Goose Island Brewery 2015 Bourbon County Stout

**Aroma:** “Moderate fruity aroma (black currant, plum, cherry, blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, pomegranate) with medium chocolate and coffee notes. Light alcohol note. As it warms, more sweetness and alcohol notes. Moderate caramel. Light roasty foundation reminds me that it’s a stout.” **Flavor:** “Rich sweetness, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, slight soy sauce. Complex mocha/caramel/roast malt, esters, and smooth warming alcohol (spicy) set up a perfect storm of richness. Big dark fruits (cherry, blueberry, blackberry, currant, raspberry) and bright acidity. This is a rich mouthful.” **Overall:** “Big fruity sweetness with cherry and blackberry notes. Moderate alcohol warming and a medium amount of chocolate. A 10-ounce pour of this might last me quite a while. A great sipping beer with the intense sweetness of a dessert wine. Wow—I’d like to curl up with a full bottle of this.”

**Aroma:** “Bourbon and vanilla up front with a nice supportive dark chocolate character. Pleasant oak aromas, light coffee, dark fruit, cherry fruit. Nice bourbon character but not too boozy. Some nutty, toffee, caramel notes. Sweet dark fruit quality.” **Flavor:** “Lots of vanilla and bourbon with a very pleasant chocolate character to support. Malt sweetness comes through as caramel and toffee. Subtle chicory roast and red wine vinegar. Burnt sugar and vanilla wood is so nice! Some nutty and coconut flavors, plus sweet dark fruit.” **Overall:** “Bourbon and oak on display, with lots of chocolate to support and balance the caramel malt. Finishes sweet and chewy. Great beer to sip on and showcases plenty of malt complexity and barrel character. Alcohol is obvious but not overbearing. With the barrel quality, malt, bourbon, and chocolate, it all builds to make a great beer.”

“Orange peel, lemon meringue, lime, apple, and green tea in the nose create a clean, fruity, and inviting aroma. The apple flavors are supported by a cinnamon-like spice and a tart, citric acidity that balances the sweet spice. The package comes across like an autumn-spiced version of the style.”