Bourbon County Brand Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

Budinetz

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

A- pitch black with a caramel colored head. Very little lacing down the glass. Color is definitely characteristic of the style.

S- smells of sweet sugar and coffee.hints of chocolate and a touch of bourbon.

T- tastes of sweet coffee, hints of bitter chocolate, and warm bourbon flavor. Subtle afterthoughts of bourbon that linger on...delicious!

M- one of the greatest mouthfeels that I have ever had to opportunity of placing upon my pallate. Nicely done.

O- one of the greatest bourbon stouts of its time. Very well balanced and wen better maintained...very impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2013 01:39:47 | More by Budinetz

rdilauro

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to a co-worker I was able to taste this beer. I was totally amazed about this one. I have heard so much about it. Last year, we sold all of our allocations to our customers, so I never had the chance to taste even one

Not this year! It poured like any good stout should, dark, dark and darker with a off color creamy head.

The difference with this one came with the aroma. So many stouts, I was always getting those perfect aromas of coffee and chocolate and the follow on taste would back up what my noise felt.

With this one, I could not detect any chocolate or coffee. For a second or so, I could pick up a "Tawny Port" type of nose. The alcohol is there, but there is also so much more going on

My first sip! Soft and Round, really no alcohol taste to it considering how high the ABV is. But as this one was finishing, what I could pick up was a strong but not over bearing taste of molasses. It was if I was transported to Tennessee, on the farms where buckets of molasses are so present. So needless to say, I enjoyed this stout.

Very unique, something I have never tasted before, but am looking to tasting it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2013 16:17:34 | More by rdilauro

Rainier

California

1.85/5  rDev -59.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.75

Umm, where do I start.

First of all, I know the BCBS train is probably gonna be outside my apartment with pitch forks. After tasting this beer, it's either I got a bad batch, I have abnormal taste buds, or it's just an overhyped beer.

Appearance - looked like normal imperial stouts. No head pretty much.
Smell - bourbon, coffee, vanilla. Ok, it's typical barrel aged stuff.
Taste - Tasted like alcohol straight up. Let it warm up, more alcohol! I get same notes from the smell here.
Mouthfeel - meh, it was very syrupy. it left a foul taste in my mouth
Overall - worst night of my life. I could not sleep. I kept moving around my bed all night long. Very gassy, trying to burp everytime just to get rid out the fowlness.

Sorry guys, this is my first experience on this beer, but sorry BCBS doesn't do it for me. I'm glad.

Edit: December 16, 2013... This is gross. Sorry guys.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2013 06:45:15 | More by Rainier

1000lbgrizzly

Illinois

4.54/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Very dark brown, opaque everywhere but the edges. Small coffee-colored head, quickly fades to periphery of my glass. Bottle art is stark and bold.

S: Holy... shit. Overpowering. Don't stick your nose in the glass, honestly, just waft it over to your noseholes. Intense! oak, chocolate, syrup, vanilla, molasses. Not sure how balanced it is, but the raw power of it is so over the top that I can't help but love it.

T: After that insane aroma, this is actually pretty palatable for an accustomed tongue. Same flavors: oak, nibs of baker's chocolate, some vanilla, smoke. Overall bitter, but there is some sweetness to counter it. Very intense, crazy high ABV hidden well but does provide some heat on the finish. If you've had your shares of stouts you will probably be in love. Don't get me wrong, this will put half of lager drinkers in their graves.

M: A little syrupy and chewy, but still fluid with perfect carbonation to avoid flatness while maintaining smoothness. Surprisingly not very mouth-drying. Pretty solid.

O: God damn, this is a BREW! Lives up to the reputation, an intense beer, it will destroy unprepared palates. Whether you end up loving or hating it, this is a must-try. World class.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2013 06:02:04 | More by 1000lbgrizzly

mtraver

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2013 release, 14.9%. 12 oz bottle to pint glass.

Appearance: It pours deep, dark black, with a very small and short-lived caramel-colored head. Intriguing and, again, ridiculously dark.

