Bourbon County Reserve Brand Stout (2017) | Goose Island Beer Co.

4.46/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on July 18 2017.Pours jet black with no light getting thru even when held to the light,a thinner mocha colored head atop.Bourbon tinged vanilla and toasted oak stand out most in the nose,sweet alcohol and roast play a smaller role.Warming on the palate with the bourbon playing a major role,vanilla and raisin tinged bourbon soaked fruit cake with a tinge of chocolate that lingers,it is quite boozy but obviously to be expected.A great sipping decadent stout to drink on this shitty snowy winters day.

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4.76/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great beer. All about the barrel. Roasty malty stout notes on the smell, slight barrel presence, very subtle. Taste is barrel forefront-woody, boozy, but not too overpowering, roasty and malty with mild chocolate and coffee flavors. Feel is what you'd expect from such a strong barrel aged beer-boozy, bold, warm and sharp. Can't stop sipping this one.

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4.21/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.56/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.75/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4.68/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4.82/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Imperial stout aged in 11 year-old Knob Creek barrels. Poured from a bottle into a Fibonacci Brewing tulip. The beer pours out thick and black with very little carbonation. The nose is rich and roasty, with notes of molasses, roasted coffee, bitter chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, and toasted oak fighting for supremacy.

Full body with a rich, complex flavor and an extremely creamy feel. Toffee, chocolate, and roasted coffee hit you first. At mid-palate, the flavor develops a bit and picks up notes of sarsaparilla, coconut, vanilla, creme brulee, and a tiny bit of sharp alcohol adds warmth and richness. The beer is extremely thick and viscous, coating your mouth and leaving lingering flavors of bourbon, dark chocolate, sarsaparilla, and a hint of smoke all over your mouth. I was still tasting this beer several minutes after swallowing.

Absolutely fabulous beer. When it was first released, I read the reviews of people who drank it fresh. They claimed it was a little too hot and boozy, which I took to mean that the beer was still angry and could use a bit of time in the bottle to simmer down. I just bought 2018 BCBS yesterday, so this one has been aging for exactly one year. I am very glad I waited. In fact, I think another 6-8 months would have made it even better. Just last night I had a draft pour of regular 2018 BCBS and I can definitely tell the difference. As delicious as that beer was, this one is smoother and the alcohol burn is depleted, making the various subtle flavors stand out a bit more. Make no mistake - every strain of BCBS is better with a little bit of age. Even 6-8 months makes a huge difference.

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4.39/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

4.48/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

4.6/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.22/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

4.66/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2017 Vintage, Share 9/27/18 Just special.

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4.28/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

4.79/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I don't like Knob Creek, but I love any BC stored in an old KC barrel. Exceptionally smooth w/out traditional Bourbon County brassy taste.

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4.48/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

4.76/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from fridge temp into a snifter. Pours motor oil black with quickly dissipating dark head. Nose is over the top amazing. Bourbon, chocolate, fudge, toffee, vanilla, and a bit of toasted malts. Also picking up some dark fruit. Taste is awesome. I can easily tell that this is from Goose Island. It has the typical bourbon county taste. Deeper chocolate notes, and a more creamy and thick mouthfeel. The bourbon is amazing, and brings out the vanilla notes. Mostly sweet. Toffee, black licorice, fudge, molasses, and a touch of tobacco are also present on the taste. The mouthfeel is probably the most amazing part of this beer. I can't remember a creamier and viscous beer. Overall, this is incredible. I am a HUGE fan of Bourbon County and this is exemplary.

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4.63/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

4.41/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.31/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.59/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

4.81/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

appearance: Very dark, with some faint ruby highlights when held to light. Scant mocha head on the pour that mostly dissipates.
smell: Rich, decadent vanilla, molasses, some coconut. Familiar BCBS but maybe a notch richer than an already rich beer.
taste: Ditto on the taste. Rich chocolate, vanilla, dark fruits...freakin killer. Add in the bourbon spice of the Knob creek treatment and holy shit.

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4.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.65/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4.54/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5