Bourbon County Brand Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

ngandhi

Illinois

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

In an era of great American stout, Goose Island's 2006 Bourbon County Stout is the world's greatest. It might be the greatest beer ever made.

Sure, the flavors are all familiar--dark chocolate, espresso, and maduro tobacco--but each is coated here with buttery oak that gives it texture available in no other bottled product on the planet.

I'm very skeptical of this new swath of bourbon-aged everything--including Scotch--hitting the market today. With beer especially, the bourbon tastes usually comes to dominate, which always leaves me wanting a glass of Noah's Mill or Blanton's over the rest of my pint.

That's why this is the greatest stout on the planet. Goose Island has done what no other brewery has figured out how to do, which is to use the oak to bring out more flavors in the beer, instead of overwhelm them. So the silky chocolate taste is really a flourless cake, the tobacco is really a 1926 Padron, and the espresso was just roasted this morning at Vivace to wake me from a long, wanton dream.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2006 04:56:32 | More by ngandhi

Sephiroth

Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottled on 7-3-06. Pours black as night, faintly carbonated. Aroma of booze, bourbon, faint smoke, and vanilla.

This is the most complex barrel-aged stout I have had to date. And it's not about the number of flavors, but the way they are distinct and separate from each other. Chocolate, vanilla, oak, bourbon, smoke, and roasted/burnt grains. Mouthfeel is heavy and syrupy, definitely chewy. Insanely drinkable, though if you drink this quickly, you will miss some subtleties.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2006 22:28:44 | More by Sephiroth

Winter

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottled 8/14/05.

Pours black with a brown head. Aroma consists of vanilla, bourbon, oak, maple and not surprising at 11%... alcohol. The mouthfeel is thick and full-bodied. This is no doubt a bourbon laced stout. Oak and vanilla are noticed right from the start. The bourbon flavor seems to completely take over and dominate any other typical stout flavors this beer may have had. GIBCS is heavy and boozey. Even after 15 month this beer still seems unbalanced and needs more time to mellow out. The label does say this can age and change for up to five years and it would nice to set aside a bottle and forget about it, just to see what happens. Overall I was a little disappointed. I expected a smoother and more complex offering. I do enjoy the taste of bourbon quite a bit, but the flavor on this one is still a mess.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2006 23:29:41 | More by Winter

peabody

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Twist cap!
pours out a really dark purple black with slight tan suds that quickly dissepate.
Smell is chocloate coffee and fruits. Plum and cherry with a yeasty aroma abound.
Taste is a dark black sweetness that warms you up . The dark coffee fruityness with caramel sweets ends up in a warm alcohol blanket of hoppy bitterness.
Complex beer here and the mouthfeel is warm and malty.
Malty fruity black juice.
Can't drink a bunch of these at one sitting but this is a great brew when you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2006 00:43:10 | More by peabody

emerge077

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Year old bottle.

Drizzles into a wide chalice, poured very slowly, intentionally trying to create some foam. It works, some irregular bubbles stretch over the surface, that slowly succumb to the strength of the stout. A ring of milk chocolate froth clings to the rim of the glass. Served at a cool cellar temp.

Whiff of mild vanilla, and a hint of bourbon. Mysteriously, the aroma hides the onslaught of flavor that will roll out soon after. First sip is a slow burst of chocolate, vanilla, oak, and of course, bourbon. The barrel aging and cellaring has melded this stout symbiotically with bourbon in an unbelievable way. Alcohol has mellowed with time, which furthers the drinkability aspect. Bittersweet chocolate and coffee hang on the palate in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is silky, infinitely smooth and rich.
This is a rare treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2006 03:01:15 | More by emerge077

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.85/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Charred oak barrel black with a wee glimmer of burnt umber at the bottom edge of the glass. Light simply has no chance. The small, dark caramel colored cap isn't as creamy as expected, nor as sticky. I'm sure the 11.0% ABV has a lot to do with it, but I like a bit more eye candy. This is one serious looking stout, though.

The aroma is outstanding. This is exactly what a stout aged in bourbon barrels ought to smell like. An insane amount of heavily roasted barley greets my nose with every sniff. In addition, there's plenty of dark caramel, dark brown sugar, vanilla and glorious bourbon whiskey. With a bit more power and a bit more aggressiveness, it'd be perfect.

The flavor *is* perfect. Absofreakinlutely perfect! It doesn't hurt that I love bourbon because those 100 days in the barrel were 100 days well and efficiently spent. If bourbon whiskey isn't your thing, then I'd suggest drinking another beer. This one positively oozes that glorious spirit. Unlike some beer of this sub-style, the proportion of stout to whiskey is juuust right.

The flavor profile consists of bittersweet chocolate, brown sugar, dark butterscotch, crushed vanilla beans, charred oak, a splash of ouzo and a tendril or two of smoke. The whiskey adds a certain wee heavy character, although there's no peatiness since bourbon is the whiskey of choice rather than Scotch. It's amazing how each sip is better than the last. Where will it end?

I'm a bit surprised at the sweetness, but probably shouldn't be given the gargantuan amount of malt. The mouthfeel is full (without being ponderous), heavily silky, polished gemstone-like and nicely chewy on the back end. Carbonation must be present, though you'd never know it. Perfect score. Again.

I expected one whole helluva lot from Bourbon County Stout. All the more amazing, then, that it blew right past those expectations as if they were sitting still. This remarkable beer is easily the best that I've ever had from Goose Island. It's a true American original and is the perfect marriage of double stout and bourbon. The next time I see BCS, I plan to clear out the store.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2006 23:27:44 | More by BuckeyeNation

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on 081605. 11 % ABV. Pours pitch black with no highlights at all. Thick foamy mocha head disappears very quickly, leaving no lace, and not much of a collar either. Oaky, vanilla, dark fruit, chocolate, and coffee in the aroma along with some hot alcohol. Very thick and chewy, with almost no carbonation, which seems to fit in very well. Warming from the alcohol. Flavor starts out with chocolate, burbon and oak, it then fades into a bit of dark fruit, and finishes with a long dose of coffee that lingers for quite some time. The bourbon character has added a great touch, and has probably settled down a bit with some age. A very solid and complex brew here. The bouron works here, and is a great example of American craft beer at work. Big thanks to mcallister for giving me this one to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2006 02:52:47 | More by Bierguy5

demcorhip

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got this one in a trade with Mynie, thanks bro! Enjoyed this one at the end of a mini-gathering session with fellow BAs chonyr and raider, and what a way to end a session.

Appearance
Black as coal with a light tan coloured head. Adequately carbonated, and no lacings.

Aroma
And what aroma! Buttery and nutty bourbon, oak, vanilla, burnt malts with scents of chocolate and coffee, and treacle.

Taste
Very rich, bourbon, vanilla, caramel and treacle and finishes with the chocolate/coffee flavours of the malts.

Mouthfeel
Insanely rich and balanced brew. The bourbon flavours wonderfully compliment the chocolate/coffee flavours from the burnt malts, and the sweetness, buttery, caramel and treacle nicely balance the bitterness of the burnt malts.

Drinkability
Pour this one in a snifter and i could sniff and sip blissfully all night long. Can see how this one actually lives up to the hyperbole on the label and that no cigar is a match for this one. We enjoyed 99% cocao chocolate with this one and they complimented each other very nicely. Hope i can find this one again. l

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2006 14:08:23 | More by demcorhip

alexgash

Connecticut

4.72/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark, pitchy black body with a glass-licking cushion of sticky brown head. Nose is complex and intoxicating. Sweetish dark fruits, brown sugar, molasses, licorice, bourbon (duh), and a dark chocolate bitterness. Sweet, sugary raisins and singed plums up front, with chocolate licorice and big time bourbon flavors. Wow. They must have aged this in bourbon barrels or something! Seriously, the bourbon flavor goes well with the dark fruits and the roasted chocolateyness. Very good. Warming, long, bittersweet, whiskey finish. Full-bodied and thick with a motor oil viscosity. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2006 03:38:15 | More by alexgash

bainard

Illinois

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From bottle to pub glass.

