Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

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

Poured into a snifter. As close to black as it can be without actually being black. 1 finger of espresso head. Extremely aromatic. The roasted malts are huge here, evoking coffee, chocolate, and a slight nuttiness. One of the most intensely chocolatey beers I’ve ever had, or that I could even imagine. Fierce dark chocolate and bourbon, coffee and maybe vanilla. Really smooth despite the slight booziness. Great carbonation and full body.

Bottle thanks to cavie. Pours a deep black with copper head, stains the glass. Aroma is of strong dark roast, oak, chocolate, whisky, some light soy. Flavor of strong dark roast, a little soy, spicey, whisky, chocolate, a little oak. Mouth feel is creamy, heavy body with low carbonation. Overall, it’s a sipper, but one of the best stouts that I have ever had! Very warming as well.

This is one of my all-time favorites. One of the original bourbon-barrels and still the best that I have tried. There’s a ton of bourbon flavor but it is backed up with a ton of beer behind it. They didn’t hold back on this one.

Pours almost black with almost no head. The nose of toffee, vanilla, bourbon and some smoke. Comes across the palate as vanilla, coffee, dark fruit sweetness and bourbon balance; that also has a mild coffee lingering after taste. Very thick much like a traditional stout. Very good!

’08 Bottle from Crown#6, poured into ’W’ brandy snifter (thanks Dan, 1st use). Nose is very nice strong bourbon with molasses, licorice, dark chocolate, roasted malt, brown sugar and some faint figs, very inviting. Taste is WOW! Loads of some of the best bourbon flavor a beer can contain. You’re gonna have to love bourbon to like this beer. I love bourbon and I LOVE this beer. The bourbon loads up so much, I don’t really get much beyond that other than a slight roasted malt backing and some brown sugar. Mouthfeel is smooth and slimy once it warms. Let this one warm for sure, it opens up into an amazing sipable delight. The ’W’ on the side of my glass must stand for ’Winner’, ’cause that’s what this beer is.

Bottle. Opaque black pour with no head although some head rises when stirred. Aroma is bourbon, oak barrel, butter, roasted malt, and a hint of alcohol vapors. Taste is ... a loss for words. Vanilla, oak and cocoa but joined with a mouthfeel that is so extraordinary, in it’s creaminess and fullness. It only loses a few points to its not quite entirely hidden alcohol that makes it kind of prickly. Best beer I’ve had so far.

12 oz. bottle (2008), poured into a snifter. A truly huge beer. Ar: Could smell it from an open bottle two feet away. Strong chocolate, smoke and vanilla w/ underlying oak and nutmeg. Ap: Viscous pour w/ a tiny Cinnamon head. Dense black w/ caramel around the edges. Fl: Raisins, plums, burnt sugar, oaky vanilla and excellent Bourbon. Dark chocolate at the back of one’s mouth, finishing silky milk chocolate. Pa: Silky, like a truffle. Leaves a warming alcoholic burn like a fine Bourbon- lovely.

Dark and rich and will knock you over in a good way with your first smell and taste. The aging process with bourbon barrels creates a perfect blend of stout and bourbon. It is a combination I hope to see more of in the future. The taste is sweet in a good way, yet still holds a nice malty coffee like edge to it. Even though the first drink is a burst of awesomeness, almost too much awesomeness in your mouth,I found the more I drink this beer the easier it is to drink unlike some stouts. The only complaint I have to knock it down a couple ticks was I almost would like to try this beer aged for less time in the barrel. I found the bourbon taste to come through a bit more than the beer and overpowered it. Some may like this and I dont blame them, but personally I would like the beer to come through a bit more. But overall it is a great combination of flavors to make one of the most rich, savory, intense stouts out there.