Goose Island Black Cat Bourbon County Stout

Formerly brewed at Goose Island Beer Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Chicago, Illinois USA

Lots of folk at the festival raved about this brew, but to me the heavy aroma and flavor of espresso overpowered the wonderful Imperial Stout at the base. Espresso, roasted barley, dark chocolate, and anise blended together in both, but the coffee wins out. Dry nutty finish. I’d stick with the regular BCS.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve of Barrel Aged Beers, Chicago, IL 11/04/2006<font size=-1>

FoBAB 06: Opaque body with an oily tears on the glassware. The nose detects coffee grinds of used Mocha Java, bittersweet chocolate, English toffee bar, prune, and quite an earthy overtone ester. The taste had major espresso overtones with some sweet fruit and chocolate background. The finish displays some anise and black pepper, smoked wood, and earthy qualities. The bourbon was hardly noticeable at all. The mouth feel is oily and lush, very smooth. The good brew but even for this coffee drinker it was a bit too much leaning towards the addition of espresso bean. Worth another try however.

On tap at FoBAB 4. This was a masterpiece... pure and simple... if you like huge stouts and fine coffee. Poured black as night with a light righ of caramel head. Nose was of very fresh, and very rich espresso roast, coffee liquor, and baker’s chocolate with light bourbon and vanilla accents deep down. The espresso jumps to the forefront in the flavor department, too... and manages to release some heat from the regular BCS... again the coffee liquor and dark chocolates come across, and the bourbon, vanilla, and oak accents are wonderfully complimentary. Very heavy on the palate, but never became sticky or slick.. coated the mouth well and left a long, roasty coffee bitterness. Excellent!

On tap: Huge roasted coffee and expresso aroma with some light dark chocolate and just the slightest hint of bourbon. Dark brown, virtually black, with a small tan head that quickly fades to a ring. The beer just coats the glass. Flavor starts with lots of chocolate with hints of vanilla. Roasted coffee starts in the middle and builds into the finish. Light bourbon in the finish balances very well. I really liked the addition of the coffee. It really adds to the flavor and cuts into the bourbon flavors making them much more subtle. A very well barrel-aged beer and my favorite of the FoBAB 2006.

An opaque and impenetrable inky pool of midnight brown lies underneath a dark tan wrung that dances at the edges of the glass. Unsweetened chocolate slabs and a profoundly rich French roast aroma beat the shit out of the nose, and there’s not much time to recover before it’s followed up by dark chocolate truffles infused with caramel, Godiva coffee grinds and flame licked oak planks. Full-bodied, flavorful testament reaps darkly and fluidly throughout the palatary playing field. Dove dark chocolates melt unto caramel-integrated French roast coffee (and by “roast” we mean “roasted to smithereens.”) Burnt brownies aid the eurhythmic sequence and then get pressed on countertops to extrapolate previously spilt espresso grinds. Licking those grinds off the bottom of the brownie generates a dark, bitter coalescence to the tongue. Quite a jolting wake up cup, ensnaring the palate at its most vulnerable state. Sweet cream and lactic chocolate are pulled to a halt with the dense, gooey fudge layer. Tonsil cribbage at its most aggressive state. Boozy caramel wraps around Scores bars, and milk duds with bourbon-infused centers. Vibrant French silk pie with a coffee grind crust see us out while a gentle, gooey, caramel sweetness close up shop in the end.

Bourbon County Stout is in my top three stouts in the world! (By the way: note to self: Please rerate all of your top 20 beers...your list is ALL over the place!) But I thought this one was way over the top with bitterly strong coffee overtones. (By the way: note to everyone else: Please ignore the wizened old man behind the curtain apparently working my mouth. That’s just Cornfield!) Don’t get me wrong! I still thought this was a wonderful drink. In my opinion though they went a step away from near-perfection with the over-emphasis on the overwhelmingly bitter coffee notes.

Rich black pour with just a wisp of tan head. Dark roasted coffee, baker’s chocolate, fennel, and Bourbon greet the nose. The coffee dominated the flavor with only subtle notes of Bourbon, nuts, and chocolate. Much enjoyed this.

#919

On Tap at the Goose Island Wriglyville Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers November 4th, 2006.

First off, what is the deal with these other ratings. I absolutely loved this beer and the Impression that I got, possibly totally all slammed impressions, was that others enjoyed this as well. Black with a thin brown head that is shortly lasting rim. The nose is full of chocolate but that bitter sharp coffee smell throughout. More like an Iced moca. The taste is chewy with lots of coffee, sugar sweetness then grains with a huge end with lots of oak, vanilla and cream with more and more coffee. Surprisingly with all that coffee there is still a nice undertone of oak and bourbon. Good stuff.

Note, after I entered this rating I was messaged by another beer lover, cquiroga, who told me that it was under the old rating. So I moved it here. Better represents the beer here.