bottled on: 10/16/09. Different label than that in the picture. A jet-black pour with an average-sized mocha head on top. A powerfully rich aroma of dark chocolate, vanilla extract, caramel, roasted coffee, and burnt oak. Full-bodied and sticky. The flavor starts off super-sweet with loads of caramel, sweet chocolate, and vanilla beans. Burnt toffee, vanilla extract, and an oaky quality follow. A semi-bittering finish reminiscent of the last few sips of a cup of coffee that has long since gone cold. Good stout.

dark fruits, malty extremely sweet, lacks hop balance on the finish. Interestingly I just finished a glass of the Creme Brulee, and this is WAY sweeter and over the top.

2008 Vintage (10/21/08) Thick, black, and oily liquid. Disappointingly though, there is no head to speak of, even with a hard pour. No real lacing, either. I swirled it to check it’s ’legs’ though. Hell, it’s wearing a skirt! Most impressive. Smell is over-the-top boozey. Bourbon notes are ever-so present. Smokey oak and hints of sweet vanilla. Hints of chocolate. Big overripe dark fruits. This reminds me of fresh S.A. Triple Bock. Wow. Bourbon warmth comes through prominently. Syrupy dark fruit flavors. Chocolate notes mingle with big vanilla flavor. Big malty backbone. Smokey oak flavor. Caramelized brown sugar. F***ing complex flavor pallette! For all of the bourbon-like warmth that is here, combined with the 13% ABV, I find the alcohol to be remarkably well hidden. Mouthfeel is phenomenal! For as big as this beer is, this is one smooth easy drinking bastard. Big, thick, chewey and oily, yet smooth and light on the tongue, at the same time. Amazing. I would like to drink these, one after the other, over an evening. When the alcohol eventually knocks me out, I’d like to wake up and continue on doing the same thing...for like a week. Damn, it’s good. This was so totally worth the wait and the effort. Worthy of seeking out.

As my friend Dean says, "I’ll drink the shit outta that one." Big bourbon, chocolate, light smoke and some oak. Lightly sweet. Just a beautiful mixture that comes together so well. One of my favorites, and it’s readily available these days. Gotta love it.