Bourbon County Brand Wheatwine
Goose Island Beer Co.

Bourbon County Brand WheatwineBourbon County Brand Wheatwine
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From:
Goose Island Beer Co.
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
Wheatwine
ABV:
15.3%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.26 | pDev: 7.04%
Reviews:
149
Ratings:
450
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 10, 2024
Added:
Jul 01, 2018
Wants:
  14
Gots:
  68
Made from two-row and malted wheat, Bourbon County Brand Wheatwine is making its debut this year (2018). As the first recipe to veer from the original Imperial Stout since Barleywine in 2013, Wheatwine is a deep amber color, lighter than it’s BCBS counterparts and a true medium to convey the characteristics of 4+ year old Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels. Wheatwine is full of high caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee flavors.

Batch 1 (2018): Aged in 4+ year old Heaven Hill bourbon barrels.
Batch 2 (2019): Aged 100% in Larceny wheated bourbon barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Wolvmar:
Photo of Wolvmar
Reviewed by Wolvmar from Michigan

4.11/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Mar 2020 Review
2018 vintage poured into a tulip glass.

Very similar to the Nov 2019, 2019 vintage review but more distinct apple, or Apple brandy/port nose and taste. Toffee/caramel still there and booze maybe a bit more mellow but still pretty upfront.
Pour: still unspectacular. 3.5
Nose: maybe bump a bit as the apple/brandy/port seemed more pronounced and enticing. 4.25
Taste: similar thought as with the nose. Really liked it. 4.25
Mouthfeel: about the same. 3.75
Overall: would definitely buy again but aging seems to have helped or 2018 was just more to my liking. 4.0

Nov 2019: 2019 vintage poured into pint tumbler. Siesta Key FL.

Pour: yellow amber, thin one finger white foam head that dissipated quickly leaving a thin ring. 3.5

Nose: sweet caramel, bourbon, toffee. 4.0

Taste: caramel, toffee, bourbon, hint of dark fruit, leather, some oak. Plenty of rich malt to hold it together. It’s sweet and boozy but balanced enough. 4.0

Mouthfeel: syrupy, sticky but surprisingly clean finish. Moderate to high carbonation. 3.75

Overall: reminds me of a barleywine but even sweeter and more syrupy. Flavors are very pronounced but work well together. Absolutely worth trying and seems like a good representation of the style. Not an ATF for me but would probably buy another bottle if I saw it. 4.0
Mar 08, 2020
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.08 by MDDMD from Pennsylvania

Feb 10, 2024
 
Rated: 4.24 by jduprey007 from Michigan

Feb 10, 2024
 
Rated: 4.24 by jakea from Wisconsin

Jan 14, 2024
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

4.22/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
1957
Name: Bourbon County Brand Wheatwine
Brewery: Goose Island
Location: Chicago, IL
Style: Wheatwine
ABV: 15.3%
Date: 2019
I am drinking Bourbon County Wheatwine today, aged in Larceny barrels. I served it at 48 degrees. I used a tulip glass, and the pour created a frothy and airy two-fingered light tan head with poor retention. The quick retention left no lacing on the glass. Looking at the color, I will chart it around SRM 18, dark brown with reddish mahogany hues. The beer is clear with some yeast floaties. The head retention was dismal because of the high abv. I will rate the appearance about average.
Nosing the glass, I smell caramel, honey, toasted bread, bourbon, oak, oranges, and light honeysuckle. I nosed the glass several more times, and the aromas aligned with what I had already smelt. I will give the glass one more nosing; I detect a light butterscotch, toffee, and vanilla. Sweet, malty scents dominate the aromas.
I was concerned the flavors would be cloyingly sweet, yet I discovered the opposite. The wood aging of bourbon barrels helps temper the sugary abyss. Caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, and toffee meld well with lightly toasted malt cereal grains. The beer is bready, yeasty, and alcoholic, with floral esters on the finish.
The mouthfeel is sticky, warming, and chewy. The body is heavy and has a low carbonation.
I was unsure what I would taste when I got into this beer. I am not a fan of Larceny Bourbon. I think that bourbon is hot and alcoholic. That translated into the beer from the barrel aging. The barrel aging made this beer would be easier to drink. I am glad I sat on this beer; this fresh would have too much alcoholic warming on the palate.
Dec 12, 2023
Photo of Sound_Explorer
Reviewed by Sound_Explorer from Washington

