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

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22oz bottle into Tulip.

A. Pours almost no head, what there is vanishes very quickly. Clear alcohol lacing. Color is jet black.

S. Sweet, berries, molasses, dark chocolate, oak, bourbon, alcohol.

T. Bourbon county with faint berry sweetness. Still get all of the great big bourbon flavors of the regular, molasses, vanilla, oak, bourbon, chocolate. Raspberries and blackberries might smooth this one out to be dangerous. Might be the smoothes BCBS that I can remember. Not sure what this one tasted like right out of the gate, but it appears the fruit has blended very well.

M. Full bodied. Low carbonation. Lingering sweetness.

O. Very impressed. BCBS is arguably one of the best beers in the world. I thought Vanilla was even better. I am a big fan of fruit flavored stouts, and have to say this might be my favorite so far. My only wish is that there was more Bourbon County Brand Stouts and its variants available and year round.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 00:03:16 | More by siradmiralnelson

fvernon

Indiana

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 12/10/11, poured into a portsmouth snifter at a little cooler than room temp. Pours a thick, dark chocolate brown with maroon tinges and smells like blackberries soaked in chocolate, oak, and rye whiskey.

Lip-smacking blackberry jam, raspberry, rye, and gobs of freshly made dark chocolate. A bit more tart than I was anticipating, but this is really delicious - and odd; it's not like a stout I've had before, even within the BCBS series. Plenty thick, it's dessert in a bottle with wonderful, full, viscous mouthfeel. Perhaps not as popular as some of the other versions out there, but I'm really enjoying this right now.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 23:45:06 | More by fvernon

beerhan

Ohio

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

A-Poured into a snifter, jet black with a thin brown lace head.

S-Initial whiskey notes with a lot of raspberry jam aroma. Very fruity.

T-Lots of whiskey taste but as it warms up lots of chocolate and raspberry shine through with a mixed berry finish. Absolutely delicious.

M-Slick and creamy with almost no carbonation. Goes down smooth with no burn for the abv.

O-Bramble rye is absolutely delicious but would be ideal for those 185ml bottles as a 650 is really a lot for this one. It makes a great dessert beer and I would love to see it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 17:05:43 | More by beerhan

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bilco for splitting this with me and angrybabboon.

Appearance: Dark deep black. Dark browns at the edges when held to direct light. Head is tiny and leaves vestiges of dark tan head. Pours heavy and still.

Smell: Big fruity hits layered over super sweet and roasty malts. Raspberry flesh and deep blackberry flesh. So much fruit. Vanilla and oak. Pushes to caramel and toffee. Loads of stuff going on. Complex. Touches of char and burnt malts. I'm pretty sure they just shoved barrels of fruit in the beer. Great depth.

Taste: Roasted sweet and loaded with fruit. Booze soaked raspberries and blackberries. Fruit flesh and skin add an almost jam like sweetness and fresh fruit flavor. Mega roasty and carries that distinct sweetness of the Bourbon County series. Raisins, wet leather, and super fruit. Super roasted fruit juice. Mildly burnt and charred.

Mouthfeel: Syrupy. Loses a little from the barrel, but it helps here. No carbonation.

Overall: Solid and super fruity. Not the best iteration of Bourbon County but the fruit is lovely and a nice compliment to the beer. Worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 17:18:10 | More by Goblinmunkey7

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.08/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers to Bilco for sharing this

Consumed 6/1/12

Appearance: Black with some dark purple around the edges, starts with a small, tan head - fades, doesn't leave much lacing (acceptable considering the barrel aging)

Smell: So much going on - dark berries and dark stout - rich, dark malts - burnt, roasted, syrupy - chocolate - raspberries and blackberries - combined with the rich malty base, this kind of smells like a milk chocolate/dark chocolate bar with berries in it

Taste: Roasted, rich malts and fruit everywhere - and it works oddly well - dark berries, raspberries and blackberries - very juicy, with some fruit skin - roasted malts, chocolate - definitely on the sweet side, mildly bitter - whiskey shows up late in the taste, follows the berries and chocolate - a little too sugary as it warms up

Mouthfeel: Undeniably heavy and syrupy, but perhaps a bit less than some other BCBS varieties - smooth, a little sticky

Overall: Very good, but not legendary

The berries in here are so aggressive that they somehow dominate the BCBS. I didn't even think this was possible. Ultimately, this is very tasty, but not amazing. I'm curious to see how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 17:14:43 | More by angrybabboon

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle served in a snifter.

