Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Bottled, alc. 11 % (vintage 2005)
Pitch black, no head. Vintage nose: raisins, vanilla, oak, tarry smokey wood, dark malts. Sweetish, a bit sticky. Vanilla, bourbon, licorice, warming! Bourbon in the aftertaste. Barreling is not overused here and is not dominating which is nice. Balanced fireplace stout.

Bottled (thanks heemer77!). 2005 vintage. Very deep ruby red colour, close to black. Not much head. Aroma is earth cellar, licorice, alcohol, vanilla and some wood. Flavour is licorice, alcohol, some mild acidicness. Aftertaste is big licorice, alcohol and very peppery.

Come to think of it, I’ve held on to this bottle for a while, and I cannot remember who gave it to me. I know I didn’t acquire it myself. Oh well, my thanks are with you, whoever you are. Pours jet black and thick, as expected, with a small brown head that dissipated quickly. Aroma of butter and bourbon, some dark chocolate, a bit of grassy hops. Flavor is complex, with the first thing I notice being that this beer is sweeter than most imperials... which is probably why I’m enjoying it more. There’s lots of complexity, with a bit of bourbon whiskey dryness, some rich dark chocolate, perhaps the smallest touch of fruitiness. The alcohol dryness has a bit of smokiness to it. NIce combination of standard stout flavors with the dry complexity of harder liquor. Body feels pretty full, but still shy of Kalamazoo or Three Floyds imperial stouts. A bit of fruity chocolaty sweetness stays with you... a nice change from the bitter finish accompanying most imperials. One thing I enjoy about imperials is the surprising amount of variety that can be found in their flavor composition. I can see some imperial fans not liking the lack of coffee flavors or the surprising sweetness, but I find this to be an excellent dessert stout. If only I didn’t open it before dinnertime...

Pours a dark black with a nice tan head. Aroma is of chocolate, licorice, alcohol and some espresso. Taste is very sticky sweet dark chocolate with a nice coffee finish with the alcohol present the whole time.

Thanks to Jay23 for this one 2007 Bottle poured into a sniffer produced a tan colored head that turns to a nice ring around the glass. All this on top of a jet black body Aromas of vanilla roasted malts, bourbon, and a slight oak note as well Flavors are bourbon, sweet roasted malts, vanilla caramel and a hint of black licorice. Great flavors almost no bitters but the alcohol heat keeps the sweetness in check. Sips extremely well, smooth is a good word for it thick and oily in the mouth Again drinkable would not be the word I would associate with this one, sipping is a must .one of the ultimate desert beers I have had so far. A great night cap and should be enjoyed as such

Pours pitch with a brown head. Aroma is huge, big dark fruit, licorice, rye bread, chocolate, smoke, and vanilla. Flavor is massive, huge chocolate malt profile, licorice, chocolate, lemongrass, tobacco, a significant alcohol note, peat, and topsoil. Nice, though bordering on "too big". I would like to try a 4/5ths version of this recipe. Sharp hop finish, almost hot. Nice craftsmanship. Thanks, Kan.

Bottle. [<a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=30520 target= new> Courtesy of kmweaver]. Clear dark brown black color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, brown head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, caramel, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, oak, vanilla, some alcohol. Flavor is heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is almost full, texture is oily - creamy - syrupy, carbonation is soft - flat, finish feel is light alcoholi. Very very nice ;o)) (070408)

Good stuff, fun to sip from the snifter. Thanks to my bro for sending this gem a while back. Pours a thick and oily black with thin, light brown head. Very malty nose with molasses and chocolate, touches of sweet whiskey. Mildly sweet and roasty-bitter flavor, oily mouthfeel going dry. Lasting bitter-chocolate aftertaste with slightly smoky backdrop.