Rare Bourbon County Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

4.97/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

"Holy sweet Baby Jeebus in a tuxedo t-shirt!"

I'm a bourbon county fiend, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this iteration of their offering. Even poured myself a dram of Pappy 20 year to drink before this to get an idea of the barrel flavors I'd be enjoying.
Again this beer lived up to all my expectations and exceeded them. Pours a viscous, thick for being barrel aged, dark brown in color. Obviously not much head, but still looked good in the glass. I could smell this luxurious beast while I was pouring it. Wonderful spice, oak, vanilla, heaven.
Taste and mouthfeel could not have been better. This is the best bourbon barrel aged stout that I have ever had. This is as complex and wonderful as you'd expect. Wish this was cheaper and more readily available because this is a world class beer that I would like to enjoy more often.
Bravo Goose Island. You have improved an already incredible beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 21:16:12 | More by FtownThrowDown

vic21234

Illinois

4.99/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22oz bomber poured into a snifter from cellar temperature. Bottle number 618, bottled on 11/19/10. I've been saving this one for a special occasion.

A- Pours just like regular BCBS, pitch black with a small amount of brown colored head that quickly fades. No carbonation seen, sits calm and still in the glass. Tons of lacing along the sides of the glass also.

S- Great smelling beer as expected. Tons of bourbon and the sting of alcohol dominates the smell. I do notice a difference in the bourbon aroma notes in Rare with the PVW.

T- Fantastic beer. Initially the taste starts strong with the notes of bourbon. Then comes chocolate, coffee, and maybe some dark fruits as well. The bourbon gets smoother as the beer warms as well.

M- Heavy, boozy, dark, and flavorful. A great warming feeling with each sip.

Rare is a fantastic beer. Does it live up to the hype? I don't think so. I'd be just as happy sipping on a regular BCBS or BCBS Coffee that is much more obtainable than this. Still a great beer though and I'm happy I had the opportunity to have it.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 00:39:18 | More by vic21234

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