Goose Island Bourbon Imperial Brown Goose (Bottled)

Formerly brewed at Goose Island Beer Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Chicago, Illinois USA

Bottle 2006 Pours out a brown with some mahogany highlights topped with a light tan head. Aroma was of oak, bourbon, vanilla, and sweet rich malts. Taste was very nice more of the sweet vanilla, bourbon, some rich malts. Thanks Toby for this treat.

Thanks Eric for bringing this to the Goose Island and Lunar Brewing Imperial Brown Goose Tapping. We were able to compare the latest 09 draft version with this 06, 750 ml. bottled version. 4+ ozs. were poured to an "on the rocks" cocktail glass, showing darkest brown color, with off white foam that reduced rather quickly to film, a thin ring, and modest lacing. The aroma was dark fruit, oak and bourbony alcohol. Combined, it gave me an initial impression of aged vinous qualities. A touch of roastiness, brown ale nuttiness, and a hint of vanilla rounded out the aroma notes, with some brown sugar sweetness appearing in the nose as it warmed. The flavor followed the aroma notes well. Medium+ body and a nice follow up treat to the 09 draft offering, displaying a smooth richness made possible by 3 years of good cellaring.

Thanks a ton to 17thfloor for opening this one and sharing! Pours a deep brown with a slight red hue and a gigantic fluffy off white head. Aroma is lightly bourbon, sweet toasted malt, toffee, lightly vanilla, a nice soft nutty character that lends just a right amount of sharpness. Flavor is where this one is at. While the aroma hints at good beer, the flavor is great. Lots of juicy nuts, almonds, coconut oils, sweet dark fruits, vanilla, nice bourbon in the finish that provides a rich alcohol and light chocolate finish. Medium to full body and a decent tickling carbonation. Lovely flavor and a rich bourbon note, surprisingly only 8 percent as it tastes really heavy.

750ml bottle that cost a pretty penny... 2006 8%. Pours a gorgeous very dark purple/red, clear but dark, very tall foamy off-white froth with long staying power and great lacing 4.5. Aroma is distinct goose, big barrel, vanilla and coconut, leaning more towards a suntan lotion-like strong creamy coconut, some light fruit mixed in but mostly nostril coating creamy milky coconut. Flavor follows aroma, milky oily coconut, literally tastes like a freshly cracked open coconut, very milky, long beautifully mellowed bourbon and light coconut aftertaste, with an even longer rum and coconut pina-colada-like aftertaste and even longer than that rich vanilla aftertaste, it evolves.. ha. The sugars are super sweet and bright but without adding a whole ton of flavor. Medium bodied, active somewhat sharp fluffy carbonation, quite airy, actually fairly thin and very far from sticky or syrupy. Interesting but not as good as the naughty goose based versions. Definitely tastes hotter than 8%. Somewhat vacant. Sugary sugary sugary...

Poured into a small glass as part of Goose Island beer and cheese tasting at Teller’s in Cincinnati. The Goose Island rep brought bottles and said the ABV was actually lower than 8%, so I’m assuming it’s this one and not the draft. Anyway, this one pours a hazy dark brown with a small off-white head. Aroma is unmistakably bourbon barrel aged, with all of the bourbon, oak, vanilla, sweet toasted malts, brown sugar, and caramel that goes along with it. However, none of this is too overpowering. The flavor follows the same profile, and once again strikes just the right balance. Medium bodied, smooth, sweet, with mild carbonation. The relatively low ABV is surprising.

2006 Bottle - Thanks Toby! - Man, I’m getting tired of rating all these bottles after Doug...Pours a thin dk brown with a small white head...aroma is massive barrel aging, bourbon oak, sweet creamy malt, little bit of roast...flavour is sweet and smooth, like bourbon cream...some folks would say it’s too bourbony, but I found it to be delicious... warming and loving some age...

An awesome bottle shared by Toby as his insane throw-down. Thanks man. Pours a dark red-brown hue with a small white head. The aroma was a pure smack of bourbon, some toasted malts as well. The flavor continued to be dominated by a huge bourbon barrel aspect, some sweeter caramel and malts also. Somehow, this beer was smooth and very drinkable. Nice.

This $30 bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a medium sized head of foamy tan colored bubbles that were mostly diminishing and left behind a semi-opaque dark brown colored body and an excellent lacing. The aroma was of brown malt and strong bourbon. The mouth feel was tingly at the start and strongly tingly at the finish. The flavor contained notes of strong bourbon and vinous malt. A wonderful best in class brew.