Goose Island Bourbon County Cherry Rye

I received a bottle of Goose Island Bourbon County Cherry Rye in a trade with my friend Joel. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of bourbon, cherry, vanilla, rye, caramel, oak, alcohol, chocolate, and toasted malts. The taste is smooth and sweet with a strong cherry and vanilla front end and the solid chocolate and toasted malt base. Vanilla, oak, and a nice alcohol accompaniment with the strong whiskey flavor. The alcohol content is 13.7% ABV. As expected, this was a wonderful offering in the Bourbon County series, as the cherry and the rye whiskey flavors totally took over and made for a wonderful experience.

Goose Island Bourbon County Rare

I was fortunate enough to try some of the Goose Island Bourbon County Rare bottle that my friend Deuane brought over to a friends house. I’m a big fan of Pappy Van Winkle, so this beer thoroughly excited me. The beer pours a black color with a thin frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of strong bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, oak, and milk. The taste is smooth with a delicate milk chocolate flavor and some lightly toasted malts. The transition into bourbon is smooth and forgiving and it leaves alcohol burn on the finish which is quite warming. The alcohol content is 13.0% ABV. This was as smooth and amazingly delicious as I expected it to be, and if I ever see a bottle of this I will snatch it up. The chocolate flavors mixed and played very well with the smooth and delectable bourbon.

Goose Island Bramble Rye Bourbon County Stout

I cannot fully describe the excited I showed when I saw that The Lazy Boy Saloon in White Plains, NY had a bottle of Goose Island Bramble Rye Bourbon County Stout on my recent visit there. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of heavenly chocolate, raspberry, vanilla, bourbon, and blackberry. The taste is slightly fruity on a solid chocolate base. Raspberry and blackberry provide a bit of a sweetness combined with lots of vanilla before the bourbon comes out to dry out the mouth. A hint of toasted malts is left behind on the tongue to play with the fruit. The alcohol content is 12.7% ABV. This, simply put, was an amazing beer filled with so many varying flavors. The fruit accents added another dimension to the typical Bourbon County Stout, and I really was thankful for the opportunity to try it.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (2011)

My buddy Matt picked up a bottle of Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout (2011) at Wooden Keg Liquors in Hagerstown, MD and he decided to share it with us. The beer pours thick and viscous with a black color and no head at all, although some bubbles do surface. The aroma consists of deep chocolate, lots of vanilla, bourbon, oak, and molasses. The taste is big on chocolate with a big alcohol burn that has a nice bourbon flavor to it. The burn lingers for a while, but then some vanilla sweetens out the flavor. Oak and molasses peek through on the finish and round out the beer. The alcohol content is 14.5% ABV.This beer really is the epitome of bourbon barrel aged beers. It has a wonderful bourbon taste with the vanilla and oak that come along with it, but the chocolate body with it really stands up to the bully-ish characteristics of the bourbon.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

My friend Deuane pulled out a bottle of Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout while clearing some bottles out of his cellar and shared it with some friends. The beer pours a black color with a thin bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, oak, and coffee. Right off the bat, there is an overwhelming flavor of bourbon, making the taste biting and dry on the tongue. Once the bourbon settles, there is plenty of chocolate, vanilla and roasted coffee grounds to sweeten up the tongue and apologize for hitting it so hard with the bourbon. There is a warming finish which reminds you of the bourbon that you just imbibed. The alcohol content is 13.0% ABV. This beer is a wonderful beer for anyone who likes bourbon (me) and the taste of fresh coffee (also me). Despite my description of the bourbon above and its intensity, it is not overpowering in anyway. It makes is presence known, hides in the shadows, and then returns for one last meet ‘n’ greet.

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (2008)

My buddy Tim brought a bottle of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (2008 vintage) with him from New York and we popped it open to share amongst friends. The beer pours a black color with a filmy tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, vanilla, and lots and lots of bourbon. The taste is smooth and velvety with both milk and dark chocolates. There is a big bourbon accent that warms the throat and a smooth vanilla finish. The after taste is dry and stings with alcohol. The alcohol content is 13.0% ABV. I get what all the hype surrounding this beer is about; it is a wonderful beer that despite the alcohol content and biting bourbon flavors, it remains to be so silky smooth.