Goose Island Reserve - Part 3, Bourbon County Stout

Price – 19.99 (4 Pack)

ABV – 11.0%

Alcohol by Weight – 9.0%

Hop Bitterness (IBU) – 60, High

Color (SRM) – Midnight

Continuing the series of reviewing Goose Island’s reserve beers, it is time to look at the beast of the series, the Bourbon County Stout. I wanted to review this beer since I spent all day today looking at barrels in Kentucky. The Bourbon County Stout is a huge intimidating stout, and it doesn’t disappoint. As we will do throughout the series, here is Greg Hall’s label description:

“I really wanted to do something special for our 1000^th batch at the original brewpub. Goose Island could have thrown a party. But we did something better. We brewed a beer. A really big batch of stout—so big, the malt was coming out of the top of the mash tun. After fermentation, we brought in some bourbon barrels that aged the stout. One hundred days later, BOURBON COUNTY STOUT was born. A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer. It overpowers anything in the room. People have even said it’s a great cigar beer. But I have yet to try a cigar that can stand up.”

~Greg Hall, Brewmaster

This beer is one of the few that one will think back on as a privilege (and it better be for the price). When you pour the beer, you immediately question whether you grabbed a beer or a weird bottle of some type of oil. The beer is immensely thick and extremely black. If I didn’t know it was a beer, I wouldn’t be able to pick it out of a lineup full of Penzoil because the thin tan head dies quickly. The intimidating feature of the beer’s appearance continues through all elements of the beer. The aroma is enormous. The bourbon is definitely noticeable, but the nose also brings forth burnt toast and coffee. The beer’s taste again shows the bourbon, but the alcohol is unexpectedly submissive leaving flavors chocolate, caramel, and coffee. Even though the alcohol is well hidden, the beer’s flavors are so intense that this beer is probably a “once-a-nighter” for most. However, the experience is so fulfilling that once is enough.

The use of bourbon barrels in the microbrew industry is escalating quickly. While I have been unable to taste any other similar beers to this point, I think that Goose Island has definitely established a bias in this drinker. The beer achieved its goals so well and was so impressive that I have to recommend it to anyone who even moderately enjoys stouts. Be prepared though – the beer itself is drunk on bourbon!