Style: Stout (Barrel-aged)

ABV: 15.2

95/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	19
Mouthfeel:	4

Goose Island Beer Co. Anniversary Bourbon County Stout

What the brewers say

"Anniversary Bourbon County Stout is aged 2 years in Weller 12 Year barrels and is a special variant to celebrate Goose Island’s 10-year tradition of releasing Bourbon County Stout on Black Friday (2020)."

What our panel thought

“If box-checking were an Olympic sport, this beer would stand on the podium. Base beer is rich in melanoidins—spirits-forward, with a touch of oak. Alcohol is loud, but there’s enough chocolate, brown sugar, and red fruits to make a stand.”

What our editors thought

“Crisp, sweet bourbon notes in the nose—big, boozy, with subtle apple and pear overtones. Incredibly smooth despite its intensity.”

Review printed in: The Route to Stout (October-November 2021) (View All Issues)

Print Shelf Talker

How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Urbanrest Brewing Company Will We Ever Hug Again

“Elegant, vinous nose brings pleasant alcohol sweetness with notes of char, black licorice, and marshmallow. Flavor brings a strong roast-malt profile with wisps of vanilla and cocoa. Body is a bit thin. Beautifully balanced. The overall drinkability here is surprising. Excellent marriage of every component.”

River North Brewery Whiskey Barrel Aged Nightmare Fuel

__Aroma:__ “Intense coffee that’s deeply roasty with light char, but balanced by rich cocoa and cacao nibs and just a touch of cherry.” __Flavor:__ “Very bitter, big coffee, roast, and chocolate. The coffee is so intense, it’s a bit acrid. Notes of light oak, vanillin, with cherry and plum esters. It’s very earthy, grassy, piney, and very dark, leaving a coating on the roof of your mouth. Relatively dry overall, considering the heavy body and high alcohol. Very sweet yet an acrid/burned bitterness dries out the finish.” __Overall:__ “The coffee blends well with the roast and barrel character without completely drowning them out. The wood is a bit over the top, but the fermentation is clean. The very dark roast coffee lends a perceived dryness, with a peak of sweetness in the middle and roast in the end, and the oak helps balance.”

Goose Island Brewery Bourbon County Stout 2019

Big whiskey barrel up front; notes of toffee, caramel, milk chocolate, and barrel-vanilla. Flavor is milk chocolate, fading into moderate bitterness and palate-cleansing alcohol. Rich and boozy.

FRESH BEERS >

The best new craft beers available in a beer store near you. Sponsored content.

New Belgium Dominga Grapefruit

New Belgium wood cellar blender Lauren Limbach was gifted a new foeder that she aptly named Dominga—a play on the Spanish word for Sunday. She first created a mimosa-inspired golden sour called “Dominga: Goddess of Brunch.” Now we are excited to introduce the cocktail-inspired version, Dominga Grapefruit Paloma. Inspired by the classic cocktail of Mexico, Dominga packs a refreshing combo of bright grapefruit and lime flavors, along with agave and a pinch of salt.

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Oaktoberfest is our oak-inspired homage to the great German tradition of Oktoberfest. We go the extra mile of maturing this beer in French oak barrels to create an amazingly smooth mouthfeel. The result is a classic German festbier with a hint of West Coast hoppiness. Grab your stein, don your lederhosen, and enjoy!

Firestone Walker Parabola ’24

Parabola is always a beast of a beer, with intense flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and roast coffee—yet each annual release also bears its own subtle imprint. For this latest edition, we aged the beer for a year in 12-year Elijah Craig barrels. These coveted bourbon barrels imparted signature notes of charred oak, caramel, and cinnamon, taking the Parabola experience to new heights. Pour some out in your favorite snifter; behold the impossibly opaque color as you allow it to warm up a bit; and then let the dark magic of Parabola stun your palate with its unrivaled flavor and complexity.

Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing Hazy Double IPA

For the latest in the Hazy IPA series, ride Sierra Nevada’s interstellar wave of tropical flavor in this Cosmic Little Thing, a hazy nebula glowing with Comet, Strata, and Helios hops for notes of citrus, berries, and lychee. Head into orbit with this 8 percent ABV hazy double IPA before the next Hazy IPA rotator hits. Look for Cosmic Little Thing in six-packs and 19.2 oz singles.

Firestone Walker Cosmic Crusher Juicy Imperial IPA

Out-of-this-world flavor that packs a punch—take a journey with Cosmic Crusher. “Cosmic Crusher is our crazy adventure into the realm of imperial juicy IPAs,” says brewmaster Matt Brynildson. Cosmic Crusher is built around two ultra-tropical hops—Galaxy and Strata. The result is a level of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel that can only materialize at high strength, crossing the line into a whole new cosmos of punchy mango and pineapple character. SKUs available: 12 oz six-pack cans, 19.2 oz single serve, and Mind Haze Variety Pack.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion

Luponic Distortion is the Firestone Walker trailblazer that continues to break the rules, back for the first time since 2021. The classic Luponic Distortion base recipe returns with an all-new hop blend to deliver a fresh blast from the past. Brewed with a secret blend of new-age hops, the 2024 edition of Luponic Distortion turns up the volume with mind-bending flavors of lychee, peach, nectarine, and strawberry. Available exclusively in the Beer Before Glory IPA Mixed Pack.