Tasting Notes: Goose Island 2016 Bourbon County Stout Lineup

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The highly anticipated and coveted Bourbon County Stout lineup from Goose Island is set and ready to go. Scaled back to just four variants this year, Goose is going back to the basics with this release, focusing on the four styles that are at the heart of this brand. Bourbon County Brand Stout, Bourbon County Brand Barleywine, Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout, and the Chicago-only Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout make up the four offerings. As is tradition, BCS will release on Black Friday, but we were graciously invited to a special media preview of the lineup on a cold and rainy fall evening in October. We’d have it no other way.

Bourbon County Stout, 13.8% ABV

This year’s Bourbon County Brand Stout has a lighter body, less viscosity than previous years. Its color has a slightly reddish hue while coconut flesh and kola nut flavors and aromas give way to dark chocolate and alcohol warmth. Chocolate is the recurring flavor in all of this year’s variations and we’re not complaining.

Bourbon County Brand Barleywine, 13.6% ABV

Bourbon County Barleywine is the only variation that doesn’t use stout as the base beer. Previously aged in a mixture of second and third use barrels, this is the first time Barleywine will be 100% aged in fresh bourbon barrels, giving it a sweet nose of dates and brandy-like aromas. The flavor is subdued compared to the nose, with light chocolate, prune, raison, and a bite of alcohol finish.

Bourbon County Coffee Stout, 12.5% ABV

This year’s coffee variant features Intelligentsia’s Fletcha Roja beans from the Coopedota Cooperative of Costa Rica. It’s a light roasted bean with tropical fruit notes of pink grapefruit and starfruit. While coffee dominates the nose of the beer it does not dominate the flavor profile giving way to stone fruit and chocolate flavors.

Bourbon County Proprietor’s Stout

This year’s Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout was made with dark cocoa nibs and chipotle peppers while aged in bourbon barrels that previously held maple syrup. Aroma’s of mezcal, peat, and leather are apparent on the nose while flavors of smoke and chipotle spice come through with each sip. Goose Island Brewer, Emily Kosal sought to create a blend that evoked a sense of cigar smoking and the spice, leather, and smokey characteristics certainly bring that out.