Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

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

12oz bottle, bottled 010105. Served @ 47.5° in my NB worthy glass. Pours dark black and thick with a cappicino colored head. The head justs hangs out on the side of the glass when you take a drink. The aroma started when I popped the cap, and when I stuck my nose into the beer I was left with aromas of chocolately malt, vanilla, oak, bourbon, citrusy fruits and to a lesser extent, dark fruits. Real nice nose! The taste is big, dark malt, oak, bourbon (not overpowering), citrus, and maybe a touch of coffee. This is tasty stuff, reminds me of Dark Lord. The mouthfeel is HUGE, it is really thick stuff. I know it has a 4+ score, which sits it in the 98%, but it might actually be underrated, this is one of the best imperial stouts I have ever had and I usually am pretty picky about bourbon aged beers, it is way too easy to overdo the bourbon flavors. This son of a bitch is so BIG that the bourbon adds flavor without overpowering. Near the end, at 56.5°, the bourbon is more apparent, but still not overpowering. Very, very nice. You should aim for the current bottling according to CaptainCougar’s review of this and the older bottling. RERATE: New batch, was able to drive to my local liquor store and get, thats exciting! Bottled 08.16.05. Served at 57.6° in a NB worthy glass. I’m sure the appearance is the same as last time. That bourbon is in the mose, lets hope it isn’t overpowering in the taste, that was one of the things I LOVED about the last one. Aroma is large, chocolately malt with oak, vanilla, alcohol, coffee, a bright fruitness, maybe a bit of pine. The inital taste is chocolately malt, coffee, oak, vanilla followed by a rush of alcohol and bourbon flavors along with some fruity bitterness and astringent coffee. The bourbon is in this beer, it is very strong, in fact, but the sheer size of this beer, combined with its other strong flavors, is able to contain it. This beer is a mouthfull and leaves a definate burn in the mouth. The body is large but the alcohol really cuts through it. I seem to remember that the alcohol is accentuated as this beer warms, probably will try it again straight from the cellar on a cold winter day. I would have rated it 9/5/8/4/18, 4.4

Courtesy of After4ever, thanks Tom for this very nice beer. Vintage 2006 enjoyed December 2008. It is pitch black and it has practically no head. The aroma has notes of vanilla, chocolate, oak and bourbon, it is very well balanced. The flavour has sweetness and a slightly roasted bitterness, notes of chocolate, vanilla, oak, cocoa, caramel, light dark fruit, licorice and bourbon. The alcohol is well hidden, and the body is full, and it is a smooth and harmonic stout.

Dark brown pour, almost completely opaque. Thin beige head nicely tops off the beer during pour, but dissapates quickly. Smells tantilizingly of bourbon, with its distinctive choclate and molasses essence. Beer is thick, almost chewable, and follows through on its aromatic promises with lots of chocolate and thick molasses taste. Wonderful beer, one of my favorites.

Thick oily black pour, low dark brown head. Very rich complex aroma and flavours of chocolate, beef broth, whiskey, charred wood, and vanilla. Thick chewy mouthfeel. Medium bitter finish. Alcohol is almost entirely hidden. Absolutely perfect marriage of the ’liquor-and-beer’ concept. Phenomenal. Wow do I ever want more of this!

tons of bourbon and chocolate triple bock like flavours ... pours with a full port with a touch of foam .. amazing sweet jealous aromas ... taste is just amazing, like a everyday sam adams triple bock... wow, what a brew!! i would go on but i have more left in the glass to drink right away.. untouchable.. absolutely a new favourite beer with me, i did lose a bottle in transit though!!

2007 version. I had to back up off of it and set my cup down. This is huge. This beer is great. I have had it many times but this is my first rating of it. Pours black with thin brown head. Can smell it across the room: sweet malt, bourbon, vanilla, earth, alcohol and wood. The flavor is wonderful. Lots of bourbon up front with the malt, but the bourbon melds into a wonderful sweet vanilla flavor that lingers. Finish is sweet with notes of wood, vanilla, and cigar smoke. Mild alcohol flavor too. Awesome.

Bouteille de 660ml. Bière d’un noir dense et profond surmontée d’une épaisse mousse caramel qui disparaît en une minute environ, en faisant un bruit intense de pétillement. Elle dévoile un nez très puissant et complexe avec notamment des arômes de chocolat, de vanille, fruits confits, raisins secs, caramel, bois, bourbon, malt torréfié, alcohol et des notes de fumée. En bouche, on note encore une fois chocolat, vanille, fruits confits, raisins secs, bois, bourbon, malt torréfié, fumé et alcool. En réchauffant, elle se transforme en pannetone, avec caramel dulce de leche, cannelle, cognac et alcool. Elle est très ronde en bouche avec une texture plutôt sirupeuse et visqueuse qui contribue à préserver très longtemps toutes les saveurs en bouche. Avec le temps, il est de plus en plus rare qu’une bière m’impressionne, mais celle-ci est tout simplement phénoménale et d’une complexité exceptionnelle. Une bière d’hiver fort réconfortante et enivrante!

HUGE BOURBON explodes through in the nose!!! There is also some vanilla, smoke, defintely the oak from the barrels comes through in the smell. There is also a little bit of wine like dark fruits, grapes, raisins, and plums in the smell. This stuff is incredible as far as the number of different complex smells you get from it. I could smell this beer all night. On to the flavors...Oh My God!! This stuff is about as big as a bourbon barrel imperial stout could be. All sorts of vanilla, bourbon, oak, and smokiness in the flavor. I am enjoying a year old vintage of this stuff and it has done wonders for the complextities of the flavors. Overall a great beer!!! By far one of my favorites!