Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Chicago, Illinois USA

Pours black with a thin brown head. Aroma is of vanilla, charred oak, and bourbon. Texture is rich and like light syrup. Tastes of apparent bourbon along with vanilla, smoke, caramel, and rather sweet. Very good stout.

Bottle... Poured black with a tiny brown head. Aroma of sweet bourbon. Smooth palate and was a little dry. Noticeable bourbon-whiskey and alcohol notes. Roasted malts and a charred character before sweet chocolate came in. Finished with whiskey and sweet, candy sugars.

33 cl bottle, Fargo, ND, USA, 2008 batch. Jet black, almost solid appearance. Very sweet cocoa aroma, plumb and bourbon (surprise). Thick. Warm and lingering, very smooth initially with a creeping booziness. Very much bourbon infused with everything that comes with it. Quite nice, although the complexity that some other imperial stouts have is taken over by the bourbon. Still very nice.

2008 bottle. Nose hits you right out of the bottle with sweet and charred notes. The pour is coal black with a fairly small, light brown-dark caramel color, fizzy-frothy head which is mostly diminishing and leaves minimal lace. Finally the nose... certianly potent but not quite complex enough yet; lots of charred oak, vanilla, light bourbon notes, blackstrap molasses, light candied currants, hints at anise and chocolate chip cookies. Flavor is amazing; sweet, rich, dessert-like, and robust, still a bit young. Notes of black strap molasses, lots of candied currants, burnt caramel, sweet vanilla bean, and chocolate chip cookies start the flavor progression but they are immediately followed by lots charred/scorched oak, light anise, a hefty amount of bourbon warmth, light notes of dark roast coffee, and some floral hops moving into the finish. Palate is too carbonated being lively but the full body and the velvety, chewy, nearly oily texture made up for it a bit; more than moderate warmth. Finishes only average length with sweet notes diminishing leaving bourbon, some roast, and light floral hop notes. Lots of mixed emotions in this one; a perfect flavor with so many nice, complementing things going on. However, the forced carbonation hurt the head and the palate, which could have great, the finish died out a bit too quickly, the warmth was nice for a bourbon imperial stout but was a bit too young, and the nose could have been great with a bit more time in the cellar. So, I guess for now I am just going to applaud the flavor in all its complexity and desert-like richness and cellar some bottles; we’ll see what happens in some time.

12 oz bottle. Very surprised from this twist-off bottle of beer. The beer poured very thick and dark with a dark tan head. I immediately noticed the aroma of bourbon, vanilla, and oak. I enjoyed the aroma so much I almost didnt want to drink it. Once I got around to it, the taste was just as nice. Very sweet and the taste of bourbon and oak finished it off. Very good Imperial Stout. This beer is one of the best I have had.

Big beer. oaky aromas and a smooth acidic palate. Long finish.Almost dill like, probably from the bourbon wood? I like it.

on tap @ Ginger Man NYC. Poured dark black with thin head. Definite bourbon aroma over coffee. Flavour was deep sweet alc and chocolate with a faint fruit and coffee finish. Very good sipper. Kind of remined me of those Jack Daniels chocolates you get around xmas with the booze in them...

Bottle courtesy of jerrymorrison. Bottled 10/21/08. 13% Abv. Pours a pitch black color with a thin brown head that fades but a couple of swirls brings it back. I gladly spent a lot of time on the aroma, oak, pine, bourbon, sherry, even some dark fruit behind all of that, wonderful scent. Lots of oak, vanilla, bourbon and rum flavors, a little roasty but not a lot of that as the oak and bourbon shine, with some piney hops and hint of dark chocolate. There is an alcohol bite but it’s a controlled burn that’s soothing and very warm. What an amazing beer. Perfect evening sipper. Thanks again Jerry!