Rare Bourbon County Stout (2010) | Goose Island Beer Co.
Brewed by:
Goose Island Beer Co.
Illinois, United States
gooseisland.com
Style: American Double / Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 13.00%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
Aged 2 years in 23-year old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrels.
Added by alcstradamus on 10-07-2010
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Reviews: 362 | Ratings: 1,360
4.62/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
L - Pours a dark shade of brown. Almost black. No head. A ring of tiny bubbles edge the glass. As you swirl it it coats the glass like cough syrup.
S - Pappy predominance. Chocolate and caramel. For a 6 year old beer the bourbon still dominates.
T - Some bourbon. Sweet malt. Sweeter than expected. Chocolate and caramel.
F - Round, full mouthfeel. Smooth.
O - This is awesome. Duh. I was surprised by the malt sweetness but it was still balanced, and the Pappy barrels still shine through. Delicious.
★ 506 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
L - Pours a dark shade of brown. Almost black. No head. A ring of tiny bubbles edge the glass. As you swirl it it coats the glass like cough syrup.
S - Pappy predominance. Chocolate and caramel. For a 6 year old beer the bourbon still dominates.
T - Some bourbon. Sweet malt. Sweeter than expected. Chocolate and caramel.
F - Round, full mouthfeel. Smooth.
O - This is awesome. Duh. I was surprised by the malt sweetness but it was still balanced, and the Pappy barrels still shine through. Delicious.
★ 506 characters
5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I got a few ounces of this at Yazoo Funk Fest 2016 (5/14/2016). Great barrel character, smooth finish, and just awesome all around. A fine BA stout, the barrel shines even at 5 years old
★ 186 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I got a few ounces of this at Yazoo Funk Fest 2016 (5/14/2016). Great barrel character, smooth finish, and just awesome all around. A fine BA stout, the barrel shines even at 5 years old
★ 186 characters
5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This was amazing! Vintage 2010...back when Bourbon County was the shit! Those pappy 23 barrels worked wonders! Purchased this bottle along with many others of its caliber for a small group tasting and it was definitely one of the stars!
★ 239 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This was amazing! Vintage 2010...back when Bourbon County was the shit! Those pappy 23 barrels worked wonders! Purchased this bottle along with many others of its caliber for a small group tasting and it was definitely one of the stars!
★ 239 characters
4.74/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
22oz bottle into a snifter
2010 Vintage, bottle #6216
A huge thanks to tchipharveyslake for sending this very long time want over in a trade. Thank you!
Pappy barrels used for barrel aging were originally filled in 1985, same year I was born, which is pretty cool. Opened Easter Sunday, 2016.
A: Pours an opaque black, looks thick on the pour. A sliver of dark mocha head dissipates quickly down to nothing. Leaves essentially no lacing. 4.5
S: Aroma is huge, I can literally smell it as I sit on the couch and it rests on the table. Huge and wonderful bourbon notes, charred oak, sweet bourbon-y vanilla, and a peat-like character. The base beer characters are in the background and include a rich fudge-like cocoa, and big roasty notes. Fantastic nose. 4.75
T: Follows the nose with a big, bold bourbon presence up front and a rich sweetness on the finish. Its so barrel forward, probably the most “bourbony” beer I’ve ever had (which actually surprised me because in general I find that barrel notes fade in BA beers with time). Base beer characters include a big roastiness, subtle black coffee like bitterness, and rich dark cocoa. Cocoa and roasted malts linger forever in the aftertaste. Big, bold, complex and delicious. 4.75
M/D: Full bodied, very smooth, great mouthfeel, carbonation is low but appropriate, ABV is noticeable in terms of bourbony characters but there is essentially no fusel ethanol or unpleasant heat. Drinkability is excellent all things considered. 4.75
O: Elite beer. Still think Vanilla Rye is my favorite BCB stout variant ever (Vanilla ’10 and my quest to complete all BCB bottle variants is complete, but this beer is incredible in its own right. 4.75
★ 1,718 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
22oz bottle into a snifter
2010 Vintage, bottle #6216
A huge thanks to tchipharveyslake for sending this very long time want over in a trade. Thank you!
Pappy barrels used for barrel aging were originally filled in 1985, same year I was born, which is pretty cool. Opened Easter Sunday, 2016.