A - Hybrid of cough syrup and black hole with a khaki head. The first time I tried it, I knew I was in for it. Now, I just give in and let the smooth syrup soothe me.

S - Bourbon, as to be expected, caramel, dark cocoa, vanilla, perhaps a little coffee or cinnamon? No, it's just bourbon.

T - Oh my goodness. The wallop of the whiskey serves to make the drinker submissive enough to let the flavors (whiskey, malt, chocolate, butterscotch-caramel, molasses) take over. It's just shocking enough to grab your attention, and flavorful enough to keep you wanting more. Starts off with bourbon, the middle is a candy store, and the finish is a harmony of the two with a hard-to-pinpoint aftertaste that you get from any good stout.

M - I cannot wait to try this aged. The immaturity of the strong alcohol is a clever mask for a smooth, velvet-y concoction that provides an epiphanal experience. The carbonation is minimal, but enough to let this beauty ballet across your mouth. Thick, but manageable, consistency akin to 2% milk.

D - This isn't an everyday beer, nor would I ever want it to be. I was overwhelmed, and then I fell in love with it. BCS is my special occasion beer. It's been described by friends of mine as "life-changing". Ultimately, I hold other brews to this standard of sensory assault and surprising nuance. It's drinkable in the sense that when I want a rare, yet wonderful sort of beer, I go for this, no questions. It's not an easy beer, nor would I ever want it to be.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2006 20:15:03 | More by bainard

BigDaddyWil

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a snifter glass.
Bottled on 8/15/05.

Pours inky black, with some dark brown highlights. Maybe a half inch thick, caramel colored head, fades quickly. No lacing left behind. Huge aromas, dark fruits and roasted malts. Dark chocolate, vanilla and heavy molasses, not to mention some boozy smells. Very sweet tasting, lots of dark fruit flavors, bitter chocolate. Hints of vanilla and finishes with a heavy boozy bourbon taste. This is a huge beer. Very thick and chewy, and one of theses bad boys will fill you up. Lots of alcohol heat on the way down, maybe a little too much. Not a bad beer at all, if you like heat and strong boozy flavors this beer is for you.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2006 01:48:29 | More by BigDaddyWil

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a goblet, the beer pours black with a small dark brown head which doesn't stick around for too long. Obviously, it smells primarily like bourbon, and very sweet smelling overall. Some other smells that come through are vanilla, chocolate, malt and molasses. It tastes the same way to me, but with some coffee taste in there too, and a bittersweet aftertaste. I could definitely notice the alcohol in this beer. A lot of different flavors hit me all at once with this beer, it's a real "big" beer. It also has a big full body, with a creamy, slick, chewy mouthfeel to it. At first all the taste and alcohol hit me pretty good, but after a while I got used to drinking it. This is definitely a sipping beer, there's no way I could drink this quickly. I'd definitely recommend this to others, it's another really good beer from Goose Island.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2006 23:24:51 | More by bluejacket74

timtheenchanta

South Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Pitch black syrupy liquid. Very small dark brown head. No lacing.

Smells of sugary candy, bourbon and wood. Really like a bourbon candy. Slight vanilla smell perhaps?

Huge thick malty feel with loads of sugary bourbon taste. This is not to far from being a julep gone horribly sugary. There's alcohol and oak flavors which completely hijack the finish and dry it out. I'm not really sure why this one tastes so over-the-top sugary. Other than that it's great. Maybe with a year or so on this bottle I would have enjoyed it more. It's close to being a big favorite of mine but it's too sweet and missing that extra nod of flavor. No denying this is a crazy big brew though.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2006 02:33:45 | More by timtheenchanta

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chewy, vinous and succulent.

If I could melt dark chocolate bars into a big vat and pour it into a glass. That's the color of this beer. With just a slight layer of carbontaion scum resting on top. Nose is chocolate and bitterness. Very pungent. Like walking through a forest with mushrooms growing everywhere.