L - black with a short-lived tan head.

S - you can sure as heck smell the booze in this one.

T - smooth flavor, not overly boozey or sweet, it's just nice and smooth, silky smooth.

F - did I say this beer was smooth?

O - well worth the price of admission.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 03:00:28 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

barnzy78

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22oz, bottled on 12/10/2011. Picked this one up at Rudy's in LaSalle, IL - got lucky finding it much later than the actual release date.

Poured into a snifter, body is black, maybe a tinge of chestnut at the very edge of the glass when held to the light. Thin bubbly, light brown head fades quickly and leaves no lacing, but that's expected with the mammoth ABV. Aromas are huge bourbon, rich, dark fruit, dark chocolate, bold coffee, boozy as it warms to room temperature. Tastes are amazingly complex: intense dark fruit up-front with cherry, blackberry, raspberry, rich dark chocolate, loads of bourbon notes, coffee, cherry cola, faint peppery notes from the rye try to come through, but the booze on the finish knocks everything off the palate. Gets to be cloyingly sweet towards the end, but still drinks well as a sipper. Mouth-feel is full-bodied, velvety smooth, modest carbonation. Superb treat from a brewery that I have not had anything from for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 03:21:34 | More by barnzy78

MarcatGSB

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased from Fitzgerald's Restaurant in Eagle River, MI. Poured from 22 oz. bottle into snifter.

Appearance: Pours jet black with a bit of mocha colored head. Doesn't even cover the entire glass. Thin bubbles remain along the perimeter.

Smell: Big notes of blackberries and raspberries, followed by rich malt and chocolate, slight hints of bourbon.

Taste: The berries really shine on this expression, a bit different than the version I sampled at FoBaB. Good amount of vanilla, chocolate and bourbon coming though, but not nearly as apparent as the original BCBS edition. The berries provide some nice depth to go along with the big body, and actually are kind of "tart".

Mouth: Good mouthfeel, pretty thick beer as expected, the berries seem to cut that a bit which is fine. Lacks the depth of character that the original is so well known for.

Drink and Overall: A really nice expression. I think Coffee is better, and the original better yet, but a wonderful treat. Definitely will make it a point to seek out again if I have the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 19:25:21 | More by MarcatGSB

Greywulfken

New York

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12/10/11 bottling date.

A: jet black; down the middle pour yields a dark brown head 1-2 fingers deep that slipped away, leaving a clean and slick looking glass behind

S: sweet dark berries, booze, and chocolate malt

T: the berries are up front and slightly tart, the finish is drier and ryer (get it?) - sweet but not as jelly sweet as I was prepared for; chocolate notes; dark berry flavors like blackberry, boysenberry, elderberry , logan berry - sweet, rich and hearty, but somewhat wine-like flavors

M: slightly tart, pleasingly switches from sweet tart to dry, rich; slick and medium-to-heavy weight on the tongue; tingly and sweet tart black berry astringence

O: really liked it - avoids being over-sweet, complex character; I'm not a fruit-beer or sour lambic kinda guy, but I really enjoyed the tart berry edge that this beer had, and the rich booze and cocoa depth that I expect from the BCS brand

Revisit, 5 months later: same bottling date (12/10/11) - it really made me appreciate the wonderful flavors in this beer even more. The jams and jellies were even fresher and brighter, and the chocolates became like the covering on a cherry, er, bramble berry, cordial. Silky smooth and with a delightful lip-smacking tartness.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 22:31:25 | More by Greywulfken

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared bottle with Mr Hunt, thanks for the opportunity.
Pours a solid used motor oil black without much of a head. Smell is Roasty. chocolate and tart dark fruits with hints of vanilla and oak. This is certainly less boozy in the aroma than the standard version. This stuff tastes great. It's a rich thick chocolaty roasty stout with a really nice sweet and sometimes tart fruity edge to it. Thick rich creamy mouthfeel with a light level of carbonation and a substantial body. I wish this were a bit easier to obtain because I really enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 19:25:29 | More by johnnnniee

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Bottle to CBS Snifter. Bottled on 12/10/11 1013.