A: Pours an opaque black, looks thick on the pour. A sliver of dark mocha head dissipates quickly down to nothing. Leaves essentially no lacing. 4.5
S: Aroma is huge, I can literally smell it as I sit on the couch and it rests on the table. Huge and wonderful bourbon notes, charred oak, sweet bourbon-y vanilla, and a peat-like character. The base beer characters are in the background and include a rich fudge-like cocoa, and big roasty notes. Fantastic nose. 4.75
T: Follows the nose with a big, bold bourbon presence up front and a rich sweetness on the finish. Its so barrel forward, probably the most “bourbony” beer I’ve ever had (which actually surprised me because in general I find that barrel notes fade in BA beers with time). Base beer characters include a big roastiness, subtle black coffee like bitterness, and rich dark cocoa. Cocoa and roasted malts linger forever in the aftertaste. Big, bold, complex and delicious. 4.75
M/D: Full bodied, very smooth, great mouthfeel, carbonation is low but appropriate, ABV is noticeable in terms of bourbony characters but there is essentially no fusel ethanol or unpleasant heat. Drinkability is excellent all things considered. 4.75
O: Elite beer. Still think Vanilla Rye is my favorite BCB stout variant ever (Vanilla ’10 and my quest to complete all BCB bottle variants is complete, but this beer is incredible in its own right. 4.75
★ 1,718 characters
4.53/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Very surprised that this beer tasted like it did at 5.5 years old. Didn't feel tired or papery oxidation. Any that was there complimented the dark dried fruit character of the beer. A fantastic liquid.
★ 201 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Very surprised that this beer tasted like it did at 5.5 years old. Didn't feel tired or papery oxidation. Any that was there complimented the dark dried fruit character of the beer. A fantastic liquid.
★ 201 characters
5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Shared this with a few friends. I Could not imagine how to make this beer better even after 5 years. Pours jet black with no head. Maybe the best smelling beer I've ever had. bourbon and dark fruit make up the nose. Covers the mouth like melted butter and stays around. Dark fruit and chocolate notes but the bourbon flavor shines. Still a lot of bourbon even after age. This beer is so velvetly smooth. My only regret is that I couldn't drink it fresh.
Comparing this beer and rare 15 isn't a fair comparison due to the age difference. But for the sake of doing it anyway. Rare 15 is much hotter as to be expected. Similar dark fruit and chocolate under tones. But the rare 10 bourbon flavor is way better as well as rare 10 being a lot more smooth. Rare is all around better even after 5 yrs.
★ 802 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Shared this with a few friends. I Could not imagine how to make this beer better even after 5 years. Pours jet black with no head. Maybe the best smelling beer I've ever had. bourbon and dark fruit make up the nose. Covers the mouth like melted butter and stays around. Dark fruit and chocolate notes but the bourbon flavor shines. Still a lot of bourbon even after age. This beer is so velvetly smooth. My only regret is that I couldn't drink it fresh.
Comparing this beer and rare 15 isn't a fair comparison due to the age difference. But for the sake of doing it anyway. Rare 15 is much hotter as to be expected. Similar dark fruit and chocolate under tones. But the rare 10 bourbon flavor is way better as well as rare 10 being a lot more smooth. Rare is all around better even after 5 yrs.
★ 802 characters
4.94/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I'll start with two disclaimers: I never had this fresh, and am not QUITE as huge a fan of regular BCBS as many people (it's one of my favorites, but I typically like at least one or two variants more per year). With that being said:
As far as I'm concerned, this is the best non-adjunct BA stout I've ever had. BCBS was already right up there (I could never decide whether I preferred BCBS or Parabola, but BCBS '14 clarified that I was a GI boy), but this takes what's great about regular, and amps it up. The mouthfeel is better and creamier, the beer itself is extremely black (blacker than BCBS), and the finish of the beer goes on for days and days (seriously, the first taste didn't blow me away, but the finish did. I literally said "wow" out loud, when it was still lingering for what seemed like forever). Hides the alcohol really well, but this is a 5 year old beer, so that might be part of the reason. The other thing I noted while drinking (shared with my girlfriend, but as usual, it turned into a night of me pouring into my snifter, and drinking the bomber alone!) is how easy/enjoyable it is to drink. It's not my favorite BCBS taste-wise, but it just slides through your mouth like nothing. Awesome.
