Bourbon County Brand Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.74/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bourbon County Brand Stout 2012. Bottled 09/20/2012. Poured into a Courvoisier snifter. Thanks again, wittyname! I owe you still!

Pours a seriously-heavy black with great thickness. Comes out of the bottle in sheets. Never bubbled up, with a very lax desire for head-formation. I ended up with an icy ring, so thin, I can barely distinguish the color of the foam. Incredibly thick legs.

The aroma is pretty intense. Sweet bourbon, fudge brownie, dry oakiness, booze, espresso, and hints of dark raisin. Lots of complex whiskey notes coming out here. Woody nose. Dark chocolate, barrel wood, and hints of vanilla. Great stuff.

Amazing. Gooey double-fudge brownies, vanilla liqueur, bourbon with simple syrup, brulee'd sugars, Werthers Original, bitter cocoa, molasses, black malts, Kahlua, and sweet alcohol. Nuances of maple and toasted coconut. Elixir-y, but with hop evidence (not much). Very subtle hint of brandy-poached berries. Wildly-pronounced by the bourbon note, which is sublime and never imposing. Redefines the style to me. This is a bourbon stout, not just a bourbon barrel-aged stout. Tastes like you could only hope to imagine from an original.

The alcohol is never compromised, however, it's so sweet like the other decadent flavors that you'd never think you're drinking a 15-percenter. The body is massive and creamy. It almost separates in the mouth if held too long. Delayed headiness, but firmly strong and big. Carbonation is weak, but, with the little force it can muster, drives spice into the pockets of the mouth; opening up that delicious whiskey note. Sticky, but not as sticky as you might think. Mouthfeel was damn near mastered here.

Malty decadence and booze do to my mind what hoppy beers do to my taste buds. An after-hours macho sipper. The rule-setter. The beer that the others hold a candle to. Who needs an afterthought? Let 'em have the score, why don't you!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 05:12:52 | More by thecheapies

Rihup

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

05-26-2013 03:01:16 | More by Rihup

bossmanbuzz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -11.9%

05-26-2013 02:17:38 | More by bossmanbuzz

girlbrew

District of Columbia

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

05-26-2013 01:48:58 | More by girlbrew

Zbyler

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -11.9%

05-25-2013 20:10:17 | More by Zbyler

MaltyMates

New York

4.68/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Grabbed a couple bottle of this at my local supermarket . I decided to split the bottle with my wife and was served from a glass.

Color: DARK - the color is as black as you can be as it should for this style.

Smell: The bourbon smell is apparent from the second you open the bottle, over the smell of the beer.

Taste: The taste is more balanced than the smell suggests and the bourbon becomes more of an afterthought. It is thick and the stout leans to the malty side.

Mouthfeel: The beer has a thick mouthfeel. The alcohol is there, but is much more masked then you would believe.

Overall a great beer - best paired with desserts.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 20:03:02 | More by MaltyMates

ajzy

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +10.1%

05-25-2013 16:52:57 | More by ajzy

WKole81

Illinois

5/5  rDev +10.1%

05-25-2013 12:28:41 | More by WKole81

CoolEthan

California

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

05-25-2013 07:28:03 | More by CoolEthan

steevbr

Illinois

5/5  rDev +10.1%

05-24-2013 20:51:31 | More by steevbr

Grant35

California

5/5  rDev +10.1%

05-24-2013 08:18:38 | More by Grant35

cyrushire

Florida

4/5  rDev -11.9%

05-24-2013 06:26:09 | More by cyrushire

Hoozierdaddy

Illinois

5/5  rDev +10.1%

05-24-2013 05:18:29 | More by Hoozierdaddy

SwG237

New York

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

05-24-2013 03:51:55 | More by SwG237

BeerGardener

Nebraska

5/5  rDev +10.1%

05-24-2013 03:45:44 | More by BeerGardener

Tidesox28

Maine

5/5  rDev +10.1%

05-24-2013 02:16:52 | More by Tidesox28

kevanb

Illinois

4.61/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, 2012 dated, poured into a Goose Island Bourbon County snifter.

The beer pours a deep, jet black color, touches of cola brown when struck by the light with a short, tightly packed caramel colored head that vanishes almost immediately that leaves no lace behind. The aroma is lovely, strong oaky bourbon, rich chocolate, light roasted coffee and barrel char and potent alcohol with some stone fruit and marshmallow character. On the tongue, rich toffee and bourbon creep out ever so smoothly before vanilla, thick chocolate and chewy oak captivate the palate. Alcohol, pitted fruit, marshmallow and light coffee roast tickle the tongue at the finish. The body is so velvety and smooth, low carbonation, but just enough to prop up the flavors and coat the mouth perfectly. The finish is so silky and easy and has a nice warming sensation as it goes down.

Verdict: There is a reason why this is the benchmark for all bourbon barrel aged stouts. It has such depth of flavor and wonderful balance and the alcohol, while prominent is so tame for hovering around 15.00%. This really is a beer that holds its own against any competitor in the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 02:11:27 | More by kevanb

Fetching

Indiana

5/5  rDev +10.1%

05-24-2013 00:16:10 | More by Fetching

Boston_Steve

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

05-23-2013 19:15:25 | More by Boston_Steve

Fargrow

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

05-23-2013 18:11:49 | More by Fargrow

tomholland

Washington

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

05-23-2013 03:41:21 | More by tomholland

Stickler

Michigan

5/5  rDev +10.1%

05-23-2013 00:43:23 | More by Stickler

velcrogrip

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +4.6%

05-22-2013 18:31:05 | More by velcrogrip

kizyle

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

05-22-2013 13:25:13 | More by kizyle

MooSully

Kansas

4.5/5  rDev -0.9%

05-22-2013 04:29:14 | More by MooSully