Bourbon County Brand Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

RandomBattle

New York

4.85/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle poured into a snifter, doing it right!

I've had this beer countless times over the years, this was the 2012 vintage, bottled less then a month ago.

Appearance - I gave this beer a nice hard pour to generate something of a head, and it worked. A beautiful mocha, bubbly head...which lasted about 3 seconds and converted into a thin wispy layer on the surface for a bit. About halfway through drinking it had disappeared completely.

Smell - one of the most perfect balances of a sweet roasty stout and oaky vanilla bourbon. It's the type of smell in which you revisit immediately because it was such a surprising pleasure. To the unfamiliar they might just catch a whiff and exclaim "Is there bourbon in that?". For those of us that have had many BA stouts we know that this is pure balance.

Taste - roast, chocolate, and vanilla enveloped in a delicate bourbon sweetness with a lingering oak spicyness. This beer is done masterfully.

Mouthfeel - thick and smooth. This beer goes down so well, coats the mouth, and is full bodied. One of the best sipping beers I have ever had.

Overall - absolutely love this beer, I've enjoyed every variation I've drank, and I'm looking forward to trying older vintages in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 14:52:05 | More by RandomBattle

Tyrus

California

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

06-18-2013 23:09:06 | More by Tyrus

taylor714914

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -6.4%

06-18-2013 23:04:00 | More by taylor714914

Scalawags

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-18-2013 15:50:32 | More by Scalawags

TargaFlorio

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-18-2013 00:24:39 | More by TargaFlorio

beerjardin

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

06-17-2013 06:34:20 | More by beerjardin

bcsbeer

Florida

4/5  rDev -11.9%

06-17-2013 04:49:09 | More by bcsbeer

Rocklobsterbrew

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-16-2013 18:20:35 | More by Rocklobsterbrew

ChrisYager39

Indiana

5/5  rDev +10.1%

06-16-2013 17:37:22 | More by ChrisYager39

crawfordcf

New York

5/5  rDev +10.1%

06-16-2013 13:08:06 | More by crawfordcf

Kopfschuss

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-16-2013 05:46:12 | More by Kopfschuss

stogirelli

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -6.4%

06-16-2013 01:07:49 | More by stogirelli

MNBeer1017

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-15-2013 15:07:32 | More by MNBeer1017

Jeremy_H

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-15-2013 12:23:18 | More by Jeremy_H

Michigan

Michigan

4.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2012 Vintage. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 22oz snifter.

A-Pours a deep, slick, oily black. Very small mocha head that fades quickly. No light passing through.

S-Smoke, oak, barrel, bourbon. Nicely balanced. I'm not sensing much alcohol on the nose. Dark chocolate covered espresso beans. Vanilla, tobacco, touch of leather. maybe a bit of maple?

T- Wowza! Big, bold, badass stout. It doesn't really punch you in the face like some of these "extreme beers". I'm impressed by how balanced it is. It's simply delicious. Lingering aftertaste. Full of dark chocolate, malt, bourbon. It tastes like America. Masterfully masked alcohol (like america)

M-Light carbonation that opens the taste buds. Full mouthfeel. Not greasy or oily. It sits in your mouth.

O-I agree. It's one of the best stouts in the world. I could do cases of this

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 02:26:35 | More by Michigan

jtladner

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-15-2013 00:36:35 | More by jtladner

blt2646

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-14-2013 21:47:18 | More by blt2646

ACB

California

5/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've had this beer twice now, and have a couple more in my refrigerator.

I have no idea what a "perfect beer" is, but I truly don't know what I can knock about it.

Out of the world of extremely potent Imperial Stouts, this is a giant.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 21:37:59 | More by ACB

VictorWisc

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +10.1%

06-14-2013 07:40:24 | More by VictorWisc

Ant4711

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-14-2013 03:24:15 | More by Ant4711

Canada_Dan

Illinois

4/5  rDev -11.9%

06-14-2013 01:37:31 | More by Canada_Dan

LostInTheFlood

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -11.9%

06-13-2013 20:30:47 | More by LostInTheFlood

CaptPajamaShark

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

06-13-2013 18:51:25 | More by CaptPajamaShark

JammyV

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

06-13-2013 03:19:04 | More by JammyV

AdamR46

Texas

5/5  rDev +10.1%

06-12-2013 20:05:35 | More by AdamR46