A - Poured dark black with half a finger of espresso coloured head that quickly receded to a ring around the glass.

S - Rye up front followed by a big sweet hit of pureed raspberries with lighter blackberry notes. The background adds a basic roasted malt aroma.

T - Huge sweet raspberry flavour up front that gives way to rye and some oak flavours followed bu a big roasted malt presence. The raspberry dominates and is very sweet, more reminiscent of raspberry puree or jam as opposed to fresh berries. The raspberry returns in the finish with a big sweetness. The ABV is slightly warming in the finish as well but is generally well hidden.

M - Full body, thick and viscous. Light carbonation.

O - A unique and interesting beer. Too sweet and too much raspberry prevent this form being an outstanding beer. Still very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 02:16:56 | More by TheSevenDuffs

scottfrie

California

3.95/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A huge thank you to jbck109 for hooking me up.

A: Pours a deep brown, near black, with a minimal head.
S: Smells like mixed berry frozen yogurt with a little bit of chocolate. Interesting. Not getting much Heaven and Hill but there is some complexity to the nose.
T: Big notes of fresh blackberry but the raspberries taste more like puree. Deliciously fruity but the base stout is light. Heaven and Hill is noticeable but not warm at all. Chocolate comes through in the aftertaste, and the alcohol is incredibly smooth.
M: Smooth mouthfeel, very creamy and soft full body, with soft and easy carbonation.
O: An interesting stout. I liked it, but I don’t know if I could drink this often. Thanks again, Jay.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:58:46 | More by scottfrie

WankelEngine

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Written from notes taken 3/08/12
Poured from a 22oz bottle into a snifter

A: Black and oily. Bourbon county all the way.

S: Smells fairly fruity, dark roasted notes, figs, blackberries.

T: Fruitier than I imagined. Juicy raspberries and fresh blackberries. Tangy even. Nonetheless, it is still dark and heavy with chocolate and mild coffee notes. Finish is more bitter with dark chocolate but it is fruit that lingers.

M: Similar to the regular and coffee bourbon county, but ever so slightly thinner and stickier.

O: Pretty damn good. A different take on BCBS. Fruit flavors tend to dominate. Raspberry is sweeter and tangier than I imagine possible in a brew this heavy and dark. The flavors don't meld together well like in the Coffee, but they are still complementary.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 22:28:16 | More by WankelEngine

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.23/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

birthday occasion pulled this awesome bottle from the crypts.

The beer pours a jet black with flecks of deep red at the edges and no head. This looks very similar to how the base BCBS pours. The nose is different though with a slightly tart berry note mixing with the booming alcohol and bourbon vanilla. The taste doesnt fail to disappoint with all the rich notes from the nose mixed together into an equally pleasant blend. The fruit really does a lot to cut through the thick, booziness of this stout. The mouthfeel is sweet and chocolatey with a dry, tart fruitiness, which is just as unique as the beer's taste. Definitely worth trying and would probably be quite different in a year.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 01:31:35 | More by ThePorterSorter

rlee1390

Indiana

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Black one finger brown head that doesn't last that long

S-Lots of bourbon, raspberries, blackberries, plum

T-Starts with some bourbon, blackberries, rye, the flavors don't mesh perfectly, some bitterness.

M-Medium bodied, not much carbonation but smooth.

