Rare Bourbon County Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed this twice. Thanks to petesuphi and Hojaminbag for sharing bottles with me. One of the bottles was number 1628.

A-Deep, lustrous, black with dark ruby highlights. A thin, tan head vanishes to nothingness and leaves a shimmering pool of liquid behind.

S-WHOA! The unmistakable aroma of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon comes though with one hell of a punch. Lighter notes of vanilla and oak with a subtle alcohol burn in the finish.

T-Mmmm, mmmm, Pappy Van Winkle through and through! Simply delicious to say the least. Rich and decadent and never tiresome. I was so interested in savoring this beer I could barely find the time to take notes.

M-Medium-heavy, rich and superbly lucious. Velvety smooth beyond belief.

D-Well, take a great beer like BCS and age it in 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle barrels for two years and what do you think? One of my most favorite beers aged in a barrel of my VERY most favorite bourbon equals instant classic!

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 15:40:56 | More by Deuane

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev -0.6%

05-20-2013 20:19:14 | More by eyeenjoybeer

JellyJacket

Illinois

4/5  rDev -16.3%

05-20-2013 19:32:20 | More by JellyJacket

mendvicdog

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev -0.6%

05-20-2013 19:07:12 | More by mendvicdog

smartassboiler

Illinois

4/5  rDev -16.3%

05-20-2013 14:28:03 | More by smartassboiler

RhyminBelmont

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -5.9%

05-20-2013 13:58:09 | More by RhyminBelmont

sbxx

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Goose 25th Anniversary block party.

Didn't have time for a full review but it's obvious that this beer is nearing the end of its life right now. That being said, it was still tasty. Fresh, I bet this was a 5 or damn close. Right now, it's not even a 4.

The PvW still shines through and is basically the only thing redeeming this beer at this point. If you have a bottle sitting around, drink it ASAP. If you see it on tap again, go for a fresh BCS variant first.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 02:45:50 | More by sbxx

Ak555667

Illinois

5/5  rDev +4.6%

05-19-2013 23:05:19 | More by Ak555667

duceswild

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev -0.6%

05-19-2013 15:28:04 | More by duceswild

jakeox

Illinois

5/5  rDev +4.6%

05-19-2013 00:45:39 | More by jakeox

Photekut

Azerbaijan

5/5  rDev +4.6%

05-19-2013 00:43:46 | More by Photekut

Wade5614

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev -5.9%

05-18-2013 01:24:05 | More by Wade5614

baybassboy

California

4.5/5  rDev -5.9%

05-14-2013 04:22:57 | More by baybassboy

brian4beer

Indiana

5/5  rDev +4.6%

05-13-2013 18:32:31 | More by brian4beer

leftstagebrew

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +4.6%

05-13-2013 16:57:43 | More by leftstagebrew

phishphorce

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev -0.6%

05-12-2013 21:22:01 | More by phishphorce

tclang

Wisconsin

5/5  rDev +4.6%

05-11-2013 14:29:11 | More by tclang

twenty5

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +4.6%

05-10-2013 19:47:03 | More by twenty5

DmanGTR

New York

5/5  rDev +4.6%

05-10-2013 18:09:02 | More by DmanGTR

majaqua

Texas

5/5  rDev +4.6%

05-07-2013 22:28:40 | More by majaqua

dvmky

Kentucky

4.75/5  rDev -0.6%

05-05-2013 17:45:07 | More by dvmky

Bilco

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev -0.6%

05-05-2013 02:43:49 | More by Bilco

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.24/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Split the bottle with angrybabboon and bilco.

Appearance: Deep black. Some rich browns when held to direct light. Clear. Pours like motor oil. Small tan collar with a quickly dissipating head. Thick and still. Very similar to straight BCBS.

Smell: A solid punch of smooth alcohol. Signature Bourbon County sweetness with a bit more depth. Marshmallow and coconut. Loads of vanilla, both from the barrel and the bean. Raisins and dark macerated cherry flesh. Nice solid oakiness through the back. Slightly burnt and roasted. Blends caramel and toffee with some rich cooked sugars. Sweet, a but too much for my taste.

Taste: Roasted marshmallow with some solid vanilla and caramel. Crazy smooth blend of bourbon barrels and Bourbon County. Toasted coconut flesh and sugar. Cooked and caramelized malts. Slight alcohol heat on the back. Raw sugar. Molasses and toffee. Sweet but not too sweet. A bit more balanced than the standard. Crazy smooth. Brown sugar and some oak. Almost delicate. Super complex, but that's expected.

Mouthfeel: Crazy smooth. Creamy. Light to medium carbonation with a slick and oily medium to full body. Surprisingly clean.

Overall: I can't taste the rare. Ahab is sad.

An improvement over BCBS but not quite the legend I expected. A smoother more polished version of the base beer. Nicely complex.

This is an orca among white whales. Big and smooth but not worth what it takes to track down. I'm glad I got a bottle when it was on the shelves. Check it off and move on.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 22:54:46 | More by Goblinmunkey7

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Consumed 5/4/13

Massive cheers to goblinmunkey7 for sharing this. Split among goblinmunkey7, Bilco, and me.

Appearance: Dark, dark brown - Unexpected clarity, nice amount of head, particularly considering the barrel aging - forms a nice wispy head that sticks around, and leaves a few spots of lacing that slowly trickle down the glass - very, very pretty (not just the hype)

Smell: Potent, powerful, and uniquely charming - apparently Pappy Van Winkle smells magical - very clean, woody bourbon with some clean, refined alcohol smells (definitely different than a bottle of Jim Beam, for instance) - some vanilla, and some grains - this aromas merge quite well with the stout base - chocolate malts, caramel - dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate brownies, dark chocolate cake - nicely burnt and charred

Taste: Absurdly rich and decadent with loads of depth - the bourbon is so well-balanced with the BCBS base that I don't even know where to start - burnt and charred malts, caramelized malts, burnt sugar - vanilla, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, brownies, cake, semisweet chocolate chips - roasty with some nice coffee notes - rich bourbon notes - wood, grains, and some absurdly smooth alcohol - some heat, but it should be expected - overall, maybe a little too burnt and sticky - demands to be sipped, but could be consumed a lot faster

Mouthfeel: Borderline unbelievably smooth, nice level of heaviness, full body, nice carbonation

Overall: Yes it's magical, but I wouldn't trade any valuable organs for it

This is a notably, undeniably, seriously amazing beer. But it's not the best beer I've ever had. Maybe, if I absolutely adored bourbon (and Pappy), this would have absolutely blown my mind. This may have delivered a few cracks to my cranium, but this is not life changing. If you can find this, it's definitely worth the original $50 price tag. But I wouldn't trade much more for it.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 22:50:00 | More by angrybabboon

Morey

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev -0.6%

05-04-2013 01:44:50 | More by Morey