Topic Archives: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand

Posted in Goose Island Brewing, Coming Soon

Goose Island Bourbon County Reserve Rye, 100% Rittenhouse barrels

Goose Island Bourbon County Reserve Rye 2019

Goose Island Bourbon County Reserve Rye 2019 is among the variants releasing in the imperial stout series this year.

The base imperial stout was aged in Heaven Hill Distillery’s Rittenhouse Rye barrels.

The 2019 Reserve Rye was aged in 100% Rittenhouse Rye barrels, imparting fruit and spice flavors. Reserve Rye accentuates all that makes Rittenhouse and Bourbon County unique.

Goose Island Bourbon County Reserve Rye 2019 will be available in 16.9-ounce bottles in very limited quantities on Black Friday 2019.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel-Aged. Rye Bourbon.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles. Limited Release.
Debut: 11/29/19

?? ABV

Posted in Goose Island Brewing, Coming Soon

Goose Island Bourbon County Vertical Collection features three vintages

Goose Island Bourbon County Vertical Collection

Goose Island Bourbon County Vertical Collection will be among the variants releasing on Black Friday this year – a first for the Bourbon County Brand Series.

Bourbon County Brand Stout is famously cellarable, changing notably for the better in most instances with age. This year, Goose Island is offering fans a chance to try three years of releases in one neat box.

The Bourbon Country Vertical Collection will have one 16.9 ounce bottle of 2017, 2018, and 2019 for side-by-side sampling, with some newbie notes on the back explaining the art of cellaring beer.

The Vertical Collection will debut on November 29th, 2019 – Black Friday.

No retail price was provided.

Posted in Goose Island Brewing, Headlines

Goose Island Double Barrel Bourbon County is among this year’s variants

Goose Island Double Barrel Bourbon County.

Chicago’s Goose Island teased this on social media yesterday, and now we have confirmation. Goose Island Double Barrel Bourbon County will be among the variants this year.

This Double Barrel edition is aged in 11-year Elijah Craig bourbon barrels, then another year in 12-year Elijah Craig barrels. According to the brewery, the layering of the vintages along with an extended aging time really brings out something special with the imperial stout.

Goose Island Double Barrel Bourbon Country Brand Stout will be an extremely limited release on November 29th, 2019, aka “Black Friday”.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel-Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles.
Debut: 11/29/19

??% ABV

Image: Goose Island

Posted in Goose Island Brewing, Coming Soon

Goose Island Bourbon County Horchata [Brewery Fake]

Goose Island Bourbon County Horchata

Editor’s Note: Goose Island Bourbon County Horchata turned out to be a fake label released by the brewery prior to the announcement. According to Goose Island, it’s not real.

Pastry stouts – i.e. stouts with dessert-like additions like vanilla beans or chocolate are wildly popular in beer right now. Goose Island has taken notice and looks to be adding pastry inspired additions to their famed Bourbon Country Brand Series.

Among the future dessert-themed releases could be Bourbon County Neopolitan Stout, as well as the above – Bourbon County Horchata Stout.

Horchata is aged in bourbon barrels with cinnamon, vanilla, and lactose milk sugar. Inspired by the popular sweet and milky Mexican drink.

Currently, Goose Island Bourbon County Horchata is slated as a draft offering. No confirmation currently on whether it will be bottled.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Cinnamon. Vanilla. Lactose. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: Draft
Debut: TBA

?? ABV

Note: This is a “sneak peek.” Details, release date, or release at all, are subject to change at anytime by the brewery. 

Posted in Goose Island Brewing, Coming Soon, Headlines

Goose Island’s Bourbon County Series “Neopolitan Stout”, another brewery fake

Goose Island Bourbon County Neopolitan Stout

Ed Note: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Neopolitan Stout is a fake. The brewery created fake labels ahead of the official BCBS announcement. 

The original story below from July 10th, 2018.

First get familiar with the term “pastry stout”. The beer industry is full of them these days. Take a simple imperial stout.- and throw in ingredients you’d find in a scone, brownie, cookie, or cake. Pastry stouts now have vanilla beans, cinnamon, cacao nibs, coconut, lactose, even breakfast cereal or movie theater candy. Not to mention aged various spirits barrels. They are basically alcoholic desserts.