O-Compared to the other Bourbon Countys it is a let down. However with age and letting the blackberries,raspberries mellow out a little bit could allow for a better mesh of the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 00:49:11 | More by rlee1390

axeman9182

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle thanks to kodymupa. It was allowed to warm some before being poured into my petite Duvel tulip.

Bramble Rye Bourbon County Stout pours completely black, with just over a finger of milk chocolate colored foam. There's just a little bit of head retention, and no lacing left to speak of. The nose is a bit restrained, but there is plenty of chocolate, vanilla, and whiskey, along with a touch of dark berries. The flavor profile starts out similar to regular Bourbon County Stout (and the nose for that matter), with plenty of chocolaty roasted malts, and vanilla and whiskey from the barrels. The berry flavor comes in on the back end and starts out as a pleasant twist on a barrel aged stout, but it turns a bit medicinal/cough syrupy for the finish. That bit of unpleasantness fades (though doesn't disappear completely) as the beer warms. The body is rich and viscous, like every other Bourbon County brews, with a carbonation that's just enough to cut through the body. Bramble Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout is by far the most ambitious of the series so far, but it just doesn't manage to land quite as well as the other beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 07:08:20 | More by axeman9182

HopHead84

California

3.63/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

4/27/2012

Thanks! Snifter.

A: Deep reddish brown with a fast fading beige head.

S: Blackberries and raspberries are strong, with notes of seeds and flesh. There's a restrained tartness with a touch of chocolate. Whiskey is very light.

T: Whiskey chocolate raspberry blackberry dessert. It doesn't remind me at all of BCS, but it's pretty tasty in its own right, initially, that is. As I make my way through the glass, the fruit becomes increasingly artificial tasting and somewhat medicinal, which makes this difficult to drink at times. The fruit overwhelms the base beer.

M: Upper medium body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is smooth and sticky with some alcohol warming.

Overall: A solid beer, but a major step down from BCS or any of its variants.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 16:24:18 | More by HopHead84

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into snifter - thanks to grohnke

Pours a viscous, opaque blackness with a crop of tanned, dark head resting on top. A slick coating of film rests on top, leaving spotty lacing behind on the glass.

There's that gorgeous, rich smell I've been looking for - plenty of dark chocolate, molasses and bourbon up front. Vanilla sweetness mixes with the blackberry and raspberry. Warm and sweet overall.

Rich and full right up front with a decent smack from the rye barrels. Oak and booze with a nice coating of vanilla. The heavy chocolate and roasted nutty notes wrap around the fruits, allowing the blackberry and raspberry to permeate the darker sweetness. I sense a bit of chocolate covered cherries in here as well, followed by that powerful Bourbon County finish, lush with booze, oak and pleasant heat.

Full bodied, decent carbonation, creamy and smooth on the tongue. Definitely a delicious twist on the Bourbon County series...I'm glad I sought this one out, although it's not quite as amazing as the other variants.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 00:41:20 | More by xnicknj

bonkers

New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to my cousin for sharing, split into 2 snifters, typical BC stout, thick pour, jet black, thin head. The smell is great, sweet, ton of rasberries. The combo of the rye whiskey, rasberries and blackberries is great. The sweetness of the berries plays with the boozines of the bourbon great. The beer is thick and boozy. Another great beer in the BCS series.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 23:04:53 | More by bonkers

rodkin

Missouri

4.45/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours absolutely pitch black. Even held up to the light, nothing gets through. Almost no head, but some visible carbonation.

Smells like raspberry jam, with a little bit of alcohol. Raspberry is incredibly strong, dominates the nose.

Wow, this is really delicious. Heavy raspberry flavors, though the blackberry isn't as pronounced. There's some chocolate in there as well, some slight coffee and vanilla. A little bit of alcohol warmth as it goes down, but it's pretty mild. Malty sweetness comes through as it warms. Very rich. The raspberry is definitely the dominate flavor. It's almost candy-like, but never cloying or fake-tasting.

Mouthfeel is absolutely perfect. Thick and creamy, with some pleasant bubbly carbonation as it goes down.

