Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

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

Pours pitch black with very little head and mahogany hints when held up to light. The aroma certainly doesn’t betray the name as the bourbon makes itself known in the aroma with a definite alcohol burn in the nose. Some malt and smoke in the smell as well with a faint hint of sweetness from caramel and chocolate. It’s really about the bourbon here. Initial sweet malt flavor with caramel, vanilla and chocolate is quickly blown away by a massive bourbon blast. The finish is slightly bitter with coffee and smoked wood and leaves a serious aftertaste that lingers for a while. Despite the alcohol presence, the mouthfeel is extremely creamy and smooth with a nice carbonation complement. This beer has too much booze to be seriously drinkable, though the mouthfeel belies the bourbon dominance. I like this one but the bourbon is just a bit overpowering for my liking.

This struck me as more of a nice sipping whiskey or sweet apertif than a beer — and that’s not a negative. Opaque black pour with a small, dark tan head that disappears rapidly. The aroma is of a sweet liquor. In addition to the alcohol , it smelled of sweet fruit. The flavor contained an array of tastes — raisins, overripe plums, roasted malts and caramel. The finish was slightly bitter. Full body. The alcohol is quite warming. Excellent.

(Tap) Wow... where to start with this one. Pours a thick black color with a viscous consistency. Aroma of whiskey and lots of dark malts. Vanilla and coffee in the nose as well. Taste is heavy on bourbon. Underlying wood notes, with chocolate, coffee and caramelized sugars. The alcohol is pretty evident in here too. Definitely a beer to sip... I could drink one glass of this over the course of several hours and be perfectly content.

12 oz. Bottle from John’s Grocery (Iowa City, IA). Poured into a tulip glass. The pour is like literally pouring used motor oil into a glass. Thick, dark, and hardly making a splash at all. This leads to a practically non-existent head with a dark cocoa color. Light smell on the beer that resembles chocolate and vaguely of bourbon. I do indeed get a faint vanilla in the smell after pour. Initial taste extremely powerful yet smooth. Sweet bourbon and coffee tastes. I almost feel like I’ve smoked a cigar with the smokey finish it leaves. This stout definately thumps it’s chest and lets you know it’s there. Becomes more friendly on the warm up and as the alcohol settles into me. Definately for sipping. Definately for dessert. I haven’t had many Imperial Stouts. But, this is a good start.

As my friend Dean says, "I’ll drink the shit outta that one." Big bourbon, chocolate, light smoke and some oak. Lightly sweet. Just a beautiful mixture that comes together so well. One of my favorites, and it’s readily available these days. Gotta love it.

This stuff is incredible. Please age this one a bit, as it really shows some improvement over time. The Bourbon County Reserve pours a pitch black color with a minimal brown head. The aromas hit you in waves from the glass. Tons of vanilla and whiskey like smells that really get your tastebuds in the mood for something special. The mouthfeel on this is great too--nice and thick. The flavor is the winner, however. The flavors are of vanilla and chocolate together, with a nice kick of bourbon in the end. This is a very refined beer, that has a lot to offer those who have a distinguishing palate. I can’t wait to get my hands on some more

black with dark tan thick head
complez malts and coffee aroma
rich dark chocolate with a bourbon edge in the finish. Lots of chocolate.
lightly bitter with some chocolatey elements.

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...