Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.74/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Got to try this on tap during abq beer week at Billy's Long Bar

A - oily black, completely opaque, small ring of khaki foam.

S - boatloads of coffee, chocolate, more coffee, definitely some bourbon. Smells awesome,

T - incredible stout. Coffee and smooth bourbon lead, then dark and milk chocolate notes. Not incredibly complex, but awesome nonetheless.

M - super thick. Low carb. Rich, great.

O - best coffee beer I've had. All the flavors are huge, but still have balance.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2013 14:10:06 | More by Beerandboards

Belgianbeerbunny

Illinois

4.99/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I got a keg of this dark beauty in my home bar. I am very lucky.

A - A 1/2 inch sandy-brown head. Receded quickly, leaving no lacing.

S - Wow. A shot of Bourbon in coffee.

T - A shot of Bourbon in coffee. The two flavors predominate and blend together perfectly like a cappuccino.

M - Milky, thick and silky.

O - Fabulous. I'm so thrilled that my hometown brewer can create a brew this rich and luscious.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 23:57:18 | More by Belgianbeerbunny

dar482

New York

4.99/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The color is just black with little to no head.

The aroma is of sweet vanilla coffee. Just big and complex. You definitely get some bitter chocolate too, but the sugary sweetness really does come through to mask the bitterness of that chocolate.

The flavor is so darn complex. It’s sweeter and smoother than BCBS. It coats the mouth nicely. The roasted malt, coffee, vanilla, and bitter chocolate hides the booze quite well. It does this job better than the BCBS with taming the booze and dealing with the sweetness because of the coffee bitterness. Then again, having for the third time on tap, it still is quite a "hot" beer. The alcohol quickly hit my nose set my back a bit in my seat. I would love to have a bottle of this and give it a year to die down.

It’s a wonderful sipping beer. I love this so much more than BCBS.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2013 03:08:04 | More by dar482

denver10

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours black like some nice, inviting motor oil with a nice mocha colored head. Aroma offers all the same characteristics of the original (bournon and its barrel, chocolate, a little roastiness) in addition to some coffee beans, which are there but far from being as aggressive or bold as I expected and hoped for. Flavor offered everything the original offered, though perhaps a touch lighter on the bourbon and its barrels, and just a touch of some subtle coffeee. Honestly, were this a blind taste test I do not know if I could have differentiated between this and the original. A great beer but I docked points because I was hoping for a hopped up coffee version of BCBS and I didn't find that here in all honesty. A full, creamy, velvety mouthfeel. Overall, this a great beer. BCBS is a great beer too. I'll take the original version over this as I liked that it has more bourbon and its barrel character than this, but also (and probably more importantly) when you put 'coffee' in the title I go in with certain expectations for the beer (big, bold coffee flavors) and personally felt that this did not deliver in that respect. Still, a fantastic, fantastic beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 23:11:46 | More by denver10

RacerX5k

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer is great in bottles but turns into a huge coffee bomb on draft. Black with gorgeous crimson and brown highlights as the glass empties. The aroma is so thick and rich with coffee, starts slowly but really opens up as it warms. Coffee, bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, roast, and finishes dry, sweet and more coffee. This was even better than the Cherry Rye and the best beer Ive had. Im amazed how much better this is on draft. Did I mention coffee?

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 17:58:59 | More by RacerX5k

Hopmarc

Illinois

5/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Was looking forward to this for some time and it did not disappoint. The smell was perfect. Coffee and a hint of bourbon. Taste and mouthfeel was perfection. Based on this gem I look forward to trying the other selections from Goose Island. If they are anything close to this I won't be disappointed.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2013 02:56:05 | More by Hopmarc

joeseppy

Illinois

4.74/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

From a good man (Ryan) who scored a 1/16 barrel @ The Cellar, Downers Grove..thanks!

Appearance neat and clean with trace carbonation.

Coffee mainstage with cocoa nib and vanilla on backup.

Silky smooth with a velvety dark cocoa afterglow. Splendid alcohol heat providing good comfort. GI at it's finest.

Keeping it simple folks...best in show! IMO the best coffee stout in North America. GI, hands down, has set the benchmark for greatness. Priveleged to obtain on-tap.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2013 03:51:52 | More by joeseppy

socon67

New York

4.2/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Black pour with a thin brown foam that settles fast. No lacing; this coates the glass like oil.

S - Scents of vanilla extract, dark chocolate, and toasty malts lie beneath a scent of whiskey. As the beer warms the scents become more noticeable. There is a slight aroma of coffee, but it seems distant.

T - Flavor matches the smell. A hearty flavor of rich malt, sweet vanilla and chocolate, and a warming burn of bourbon. There is really very little coffee in this. Not sure if previous years were more noticeable, but without straining to find it I would barely be able to separate this from BCBS. Overall, the complexity and uniqueness of GI's bourbon stouts is what makes htis a highly enjoyable beer.

