Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Stout

Formerly brewed at Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev)
Style: Imperial Stout
Chicago, Illinois USA

Serve in Snifter

From a bomber bottle in Sätila New Years Evening (Thanks Timo). Black beer with no head. Chocolate, dried dark fruits, vanilla, coconut and bourbon in this amazing palette of aromas and flavour. A lovley beer! :-)

Bottle at tasting, courtesy of Enjoyit - thanks! Inky black pour, no head to speak of. This beauty has a huge bourbon aroma - lots of coconut and vanilla, lush chocolate, vanilla iced cream, wood, french nougat, sweet figs and dark berries, some alcohol. Basically pretty much like regular BCS, but the bourbon notes are out of this world. The epitome of Bourbon barrel aging. The taste reveals all that I love about BCS. Has the basic BCS things going on malt wise, but again the barrel qualities are through the roof. Coconut, vanilla, wet wood, slightly spicy woody. Everything comes together beautifully. There is quite some alcohol presence, but it doesn’t make it any lesser of a masterpiece. I love this. I love BCS. Fucken hell.

Bottle shared by colonelforbin. Thanks Mike. Pours a pitch black with a small light chocolate head settles to a ring and leaves some light lacing on the glass. The aroma is heavenly with big vanilla, oak, chocolate brownie, bourbon, and some light cherry as well as a bit of nuttiness. The taste is sweet with hazlenut, cherry, vanilla, bourbon, and chocolate brownie. The finish has quite a bit of alcohol as well as a light astringency and leaves some lingering oak on the palate. Full bodied, slick mouthfeel with low carbonation. This is a very good beer, but I find it to be a little be too sweet and boozy for me.

A: Opaque black with a very small ring of head that drifts away almost immediately. S: Super rich fudge/brownie batter. I don’t know how else to describe this. Vanilla with some bakers chocolate, great bourbon character on the nose, smells smooth. T: Almost no carbonation and the alcohol (given the ABV) is almost non existent. Toffee, caramel, bourbon, chocolate, roasted char (subtle), maybe even a bit of fruit in there. Super sweet bourbon and vanilla goodness. This is the "creme de la creme" of bourbon county, or any bourbon barrel aged stout for that matter. Simply excellent. M: Very thick and slick, it coats the mouth and sticks around for awhile. Leaves a very nice aftertaste that lingers. O: This is fantastic, and definitely a step up from the regular bourbon county brand stout but I am not sure that the price tag is justified. If I saw this beer on the shelf would I buy it again? YES, and I would save it for a special occasion. A great experience nonetheless!

12/23/10. Bomber, first taste care of cbfobes, my main man/lady! Solid, opaque pour with a small brown head that settles to a ring but lasts forever. Amazing sweet buttery coconut and vanilla aroma laced with bourbon booze, sweet chocolate, a hint of coffee, and more than I could explain. Ripe sweet chocolate vanilla flavor loaded with more vanilla, coconut, sweet cherries, dark fruits, brown sugar, and more than I can imagine. Silky smooth and simply amazing. This is heaven.

RBAG 2012. One of the highlights of the night. Pours jet black with a thin brown head that lingered in the glass the entire drink. Aroma is delicious and complex, smacking you in the face with bourbon, vanilla, molasses and oak. The flavor is very smooth with touches of chocolate, toffee and vanilla. The bourbon is very noticeable but not overpowering as in other Bourbon BAs I’ve had. The wood notes really come through in the finish.

2010 bomber, from bauermj. Black with a ruby hue, no head. Very smooth bourbon, wood, light vanilla, sweet malts, some soy, anise. Full body, average carbonation, slightly sweet with some alcohol bitterness, coffee, vanilla, oak, very fresh. Finish just keeps on going and going, lots of bourbon, vanilla, coffe and dried fruit.

Bottle@Home. So complex in the aroma with wood and bourbon. Black, brown head, very nice lace. Sweetish, nice bitterness, wood, bourbon, chocolate. Full and complex.