What a great beer. I've loved every BCS variant I've had thus far, and this didn't disappoint at all. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 03:34:51 | More by rodkin

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a snifter

Pours an oily black with no head. Just some stray bubbles rise up and fade quickly. Oil slick-like coating when swirled.

The aroma is of blackberries and raspberries--sweet--with bourbon overtones, molasses, dark roast, and some milk chocolate.

On the palate, the blackberries and raspberries really jump. Sweet fruit with some bourbon heat. Oak does its best to dry things out, but the fruit lends a jam-like sweetness that overrides most of everything. Some milk chocolate and dark roast poke through in the finish.

Full, thick body with light carbonation. Oily slick.

A good blend of fruit and base BCBS. Might be my least favorite of all the varieties, but this is still delicious.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 19:28:10 | More by ColForbinBC

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle share in Hoboken, NJ.

A: Pours an opaque extremely dark jet black. The beer has a thin dark mocha head that reduces to some very thin film over the surface and at the edge of the glass. No lacing is observed.

S: Some dark roasted malts with quite a bit of dark fruit (raisin and cherry) and some vanilla/oak presence. There is an almost spirit-like (rum) aroma with some light alcohol presence.

T: The flavor has all the elements of the smell (dark fruit, dark malts, char, and oak/vanilla) along with some bittersweet dark chocolate. Not unlike a black forest dessert flavor with some light hints of rye spiciness in the finish.

M: On the lighter side of full bodied with light amounts of carbonation. Slick and oily. Some light alcohol heat in the finish.

O: Extremely rich and a very nice complexity to the flavor. The alcohol is more present than I would prefer but a great beer overall. Glad I got the chance to try it and would love to try it again, though maybe on a cold winter evening in front of the fireplace.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 18:15:03 | More by dbrauneis

maximum12

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to the excellent guy who threw me this in a recent trade...dlello2 I think, but it's been a long fucking week & I'm really fucking tired & my trading sheet is all the way fucking upstairs. That's like 16 fuckings stairs & 36 fucking steps.

Pour is black, just like the soul of the guy who invented work. Does NOT smell like Bourbon County, more like something...else. Fruit basket yeah. Hot licks of licorice, black too. Interesting. Not at all expected.

Bourbon County Bramble Rye is a stickler of juiced fruit. Big berry notes, tart blackberry, blueberry, maybe a nice ripe raspberry or two. Bourbon is slow-grown, slipping underneath to kick only when not expected. Massive port impression dents my face in mid-palate; this could almost pass as a good port. Vanilla hits the greased slide & spreads out on the finish, licking every nook & cranny. Fruit salad & bourbon! Whoda thunk. Right on. Weird & strange but that makes me reach for it often trying to figure out, well, what the hell. What the hell?

Unique, tasty, odd. Missing the rye, which is a bit of a bummer in the expectation department but hey, I'm a Twins fan, I'm used to it. Really good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 03:07:50 | More by maximum12

rtaps

California

2.55/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

pours pitch black with a very small dark brown head that fades quickly to a small film

dark chocolate blackberry and raspberry's soaked in bourbon

pretty fruity again like a liquor soaked in bourbon but very sweet, sweeter than expected.

light bodied medium carbon pretty viscous

well i had high hopes for this and it all seemed to be good until the liquor soaked fruits came into play, and yes i hate to admit it this was my first drain pour all three guys i drank this with got to a point where we just couldn't drink anymore and wanted to more on.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 01:57:49 | More by rtaps

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is my second bottle. 650ml. 12/10/11.

It pours a dark blackish brown with a billowing dark tan head that actually recedes not too quickly but with a loud fizz and no lacing.

The smell is nice. It is complex with nice tart raspberries, caramel, and then the typical bourbon county backbone with cocoa, dark malts, bourbon, and oak.

The mouthfeel is noticeably thick. The raspberries add a nice dimension to this monster of a brew. Actually the first time I had it it was amongst a massive BCS vertical/horizontal and it was one of my favorites. This time it is a bit on the sweet side but still an enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 03:23:10 | More by crossovert