I'm hoping to grab a bottle of Rare '15 to do a proper comparison (only had one pour at FoBAB, and I don't think that's enough), but I'm really eager to do so. My first impressions of the side-by-side would be that the '15 is possibly more complex, but the '10 is more well-rounded.
I still think Prop '13 is my favorite Bourbon County, all-time, but you can't go wrong with this beer. I'm glad GI decided to bring it back, even if it's in a slightly different form.
★ 1,688 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I'll start with two disclaimers: I never had this fresh, and am not QUITE as huge a fan of regular BCBS as many people (it's one of my favorites, but I typically like at least one or two variants more per year). With that being said:
As far as I'm concerned, this is the best non-adjunct BA stout I've ever had. BCBS was already right up there (I could never decide whether I preferred BCBS or Parabola, but BCBS '14 clarified that I was a GI boy), but this takes what's great about regular, and amps it up. The mouthfeel is better and creamier, the beer itself is extremely black (blacker than BCBS), and the finish of the beer goes on for days and days (seriously, the first taste didn't blow me away, but the finish did. I literally said "wow" out loud, when it was still lingering for what seemed like forever). Hides the alcohol really well, but this is a 5 year old beer, so that might be part of the reason. The other thing I noted while drinking (shared with my girlfriend, but as usual, it turned into a night of me pouring into my snifter, and drinking the bomber alone!) is how easy/enjoyable it is to drink. It's not my favorite BCBS taste-wise, but it just slides through your mouth like nothing. Awesome.
I'm hoping to grab a bottle of Rare '15 to do a proper comparison (only had one pour at FoBAB, and I don't think that's enough), but I'm really eager to do so. My first impressions of the side-by-side would be that the '15 is possibly more complex, but the '10 is more well-rounded.
I still think Prop '13 is my favorite Bourbon County, all-time, but you can't go wrong with this beer. I'm glad GI decided to bring it back, even if it's in a slightly different form.
★ 1,688 characters
4.51/5 rDev -4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Definitely a pretty girl. Jet black. Brown head. Aroma was warm, bourbon, chocolate truffle type of beer. Where did we drink this, March Madness 2011? Or was it 2012? Eh, still have one more.
Taste again, pvw barrels seem to be hotter than some others, I know there is all this name nonsense, but really that is the most discernable thing for my palate. Its still a great beer, but there are lots of them and I don't see how this is really any better than the base bcs beer. The marketing behind it is genius.
★ 518 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Definitely a pretty girl. Jet black. Brown head. Aroma was warm, bourbon, chocolate truffle type of beer. Where did we drink this, March Madness 2011? Or was it 2012? Eh, still have one more.
Taste again, pvw barrels seem to be hotter than some others, I know there is all this name nonsense, but really that is the most discernable thing for my palate. Its still a great beer, but there are lots of them and I don't see how this is really any better than the base bcs beer. The marketing behind it is genius.
★ 518 characters
4.75/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours dark as night....smell of bourbon and chocolate, flavors started predominantly with raisin, then evolved into tobacco, and finished strong with molten chocolate bourbon brownie... Exceptionally tasty, but may have lost a little concentration over the years...
★ 265 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours dark as night....smell of bourbon and chocolate, flavors started predominantly with raisin, then evolved into tobacco, and finished strong with molten chocolate bourbon brownie... Exceptionally tasty, but may have lost a little concentration over the years...
★ 265 characters
4.77/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Not but 10 days before the 5 year mark do I have the privilege of finally trying the original Rare. Cellared by Goose Island and enjoyed during a cellar clearing, this bottle has help up perfectly and shows no sign of a half-decade of age.
I am very surprised at how different this is than the regular - so much additional refined flavor from the extra aging and PVW23 barrels. This is really a standout, a top stout in all regards and the best rendition of bourbon county stout I've had. As it warms the sweet barrel nuances that separate this from other stouts are highlighted: sweet pipe tobacco, charred marshmallow, honey, toffee; all over a rich chocolatey and roasty stout. There is enough bold stout and bitterness to hold up it's own and keep balanced after this extended aging in these over-saturated 23yr barrels. One thing that seems to have faded with age is the actual bourbon flavor - at this point it is just very soft nuances but does not have the bourbon and char flavor.