Aroma: Nose has notes of toffee/caramelized sugar, sweet bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, and a little smoke. It's a very complex nose that keeps evolving, not unlike a good whiskey. And as a guy who loves his whiskey that's oh so appealing :)

Taste: The taste is a wonderful balance of the stout's chocolate/coffee malt and the whiskey, and quite sweet. The finish is dominated by bourbon and is a little boozy, but this beer has more than enough substance to stand up to the alcohol and is, incredibly, totally at home at 14.9%. There's also a lingering dryness on the finish that sort of feels like the oak coming through. Absolutely fantastic.

Mouthfeel: It has a very full, creamy, chewy mouthfeel. It's sticky and syrupy in the best way. The carbonation is subtle, which works well with this beer's huge body -- it's enough to offset what could be an over-the-top creaminess, but any more would be too much.

Overall: This beer is just massive. Immense. Huge. Off-the-charts big. And it's off-the-charts amazing, too. The bourbon barrel doesn't dominate, although it does provide a solid bourbon flavor that works with the stout's malt in a way that enhances each. There's so much there to explore, so definitely take your time with this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2013 05:25:08 | More by mtraver

Oscar_The_Rauch

North Carolina

4.69/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tis the season! I snagged a 4-pack of 2013 Bourbon County on Black Friday, which was the only thing I purchased on that terrible day of the year. I've been building a vertical, but I always like to try one within the first month of the release to see what the current vintage is like.

A: Jet black "motor oil" as expected! Very thin head that has a coffee tan color and doesn't hang around for long. But, this beer has been aging in bourbon barrels for some time now.

N: Ohhhh man! FULL of bready roasted malt, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, brown spice... I guess you could say "bourbon influences" too.

T: The beer delivers on the palate exactly what you were hoping for from the nose... PURE OPULENCE. It is rich and full-bodied with all the flavors listed above coating your tongue and sticking to the roof of your mouth. Smoooth mouthfeel. The finish is long and enjoyable with a bit of that heat present in the back, but not disjointed at all.

O: A pretty balanced beer for how high-gravity it is this year (14.9%). This will definitely age with the best of them. Now, the question is... how patient are you??

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2013 03:57:32 | More by Oscar_The_Rauch

aquazr1

California

4.89/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Served in a large snifter from a 12oz bottle.

A - Pours jet black with a coffee colored head that dissipates quickly. Little to no residual lacing.

S - Bourbon, vanilla, oak, raisin, molasses, and did I mention bourbon?

T - Chocolate, fig and dark cherries are prominent. Really complex, the more I sip on it the more that comes out.

M - Heavy with little carbonation.

O - A perfect nite cap, something to sip on to end the day. You need to let it warm properly as it will then release more notes.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2013 04:59:17 | More by aquazr1

Deerslayer210

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Oh my, kick me in the pants. This is listed as a bourbon stout. We'll!!! It pours as black as oil, with a Carmel head. Breath in deeeppp. Ahhh!!!! Finally a real smell of bourbon overtakes you, unlike many labeled as the same. Sip and you taste the smooth chocolate stout with a powerful bourbon flavor. After the second sip you know you are drinking something special. You know this is a strong one, but you need so much more. If you love stout and bourbon this is mid blowing. This is a must have.!!! Oh my It's empty, I need more.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2013 02:36:59 | More by Deerslayer210

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Pours black as midnight oil with a dark caramel colored head.

Smells of bourbon, vanilla, plumb, oak, and a slight earthy, herbal hop.

Beautifully full creamy mouthfeel that coats the mouth with a vanilla bourbon and has a chewy maltiness. Tastes of bourbon, vanilla, raisin, and some faint dry oak flavor that is masked by the creamy mouth coating. This is a big beer that does not disappoint. Definitely a sipper - a delicious sipper.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2013 01:29:46 | More by Chickenhawk9932

Karl_M

Illinois

5/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Nose:
25 year Ruby Port
Ripe stewed Plum
Bitter roasted orange
85% dark Chocolate
Bad ass Bourbon
Melted Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
Jamaican Bourbon Vanilla grown next to acres of premium island ganja
Great grandma's Egg nog
Whisps of caramelized cotton candy
Grandma's Booze-drenched Fruitcake

Look:
Twice as dark as the bottle
6,000 mile motor oil
Fine ring of bubbles with tiny center clusters

At first the nose is all bourbon and then vanilla and plum and raisin overwhelm you in a dark chocolate cherry malt that has balance and body and character and flavor and complexity and and and intriguing pleasure that made me refrain from tasting it for several minutes while I took in the nose over and over and over and over and over and over and oh my fucking god it was THAT FUCKING good. The nose. The aroma. Just the smell of it. Fuck you. It was that good.

Then I tasted it. Ok. Now it justifies the lines and the waiting and the limits and the hype and "it's TOO GOOD TO MISS" bullshit that somehow brought me around to bring to my lips a Goose Island since their allegiance with And Hows Yer Bush.

Huge. Not overbearing. Take it slow and it will be the better than the finest port.

Wicked.

Balanced.

Powerful.

Pleasant.

Worth the price/wait/drive/postage. It's great. I'd love to have 10 and open two every year to see how they evolve.

The finish is still going 20 minutes after finishing my 1/5 of a 12 oz bottle on December 1, 2013.

Now it's a buttery crusty cherry pie with tapioca filling I'm still chewing.

Delicious. Satisfying. Luxurious. Epic.

I'm also still enjoying the final bouquet left from the syrup stubbornly clinging to the sides of glass.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2013 20:40:21 | More by Karl_M

ExaltedNecrosis

Texas

4.98/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle poured into oversized tulip glass.

A - Pours a pitch black motor oil with one finger of quickly dissipating chocolate brown head. It pours thick and viscous.

S - I get a huge aroma before even putting my nose to the glass. It's mainly bourbon-soaked dark cherry, toasted coconut, chocolate, and dark fruits. The bourbon aroma is sweet and complements the dark fruit perfectly.

T - The taste is very complex. Dark cherry soaked in bourbon, sweet toasted coconut reminiscent of chocolate-drizzled macaroons, chocolate, figs, sweet oaked bourbon, dark fruit, vanilla. I'm amazed at how many flavors I get out of this at all temperatures. The coconut and cherry at the forefront are a nice touch. Minimal bitterness and booziness.

M - Very thick and sticky sweet. Not much carbonation either. Definitely chewy and viscous.

O - I finally popped my BCBS cherry and I have to say that this exceeded the hype for me. So incredibly complex and decadent without being too overpowering in any aspect. The bourbon imparted great flavor with no extra booziness and the dark fruits and sweetness meshed well together. Can't wait to see how this one ages.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2013 04:18:00 | More by ExaltedNecrosis

Spattastic

Colorado

4.76/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2013 vintage, bottled 11/7/13

A - Jet black with a thin espresso-foam colored head that dissipates quickly. Slight carbonation bubbling up from the bottom of the glass.

S - The bourbon barrel dominates the aroma: sweet, vanilla, burnt sugar, toffee, and oak. I'm also getting dark molasses, malted milk powder, coffee, milk chocolate, dark malts, a slight nutty quality (almond). There is also a faint stone fruit/berry quality and also a remote soy sauce characteristic that becomes more prominent as the beer warms. The smell is deep, intriguing, and inviting. Even at 14.9%, the alcohol is nearly undetectable on the noise.

T - I'm beginning to understand the hype, the taste, for me, is really where the beer shines. The initial sip is sweet and savory and shares many of the same characteristics as the nose - toffee, vanilla, dark chocolate, dark brown sugar, molasses, chocolate covered raisins, fig jam, oak, and a bready/malty (similar to a quadrupel) quality. The beer finishes with espresso, baking chocolate (unsweetened), and a perfect bitterness. The alcohol is more apparent but I find, surprisingly, that it works in conjunction with the rest of the flavors while also reminding you that you're drinking a big beer.

M - Smooth and silky; carbonation is present but muted; coats the mouth. The beer is viscous, but not overly so. This isn't as carbonated as a typical beer but isn't as flat as other barrel-aged beers I've tried. I think it perfectly suits the style and can't find anything I'd change.

O - This is my first experience with BCBS and I, as I assume many others have done previously, didn't believe the hype. After trying it for myself, I can't think of another barrel aged beer that I'd rather drink. I'm particularly impressed with how the beer transforms from its initial taste to finish with nuance. This likely sets the standard for other barrel aged dark beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2013 21:24:17 | More by Spattastic

Billpare

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

tasting 2012 bottle - Gift from a friend last May that has been sitting in a dark, cool cellar. Decided to pop open with the release of 2013.