M - Thick, rich and heavy feel. Coates everything in an oil slick of cough syrup consistency. This is a sipping beer to enjoy slowly.

O - I'm glad to have tried it, but for whatever reason it is very similar to its base beer. Still an awesome beer but temper the hoopla accordingly.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2013 02:53:58 | More by socon67

lurpy1

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

After a 3 month hiatus, back in Lansing on business....and on day 1, the Geese have an event at Crunchy's, with BCB Coffee on tap. God is indeed great. $6 nets 6 oz., poured in a snifter.

The pour is a deep mud black. No head, except for a little burble of suds. The smell transports me. Booze comes first, followed by potent, eye opening coffee. So many coffee stouts smell scorched. Not this one. Ahhhh. This drink will wake you up and knock you out all at once.

A while back I had the base BCBS, and found it a bit too boozy. With this beer, the bourbon and the coffee play off each other. Both are present and accounted for, but none too assertive. A little bit of cocoa and a bit of raisin play along in the background.

I so badly wanted to give this beer a 5 overall. But the mouthfeel, while good, isn't quite there to confer perfection. Eclipse among others is just a touch smoother. BCB Coffee is great. Not quite perfect.

Brilliant beer. Cannot imagine there are more than 10 beers in the world better than this guy.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2012 04:22:44 | More by lurpy1

DCon

Missouri

4.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on-tap @ the East Nashville Beer Festival in East Nashville, TN. Tapped from Silver/Black Goose handle into my 8oz Yazoo Festival Glass. Enjoyed two back to back. Keg from 2011.

Aroma- A nice booze and strong all around stout aroma is present. Light coffee and roast sneaks through and is in the background of this one.

Appearance- Received with a .5, dark brown head that dies very quick. Has an opaque brown colored body and leaves light suds behind afterwards.

Flavor- Huge coffee upfront with a nice blend of booze and malt. Medium-high bitterness at the end and TONS of ingredient included in this one.

Mouthfeel- Full Bodied, Lightest Carbonation, Smooth as hell, Viscous, and fills you up.

Overall Impression- While I have enjoyed many (3) of these in bottle form this year, the kegged version was very respectable as well! I highly suggest enjoying on-tap if you get a chance. Not sure the availability of cask/tap offerings of this brew are but try seeking it out.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2012 22:59:10 | More by DCon

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 Vintage served in a 10 oz. glass @ the Beer Bistro, Chicago, IL

A: Pours deep black with a half-finger beige head that quickly dissipates into a foam ring that borders the inside of the glass

S: Strong aroma of bourbon, oak, and coffee with just a hint of roasted malt.

T: Opens with a strong salvo of bourbon and espresso that carries through to a warm bourbon finish

M: Low carbonation, silky syrup consistency that coats the mouth. As with all BCBS variants the warmth from abundant alcohol is ever present.

O: I had previously had this brew from a bottle and still have a few in the cellar, but the draft is even better. The coffee is a bit too forward for me from the bottle, while on draft it becomes an essential component that complements the other characteristics of this stout. Truly fantastic!

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 17:18:07 | More by chanokokoro

gigaknight

Illinois

4.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2011 Vintage, poured into an 8 oz tasting glass at the Goose Island tap takeover at Brixie's.

A- Pours oily and opaque with cola-colored tinged ring. 1/4 finger cappuccino head fades quickly, leaving a faint ring of lacing which disappears quickly.

S- Robust hazlenut and rich coffee dominate in the truest sense of the word. Imagine the most purely pulled shot of fresh espresso combined with rich dutch chocolate.Notes of bourbon, soy sauce, and dry cocoa drift about the aroma behind the leading notes.

T- Fresh roasted coffee leads, followed by fudge notes and tailing off with bourbon. There's no real bitterness to speak of, aside from that which is lightly suggested by the coffee. A light numbing bourbon sensation and a roasted nuttiness accompany a sweet sticky finish.

M- Inexplicably creamy and chewy, it's impossible to imagine a more perfect mouthfeel for a stout. Finish is sticky and lingering, evolving from bourbon through coffee, ending in powdered cocoa and mild numbing alcolhol.

O- Even fresh, this stout is the pinnacle of rich coffee taste, sweet cocoa, and just enough bourbon. Infallible. Legendary. Perfect.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2012 23:38:32 | More by gigaknight

hombrepalo

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap (2 variations) and bottle too. This ale pours black with dark brown edges. A thin brown head sits for a moment then recedes quickly and leaves little lace. I don't use OMG very often but OMG! My glass smells amazing- bourbon (obviously), coffee, vanilla, dark fruit (fig), raisin, and a fresh bread-like aroma. The taste is equally amazing. The flavors blend well together and the coffee is far from overpowering. Well balanced if not a tiny bit too sweet. Full body and the usual low carbonation found in GIBCBS.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2011 20:25:24 | More by hombrepalo

biggied

California

4.83/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at GABF

A: Dark with low carbonation. As to be expected.

