Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Pours a beautiful black liquid, with little or no head. Chocolate mint to the nose. If beauty could be a liquid this would be it. So full bodied, full flavored and just the perfect beer (if at all possible) this is it. I am a huge, huge IPA person and this is the best stout that I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. If you see this in a store, buy it.

2008 vintage. Pours like 50,000 mile motor oil...as thick and black as it gets. Very faint tan film of a head which quickly became little more than a ring with an animated tan on black marble appearance. The aroma is similar to an abt or a quad. Very sweet, with tons of roasted malt, espresso, dark fruit, caramel, dark chocolate, vanilla, anise, and, of course, bourbon. The flavor is initially very sweet roasted malt. Once swallowed, anise, chocolate and hot alcohol linger. The finish is slow and eventually ends with a good amount of dry oak and a little bit of coffee bitterness. Thick and sticky on the palate, and barely carbonated. (Probably too thick for the co2 to escape.) Very dense, very sweet, very hot, pretty bitter, and not too shabby.

Logan’s Stout Tasting: 2005 Bottling. Huge Whiskey, aged malt, smoke, vanilla, and hotness in the nose. Huge Bourbon and vanilla flavors...and I mean HUGE! Chewy vanilla bourbon extravaganze...this is beyond bourbon barrel, this is just bourbon beer mousse. Absolutely spectacular sipper in every way imaginable.

Strange brew indeed. The nose is very complex, odd yet pleasant. Bourbon notes are clearly perceivable as the smoky notes, malt sweetness, chocolate, some soy sauce and a earthiness that reminds me of porcini mushrooms. Alcohol is present, full is the body. Sweet, chocolatey.

[1706-20080912] 355mL bottle. Sweet bourbon oxo beef cubes aroma has lots of roasted wood malt and vanilla hints. Black brown body with a quick creamy red brown head. Heavy roast beef roast malt flavour. Full body is smooth. Heavy booze but well-integrated, very nicely made.

On tap at the Hopleaf in Chicago, 2008 release. Pours pitch black with a thin mocha head. Aroma of malts, chocolate, and alcohol. The initial bourbon alcohol burn gives way to big flavors of smooth chocolate, dark fruit, molasses, caramel, and hints of coffee. Even with it’s complexities and ABV, this is very smooth and easy to drink for me. One of the finest beers I’ve had the pleasure of savoring. Absolutely essential.

(10.21.08) On draught at Firkin in Libertyville. 2008 batch. Opaque black with an average sized brown head that quickly dissipates. Little to no lacing. Unsweetened chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, vanilla, pepper, cola, and oak on the nose. Hops are there, but malt leads the way. Moderate sweetness up front, which gives way to some bitterness in the finish. Outstanding mouthfeel. Chewy, full-bodied, without being quite syrupy. Alcohol starts out present and delicious though it leans toward solvent as it warms. Great use of bourbon barrels.

Huge thanks to ajm for cracking one of these open to close a night of sampling. Pours like sweet molasses from the bottle with a faint brown head. Loaded with grape playdough and bourbon on the nose with overwhelming amounts of powdered cocoa, coffee, red grapes, and caramel in the flavor to help masque the 13%. A real knockout punch.