Dark chocolate appearance.

dark roast coffee, bourbon, slight sweet vanilla smell

taste bourbon up front. notes of bittersweet chocolate, vanilla coffee , spiced rum?

Smooth, easy to drink at 15%. looking forward to comparing 2013.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2013 19:07:43 | More by Billpare

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.76/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

12oz to a snifter, bottled 11/8/13. Given a few minutes to warm up. 14.9% edition

Pours pitch black with almost three fingers of mocha colored foam. Retention is good, still waiting for it to die down, down to a finger and a half after 90 seconds. No transparency or visible carbonation. Good lacing, good looking beer

Smells of rich oak, bourbon, coffee, vanilla, chocolate, molasses, dark fruits, and alcohol. All the scents melt into each other really nicely for being so young, pretty complex and fun to smell. Can't find any faults with it

Taste is oak and coffee, bourbon and chocolate. Vanilla and molasses come through next with dark fruits, finishing with a nice bourbon and alcohol taste. Again for being a month old the flavor blends really really well

Feel is thick, smooth, and creamy. Alcohol concealed incredibly well for being almost 15%, dangerously drinkable

Overall worth the hype and $6 a 12oz. Really incredible stuff, can't express how happy I am to finally have this in Nevada

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2013 08:37:38 | More by lordofstarside

not-mel-brooks

New York

3.89/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

prelude: the mobile site knocked me off half way through my review . fix this please.

OK: #1 why is there a note on the bottle warning "Develops over 5 years in the bottle?" Do they expect me to not drink it,
#2 My retailer will only sell one bottle per customer. wtf

Smell is nice . This is how a stout should smell. Other claim its overwhelming. Not true.

No head. But, it has enough carbonation to cut through the rather thick liquid.

I couldn't taste the bourbon at first. But, then it came through .

This is a very good stout . But, not the best.

Its worth a try . 2 of these will knock you out.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2013 02:33:13 | More by not-mel-brooks

bball208

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I get it beer snobs, you don't even like giving beers like this one a perfect 5/5, but let's stop playing around here and let's get real. What more could you ask for? Quit your horsing around, this beer is a 5/5, 10/10, 100/100 whatever you wanna call it, THIS is the best beer in the world

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2013 18:29:16 | More by bball208

zookerman182

Alabama

4.55/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is pitch black with no head whatsoever.
Aroma is bourbon, oak, and vanilla.
Flavor is bourbon barrels, sort of a charred flavor and a little bit of vanilla.
Chocolate and coffee come through on the back end and linger on.
Mouthfeel is incredibly smooth. Coats your mouth and leaves you wanting more.
This beer is extremely complex and well balanced.
Can't wait to try the variations.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2013 22:29:06 | More by zookerman182

glowsticks

New York

4.63/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Was delicious.

I was drinking out of a small snifter, pouring from a chilled 12oz bottle.

A - A thicker dark beer. Minimal lacing, you could work it up but it would quickly go away. There also appeared to be alcohol legs
S - You can smell the bourbon barrels, maybe with hints of vanilla and coffee
T - First taste while it was still chilled brought out a lot of bourbon qualities. Once it warmed up it changed to a more oak, smoky, molasses. It is coupled very well with a cigarette, it makes it taste like a very smoky beer, I would love to smoke a cigar and drink this beer!
M - Started out pretty normal in terms of stouts, perfect level of carbonation. Once it became warmer, it became thicker.
O - I loved this beer, I bought 2 12oz bottle, as well as half a growler, and I'm saving my second bottle for day when I have a nice cigar. I highly recommend this beer even though a lot of people say it's overrated, I enjoyed it thoroughly. From it's strong alcohol bourbon flavor in the beginning, to more of a sweeter smoky dark stout as it warmed up.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2013 18:52:34 | More by glowsticks

RandomExile

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

A: pitch black, like a glass of crude oil; no head; no lacing
S: a sweet oatmeal bourbon cookie
T: sweet, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, astringent chocolate aftertaste
M: numbing, thick, dry
O: As good a job as it does masking the super high abv, there's still an off-putting astringent aftertaste, and while I appreciate many of the flavors and sensations, it isn't satisfying to drink, although if you're a fan of a bourbon stout this must be perfection.