4.71/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
2018 bottle in 2023 -

Thankfully aged great. Bit of carb when poured out. Aroma is full and inviting. Taste still has the carbonation in it, smoothed with age. First sip was a little boozy but mellowed as it warmed a little. Glad I have a second bottle to share.
Nov 10, 2023
Photo of MadMadMike
Reviewed by MadMadMike from France

4.49/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured at 60° into a tulip. Batch 1 (2018): Aged in 4+ year old Heaven Hill bourbon barrels.
Everything you want from a Big wheatwine. Sweet, boozy, expansive, works the senses.
Outstanding.
Nov 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.35 by alexsergio from New York

Mar 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.47 by MICAMD from Maryland

Jan 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by StanleysCup from Maryland

Jan 14, 2023
Photo of WoodBrew
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

4.42/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
I am trying a bottle of this beer at my bestie's house in Charlotte, NC. It poured a clear copper with no head and no lace. The scent had bourbon flare. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to sip. There was caramel apple presence. The mouthfeel was medium in body and had smooth carbonation. Overall it is a solid beer.
Jan 01, 2023
Photo of 5toutman75
Reviewed by 5toutman75 from Illinois

4.44/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2019 bottle
consumed 12/22/22

A perfect beer to open up on the start of my Xmas holiday during a snow storm I must say. I have not had too many wheatwines in my vast beer drinking experience. The BCS versions are my first I believe. I am enjoying this quite a bit. The smell is spectacular. There's so much bourbon and toffee and caramel here. It smells like it has the potential to be too sweet on the pallet, but I think the balance is ultimately there in that end. I think this beer and barleywines in general get knocked down because they're not stouts. This isn't supposed to be a stout. This is definitely a sipper. Sitting on the couch and not moving and yet I can still feel the booze hitting me. It does not overpower in the booze for me on the pallet although I do like a bourbon forward stout or barleywine normally. Overall I am really enjoying the beer but it's a lot for my pallet. This is a beer that I think is better in 8-10 oz servings though. I can knock back a 500ml of BCS, but I am slowing down as this one warms up. I am glad that Goose continues to mix things up every year with their BCS releases and hope that they release a version of this again one day.
Dec 23, 2022
Photo of hopley
Rated by hopley from Massachusetts

4.36/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Ratings based on B2 2019, aged 100% in Larceny wheated bourbon barrels.
Nov 23, 2022
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2018 bottle

Is this the same recipe as the recent small batch wheatwines I loved so much from @FBarber ? They seem pretty similar to me. I get a lot of honey flavored candy and honey roasted nuts plus toffee, a wealth of booze, and hints of raisin and chocolate. This is hugely flavorful, so brashly fantastic, almost as good as the small batches. Just loving this.
Nov 19, 2022
Photo of bigred89
Rated by bigred89 from Maryland

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2018
Nov 13, 2022
Photo of VashonGuy
Reviewed by VashonGuy from Washington

3.6/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
On tap at The Beer Junction, Seattle.

My first bourbon barrel aged beer ever was BCBS, several years ago, and that remains an ethereal experience. This wheatwine is nowhere near ethereal. It's too sweet, and not nearly as flavorful. I realize I'm comparing apples to oranges, as an imperial stout and a wheatwine are totally different styles. But the BCBS has depth and complexity of flavor that this wheatwine just doesn't have. I don't really find the barrel characteristics in it. Disappointing, IMHO.
Sep 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.49 by BKotch from Texas

Jul 10, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by archero from Texas

May 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.08 by Dope from Massachusetts

Mar 27, 2022
 
Rated: 4.3 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Dec 04, 2021
Bourbon County Brand Wheatwine from Goose Island Beer Co.
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 450 ratings