Bourbon County Brand Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

kdb150

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured half from a 12 oz. bottle of 2012 BCBS into my stout glass at ~65 degrees, and recapped the bottle to finish tomorrow. UPDATE - editing my review from the other half, because my stout glass may have been a bit dirty. Better appearance and smell this time pouring into a tulip; the glass selection definitely made a difference.

A - Pours a blackish-brown with a small brown head, which dissipates to a ring that sticks around. Held up to light and viewed at an angle, brownish hues are seen around the edges of what is otherwise a midnight black beer. No lacing to speak of

S - Bourbon and booze are big in the nose. This is not at all surprising given the name and the enormity of this beer, and there is some toasty malts and pretty big sweetness detectable underneath.

T - Bourbon is up front but not dominant. Big sweet vanilla and moderate roastiness follow, with no alcohol detectable. Wood is also there in the background the whole time. The whole thing melds together very well, and the way it hides the alcohol is remarkable. The roasty dark malts come through towards the finish, and they do so very pleasantly. Towards the end of my pour, I think my palate became acclimated to the sweetness, and the booze became noticeable, but this is nevertheless a very, very delicious beer.

M - Thick, but not syrupy, which keeps the sweetness from being cloying. Perfect for both the style and size, and the carb stuck around throughout. At no point does this become overwhelming or too thick. Great feel.

O - This is a very impressive beer. To be able to make a bourbon barrel aged beer this young and this big which is this drinkable is a real achievement. I maintain that sticking to 6 ounces at a time is recommended, simply to avoid the affects of too much 15% ABV beer, but this does not fatigue or overwhelm the palate the way many giant beers do when young.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 03:26:12 | More by kdb150

pascilla

Nebraska

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

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New Hampshire

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

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ringwersen

Illinois

5/5  rDev +10.1%

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Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

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Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

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raynmoon

California

4.25/5  rDev -6.4%

06-19-2013 02:43:23 | More by raynmoon

tarheels4life23

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

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Tyrus

California

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

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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%

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TargaFlorio

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

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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%

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ChrisYager39

Indiana

5/5  rDev +10.1%

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crawfordcf

New York

5/5  rDev +10.1%

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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%

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Jeremy_H

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

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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