Goose Island Bourbon County Vanilla Stout

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

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: JAN 22, 2011 (Rating #6400)... Bottle… Tampa “Farewell to Sebletitje” Tasting… This beer rocks!… Pours pitch black with a small, creamy, khaki head. Decent retention. This doesn’t smell an awful lot different than traditional Bourbon County Stout to me. Sure, I’m picking up some vanilla, but not much more than what the untreated version offers. Throw pretty much any imperial stout in a toasted or charred bourbon barrel and you’re going to get a vanilla nuance. I don’t know if there weren’t enough vanilla beans added or if the time the beer spent with the vanilla beans was cut too short, but I’m a vanilla fanatic and wanted more of a stand-out vanilla component in this beer, but that’s not really evident here. Ultra full-bodied with a motor oil mouthfeel and tingly carbonation. The flavor is very bourbony and here’s that blast of vanilla I was looking for. Also, plenty of sweet mocha, burnt malts and essence of bourbon. No overbearing bourbon or alcohol heat. Carbonaceous, bittersweet, crème brûlée finish. Very, very nice, but I’m deducting a couple points due my disappointment there weren’t more fresh, sticky vanilla beans in the nose. World class imperial stout shared by juiceisloose. Thanks, Justin!

caramel, vanilla, black, brown foam, cloudy, medium sweetness, full body, thick feel, average carbonation, long finish, Still one of my favorite beers

Black with a quickly dissapearing dark brown head. Mellow sweetish aroma of the obvious bourbon, vanilla and chocolate. Flavor delivers a huge sweetness together with soy-like burnt notes which together with the rather flat mouthfeel makes for a very "hard to drink" experience. Still a tasty brew but definitely a dessert beer to share.

Poured into my bruery tulip, blacker than black with a 2 finger head the disapates quickly to a thin ring around my glass. Aroma just like bcbs, can’t detect a lot of vanilla in the nose. Oak, bourbon and some vanilla. Taste follows the nose with strong vanilla at the end of the taste. The drinkability is where the vanilla really shines. The vanilla hides the alcohol, makes this a smooth drink that doesn’t need age. Very delicious, very smooth!

UPDATED: MAY 17, 2012 [5/9/12] Bottle at Mikkeller Bar in Copenhagen. Bottled 11/05/10. Black-colored with no head. Wonderful and really powerful aroma full of dark chocolate, pralines, vanilla, a bit of coffee, some bourbon and a bit of alcohol. Sweet flavor with lots of bittersweet chocolate, vanilla and a boozy finish. Full silky body. A great one.

UPDATED: MAY 13, 2012 22 oz. bottle, pours black with a very quickly dissipating light brown head. Aroma is huge, with brown sugar, vanilla beans, prominent bourbon, coffee, chocolate, and considerable sweetness - more than the other versions. Flavour is much sweeter than other versions of Bourbon County, with vanilla beans, brown sugar, bourbon, burnt dark fruits, marshmallows and sweet cocoa. Delicious and very well-made, but quite cloying in sweetness. Doesn’t hold a candle to the Coffee version.

bottle black with tan head . great aroma - vanilla , oak , burnt sugar , bourbon . rich sweet taste - vanilla , chocolate , demerara sugar, toasted malts , bourbon . thick viscous chewy mouthfeel . a great beer if you like them black , sweet and strong .

2010 bottle. Pours black with a small creamy tan head. Aroma is very vanilla forward as expected, lots of the coconut woody oaky notes beyond the standard bcs chocolate and bourbon. Flavor is even more potent, tons of vanilla and chocolate, hitting into more of a creamy oaky character before a smooth finish with tons of vanilla and woody coconut. Slight warmth in the chest. Full body and a soft carbonation. Great version.

Pours black with a thin tan head. The aroma is bourbon sweet caramel, plum, burnt sugar, a little vanilla, lots of booze. The flavor is sweet and boozy, not a lot of vanilla, the booze gives it a vanilla extract like taste. The mouth feel is full and sticky. The sweet flavors really linger.

Pours out thick, oily, black and viscous with no head. Nose is full of vanilla (shocker!), bourbon, sweet molassas, and alcohol. Sweet and intoxicating. Taste follows where the nose finishes. Sweet, rich, luxurious vanilla, chocolote and bourbon. Flavor lingers and lingers. Feel is superb. Thick, almost chewy, a bit of alcohol burn. Just a superb beer.

Brought by Jon as a night cap for our Hill Farmstead tasting. Pours a deep black with hues of brown. No head whatsoever on the pour. Nose is classic bourbon county goodness with a beautiful balance of vanilla. Flavor mirrors the nose. This beer is balanced so damn well, it’s a shame it’ll be reproduced. Mouthfeel is heavy with moderate booziness. It coats the palate nicely. Probably the highlight of the night. It’s incredible how well this held up. The vanilla is so balanced with the base beer....this might be in my top 10 favorite beers.