Chicago’s Goose Island is home to one of the most well-known barrel-aged imperial stouts – Bourbon County. Over the years, Coffee, Vanilla, and berry editions have surfaced. Goose Island hasn’t turned a blind eye to the success of the (using this term loosely) “style” and is potentially bringing their own pastries to the table.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Neopolitan Stout looks to sweeten palates this fall. The imperial stout has been aged in bourbon barrels with vanilla, lactose milk sugar, strawberry puree, and chocolate. Think boozy ice cream.

No official announcement has been made by Goose Island on any of the 2018 variants.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Neopolitan Stout is slated for 16.9-ounce bottles and draft.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Strawberry Puree. Chocolate. Vanilla. Lactose. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: N/A

?? ABV

Posted in Headlines

Black Friday means Goose Island Bourbon County 2016

It’s officially Black Friday. That means Goose Island Bourbon County 2016 (and its variants) are hitting shelves. The release has become a bit of a Black Friday drunken tradition.

Honestly, Bourbon County has a bit of a storied history. For years now, it has been one of the most sought after barrel aged imperial stouts in America. Then one day over five years ago now, the beer drinking public woke up to the news of Anheuser-Busch purchasing the brewery.

Honestly, we can recall videos of Goose Island fans pouring Bourbon County Brand Stout down the drain after the news. Still weird even today, considering all those drainpours were BCBS that were brewed pre-buyout, and have a suggested cellar life of up to 5 years. Hey, you deal with your emotions how you want to.

Fast-forward to the Black Friday release the following year. The lines were long. Social media was full of delighted drinkers. See – life DOES go on.

In October, Beer Street Journal got to try this year’s release. Let’s cut to the chase. It’s fantastic. A chewy, chocolatey, bottle of bourbon and molasses that will get you tipsy faster than a Dave Matthews jam solo. A year in bourbon barrels does some magical things to this beer.

Something else I’ve noticed when the above picture was posted to Instagram a few weeks ago. Commenters were trying to convince us this beer is infected. Sorry to break the hearts of those wanting Goose Island to be swallowed into the pits of hell. It’s not. From what we can tell, none of the variants are either. (Yes, four of the six editions had some issues last year.)

For 2016, the brewery has tried out a new “flash” pasteurization process that kills of the microbes (and the yeast) that could hurt your coveted bottle of beer. The term “flash” is key. It’s just heated long enough to kill anything bad, and not damage the flavor.

Here is what we aren’t going to do. We aren’t going to sit here and tell you this beer is terrible when it isn’t. We’ve met some brilliant, hardworking brewers at Goose Island. We report the news, and drink the beers. As many as we can get our hands on. You decide what you like or hate, or will drink or won’t, based on ownership, ideals, brewer’s politics, philosophy, artwork, favorite color, tv show, etc.

There you have it. Today people are shooting one another over parking spaces, toilet paper deals, and tvs. Others got in line early for some bourbon barrel imperial stout. There is a night of drinking ahead of those folks, and hangover tomorrow.

That’s perfect fine with us. Keep drinking.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: 11/25/16

14% ABV

Posted in Goose Island Brewing, Coming Soon

Goose Island Bourbon County Maple Rye Stout has been left to age

Goose Island Maple Rye Stout

Goose Island Bourbon County Maple Rye Stout will not be a part of the brewery’s Bourbon County Series this year. The brewery will be leaving it to age in barrels longer.

The Bourbon County Series returns on Black Friday each year. In recent years the lineup has expanded with a few new variants. Among those Proprietor’s edition aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels, to be released solely in Chicago. The 2016 lineup will include Bourbon County Stout, Bourbon County Barleywine, and Bourbon County Coffee Stout.

After a few barrel pulls, the brewing team has determined Goose Island Bourbon County Maple Rye Stout won’t be ready for the light of day in 2016. The beer needs more time before considering whether to release it.

This edition features the base imperial stout, aged in both bourbon and rye whiskey barrels with maple syrup, cacao nibs, and chipotle peppers. When and if it will ever be released remains to be seen.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Maple Syrup, Cacao Nibs, Chipotle Chili Peppers. Barrel Aged. Rye Whiskey.)
Availability:
Debut: No Date Set

13% ABV

Ed note: Corrected the barrels used in Proprietor’s 2016 to reflect bourbon.