12oz / Pint Glass

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2013 05:05:28 | More by RandomExile

Maxwell

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

2013 Vintage-
The beer pours a midnight black, like motor oil. The beer appears thick and viscous, and forms a very small head of dark, oak-colored bubbles that quickly fizzle away to just a scrim. In body, the beer is opaque and impenetrable to the eye, though presumably free of particles. When swirled against the sides of the glass, the beer leaves a lovely set of legs. On the nose, this beer is boozy with dark chocolate, a touch of dark roast coffee, oak, vanilla, and chocolate covered raisins running across the nostrils. Soft toasted coconut and a touch of pralines and toffee also make it into the rich nose of this beer, but at its base, this beer is all about the boozy bourbon character which comes through beautifully. I’m getting the sense of a boozy, chocolate covered pretzel for some reason… On the tongue, the beer tastes boozy hot, and sweet with a drying boozy finish. The heat begins a little too hot but is smoothed out by the chocolate sweetness, while mild tannins dance at the finish alongside a roast bitterness, and just a hint of hop bitters as well before the booze makes one last hurrah. In flavor, the beer begins briefly as hot fusel alcohol, morphing into rich and boozy bourbon it develops flavors of vanilla and oak and then the stout comes through giving dark chocolate, raisins, molasses, and then chocolate milk flavors. The finish is hot with alcohol while mild tannic wood presses through alongside slight charred smoke, the finish eventually unfolds further stout characteristics, but only after the heat has moved down the gullet. A touch of char comes through in the aftertaste. In the mouth, the beer feels perfect for the style. It is richly full in body, like milk or even heavy cream, with a soft carbonation that is nearly nonexistent. Mouthfeel is velvety smooth and silky with a thick chewiness that completes the beer. After the beer leaves, the mouth is left tingly with alcoholic burn, yet dry with only hints of salivation at the sides of the mouth. Overall, this is BCBS, a classic of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Stouts, and it is a great beer. I personally would sit on my bottle for a little while longer as the heat is a little too hot for me right now. The beer is rich in everything you want from a barrel aged stout, though, and is a damn fine beer. This is a whale worth hunting down.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2013 19:38:21 | More by Maxwell

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottled 11/07/12
Drank 12/10/13

Poured down the middle of a Bruery tulip glass filling it with blackness and a small brown head. A ring of head holds steady for quite some time.

The smell is overpowering. I opened it outside and could smell it from a couple feet away. Big barrel character flexes its muscle with toasted coconut and vanilla. Chocolate, a little bourbon heat, and some small amount of coffee/roast comes out. A fairly bright cherry note as the beer warmed up.

This is delectable. More bourbon flavor and heat is coming through on the palate. Lots of barrel delivering vanilla and coconut. Big sweet chocolate, dark fruit, cherry, and coffee.

The body is thick and silky smooth with light carbonation. Sticky sweet on the lips.

Mind = blown on this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2013 04:59:18 | More by MattSweatshirt

magictacosinus

California

4.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Glad to have seen these around here after a good long wait - I have some '12 bottles (which I will review here later), but I was morbidly curious to see how this is beer drinks fresh. Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a tulip wine glass. Split with a friend. 2013 vintage.

Yeah, that's a pretty dark beer right up front. I could perhaps make up some light brown strokes at the rim of the glass, but even when pressed against a bright light, it seemed futile. Pours a very light fizzy off-mocha colored head that dissipates into pretty much nothing. From afar, alongside viscousness, it looks like a chocolate coffee liqueur of sorts. While I definitely have seen better looking imperial stouts, I doubt there's any that look this opaque, still, and yet appealing in the sense closer to wine than to beer.

