Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Stout

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

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle. Thank you very much @ RasmusOtt. Pours pitch black with an almost non existent brown espresso head. Aroma: Filled chocolates (Anthon Berg style) heaps of bourbon, coconut, toffee, vanilla, oaky, quite boozy, salt liquorice, lakridskonfekt, molasses, butterscotch, woody notes, salty caramel, liquorice, espresso, tiramisu, ovenbaked figs, matroshatte, chocolate, light peppery. Taste: Creamy smooth mouthfeel, I’m quite suprised how carbonated this is, Quite heavy alcohol burn, loads of bourbon, vanilla, oaky, woody notes, sweet liquorice, matroshatte, loads of dried fruits, prunes, figs, raisins, plums, and some other fruityness, dark berries, cherry sauce, candied orange peel, quite sweet, but never too much, you keep on going back to this finding new aromas and flavors, it’s so complex. there’s some roasted bitterness, some acidity, long tingly sensation in the aftertaste and some alcohol burn, quite dry palate. this is amazing!

Thanks to Black13 for pulling this out. Bottle #2967 Appearance-No lacing. Black with brown highlights. Pours like oil. Smell- Alcohol, vanilla and bits of coffee. Smooth dark chocolate aroma. Very Woody after is warms. Can’t stop smelling it. Taste- Very hot. Dark chocolate. Vanilla. Some coffee. Mouthfeel- Not as thick as you would think but very good. Overall- Very good. Sweet as hell. Sticks to your lips. The aroma is definitely the most interesting part.

From notes. First reviewed 11/28/2010. Served on tap in a Black Friday commemorative tasting glass at the GI brewpub. 5 oz. pour. I think the pours were a bit cold, so I allowed it to warm before getting into the glass. The pour is a midnight black, with a small coffee colored thick creamy foam head on top. Some retention, but no real lacing to speak of. The roasted malt, oakiness, and bourbon from the Pappy barrels come through really nicely. The aroma is more pleasant than the regular bourbon county. It is smoother and the difference in the quality of the bourbon barrels is apparent. The dark roasted malt and Pappy-soaked oak flavors really blend well, especially with two years of age on it. The smoothness of the taste over time is what really impresses me about this family of beers. Molasses, some smoked tobacco, coffee, and figs come in after it warms up a little bit. These flavors all combine effortlessly in a tasty aged stout. The feel of the bourbon county stouts is always nice, and this is no exception. It is very thick and creamy, with the body practically squeezing the carbonation out of it. The alcohol is pretty much hidden, quite a feat at 13%. I liked this a little bit more than the regular bourbon county (accounting for age differential as well), but the price tag is a bit steep.

Bottle. Thanks to Enjoyit. Pours black with a small, fast-disappearing brown head. Complex aroma; sweet and dry with notes of nougat, nuts, alcohol, dark fruits and chocolate. Very nice. Flavour is sweet and tart, with dark fruits, nougat and alcohol. The alcohol is a bit overpowering, and I think there might have been more nuances in the flavour if the alcohol hadn’t overshadowed it. Still pretty damn good though. Finish is the same, with a lingering alcohol burn. Overall this was great; complex and well-balanced, and the nougat notes were especially enjoyable, and not the least bit cloying, as could have been expected. 17.02.12.

Bottle into a snifter. This is an amazing beer. Sweet coconut, vanilla, bourbon, chocolate pack the aroma. The flavor follows the aroma. Words can not do this beer justice. I thought it would be near impossible to improve on BCS, but this was magnificent. Amazing!!!!!!!

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.