RateBeer

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Percentile
100
overall

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |
RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
11594.2/5.04.19/5.013%97.3Snifter
Commercial Description:
"I really wanted to do something special for our 1000th batch at the original brewpub. Goose Island could have thrown a party. But we did something better. We brewed a beer. A really big batch of stout-so big the malt was coming out of the top of the mash tun. After fermentation we brought in some bourbon barrels to age the stout. One hundred and fifty days later, Bourbon County Stout was born-A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with a thick foam the color of bourbon barrels. The nose is a mix of charred oak, vanilla,carmel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer. It overpowers anything in the room. People have even said that it’s a great cigar beer, but I haven’t yet tried a cigar that would stand up to it." Brewmaster Greg Hall; IBU’s 60-High Color - Midnight Was 11%, the 2007 and 2008 are listed at 13%.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 lithy (1650), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/103/517/20
Feb 2, 2009  
2006. Bottled 7/3/06. Dark dark brown with a light tan carbonation but no lasting head. A bit thin, smoky aroma, some roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla. Taste is again thin bodied, charred oak, more choclate and vanilla, finish of lightly bitter roasted malt.


 piscator34 (1121), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/104/55/103/513/20
Feb 1, 2009  
Bottled 2008 vintage via and shared with oakbluff. Black in colour with low carbonation. Aromas of bourbon, roasted malts, caramel, and chocolate. Loads of bourbon character upfront, with strong pale and roasted malt character lurking. An interesting finish with both vanilla caramel and drying wood notes competing for attention. Very heavy bodied. A bit too over the top for my taste... just too much bourbon!


 Ljunkan (383), Karlstad, Sweden
5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/105/510/105/520/20
Jan 31, 2009  
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.


 jkwalking05 (1483), Arlington, Texas, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/517/20
Jan 30, 2009  
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.


 DuffMan (2737), the land of bitumen, beef & beer, Alberta, Canada
4.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/105/519/20
Jan 29, 2009  
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!


 ditmier (1053), Boise, Idaho, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/516/20
Jan 28, 2009  
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...


 JMerritt (1315), Macomb, Illinois, USA
4.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/510/105/519/20
Jan 27, 2009  
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.


 LiebeBier (791), Annapolis, Maryland, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/103/516/20
Jan 25, 2009  
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.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Log In | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Feedback?
Copyright © 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC