Bourbon County Brand Reserve 150 Stout
Goose Island Beer Co.

 

 

Bottle from the Packie and pulled from the cellar to share with friends.
Inky black completely opaque with a thin tan head that quickly recedes. Coffee molasses toffee caramel chocolate dried fruit and a mild coconut and vanilla bourbon oakiness. Surprising now little alcohol presence. Sweet and sticky definitely a sipper but tasty.

 

 

 

Look - black and thick with a nice rimming and lacing
Smell - so barrel dark red cherry roasted malt and booze
Taste - woody caramel malt lots of char
Feel - full body slight carb
Overall - love that smell, great beer

 

My goodness, this is incredible. Amazing packaging, pours a dark black, looks kind of still in the glass but I've had plenty of versions of BCBS that look similar. Rich and whiskey-like nose; char, vanilla, tannins, roasted malt, molasses, raisins and dark cherries, maybe even pipe tobacco. Palate hits with a crisp toasted coconut, smoothed-out bourbon-soaked oak, vanilla, more dark fruits and pipe tobacco, and mild chewy oxidation. Medium-bodied mouthfeel, tangy, with some sludge at the bottom of the glass.

Glad I opened this one, its excellent but the mouthfeel and oxidation tells me its on its way downhill. However, it was the perfect Fathers Day 2025 brew.

16.9 ounce bottle, 2021 vintage, drink by 25JUL26 stamped on the label. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with not quite an inch tan head that didn't stay around for too long. There's a small amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like vanilla, bourbon, roasted malt, chocolate, molasses and raisins. The taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some burnt/charred malt, dark bread, oak and caramel flavors. Still a decent amount of barrel character here, and no one flavor overpowers the others. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's smooth and a bit coating and creamy with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was still drinking pretty good, definitely worth trying if you get the chance!

 

epic packaging on this one, looks like high end bourbon, and guess they have done a few sexy boxes for some of these variants, but this is really cool, the presentation is so appealing, easily ups the perceived value i think, like who doesnt want to get into this with some homies who all love stout?! 2021 vintage and actually showing a little age despite the absence of light from the packaging and all, there is a bit of oxidation here, it is subtle, and its not unflattering even a little bit, but its there to some degree, just saying. surprised its not more viscous in the glass, darn near still looking after a second, deep brown but not black to me, maybe even a little cloudiness to it, not visually impressive or unique to me really. really cool nose, especially as it sits for a bit, the high end bourbon is certainly apparent, but its so well integrated its almost inseparable from the stout, not a one and then the other thing, they are unified. toasted coconut, bitter barrel char and cocoa powder, good tobacco and cigar, a mellow dustiness, quite a bit of malt complexity, not as huge to me in terms of alcohol and sweetness as bourbon county often is, love all the roast, the espresso nuance, and the heavy wood, light vanilla and caramel, very inviting. the flavor is awesome too, although im not ready to call this one of the best versions ever, it does have an almost overly mature tiredness about it, part of that could be the thinner and flatter mouthfeel, but i do think its a nice vehicle for these special barrels, which bring subtle cinnamon and warming spices, vanilla beans, molasses, and mellow campfire smoke to the mix. never too sweet at all, dark chocolate, raisin, toffee, great malt layers sort of collapsing in on themselves in a pleasant way, dry chocolate and good whiskey to finish, some late spice too, very well hidden alcohol strength on this, likely a product of its age, and that keeps it oddly drinkable for what it is. it doesnt taste or feel quite as special as it looks in the bourbon box, but its awfully good and a real fun one to share with the crew. probably not going to be amazing in a few years so maybe drink it sooner rather than later if you have one...

 

 

I really enjoyed this one. Far superior to Blanton's. It was a little hot originally, but with some age it has cooled down and is killer.

 

Drank from a 1 pint .9 fl. oz. bottle purchased at Connecticut Beverage Mart, Newington, CT
2021 vintage
25JUL26
Served in a snifter

Review #2300

Like most Bourbon County variants, this poured quite thin for the style. Dark chestnut brown in appearance. The body was topped by a flimsy, light tan cap of froth that quickly transformed into a medium sized, lasting collar. There was no lacing whatsoever.

The aroma was impressive. Quite sweet and boozy. Caramel and toffee notes dominated. Loads of brown sugar too. Raisins and dark fruits also came through strong. Vanilla and bourbon were noticeable as well. Boozy but surprisingly not excessively so given the high ABV.

The flavor profile followed the nose. Rich and malty up front. Big caramel malt notes. Moderate amount of roasted malt character too. Bourbon came through big time as well. Good dose of vanilla in the center. Hint of coconut. The boozy bourbon presence intensified as the beer moved along the palate. However, like with the nose, the alcohol was shockingly restrained for 15.6%. More lingering booze and oaky barrel notes on the back end and in the finish. Hint of roast.

The mouthfeel was lighter in body for the style. Fuffy and slick on the palate. Slightly oily. The liquid contained a fine, zippier than average effervescence.

Bourbon County Brand Reserve 150 Stout may seem tame compared to many of the ultra high-gravity, barrel-aged beers on the market today, but I enjoyed it immensely. All in all, this definitely reminded me more of a strong ale or an imperial stout/English-style barleywine hybrid than a typical stout of any type. I am looking forward to trying my bottle of BCBS Barleywine 2 Year Reserve next and seeing if it shares any notable similarities to this beer.

Poured into a Rastal Teku glass. A head did not form, which is fine. One needn't form.
The nose was immediately evident as Old Forester. I know because Old Forester is among my least favorite bourbons.
The taste, however, was an assertive vanilla with berry and oak, yet, overall, the flavor was chocolate and woodsy.
The mouthfeel was pleastantly medium thin, and the finish had a welcome heat.