★ 995 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Not but 10 days before the 5 year mark do I have the privilege of finally trying the original Rare. Cellared by Goose Island and enjoyed during a cellar clearing, this bottle has help up perfectly and shows no sign of a half-decade of age.
I am very surprised at how different this is than the regular - so much additional refined flavor from the extra aging and PVW23 barrels. This is really a standout, a top stout in all regards and the best rendition of bourbon county stout I've had. As it warms the sweet barrel nuances that separate this from other stouts are highlighted: sweet pipe tobacco, charred marshmallow, honey, toffee; all over a rich chocolatey and roasty stout. There is enough bold stout and bitterness to hold up it's own and keep balanced after this extended aging in these over-saturated 23yr barrels. One thing that seems to have faded with age is the actual bourbon flavor - at this point it is just very soft nuances but does not have the bourbon and char flavor.
★ 995 characters
4.74/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Review from 20 Sep 2015. Poured out of 22 oz bottle into snifter
L: Jet-black. Little-to-no quickly disappearing light brown head. Thick like motor oil
S: Outstanding aroma. Bourbon notes ignite your nasal cavity. Getting some rich notes of dark chocolate.
T: Wow. Bourbon soaked dark chocolate. Even after 5 years, this one is still hot. Best bourbon taste I have had in a beer. It warms but does not overpower. Picking up hints of oak and vanilla on the back end finished with a black coffee bitterness. This beer is something else
M: full-bodied. chewy. creamy.
O: Amazing beer. Great bourbon presence. Great bourbon taste. A+ brew. Has set a high standard for Rare 2015.
★ 676 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Review from 20 Sep 2015. Poured out of 22 oz bottle into snifter
L: Jet-black. Little-to-no quickly disappearing light brown head. Thick like motor oil
S: Outstanding aroma. Bourbon notes ignite your nasal cavity. Getting some rich notes of dark chocolate.
T: Wow. Bourbon soaked dark chocolate. Even after 5 years, this one is still hot. Best bourbon taste I have had in a beer. It warms but does not overpower. Picking up hints of oak and vanilla on the back end finished with a black coffee bitterness. This beer is something else
M: full-bodied. chewy. creamy.
O: Amazing beer. Great bourbon presence. Great bourbon taste. A+ brew. Has set a high standard for Rare 2015.
★ 676 characters
4.87/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Look is black with a ring of brown tinge. Smells of chocolate bourbon soaked brownies. Taste is slightly sweet chocolate, coffee like bitterness and bourbon all rounding each other off in perfect harmony. Feel is ligering chocolate that stays with you a while. Overall wonderfully balanced and has held up really well. Oxydation is evident so drink now. IMO this will not be getting any better.
★ 394 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Look is black with a ring of brown tinge. Smells of chocolate bourbon soaked brownies. Taste is slightly sweet chocolate, coffee like bitterness and bourbon all rounding each other off in perfect harmony. Feel is ligering chocolate that stays with you a while. Overall wonderfully balanced and has held up really well. Oxydation is evident so drink now. IMO this will not be getting any better.
★ 394 characters
4.37/5 rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle. Poured dark reddish brown hue with a minmal fizzy light brown head that mostly diminished with little lacing. Aroma was a heavy toasted chocolate malt, vanilla and woody bourbon. Full body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. Heavy complex toasted malt, vanilla and bourbon flavor and a heavy complex sweet finish of long duration. This is a standout beer.
★ 371 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle. Poured dark reddish brown hue with a minmal fizzy light brown head that mostly diminished with little lacing. Aroma was a heavy toasted chocolate malt, vanilla and woody bourbon. Full body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. Heavy complex toasted malt, vanilla and bourbon flavor and a heavy complex sweet finish of long duration. This is a standout beer.
★ 371 characters
4.85/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Opened this a few weeks ago. Thought this held up great over the last 4-5 years. Like any bourbon county it was thick, great aroma, and the bourbon was excellent. Its definitely worthy of its hype.
★ 200 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Opened this a few weeks ago. Thought this held up great over the last 4-5 years. Like any bourbon county it was thick, great aroma, and the bourbon was excellent. Its definitely worthy of its hype.
★ 200 characters
5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Served in a HF stemmed taster glass.
Very appealing pour with dark brown head the disappears to a thin ring of foam which stays on the glass throughout the first half of the beer.
Smells divine with cherries / currants and dark bakers chocolate. whiffs of barrel / bourbon but can be almost noted as vanilla. Could smell this instead of drinking it!
Taste is quite complex with vanilla, bourbon and notes of nutmeg. Cherries / currants are there but subdued and mostly on the aroma. Finish is thick / slick and cloying (in a good way). Finish is sweet but the bourbon really comes out as chocolate / cocoa fades.
Overall this beer (bottle 3414) has survived its 4.5 year slumber incredibly well. Balanced yet full of flavors and aromas worthy of its praise. Have to assume it is aged in the Family Reserve barrels as the bourbon flavors are superior and syrupy compared to Pappy's younger bourbons. Without a doubt the most elegant BA Stout I've ever consumed. Hard to imagine any improvements could be made to this elixir.
Found no flaws - 5s across the board.
★ 1,077 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Served in a HF stemmed taster glass.
Very appealing pour with dark brown head the disappears to a thin ring of foam which stays on the glass throughout the first half of the beer.
Smells divine with cherries / currants and dark bakers chocolate. whiffs of barrel / bourbon but can be almost noted as vanilla. Could smell this instead of drinking it!
Taste is quite complex with vanilla, bourbon and notes of nutmeg. Cherries / currants are there but subdued and mostly on the aroma. Finish is thick / slick and cloying (in a good way). Finish is sweet but the bourbon really comes out as chocolate / cocoa fades.
Overall this beer (bottle 3414) has survived its 4.5 year slumber incredibly well. Balanced yet full of flavors and aromas worthy of its praise. Have to assume it is aged in the Family Reserve barrels as the bourbon flavors are superior and syrupy compared to Pappy's younger bourbons. Without a doubt the most elegant BA Stout I've ever consumed. Hard to imagine any improvements could be made to this elixir.
Found no flaws - 5s across the board.
★ 1,077 characters
4.5/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: pours a deep walnut color. a small tannish head forms and has a low retention. brown viscous legs all around the side of the glass. dark and completely opaque.
Smell: strong booze and bourbon. chocolate, dark fruits and a low roastiness.
Taste: opens up with a strong whisky and some serious alcohol. strong chocolate and dark fruits come in through the middle. more alcohol near the end but finishes with toffee and caramel.
Mouthfeel: thick and viscous, strong alcohol burn and lingering warmth.
Overall: wow. can't believe this one is so old. the alcohol and whisky flavors are still so strong I can't imagine them 4+ years ago.
★ 650 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: pours a deep walnut color. a small tannish head forms and has a low retention. brown viscous legs all around the side of the glass. dark and completely opaque.
Smell: strong booze and bourbon. chocolate, dark fruits and a low roastiness.
Taste: opens up with a strong whisky and some serious alcohol. strong chocolate and dark fruits come in through the middle. more alcohol near the end but finishes with toffee and caramel.
Mouthfeel: thick and viscous, strong alcohol burn and lingering warmth.
Overall: wow. can't believe this one is so old. the alcohol and whisky flavors are still so strong I can't imagine them 4+ years ago.
★ 650 characters
4.66/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a teku glass. Thin tan head on the pour which quickly dissipates, straight heavy black pour. Nose is of liquorice with some chocolate. Very smooth beer after 5 years. You get some chocolate with honey up front. Bourbon picks up and trails off into a liqourice and sweetness at the end. Good mouthfeel that leaves you drymouthed and wanting some more at the end. Great to try once
★ 392 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a teku glass. Thin tan head on the pour which quickly dissipates, straight heavy black pour. Nose is of liquorice with some chocolate. Very smooth beer after 5 years. You get some chocolate with honey up front. Bourbon picks up and trails off into a liqourice and sweetness at the end. Good mouthfeel that leaves you drymouthed and wanting some more at the end. Great to try once
★ 392 characters
4.83/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Arguably the best beer I've had. With 5 years of age on it, the bourbon notes have melded into the beer impeccably well. Really a treat to experience. Would likely continue to develop with more age. They should bottle and sell the aroma, alone.
★ 244 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Arguably the best beer I've had. With 5 years of age on it, the bourbon notes have melded into the beer impeccably well. Really a treat to experience. Would likely continue to develop with more age. They should bottle and sell the aroma, alone.
★ 244 characters
4.71/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
a very special beer right here, with plenty of age on it now, and only good fortune allowed me to drink this. apparently aged in pappy 23 barrels, the bourbon character of this beer is like no other, but lets start with the look. packaging is gorgeous, velvety green box, regal looking, anticipation is high. the beer is extremely thick, viscosity to the max, shiny black liquid dances in the glass, producing a short espresso crema head on top. the nose is insane, and i stop and just smell this for several minutes before i taste. the bourbon is everywhere, char and oak and sweet vanilla marry beautifully with dense fire roasted malts, almost has a grilled property with what i perceive to be a touch of smoke, and then a raw brown sugar type sweetness, very little booze in the smell at all, i assume this has calmed down over time. the flavor is gorgeous too, with bourbon leading the way. im also finding all sorts of interesting accent flavors in the dense grain waves, from raisin to fresh cut tobacco and even coffee with a nice earthy body. speaking of body, this is a teeth coater, extremely thick and sticky lingering beer. it has some residual sugar, no doubt, but its never unflattering, and in fact beings out the bourbon even better i think. i havent consumed much pappy, been out of the budget for sure, but i can see why it has a place at the top just from its impact on this beer. ive loved all of the bourbon county stuff, but nothing has come close to this one in my mind. a perfect combination of flavors, stout at its finest. this is in some ways the final word on bourbon barrel imperial stout, i mean, where could it go from here?
★ 1,656 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
a very special beer right here, with plenty of age on it now, and only good fortune allowed me to drink this. apparently aged in pappy 23 barrels, the bourbon character of this beer is like no other, but lets start with the look. packaging is gorgeous, velvety green box, regal looking, anticipation is high. the beer is extremely thick, viscosity to the max, shiny black liquid dances in the glass, producing a short espresso crema head on top. the nose is insane, and i stop and just smell this for several minutes before i taste. the bourbon is everywhere, char and oak and sweet vanilla marry beautifully with dense fire roasted malts, almost has a grilled property with what i perceive to be a touch of smoke, and then a raw brown sugar type sweetness, very little booze in the smell at all, i assume this has calmed down over time. the flavor is gorgeous too, with bourbon leading the way. im also finding all sorts of interesting accent flavors in the dense grain waves, from raisin to fresh cut tobacco and even coffee with a nice earthy body. speaking of body, this is a teeth coater, extremely thick and sticky lingering beer. it has some residual sugar, no doubt, but its never unflattering, and in fact beings out the bourbon even better i think. i havent consumed much pappy, been out of the budget for sure, but i can see why it has a place at the top just from its impact on this beer. ive loved all of the bourbon county stuff, but nothing has come close to this one in my mind. a perfect combination of flavors, stout at its finest. this is in some ways the final word on bourbon barrel imperial stout, i mean, where could it go from here?
★ 1,656 characters
4.99/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Rare- (8oz pour)
Tried next to bcbs 07 , bcbs 08, and bcbs 12(doesn't compare just yet)
Pours a dark coffee, motor oil
Smells of sweet bourbon and molasses.
This was very smooth and good. Rare and bcbs 07/08 were each very similar and I would like to add again VERY SMOOTH.
The difference between 07/08 bcbs was that Rare was had a smudge of complexity of interesting notes, (I am assuming from the barrel) towards the end of a sweet chocolate, bourbon ride.
Overall- Superb
★ 480 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Rare- (8oz pour)
Tried next to bcbs 07 , bcbs 08, and bcbs 12(doesn't compare just yet)
Pours a dark coffee, motor oil
Smells of sweet bourbon and molasses.
This was very smooth and good. Rare and bcbs 07/08 were each very similar and I would like to add again VERY SMOOTH.
The difference between 07/08 bcbs was that Rare was had a smudge of complexity of interesting notes, (I am assuming from the barrel) towards the end of a sweet chocolate, bourbon ride.