Flavor was at first a bit over the top. But as sson as I adjusted I noticed how balanced and almost purposeful the flavors all are. They complement each other rather than vie for dominance. Lots of dark chocolate and bitterness. Bits of licorice come through storngly. Oddly, no coffee. Or at least none that I can pick out. The alcohol is hidden nicely and I don't really taste it but rather feel it tingling on my tongue. Lots of tannins very grapey. Extremely full bodied. Really stretches out the tongue. Very nice beer.More of a slow sipping beer to savor.

My head is running with ideas to add this to a chocolate cake recipe somehow...

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2006 00:55:05 | More by MuddyFeet

AlexJ

North Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first Goose Island brew and a very impressive one at that. Abyssal black pour that is thick and viscous produces a very fine, thin head of mocha that leaves some thick lacing at the top of my chalice.

Aroma is dark and seductive, with tons of charred black and chocolate malts, powdery cocoa, molasses, vanilla, toasty oak, creamy bourbon, anise, and some light evergreen hops.

Flavor is HUGE, a massive onslaught of bittersweet malt, very dark chocolate, coffee, marshmellow fluff, and a strong barrel-aged character of toasty vanilla oak chips and smooth Bourbon. No alcohol heat as some other reviews indicated(although I suspect that Bruskiator's been holding this for some time!)

Body is as big as they get, with low carbonation and a chewy, creamy mouthfeel and slippery, oily texture. Like melted silk on the palate. A superb barrel-aged beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2006 13:52:50 | More by AlexJ

kmcnair

California

3.55/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle, bottling date of 01/05/05.

Pours an extremely viscous motor oil black and makes a very tiny bit of tanned head, a swirl of the glass leaves legs of syrupy sweet stout.

Aroma is deep chocolate, caramel, toffee, soy sauce, alcohol and a very subtle woodsy vanilla from the oak.

Taste is very hot, alcohol isn't masked too well, medium bourbon notes, vanilla, rich roasted and burnt caramel flavors mingle with chocolate and coffee.

Very full bodied, velvety texture on the palate, hot warming alcohol that burns as it goes down and ultimately leads to a dry finish. Carbonation level is very low. Leaves a thick coating on the palate.

At nearly 1.5 years old, I'm guessing this bottle could be laid down for at least another 3 years before it will reach it's potential. It has a number of good things going on, but it is still way too hot. Would try again with much longer cellaring.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2006 07:08:26 | More by kmcnair

ej285701

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours out of a 12 oz bottle thick and black with a half inch dark tan head. Some brown highlights are noticed around the edges.

The smell is very nice, and complex. I detect a lot of oakiness and vanilla. It does smell alot like bourbon. Also some dark fruits, marshmallow and coffee notes.

The taste is so intense and full flavored. Perhaps the most intense beer I've ever had. Charred oak is the most dominant flavor, as well as some sweet dark fruits, chocolate, coffee, and plenty of strong alcoholic notes.

Mouthfeel is good. Thick and creamy, with low carbonation.

There is no way I would be able to have more than one of these. Nor would I want to. This is quite an intense beer-drinking experience. I think anyone who likes to drink staight bourbon would love this beer. I like it too, but I will limit my consumption of it to once every couple of months.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2006 04:45:11 | More by ej285701

Prufrock

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle into a pilsner.

pitch black, even against the light. an aggressive pour gets about a quarter inch of brown head, but it falls quickly.

chocolate and alcohol dominate the aroma. smaller notes of dark fruits, vanilla and liquor-soaked cherries.

rich and velvety smooth with a small, tight carbonation. powerful flavor of dark fruits, vanilla, coffee, sweet liqueur and alcohol. great complexity, but the alcohol presence hinders the flavor and hurts the drinkability. a very good beer and a great experience nevertheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2006 02:36:19 | More by Prufrock

nflmvp

Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to robertdoesbeer for this sample. Received it today and threw it right in the fridge.

Poured aggressively and only got about a one finger head which disappated to a ring of foam around the edge.

Smelled somewhat sweet and malty with fruity overtones. My thought is prunes or raisins. Smell reminds me of the Sam Adams Triple Bock.

Taste is similar with something of a soy sauce quality thrown in. The alcohol is not very well masked.

