Goose Island Beer Company first brewed their bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout in 1992 to commemorate the 1,000th batch of beer made at the company’s Clybourn brewpub. Ever since, Bourbon County Stout has grown into a highly anticipated annual release, dropping on Black Friday. When Goose Island concocted its first Bourbon County Brand Stout, the practice of barrel aging beer took an intoxicating turn. After three months inside used bourbon distillery barrels, the brew had a complex oak character from the wood and rich flavors from lingering whiskey — characteristics that made the Bourbon County Brand Stout an instant hit. Here it is December 2023, and Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout is still very much a thing, and so are its variants. Peaks & Pints offers a taste of the Bourbon County Brand Stout variants today in a flight we’re calling Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Bourbon County Variants.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Bourbon County Variants
Goose Island 2022 Bourbon County Coffee Stout
13.2% ABV
For the first time since 2017, Goose Island brought back a coffee variant in partnership with their neighbors, Intelligentsia Coffee. Intelligentsia relies on Burundi for some of the cleanest, sweetest coffees in the world that ultimately complement the quality and tasting notes of Bourbon County Stout. The specific coffee blend combined with Bourbon County is called “Turihamwe,” which means “together.” The result of this “togetherness” is rich chocolate, coffee, and caramel flavors.
Goose Island 2022 Bourbon County Biscotti Stout
14.3% ABV
At Goose Island, we believe ideas and inspiration can come from anyone in the Goose family, and our Biscotti Stout is a perfect example that came from our very own HR team.
Inspired by the Italian desserts of her childhood, Jill Cerone, HR manager at Goose Island, dreamed up Bourbon County Biscotti Stout after grabbing a box of chocolate-dipped biscotti from her cabinet. Working with the brewing team, Cerone brought the flavor to life with notes of anise, marzipan, cocoa, and buttered toffee. One sip and you’ll be reminded of pizzelle cookies, Easter Pane di Pasqua and, of course, almond biscotti.
Goose Island 2022 Bourbon County 30th Anniversary Reserve Stout
14.4% ABV
Going back to the inception of Bourbon County Stout, the 30th Anniversary Stout is aged from a blend of Jim Beam barrels from their Small Batch Bourbon Collection barrels. They are then blended for a complex and balanced expression that celebrates the heritage and legacy of both brands. Expect notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, cherry, and almond.
Goose Island 2023 Bourbon County Brand Backyard Stout 2023
12.9% ABV
In 2013, Goose Island released “Backyard Rye” and their senior innovation manager Mike Siegel found himself hand picking mulberries off trees just steps away from the Goose Island Barrel House in Chicago. Inspired by that initial release and by his own childhood memories of picking fruit in his own backyard, Siegel set to work on this year’s Bourbon County Backyard Stout. This barrel-aged stout was first aged in bourbon barrels for at least one year, and then finished and blended with mulberries, boysenberries and marionberries. Each addition of berry contributes its own distinct flavor profile, with some adding sweetness and others providing acidity and complexity. A taste of the past, this imperial stout is a balanced and nuanced play on fresh fruit, vanilla, and chocolate.
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Bananas Foster Stout 2023
13.9% ABV
The Bourbon County Bananas Foster Stout recipe was first released in 2017 as Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout only to Chicago drinkers. Goose Island innovation brewer Quinn Fuechsl had a good feeling that banana, along with almond and cassia bark, would be delicious ingredients in a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout. This decadent pour is well-balanced with deep caramelization, aromas of fresh baked banana bread, and warm notes of cinnamon and almond.
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