Bramble Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 Vintage

A: Midnight black with deep reddish edges, a bit of head at first.

S: Wow. Very unique... berries at first, deeply caramelized sugar, buttery vanilla frosting. Huge aroma, never smelled anything like it.

T: An interplay between the warming sticky cocoa vanilla-coconut bourbon county vibe, and this array of buttery strawberries, raspberries, blackberries etc. Neither elements overpower the other, this is a truly unique beer unlike anything I've had before. I prefer the flavor of the berries in this over the flavor of coffee in BCBCS, great beer.

M: Even a year old this bottle is still quite warm and syrupy, its just sort of the nature of this brand. A slow sipper, share it.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 02:40:16 | More by mattsander

Hoozierdaddy

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-25-2013 19:31:13 | More by Hoozierdaddy

Eriktheipaman

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-24-2013 12:32:07 | More by Eriktheipaman

ackeeper

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-21-2013 01:27:56 | More by ackeeper

mendvicdog

Maryland

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-20-2013 19:10:27 | More by mendvicdog

jakeox

Illinois

5/5  rDev +17.4%

05-19-2013 00:43:20 | More by jakeox

cdmillard

Maryland

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-18-2013 22:41:58 | More by cdmillard

stxSS07

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -12%

05-16-2013 15:40:52 | More by stxSS07

Shilt

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-15-2013 15:56:31 | More by Shilt

Davit

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-15-2013 03:17:07 | More by Davit

4amepiphany

Illinois

4.99/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I love BCS. I love dark fruits. This was my first BCS variant that I tried, and damn, this was good.

A: Typical BCS. Dark. Thin, thin head which disappears with the quicks. Love giving it a swirl or three.

S: Dark berries. BCS.

T: The berries and BCS begin to have a playdate on my palate. I let it soak into my tongue and the berries stay on it the whole way. A wonderful blend!

M: Sticky, chewy, like BCS should be.

Only Cherry Rye tops this for me, but I love cherries.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 04:55:07 | More by 4amepiphany

1noa

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-11-2013 11:49:33 | More by 1noa

striker2160

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-10-2013 14:13:43 | More by striker2160

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-09-2013 00:49:45 | More by cadaugherty

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-08-2013 23:29:06 | More by stereosforgeeks

dfhhead25

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +17.4%

05-07-2013 03:07:24 | More by dfhhead25

Brabander

Netherlands

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this beer at the Zeebra Extreme Beerfestival in Holland on may 4th 2013. Zeebra was held for the first time with lots of very very very great beers like this one. As a matter of fact all the BCBS beers were there....

This one was poured in a Zeebra glass, a small tasting glass. To be honest this beer was quit normal, i expected way more quality when i look at the others in this family.

No head and no carbonation. The bramble notes were far away noticable and the whole was under influence of the bourbon taste. Pity cause this beer could have been made much better. Glad to have it though because i love the Goose Island beers...

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 17:36:07 | More by Brabander

pawpaw

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-04-2013 15:27:39 | More by pawpaw

dczernic

Illinois

5/5  rDev +17.4%

05-03-2013 03:40:51 | More by dczernic

huskermike12

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-02-2013 03:14:01 | More by huskermike12

cfrances33

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

04-29-2013 01:38:06 | More by cfrances33

Dactrius

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

04-28-2013 20:56:17 | More by Dactrius

Pecan

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

04-28-2013 19:15:34 | More by Pecan

Soneast

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -17.8%

04-25-2013 21:17:33 | More by Soneast

tectactoe

Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Preismj for this huge want that I can now cross off the list. I love raspberry stouts that are done properly, and based on past experiences, I trust that Goose Island knows what they're doing. Pours mostly black with some slight ruby tones crowding the edges. The tan head forms slowly during the pour and fades pretty quickly to a ring around the top. A quick swirl of the glass easily conjures up quite a bit of foam, however.

Wow, after one whiff, I'm already in love with this beer. Such a dense berry aroma, complete with raspberries, blackberries, and maybe even a little bit of blueberry and black cherry. Perhaps those last two fruits are just springing from my imagination, but the "fruity" essence of this beer already seems more layered and complex than just raspberry and blackberry. Lots of roasted malts lay softly behind the portrait of berries with a solid stroke of bourbon and oak that slashes through it all. The barrel qualities are much lighter in this beer as compared to many of the other BCS variants, but it works as a perfect addition to the fruit - complementing without drowning out.

Bramble Rye has a magnificent berry flavor right out of the gate - mounds of raspberry jam and raspberry puree engulf your palate immediately upon taking your first sip. It provides a mild tartness without ever becoming sour or seeming "out of place" despite it being in a bourbon barrel aged stout. The bourbon and oak flavors are definitely there - signature BCS style, although the tartness from the raspberry up front really cuts through and mellows out the already mellow barrel-aging contributions. They took something great and made it even better... How is that possible to this degree?

The initial tartness from the berry onslaught eventually ceases and turns into a savory sweetness that lasts well into the aftertaste. Halfway through, as the raspberries settle down, the barrel aging flavors become more pronounced; bourbon that is as smooth as ever, wet oak, and a reasonable dose of vanilla. Somewhere in the middle, I'm also picking up a light cola flavor that works ties the sweetness of the fruit and the robustness of the alcohol together really well. The body is smooth, creamy, and chewy; full-bodied with a slick mouth feel. It leaves the palate very sticky - even a bit more than other, heavy BCS-type beers. Lower end of the carbonation spectrum.

When all was said and done, the raspberry and blackberry dominate the flavor profile more so than the bourbon and oak flavors, but shockingly enough, that's what I love about this beer. It seems like a perfect addition of berry sweetness into a stout, with the bourbon and oak sitting just behind it, beefing it up just a bit without stealing the show. This is definitely a nice change of pace from the other BCS variants, as I believe it's the most drastically different one. But again, that very fact might partially explain my affinity to it. That, and the fact that I'm a raspberry whore. Is it wrong to say that I like this more than Rare? Because I do. And if you love raspberries like I do - you might, too.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 11:54:25 | More by tectactoe