Mouthfeel is thick and coating with a light, tingly finish, due to the alcohol.

Drinkability is OK but I wonder if this one wouldn't benefit from some extra time in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2006 22:42:53 | More by nflmvp

hoppymeal

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is big. Very big, I am halfway through and it is already knocking my socks off. It pours black with a caramel/tan-red head. Some definite smoky aromas, along with coffee like roasted malts and some vanilla. More roast and smokiness up front in the taste, a quite large sweet bourbon follows with some warming alcohol in the finish. The alcohol is not overpowering but definitely assertive, and the bourbon sweetness is nicely balanced with the roasted malts.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2006 17:07:34 | More by hoppymeal

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.97/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Big thanks to ThomasHardy for this unexepected bottle.

Appearance: Jet black body, hard to get much out of a head from the inky depths that pour into my chalice. The head that does come is dark tan, and very small.

Smell: Big boozy bourbon strikes you up front, this makes my mouth water, as I have been jonesing for barrel-aged offerings lately. Rich and chocolatey, coffee, vanilla, very dense, like a rum-soaked brownie. I could wear this as a cologne.

Taste: Wow, what flavors. Much like OA Yeti, the flavors are big and strong, fortified by an insane bourbon taste that is spot on. Vanilla, coffee, chocolate, and a very large hop presence (and another show of espresso) round out the taste, I really like this beer, very well done. One of the best I have had from Goose Island.

Mouthfeel: Rich and full, slick, smooth, a great sipping brew.

Drinkability: I can't wait until this beer is released for the first time in Minnesota later this summer. I will be stocking up, this beer is fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2006 04:54:19 | More by TastyTaste

Sixpoint

New York

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Jet black with half-inch of beige head.

Aroma? Vanilla with currants, bourbon maple syrup.

Tastes like three buttermilk pancakes with hot maple syrup rolled up into each bottle. Slight pleasant alcohol warmth in the aftertaste. Mild coffee bitterness complimented by subdued hops. Deep treacle toffe and burnt carmalized sugar twinge. A divine creation.

Turbid and viscous oily consistency. Velvety finish, flavors sliced up like DJ Shadow.

Drinkable in a brandy snifter.... I like this one at cellar temperature and with a cigar, or even better, a nice big fat joint.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2006 00:50:01 | More by Sixpoint

walleye

Michigan

4.9/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

got this in a trade but do not know who sent this but thanks. poured black with a brown head. aroma bourbon and some more bourbon, raisains, molasses, malt, vanilla, dark sweet cherries, woody. flavor I really didn’t wamt to take a sip of this I just wanted to sniff it but I didn’t pop the cap for nothing, got dark chocolate soaked in bourbon, kind of took my breath away, the cherries, caramel, did get get some smoke. for me this is what a beer is all about

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2006 00:35:56 | More by walleye

Calico

New York

4.03/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

The best bourbon-aged beer I've ever tasted, this one sent me into a near-religious state of awe at first taste. The nose accosts you with malt, vanilla, tobacco, bourbon (of course), maple and rose notes. Such a phenolic heat it may as well be a 18% abv liqueur instead of the 11% abv beer it is. The alcohol seems to know how to detach itself and warm and coat the tongue. The finish is smooth. Mouthfeel is full bodied, well rounded.

I can't really place the style. It's not an Imperial Stout, not an American Double Stout, more a barleywine. Dark malt notes predominate throughout.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2006 01:04:52 | More by Calico

bennetj17

Arizona

4.3/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark black color, pour appeared fairly viscous. Head is reddish-tan and starts off a half-inch that quickly dissipates to a nice crust. Initially in the nose I get an aroma of smoked meat, followed by a hint of sweet chocolate and a good whiff of alcohol. The taste is big on flavor and alcohol. Good flavor of roasted black chocolatey malt leaves a burnt, smokey finish. Really only light on the bitterness though. This beer has a nice sweetness to it. The mouthfeel is quite thick, lightly chewy, but smooth. Moderate carbonation is right on. Very tasty, and drinkable. A bit strong perhaps for more than one or two...

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2006 07:05:35 | More by bennetj17