Wow, that's really a fabulous aroma - good to see that GI is indeed cranking up their BCBS recipe at their flagship location in Chicago. Notes of bourbon abound, complete with vanilla, toasted coconut shavings (the resemblance is remarkable), roasted coffee, chocolate, burnt toffee, light nutmeg and baking soda, and maybe a little bit of tobacco. No booze or heat on the nose, with only the relatively (and shockingly) mild sweetness overall. Dark fruits make up a good deal of the aroma, with dark ripe cherries, raisins, and prunes adding extra complexity to the flavor profile. What's so striking about this isn't even the array of flavors, nor the near perfect melding of bourbon with a high quality stout, but rather how pleasant, opulent, and elegant the beer is overall. This is what every bourbon aged stout should strive for, in my view.

The flavor is equally present, and - amazingly - full of surprises at every additional sip. At first, there's an immediate bourbon/roasted malt combo that soaks the palate, delivering a combination of vanilla, coconut, caramel, burnt toffee, and vividly roasted notes of dark chocolate, espresso beans, and dark cherries and raisins. Contains an array of spices both from the oak and malt profile, ranging from tobacco, licorice, and black strap molasses. Finishes both roasted, caramel-y, and nutty, with flavors of almonds and peanut butter. No matter what, however, this is enormously restrained in terms of holding back any potential sweetness, and the alcohol is horrifically hidden well. Nevertheless, it's relatively syrupy in feel, and its liqueur-like still texture (inhibited by some mild carbonation throughout) makes it quite decadent. I didn't sip this because of its richness. I sipped this throughout because I didn't want this magical elixir to leave my glass, well, ever.

A legend among the great craft brews, in my distro at last. While some of us could argue that the ends do not justify the means in the politicized debate involving GI, this is an undeniably wonderful beer. In a way, it kind of transcends everything you know about beer - I handed this over to some exclusively wine-only drinkers and they commented how delicious this was. Because, in the end, it is. And, it's extremely well made - one does not simply throw in a stout into bourbon barrels and achieve successful results. This is a very well thought out beer in every sense of the word. With that said, I give myself a graceful and humble bow to the brewers at GI, and rejoice.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2013 21:44:32 | More by magictacosinus

NERM

New York

4.76/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I finally had this beer after hearing about it for a year. Even if you are not a Stout fan I would try this just for the experience. As you can see, it is higher in alcohol so splitting it with someone would be allowed (maybe even encouraged). There is nothing like a tasty, hardy, stronger stout on a cold winter night and this is the perfect beer for that. I also put one aside (had to hide them from my brother-in-law) and will crack it open next holiday season.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2013 21:13:57 | More by NERM

mverity

Florida

4.33/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2013 bottle from Proof Bottle Shop. I set the bottle out about an hour before I opened it. Poured into a large snifter. Deep opaque black with a thin chocolate colored head. Head lasted well under a minute. No lacing, but some sticky legs. Lots of vanilla, bourbon and molasses in the aroma. Not much else in the nose. Nice bourbon warmth throughout the taste without it being overpowering. Typically I don't like a ton of bourbon booziness in a stout, but this holds it up extremely well. Bourbon taste without the booziness. Nice vanilla sweetness in the front with some toffee and chocolate up there as well. Mid-palate is some of that molasses with the bourbon and earthy oak at the end. You certainly don't get any of the 14.9% abv in this bad boy. Mouthfeel is nicely viscous without being thick, very low carbonation. Great beer...but I am slightly underwhelmed by all the hype.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2013 20:57:09 | More by mverity

GarthDanielson

North Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2013 vintage. Poured from a bottle into a goblet, the beer is jet black, with hints of chestnut highlights around the edges when held up to light. Sparse, filmy surface coat of tan colored head. Looked oily and thick when poured. Aromas of vanilla, oak, booze, cocoa nibs, and mocha coffee. Very rich, very robust, and very inviting. Flavors are very roasted and bitter on the forward tongue, but with a subsequent vanilla and cream character that provides an amazing balance. Chocolate notes, bittersweet, present mid-tongue, with more of the woody and booze characteristics coming, as well. Building warmth as you drink, as a 14.9% ABV is wont to do. The body is velvety smooth, and supports all the rich and robust character perfectly. Rich, bitter roasted aftertaste, with coffee, vanilla, and booze all lending themselves to a linger. The finish is smooth, but boy does it finish slow, which is exactly how you want this beer to leave your palate. This is a heavy beast, and a sipper to be sought after. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2013 17:38:20 | More by GarthDanielson