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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Tap at Blind Tiger. Deep black pour with a very thin tan head. The nose is quite interesting. There seems to be a lot of blackberry character on the back. Lots of vanilla as well that enhances the dark cocoa flavour. Rich and vanillaish, but it doesn’t come across as sweet or too chewy. A touch of peppery character on the back helps cut the sweetness and the bourbon flavour seems to be accentuated by the vanilla. Intense bourbon/vanilla richness on the back. The vanilla is here but it is nicely restrained. It’s a little bit hot as it warms up in a way that I don’t recall from regular BCS. Nice stuff.

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.