Overall- Superb
★ 480 characters
4.98/5 rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
A - pours a viscous, dark coffee color with a brown sugar colored thin head. The head quickly disipitates leaving a nice ring of tiny brown bubbles.
S - bourbon, molasses, fig, hints of dark chocolate, slight caramel and toffee and raisins.
T - smooth bourbon with dark chocolate and toffee. Some caramel on the finish and some dark fruits in there.
M - low carbonation with a thick feel that isn't heavy. It sticks to your palate for a bit after consumption which is nice.
O - fantastic!
★ 498 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
A - pours a viscous, dark coffee color with a brown sugar colored thin head. The head quickly disipitates leaving a nice ring of tiny brown bubbles.
S - bourbon, molasses, fig, hints of dark chocolate, slight caramel and toffee and raisins.
T - smooth bourbon with dark chocolate and toffee. Some caramel on the finish and some dark fruits in there.
M - low carbonation with a thick feel that isn't heavy. It sticks to your palate for a bit after consumption which is nice.
O - fantastic!
★ 498 characters
4.85/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Bottle #1,591, bottled on Nov. 19, 2010.
Being that this beer is so rare I was hesitant to try it, it's been aging in my cellar for 4 years now and I figured it's about time I open it up. Really impressive, a bit smoother than the original, definitely not as boozy. Has nice subtle bourbon notes, some vanilla and a little bit alcohol, a slight bit of chocolate in the finish. I wish I had bought two bottles so I could compare the early life to the aged but it definitely does not disappoint. It's up there with the BCBS Coffee, which is one of my personal favorites.
★ 573 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Bottle #1,591, bottled on Nov. 19, 2010.
Being that this beer is so rare I was hesitant to try it, it's been aging in my cellar for 4 years now and I figured it's about time I open it up. Really impressive, a bit smoother than the original, definitely not as boozy. Has nice subtle bourbon notes, some vanilla and a little bit alcohol, a slight bit of chocolate in the finish. I wish I had bought two bottles so I could compare the early life to the aged but it definitely does not disappoint. It's up there with the BCBS Coffee, which is one of my personal favorites.
★ 573 characters
4.65/5 rDev -1.1%
A-dense black color with a nice brown head and some lacing
S-dark malt, coffee, chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, hint of oak
T-dark roasted malt, chocolate, molasses, coffee, bourbon, little toffee, light vanilla
F-medium to full body with light to moderate carbonation, smooth and silky, little boozy
O-solid variant of BCBS, like the Pappy a little better than the original
★ 375 characters
A-dense black color with a nice brown head and some lacing
S-dark malt, coffee, chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, hint of oak
T-dark roasted malt, chocolate, molasses, coffee, bourbon, little toffee, light vanilla
F-medium to full body with light to moderate carbonation, smooth and silky, little boozy
O-solid variant of BCBS, like the Pappy a little better than the original
★ 375 characters
4.4/5 rDev -6.4%
Tried side by side with reg BCBS. Lots of similarities, but everyone at the tasting agreed that there was just an added level of complexity and smoothness on the back end with Rare. Tons of vanilla and cocoa. Well timed coconut notes. Extremely rich and full body all the way. Sweet, but not quite as sweet as regular. Honestly, probably not worth the effort to acquire when some of the other variants are more readily available. I would actually prefer BCBCS to this one
★ 479 characters
Tried side by side with reg BCBS. Lots of similarities, but everyone at the tasting agreed that there was just an added level of complexity and smoothness on the back end with Rare. Tons of vanilla and cocoa. Well timed coconut notes. Extremely rich and full body all the way. Sweet, but not quite as sweet as regular. Honestly, probably not worth the effort to acquire when some of the other variants are more readily available. I would actually prefer BCBCS to this one
★ 479 characters
Rare Bourbon County Stout (2010) from Goose Island Beer Co.
4.7
out of 5
based on 1,360 ratings.
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Lots of booze in the nose, as well as dried fruit and bourbon. Tastes like roasted barley, bourbon, chocolate, cacao, vanilla. A very complex and balanced taste that is still very good after five years. I advice people to drink it soon, since more age won't probably make it better than it already is.
★ 301 characters