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

Bourbon County Reserve Brand Stout (2017)Bourbon County Reserve Brand Stout (2017)
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From:
Goose Island Beer Co.
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
14.8%
Score:
100
Avg:
4.58 | pDev: 5.68%
Reviews:
60
Ratings:
334
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 10, 2024
Added:
Jun 13, 2017
Wants:
  37
Gots:
  64
Aged in 11 year old freshly emptied Knob Creek bourbon barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Grovejr20:
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Rated by Grovejr20 from New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

May 19, 2018
More User Ratings:
Photo of moysauce
Rated by moysauce from Illinois

4.65/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
This one was special!
Mar 10, 2024
 
Rated: 4.59 by SaxmanRick from Minnesota

Jan 27, 2024
 
Rated: 4.51 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Jun 17, 2023
Photo of NiceTaps
Reviewed by NiceTaps from New Jersey

4.76/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
16.9 ounce bottle dated July 18, 2017, poured into a snifter glass.

Crude oil darkened brown, near black, color. Caramel tan colored cap that drops to a light but lasting film. No lacing.

Aromas: smooth mellowed bourbon, vanilla, caramel, chocolate, char.

Oak laced bourbon flavor joined by vanilla, caramel, and smoked variants of each. Dry dark chocolate.

Feel, in a word, TEN! Extremely smooth and yes, the bourbon is there but not boozy. The dry dark chocolate culminates the finish.

Outstanding. Five years and nine months of aging worked perfectly. Aromas, flavors, and feel are well rounded.
Apr 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by DBosco from Massachusetts

Jan 20, 2023
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
A: Poured into a snifter to a black beer which is topped by a dense and slightly rocky finger of light tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing.
S: Smells of molasses, dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and oak. Fantastic nose
T: Taste is dark chocolate, charred wood, slight woodspice, caramel, and vanilla along with some molasses and coffee. On the swallow there's more fudgy dark chocolate, oak, caramel, and vanilla with more coffee and hints of burnt sugar.
M: This beer has a fairly thick and full mouthfeel with a slightly silky slightly chewy feel. Carbonation is on the low end but it's adequate for the style while the beer has a drying finish.
O: Overall this beer rocks the house. Huge flavors, huge complexity, great balance between flavors, and well hidden alcohol. This beer was well worth the price of admission as it's definitely near the top of the heap.
Jul 13, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by zbooks from Texas

Jun 02, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Jan 27, 2022
Photo of DoctorZombies
Reviewed by DoctorZombies from Florida

4.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Bottled 24Jul17. Poured at 58° and second pour at 56°. Black with ruby edges; fleeting dark tan head with a few rocks; poor cap retention; a solid ring initially disappears as does the few spots of lace; thick legs on swirl. Bourbon and some oak; boozy retro nasal. Bourbon entry followed by bittersweet dark chocolate, oak and vanilla. Lots of heat in mouth; silky smooth feel; full body, not at all adjuncty; tingle on tip of tongue; face flushing warmth from 14.8%; light carbonation. Overall, delicious!; great balance between barrel and base; a simple barrel aged beer embracing the bourbon notes, and I love the boozy heat. World class, and almost as good as last night’s Rare BCBS (2015).
Nov 15, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Aug 29, 2021
Photo of heysuz
Reviewed by heysuz from Indiana

4.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Brew: Goose Island Beer Co. – Bourbon County Reserve Brand Stout (2017)

Intro: 16.9 oz. poured into a tulip glass. Shared with a friend

Appearance: Dark virtually black color. Ample head, maybe 2 inches. Moderate lacing as we drank

Smell: Barrell up front and center. Vanilla, roasted malts, and charred oak round out.

Taste: Followed along with the smell. Barrel is good but somewhat muted.

Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel, medium carbonation.

Drink: Classic Bourbon County. Very enjoyable.

Conclusion: Bourbon County Base stout is a big reason it stands out through time. It’s a classic and one of a kind. Knob Creek barrels was ok but not one of my favorites. For the price, I’m glad to have tried it but one and done. Move on.
Aug 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.73 by Chilmer from Iowa

Jun 27, 2021
 
Rated: 4.36 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

May 02, 2021
Photo of WoodBrew
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

4.48/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I am trying this beer at my friend's house in Naples, FL. It poured an opaque dark with no head and no lace. The scent had bourbon with hints of vanilla and smoke. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with smoke and bourbon with chocolate and vanilla highlights. The mouthfeel was medium in body and had good carbonation. Overall it was a solid beer and very happy to try it.
Mar 30, 2021
 
Rated: 4.53 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Mar 19, 2021
Photo of Rristow
Reviewed by Rristow from Ohio

5/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Tasted a few times but this review is after 3 plus years of aging. Flavors of caramel, cured meats, dark fruits. Thick chewy on the mouthfeel. Just seems to hang on the tongue forever. Flavor with tons of dates and raisins, caramel, bourbon, toffee, chocolate. Super smooth and dangerously drinkable for its ABV. Excellent.
Feb 07, 2021
 
Rated: 4.96 by sentrynate from Wisconsin

Jan 21, 2021
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Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.31/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Small tan head which settle to rim bubbles. No lacing. The liquid is deep dark brown where light barely passes along the edges.

Deep sweet, chocolate covered cherry aroma. Light mocha in the background. There's an element of a cognac-like boozy nose.

Very rich flavor and body. It's almost like a liquid brownie. The carbonation is on the lighter side, making the mouthfeel silky. The cocoa/chocolate flavor is semisweet. The alcohol is both warming and notable. The aftertaste is reminiscent of a thick hot chocolate laced with whiskey.
Dec 24, 2020
Photo of FBarber
Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois

4.26/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Pours a dark, completely opaque black color. Almost no head whatsoever on this one when its poured - seems worryingly under-carbonated upon pouring. Aroma has notes of oak, charred wood, hot bourbon, roasted malts, marshmallow, caramel and chocolate. Even several years aged the barrel on this dominates the nose.

Taste follows the nose with notes of oak, bourbon, dark fruits, a slight cherry note, vanilla, oak, charred malts, and bakers chocolate. The charred malts and baker chocolate produce this bitterness on the finish that is really nice. The bourbon is pretty prominent in this one even several years on. As the beer warms those dark fruits really start to shine through. The flavor profile on this one is outstanding. Feel is a thin to medium bodied. The carbonation is really fizzy, and prickly. I would hazard a guess that age has not been kind to this beer in this department.

Overall its an incredibly tasty beer and a great showcase of the barrels used for this one.
Nov 30, 2020
Bourbon County Reserve Brand Stout (2017) from Goose Island Beer Co.
Beer rating: 100 out of 100 with 334 ratings