Style: Barrel Aged Stout

ABV: 14.2 IBU: 60.0

100/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	20
Mouthfeel:	5

Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Stout

What the brewers say

“A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and smoke.”

What our panel thought

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.”

What our editors thought

Review printed in: The Dark Side (Winter 2014) (View All Issues)

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How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Goose Island Brewery 2015 Bourbon County Stout

**Aroma:** “Big medium-roast coffee with supporting chocolate tones. Dark cherry, plum, and vanilla play a supporting role. Moderate umami, moderate sweetness, light caramel notes, light roast. Second sniff finds the alcohol, but it’s not too hot.” **Flavor:** “So many layers to the malt bill and barrel character that unfold over time...mocha on steroids leads to some vanilla and cherry which then lead to more chocolate and alcoholic heat...Crazy complex. Big caramel, moderate sweetness, touch of hops bitterness, moderately creamy. Cool nutty element with hints of pecan and almond.” **Overall:** “The aroma sets you up nicely for the flavor, and the long linger is quite pleasant and makes this a good sipping stout. What a huge beer! Aged just right in some fantastic barrels that contribute the perfect amount of flavor. Layers upon layers of goodness. Best beer of the night for me.”

Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

**Aroma:** “Bourbon and vanilla notes up front, with a prominent coffee and roasted malt flavor to follow. Very complex and inviting aroma—raisin, cacao nibs, and spicy, earthy hops. Coffee is well presented, though just a touch of green pepper. Nice almond, vanilla, and coconut character from the barrel.” **Flavor:** “Beautiful blend of smooth espresso coffee, bittersweet and dark chocolate, and most of all, delicious vanilla and bourbon oak flavors. The chocolate is complex, sweet, and dry. Vanilla-and-oak character blends well with the great coffee-and-bourbon character of this beer.” **Overall:** “It’s hard to imagine a better-crafted beer. Coffee-and-barrel character are intermingled with malt sweetness and chocolate in a beautiful symphony of flavors that masterfully blends and weaves together to make for a perfect drinking experience. Incredible beer, perhaps one of the best I’ve ever had, if not the best. Perfectly executed and delivers on all fronts.”

Sidras Bereziartua Sagardoak Bereziartura

“Great nose: _Brett_-like goaty funk, earthy, leathery with hints of cinnamon. Dry, well-crafted with funky complexity and nice depth.”

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