S: COFFEE! I can not stress that enough. I can smell a little bourbon but the coffee is still there, and it's not bitter coffee.

T: Its great if you're a coffee stout fan, probably one of the best. A little bit of a bourbon taste, but wished there was more.

M: Very viscious but not as thick as the other BC brews.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 02:18:45 | More by biggied

JivanN

California

5/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had this on tap at Paddy Longs in Chicago about a week and a half ago.

The smell is absolutely fantastic. You immediately get coffee notes and then bourbon. Chocolate, toffee and caramel notes are also present.

Taste was what you would expect from a bourbon county brand stout. Amazing. So different from the past because they used edelweis coffee for this one and its such an improvement over past Bourbon County coffee. Taste was very similar to the smell. Boozy, but not that boozy. Loved it on tap

The mouth feel is very thick and consist of very little carbonation.

This is one of those beers that I always wished I had on tap and when I finally did I was blown away.

Highly recommend this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2011 18:49:32 | More by JivanN

Alpar

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Sugar Maple.

A: Dark with low carbonation. As to be expected.

S: COFFEE! I can not stress that enough. I can smell a little bourbon but the coffee is still quite heavy, even after a year...

T: BAM! Yup you guessed it COFFEE. Geez this makes KBS look like miller light. I mean its great if you're a coffee stout fan, probably the best. However it's too much for me. I miss the bourbon in bourbon county... I can't pull anything else out of this beer.

M: Very viscious but not as thick as the other BC brews.

O: Its fantastic for what it is but I am not a coffee stout fan.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2011 01:55:30 | More by Alpar

Duffman929

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Have had this 3 times. Twice on tap and once from a bottle.

Appears quite dark, almost black and glossy.

Upon hitting the nose, there are distinct booze and coffee smells infused with a sweetness in the aroma.

I expected it to be....ALCOHOL...and then coffee, but I was pleasantly surprised at how the coffee was blended. The bourbon was there, but it was cut nicely by the bean flavor. Must less harsh than the BCS on tap.

The feel was smooth and had a great combination aftertaste. I am not a coffee drinker, but I really enjoyed this.

I know aging will kill off some of the coffee, but I'd love to see how it blends compared to the BCS non-coffee version. Hopefully I will get my hands on a bottle next fall.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2011 02:17:45 | More by Duffman929

EricCioe

Montana

4.58/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at GI Clybourn during Rare Stout Night, 25 May 2011. Four ounces into a taster.

This pours night black with a very small tan head rising and falling quickly with no lace. On the nose, there is a slightly stale, day old coffee note hanging over everything else, the bourbon and vanilla and oak and chocolate. I couldn't decide whether I liked it or if it fell into the category of, say, Bell's Java Stout where the old coffee grounds are too old, but this ended up hitting really well for me. This isn't usually how I like coffee in stouts, but it's a perfect example of the other approach. In the mouth the coffee was foremost but the chocolate and vanilla mixed well together, too. It isn't really balanced but it's not quite a coffee bomb either. It's coffee-forward, maybe even coffee-dominated, but not coffee-exclusive. The body was huge like BCBS, but without the ultra-stickiness that wrecked the finish on that beer for me. It isn't nearly as hot as I found BCBS to be.

Overall, it seems that the coffee was a great addition to BCBS, a beer I liked but didn't love. This is closer to love. The coffee was approached in a way I usually dislike, but it worked well here, possibly because of the copious amount of bourbon and vanilla in the base beer to stand up to it.

EDIT - Shared a bottle of the second batch last night. The nose was incredible. Bumped up scores to reflect this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2011 04:58:43 | More by EricCioe

readbaron

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one on tap at Twisted Spoke. I've had it a couple times previously - and am blending my reviews.

Came to the table pitch black, and highly viscous. No head to speak of, and very little lacing/foam. (The bottled version had a lot more foam - decent mocha head.)

Smell is awesome. Coffee, bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate and roasted malt.

This is the third time I've had it, and the coffee has definitely faded from what it was, but is still noticible. Coffee's the first thing you get - but it quickly flows into a smooth, sweet bourbon charachter with some vanilla, chocolate and malt underneath.

M - Thick and viscous. The draft version didn't have enough carbonation - the bottled versions didn't suffer from that problem. They were creamy and nicely carbonated.

