Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

2008 bottle. Pours a pitch black color, looks very oily; the head is small and it dies. Aroma is absolutely fantastic! I can’t say I’ve smelled anything better lately, it has been a while since I had Närke Kaggen and I’m not really sure, but this could even be better than that one. Lots of roasted malts, dark chocolate, fudge, toffee, almonds, oak, vanilla, bourbon and even some light smokiness behind all this too. Flavour is powerful; very sweet, yet balanced, in my opinion. Roasted malt, dark chocolate, fudge, almonds, oak, vanilla and bourbon. Perfection. A slight warming note from the alcohol. Palate is extremely filling. A fullbodied beer, very creamy and thick, low carbonation. Long, pleasant finish. Overall this have to be the best beer I’ve had together with Kaggen! Maybe the absolute best one.

Black as night with a thick tan head. Strong almost overpowering aromas, you can pick out the bourbon and the oak. Booming flavors of oak, bourbon, coffee but somehow they manage to stay smooth. Thick body with a nice burp. The aftertaste is a very lovely dark chocolate.

Thick oily black pour, low dark brown head. Very rich complex aroma and flavours of chocolate, beef broth, whiskey, charred wood, and vanilla. Thick chewy mouthfeel. Medium bitter finish. Alcohol is almost entirely hidden. Absolutely perfect marriage of the ’liquor-and-beer’ concept. Phenomenal. Wow do I ever want more of this!

2008 Bottle - Pours a murky viscous black with a tiny tan head that lasts 5 seconds...aroma is intoxicating in itself, bourbon wood, vanilla, chocolate, char and booze...flavour is similar, with molassas and a bit of smoke...I like the nose a bit more than the taste, high booze, low bubbles...share this one or die...

Oily black, no head at all - murky and still like a glass of motor oil. BIG bourbon aroma, smoky and oaky with rich molasses and cocoa, rounded out by caramel. Bourbon and wood notes meld nicely with rich caramel malts, alcohol lightly nips at the back of your tongue but is not overbearing at all. The swallow - there is the alcohol, warming down to your belly. Another sniff - now picking up vanilla and a green-grape fruitiness. Next sip - more in the way of cocoa powder and smoke this time, carbonation level low, allowing flavors to melt onto your tongue. Rich, complex, and damn near perfect.

Bottle - Pitch black beer with a minimal amount of head. Sweet aroma with hints of chocolate, vanilla and alcohol. This beer is a real sipping beer. The alcohol flavor somewhat overwhelms the malt flavors in this.

Drukket hjemme, delt med Theis. Kulsort med et moccafarvet lille skum. Skummet forsvinder hurtigt. Duft: Chokolademælk, mørke frugter, vanille, træ. krydret, kokos. Smag: Bitter chokolade, let alkoholisk, vanille,træ,mørke frugter, karamel. God og fyldig, rigtig dejlig mundfylde, skjuler alkoholen godt. Mums det er godt.

This nearly black, syrupy, heavy hitter opens with an aroma that makes you want to taste it now...and the huge flavor doesn’t disappoint from there. The bourbon shows through in the aroma and flavor instantly as does the vanilla and carmel. This is a unique stout that I enjoy year to year -- worth the wait.