Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

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

Bottling date, 08.16.05, from a 12 oz. twist-off bottle with a blurb on the front label, glass recommendation on the back label, stored at cellar temperature and allowed to warm for an hour before sampling in a chalice. Poured a opaque blackish brown with a small foamy, creamy tan head, decent retention, small amount of sticking. Aromas of boozy bourbon, vanilla, caramel, dark berry and fig esters that meshes with alcohol, toffee and caramelized sugar, a very light charcoal and a hint of smoke. Good moderate carbonation and a crisp, dryish, oily slick, chewy, creamy smooth full bodied mouthfeel. A delicious sipper, coffee, caramel toffee, roasted grains, vanilla barrel flavor and a little charred wood, a subtle berry fruitiness, the alcohol is pretty well balanced, presence, but only providing a low temperature warmth that increases the drinkability, not a hot alcohol taste bud killer, towards the end earthy grains and oak woody flavors emerges, the hops are pretty laid back, and a dryish caramel malty and vanilla barrel finish, quite enjoyable overall.-- Bottling date 07.03.06, everything else is pretty much the same as last year, allowed to warm up before sampling in a broad mouth chalice. Poured a blackish coffee brown with a nice sized creamy, bubbly tan head that settled into a thin sudsy lacing, minimal amount of sticking. Not quite the boozy nose as last year, much more vanilla and caramel, cherries, charred wood, bare hints of liquid smoke, and soft whiffs of clear grainy alcohol. Good, steady moderate carbonation and a crisp, dry, slick, creamy smooth full bodied mouthfeel, but I have to admitted, the body seems lighter than last year, a little more airy. Still a pleasant sipper, noticeably different from last year, namely cherries, berries and more pronounced vanilla, sweet caramel toffee, a soft char flavor and hints of oak wood, but in the end the woodiness really comes out and lingers in the palate, the alcohol is still light, and a rich sweet malty finish. Still one of the better Imperial/Double Stouts, a must try for any beer lover.

12oz bottle(’07 bottle)-Pours a dark motor oil with a small tan ring for a head. Aroma of bourbon, vanilla, and slight chocolate. Taste of this full bodied brew is of chocolate, bourbon, alcohol, coffee, and vanilla. This brew is very well balanced and the bourbon and alcohol mix very well together. Awesome beer.

Wow, everything I had hoped for. The first sniff is a little boozy, but softens as it warms. I can’t say anything that anyone else hasn’t said already, but this was wonderful.

Wow, poured with little head, nice sweetness. Maple syrup, rasin, Chocolate, very nice flavor, wow, I like it quite a bit! Very thick, Did I mention the nice flavor? A+ beer.

Pours deep black and extremely dense with a fully receding dark brown head. Aroma of dark chocolate, bourbon, soy sauce, truffles, and tobacco. Taste is sweet with dark malts and a hint of the bourbon. Notes of chocolate, plums, licorice, and coffee. Mouthfeel is full bodied, creamy and oily with soft carbonation. Very nice, but I’m missing the bourbon.

Bottle Pours a thick viscous black with a small lasting coacoa colored head. Huge sweet dark roasted aroma with chocolate. bourbon and old wood barrels. Flavor was an exquisite medley of ripe dark pitted fruits, chocolate, a bit of coffee, dark brown sugar and a decent alcohol bite. Slightly fumey. Silky and thick, palate and softly carbonated. Lovely. Thanks Jake.

Wow! You can smell this one across the room. Wonderful aromas of chocolatey malt, charcoal/smoke and vanilla. Appearance is very dark with a pretty substantial brown head. It’s a darn good stout, too. Malt really dominates the flavor up front. It slowly gives way to a rich chocolate/vanilla bean flavor. It packs a little alcoholic heat towards the end of each sip that is pretty nice for this time of December.

2007 bottle (thanks to those of you who have sent me a bottle or five in the past year). blackest colored viscous pour i’ve seen in a while. it’s topped with a tiny tan head that i worked vigorously for. very robust aroma that i could smell from across the room... definite bourbon, sugar cane, wood, vanilla, chocolate, charcoal, tobacco and booze. very rich and complex. the flavor.... not so much. bourbon burn and sweetness dominate over any beer that may have been in here. there are nuances but they are hard to get at... rich roasty grain, chocolate, vanilla and a light salty element. it’s not bad just really hot. it finishes with lots of booze and barrel flavors before the alcohol starts penetrating through my skin. full bodied with a very creamy mouth feel. this needs some time to mellow. good thing i’ve got so many!...