Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

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

Thanks to my cousin keith for this bottle. Pours thick black with a light brown head. The aroma is massive,Rich with molassas, dark cherry & bourbon. Deep flavors of coffee and chocolate are cut with a strong bourbon flavor with a nice full body. To me a perfect stout .HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

bottle dated 1.10.07 (I’m thinking this is really 10.11.07) enjoyed 12.6.07. Powerful aroma of raisins, bourbon, nail polish and coconut macaroons? Pours like motor oil; thick, black and sticky. Not a whole lot of carbonation present, small dusty brownish/red head. This is a sipping beer for sure. Body is very syrupy. The flavor is dominated by the bourbon and I like bourbon so thats a good thing. It has a little of everything, some chocolate, some raisins, nuts, vanilla and a little smoke...none more than the other. The bourbon puckers your mouth around the long lasting roasted malt in the finish. A cigar would be good right now! Now it tastes just like a German chocolate cake. 9 5 19 4 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . bottle dated 1.10.07 (10.11.07???) enjoyed 12.20.08. Big bourbon aroma noticeable 5 feet away from the glass, really nice bourbon aroma actually, very woody, coconuts macaroons, very rich syrupy chocolate, raisins, avoid swirling as it releases too much alcohol in the nose. Pours a syrupy very dark brown near black with a very small creamy tan head. Very thick and velvety first taste, super smooth, wow has this matured beautifully. Loads of creamy dark chocolate, surprisingly not sweet, lightly nutty, hint of coconut from the barrel but not overbearing, great bourbon flavor with a nice light kick in the finish. Long bitter dark chocolate raisin aftertaste. Full bodied, smooth silky carbonation with a syrupy finish. 9 5 10 4 19. near perfect and so so warming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bottle dated 08.16.05 enjoyed 10.03.09 at room-temp, so a little over 4 years old, listed at 11%. Pours an opaque glossy brownish black with a smaller fizzy mocha head, aroma is chalky, nutty, sweet but stale raisins, big bourbon, dark chocolate, varnish/nail polish remover, doesn’t smell very sweet at all but rather stale, saw-dust, raisins and bourbon. That is quite different in flavor, mellowed but still very alcohol forward, the sweetness is completely gone, vanished, but the big viscous body remains, bitter-sweet baker’s chocolate, some chocolate syrup towards the finish with lingering chocolate and an alcohol burn. The flavor is very good, and substantially different than later vintages, it has actually mellowed and amalgamated into something very simple and pure. The huge bourbon and coconut that are super present in later vintages are also missing, well, they are there but very much kept in check. Full bodied, super smooth and creamy, faint larger bubbly carbonation , lightly oily. Off-flavor oxidation is really minimal which is really impressive. This is #($&#($*&#($ delicious! Perfectly mellowed and galvanized. 8.4.10.5.19

This has just become my favorite beer. The aroma is fantastic. Has an aroma of coffee an bourbon with a sweetness. The flavor is great with bourbon, brown sugar, oak, chocolate, and coffee. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy almost too thick. Very little head but leaves a coating on the glass. Its a beer to be enjoyed sipping by a fire on a cold night.

Dark but not as thick as I’d hoped, though one might be all you need since it’s 13%. I won’t spend $5 for a 12 oz. again but this is definitely worth trying if you like imperial stouts. Edit: I’ve been drinking this again and it’s sweetness is now much more appreciated for some reason. Just pure luxury. Better than Bell’s Expedition Stout.

Amazing. Delicious... This mammoth stout pours with a black as night, oily, intimidating appearance with a small, dark brown head that forms a short-lived ring around the body. Not much in the way of lacing, but this beer has long, viscuous, sexy legs that cover the glass after each sip. The first scent is a complex, nutty coconut aroma, with vanilla, blackberry jam, molasses, almonds, rich, smooth bourbon and an alcoholic punch. I can hardly find the words to explain the extravagant complexity of the taste. It is delicious, rich, warming, and fulfilling. A strong coconut flavor covers the tongue, complemented by a rummy, sticky, coffee liqueuer and chocolate bourbon-ball delightfulness. I can’t use the term "rich" enough here. It is rich, rich, rich- filling and bursting with tongue tingling, warming alcohol. Still, for 13% abv, this is ridiculously easy and fun to drink. A thick, velvety, blanketing mouthfeel overwhelms the senses and finishes strong, bright and delicious with lingering coffee, bourbon, oatmeal and almond notes that stick with the tongue for quite some time to come. This is, so far, the best stout I’ve layed my lips on, and a beer to be enjoyed slowly and lovingly, especially on a cool, cloudy night.

Pours pitch black, with absolutely zero head. From a 12-inch center pour, there was a thin patch of bubbles that dissipated immediately. Leaves an incredibly thin ring of bubbles around the edges of the top. Aroma is bourbon, chocolate, molasses and a slightly funky note... the flavor? Wow. I’ve *never* tasted anything that so magnificently soaked up the flavor of the barrels in which it was aged. It tastes like bourbon. Honest to God. Chocolate, but seriously? Mostly bourbon. Just amazing - like I poured a shot of Knob Creek into a glass of Old Viscosity, and let it sit for a year. What a distinctive flavor. Palate is wonderful, flavor is fantastic. Couldn’t have expected more.

Bottle pours pitch black with a thin chocolate looking head. Aroma is amazing. Bourbon, chocolate, bourbon, roasted malts, vanilla, and did I mention bourbon? Has a very dense and heavy mouthfeel with some carbonation. Flavor is just what the doctor ordered. Hot bourbon, roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, dark roasted coffee, and alcohol. Overall, this is one of my favorite beers. This is an over the top, bourbon in your face brew. This is what makes it one of my favorites. Its also its biggest weakness. I really like the over the top bourbon, but enjoy a more balanced bourbon flavor even more.

Had both the 2006 and 2007 versions.....I liked the 2007 version the best and so will rate that. Pour was very oily, black. Aroma of bourbon, oak, vanilla, and roasted malt. Very pleasing on the nose. Flavors of dark fruit, bourbon, mellow alcohol flavor. Very smooth and mellow...incredible warming of alcohol. The 2006 batch was a bit unbalanced...but this is very nice. Overall an incredible imp stout. --------&# 2008: Fantastic!! Very well-balanced...great vanilla-bourbon character. Nothing is over-powering...simply delicious.