Bourbon County Brand Barleywine Ale | Goose Island Beer Co.
Brewed by:
Goose Island Beer Co.
Illinois, United States
gooseisland.com
Style: British Barleywine
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 14.40%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
Aged in the third-use barrels that were once home to Kentucky bourbon and then our renowned Bourbon County Stout, this traditional English-style barleywine possesses the subtlety of flavor that only comes from a barrel that’s gone through many seasons of ritual care. The intricacies of the previous barrel denizens – oak, charcoal, hints of tobacco and vanilla, and that signature bourbon heat – are all present in this beer. Hearty and complex, Bourbon County Brand Barleywine is a titan and a timeline; a bold, flavorful journey through the craft of barrel aging.
Added by jplopez21 on 10-04-2013
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 5,412 | Reviews: 653
4.4/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.81/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.
L---Deep, dark ruby brown. Not completely impenetrable to light, but close. Direct sunlight showed the red in it. Slight brownish head that faded quickly to a cap, but still left decent lacing.
S---Rich, deep & boozy. Vanilla from oak. Not as much bourbon/whiskey as I was expecting. Sweet with dark fruits (fig/raisin) and some chocolate & caramel. I don't give a lot of 5 grades, but this is one.
T---Toffee & chocolate are in the forefront. Oakiness really shows up. Dark fruits follow from the aroma. Cherries show up. Hardly anything from hops present. This is world class stuff.
F---Big, thick & heavy. More carbonation than I expected lightened it just a little bit. This is a powerhouse. Was expecting more heat from the ABV, but it was pretty damn smooth.
O---Absolutely wow. This is what every beer should try to be. It's way high ABV isn't really a dominant feature, although it's obviously noticeable. Would like more, please.
1,004 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.
L---Deep, dark ruby brown. Not completely impenetrable to light, but close. Direct sunlight showed the red in it. Slight brownish head that faded quickly to a cap, but still left decent lacing.
S---Rich, deep & boozy. Vanilla from oak. Not as much bourbon/whiskey as I was expecting. Sweet with dark fruits (fig/raisin) and some chocolate & caramel. I don't give a lot of 5 grades, but this is one.
T---Toffee & chocolate are in the forefront. Oakiness really shows up. Dark fruits follow from the aroma. Cherries show up. Hardly anything from hops present. This is world class stuff.
F---Big, thick & heavy. More carbonation than I expected lightened it just a little bit. This is a powerhouse. Was expecting more heat from the ABV, but it was pretty damn smooth.
O---Absolutely wow. This is what every beer should try to be. It's way high ABV isn't really a dominant feature, although it's obviously noticeable. Would like more, please.
1,004 characters
4.46/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.5/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.23/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2017 vintage enjoyed August 2018
32 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2017 vintage enjoyed August 2018
32 characters
4.23/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.84/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.75/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.55/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a murky, burnt tawny color with no head to speak of. Aroma smells of raisins, figs, brown sugar, and caramel.
The taste features a highly balanced blend of raisins, prunes, plums, dates, figs, and brown sugar, accompanied by notes of toffee, caramel, cherry, and apple. Hopping is modest and slightly spicy--just enough to lend some contrast. Bourbon barrel mellows things out with oak and vanilla on the back end. Warming alcohol is detectable, but far less so than its mammoth ABV would suggest. Medium body and mild carbonation make for a sturdy mouthfeel.
This is the benchmark of barleywines as far as I'm concerned. It's extremely balanced and offers up a cornucopia of candied fruits and effuses luxury and class from top to bottom. Quite possibly Goose Island's best beer.
795 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a murky, burnt tawny color with no head to speak of. Aroma smells of raisins, figs, brown sugar, and caramel.
The taste features a highly balanced blend of raisins, prunes, plums, dates, figs, and brown sugar, accompanied by notes of toffee, caramel, cherry, and apple. Hopping is modest and slightly spicy--just enough to lend some contrast. Bourbon barrel mellows things out with oak and vanilla on the back end. Warming alcohol is detectable, but far less so than its mammoth ABV would suggest. Medium body and mild carbonation make for a sturdy mouthfeel.
This is the benchmark of barleywines as far as I'm concerned. It's extremely balanced and offers up a cornucopia of candied fruits and effuses luxury and class from top to bottom. Quite possibly Goose Island's best beer.
795 characters
4.38/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.45/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
3.5/5 rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.74/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.3/5 rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.63/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.35/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.91/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.5/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bourbon County Brand Barleywine Ale from Goose Island Beer Co.
Beer rating:
4.51 out of
5 with
5,412 ratings
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