Overall - great, great beer. Top notch.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2011 19:58:13 | More by readbaron

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

Got to try this beer at the ACBF 2010 and all I could say is holy crap! This beer is wonderful, it was just overly flavorful. The color was black with a pretty good head for something so strong. The beer was thick and complex as hell. The bourbon screams out in this brew, there are flavors of coffee, vanilla, and lots of booze. This beer reminded me a little bit of Sam Adams Triple Bock but much better. This beer deserves another try, if I ever see it again I'll surely pick up some.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2011 00:06:43 | More by Knapp85

MasterSki

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Test batch served at FoBAB. This used Bousque Lya coffee from El Salvador.

A - Pours with a finger of tan foam that settles to a thin ring, leaving behind no lace. Black body with a hint of brown at the fringes. Looks like BCS.

S - Utterly insane coffee and espresso flavor. There's a touch of vanilla, bourbon, and roasted malt in the periphery, but this is a total coffee bomb. The coffee aroma is delicious too, and pops without being overly astringent - you can tell this is good stuff.

T - The taste is quite similar but didn't quite live up to the aroma. Big coffee mixed with vanilla, roasted malts, some earthy barrel, and a bitter espresso finish.

M - Smooth, full body, lower carbonation, finishes a bit sticky. Surprisingly low tannic character for a BCS variant.

D - This was awesome. I just sat and smelled my glass in a daze until I realized I had to use the rest of my tickets. It was very easy to put down 4oz of this one. I think this test batch is an improvement on the bottled version and I hope this is what they use in 2011.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2010 22:38:14 | More by MasterSki

nkersten

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This review is for the Bosque Lya Blend version: Still made with coffee from our neighbors at Intelligentsia, but this small batch blend is made with beans from the Bosque Lya farm in El Salvador rather than the Black Cat Espresso we used in our bottled version of this beer from early 2010.

Pours a pitch black, thick viscous liquid with a small tan ring. Head is very creamy and sits at the edge of the glass for the remainder of the beer. Smell is amazing - fresh roasted coffee, sweet bourbon and vanilla, some dark roasted malt undertones. Taste is earthy fresh coffee, coffee bitterness that balances the sweet vanilla and bourbon flavors that dominate the standard version of this beer. Milk chocolate, a hint of coconut, very light oak, and a touch of alcohol round this one out. Mouthfeel is spot on - thick and chewy, coating but not cloyingly sweet. Light carbonation. Drinkability on this beer is perfect for an imperial stout. The balance of coffee and bourbon makes me want to get as much of this as possible. Sadly, I am sure the coffee freshness wont last. I have always thought KBS was overrated due to its lack of body - this is what it should be. Best beer of the night for me.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2010 17:34:29 | More by nkersten

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

4.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Pours black with a small head and some lace. The aroma couldn't be more striking, it's like the aroma you get when you walk into a coffee shop and they're roasting, the coffee is that fresh and vibrant. There is some dark chocolate and a mild sweet maltiness shows through as well, but this is really all about the coffee. The flavor is roasty and has a fair bit of dark chocolate, some maple syrup, some bourbon, and tons of coffee fruity earthy coffee, the booze is there but it's fairly well concealed. This is pretty damned remarkable, and considerably better than I thought it would be.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2010 20:27:04 | More by BieresDesMoines

coryking

Missouri

4.9/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the International Tap House in Chesterfield this past weekend.

Just like before, in my opinion, this is the best stout that I have ever tasted.

A: Black as Black can be. Very inky.

S: A whole lot going on here. You would expect straight booze or bourbon at this ABV, but instead there is an awesome balance of charred wood, molasses, espresso beans, burnt toast, dark fruits, and a touch of ethyl alcohol.

T: Perfect. The booze, bourbon, coffee, deep chocolates, and roasted characteristics blend into a perfect balance as it warms. This beer must be enjoyed at almost room temp! Get some sweetness in the form of caramel and brown sugars with a hint of molasses.

M: Big, thick, viscous. Coats the mouth, making the flavors last that much longer and making the drink that much more pleasurable.

D: This is one huge beer that tried to entice me to continue sipping. At 13%, how could anyone say that this beer had a perfect drinkability factor...

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2010 07:37:32 | More by coryking

claspada

New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured dark black with no visible head retention.
Heavy bourbon nose with some sweet notes. A little roasted malt and some coffee in the background but not that much.
Taste however is smooth as silk. Bourbon and coffee meld together quite well. A nice creamy, bourbon taste and some coffee, but again the coffee is not as predominant as expected. As I continued to drink this better it got better.
Medium to heavy body. Thick, silky & chewy with an amazing mouth feel.
Not the best example of the style and it's an investment because of the price tag but it is pretty tasty and probably worth it if you enjoy this style. Very smooth for the ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2010 20:16:37 | More by claspada