Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev)
Style: Imperial Stout
Chicago, Illinois USA

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle. [<a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=3 target=_new> Courtesy of kmweaver]. Clear dark brown black color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, brown head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, caramel, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, oak, vanilla, some alcohol. Flavor is heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is almost full, texture is oily - creamy - syrupy, carbonation is soft - flat, finish feel is light alcoholi. Very very nice ;o)) (070408)

UPDATED: JUN 4, 2006 The aroma is sweet alcoholic with notes of wood, prunes, and raisins. The color is pitch black and it has a disappearing brown head. The flavor is alcoholic with notes of roasted malt, wood, chocolate, vanilla, and a little soya. A somewhat weird flavor, but quite interesting.

(Bottle 35,5 cl) Pours black and opaque with a pretty much absent head. Distinct aromas of oak and bourbon. Rather full-bodied with plenty of sweet, roasted malt. All the burned malty accents are pretty much hidden underneath the sweetish bourbon notes. Lightly bitter malt finish. 030606

35.5 cL bottle, says bourbon county brand stout 2008. Pours thick and oily, deep dark brown to pitch black with a small and yet dense and deep chocolate brown head. Solid roasted malt, mild smoked, dense dark chocolate and solid bourbon dense aroma. Thick oily and creamy mouthfeel. Flavour is sweet, heavy bitterness showing through and mixing nicely with the solid acidic and hard roasted malt flavours yet also with a smooth vanilla/oak note to briefly attempt a counter balance. Distinct alcohol/bourbon presence going into a distinct alcohol burn in the finish. Sweet, bitter and lasting roasted/chocolate and bourbon finish. Nice yet also overempowering: beer soaked in too much bourbon.

Bottled (thanks heemer77!). 2005 vintage. Very deep ruby red colour, close to black. Not much head. Aroma is earth cellar, licorice, alcohol, vanilla and some wood. Flavour is licorice, alcohol, some mild acidicness. Aftertaste is big licorice, alcohol and very peppery.

Bottled. Dark black with near black brief head. Aroma of vanilla and licorice. Sweet with full body and clean mouthfeel with intense oak barrel flavour. The barrel character goes overboard and along with excessive alcohol it gets too intense and unbalanced. A lot of flavour, but not a lot of flavours.

UPDATED: MAR 4, 2006 Bottled, thanks to René for sharing. Black coloured with a small beige head. Roasted aroma of coffee and wood with notes of vanilla and hops. Roasted flavour of wood, dried fruits and vanilla.

Bottle. Alcoholic, vinous, creamy, woody, vanilla, coconut aroma. Black colour, no head. Very powerful flavour, oak, vanilla and coconut. Thick, slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Very good.

UPDATED: JUL 14, 2011
2011-07-14, vintage 2008, 3 years old, 13% ABV, 8-4-8-4-17=41
Black color; it has not much carbonation, it pours thick and oily, with a small and not peristent brown head. Aroma of roasted malt and dark chocolate first, some vanilla, leather, alcohol, cardboard and light phenol. The body is very strong, with a rather oily mouthfeel; very good dark chocolate flavor, then roasted malt, some tar and liquorice, finaly the pleasant Bourbon component; moderate residual sweetness; strong warming feeling from the alcohol; correct bitterness.
Extremely powerful.

2009-11-12, at Monk’s Café, Stockholm, vintage 2007, 2 years old, 13% ABV, 9-4-8-4-17=42
Black color; it’s almost flat, with no carbonation, no head. The aroma shows a good mix of Bourbon vanilla, whiskey, roasted malt, paper, cardboard, very light smoke. It has a good body strength; strong chocolate flavor, burning alcohol feeling; welll rich; dark caramel, light vanilla, light smoke.

2007-05-23, vintage 2006, 1 year old, 11% ABV, 8-5-9-5-18=45
Black oil, thin head. Intense aroma, very sweet, of vanilla, oak, roasted malt, tar, leather. Full mouthfeel, thick, oily, sweet, malty, with a very nice roasted malt line, some liquorice, cookies, vanilla, dark chocolate. Strong final, with a clear presence of the roasted malt, sugars and vanilla, salty dark chocolate 99% cocoa; toffee and rubharb; the alcohol starts warming the mouth

Bought for 10$ at New Beer Distributors, NY, it’s a great beer to celebrate Milan victory in the Champions League tonight!

UPDATED: NOV 20, 2011
Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: November 09, 1997
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Appearance: black, thin brown head
Aroma: sweet alcoholic aroma
Flavor: thick and rich chocolate flavor, burbony, hint of the 9% hidden within, aged for 100 days in Jim Beam Bourbon barrels

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: February 21, 2004
rich chocolate and borbon flavor,

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: January 15, 2006
Mode: bottle
Score: iiii to ii+
Appearance: pours a slick black oil with a short lived thin brown head
Aroma: sweet chocolate aroma with a strong bourbon note
Flavor: huge alcoholic bourbon flavor, very fumey, lots of chocolate
Overall: all bourbon

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: November 14, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: cellar stock
Vintage: 2005
Score: 4.0 to 4.1
Appearance: black, fine brown head
Aroma: dark chocolate aroma is in perfect balance with the sweet vanilla and bourbon
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, lots of bourbon, vanilla sweetness brinhs out the chocolate and bourbon, lots of alcohol but not to distraction
Overall: like a bourbon chocolate candy

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: December 31, 2010
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2005
dark chocolate and bourbon still going strong, picking up some nice sherry notes, sweet caramel and vanilla,

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: February 21, 2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Brewpub
Vintage: 2006
sweet bourbon and chocolate aroma and flavor, very well balanced between the bourbon and chocolate, lots of vanilla brings out the chocolate, sweet licorice, light hot alcohol in the finish but not a distraction,

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: December 31, 2010
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2006
rich dark chocolate and bourbon like the 05 but without the sherry notes leaving it even richer,

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: September 23, 2011
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2006
lots of sweet dark fruits, bourbon has mellowed,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***+ /4

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: September 23, 2011
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2007
sherry is kicking in and fighting with the bourbon, oxidizing sooner than the 06,

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: November 01, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: cellar tasting
Vintage: 2008
same wonderful rich chocolate and bourbon, lots of vanilla sweetness, hot as always,

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: March 19, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: road trip
Vintage: 2008
none of the heat from before, just the rich chocolate and bourbon,

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: December 31, 2010
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2008
not the richness of the earlier years, more caramel sweetness, still some heat from the bourbon

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: September 23, 2011
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2008
sweet sherry, the younger vintages are not holding up as well as the older ones,

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: September 23, 2011
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2009
sweet bourbon and chocolate has returned after years of oxidized older vintages,

Brewery: Goose Island Brewing Co
Date: September 23, 2011
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2010
bourbon is boozy and takes over the chocolate, not as nice and mellow as the year old vintage or the earlier years,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***+ /4