Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout (2010)
Goose Island Beer Co.


Beer Geek Stats
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- From:
- Goose Island Beer Co.
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- Stout - American Imperial
- ABV:
- 13%
- Score:
- 100
- Avg:
- 4.8 | pDev: 6.25%
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- May 20, 2022
- Added:
- Oct 07, 2010
- Wants:
- 1,839
- Gots:
- 474
SCORE
100
World-Class
100
World-Class


Notes:
Aged 2 years in 23-year old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
5 by HOPTOMIC_BOMB from California on May 20, 2022
3.9/5 rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by Beerbom from California
I’m sure this was a banger…..12 years ago. This was simply just past it’s prime regrettably.
Feb 14, 2022
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by Beerbom from California
I’m sure this was a banger…..12 years ago. This was simply just past it’s prime regrettably.
Feb 14, 2022
5 by StanleysCup from Maryland on Jan 01, 2022
4.5 by ejimhof from Pennsylvania on Jul 26, 2021
5 by Rkitchen from Michigan on Jun 19, 2021
5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by robbiemoy13 from Illinois
Chocolate, vanilla, barrel. Very dark, thick color. Silky, smooth, gets even better as it warms. Slightly boozy, but still excellent.
Purchased from Lush in 2011 as part of a package.
Jan 05, 2021
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by robbiemoy13 from Illinois
Chocolate, vanilla, barrel. Very dark, thick color. Silky, smooth, gets even better as it warms. Slightly boozy, but still excellent.
Purchased from Lush in 2011 as part of a package.
Jan 05, 2021
5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by HIGHPA from Illinois
The best beer I ever had. I had it at the opening of the Beer Temple in Chicago a couple years after it came out. I have yet to have a better beer. Especially a BBA Stout. Thanks Beer Temple for doing that opening, I will be forever grateful.
Dec 31, 2019
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by HIGHPA from Illinois
The best beer I ever had. I had it at the opening of the Beer Temple in Chicago a couple years after it came out. I have yet to have a better beer. Especially a BBA Stout. Thanks Beer Temple for doing that opening, I will be forever grateful.
Dec 31, 2019
5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by GuyFawkes from Illinois
Bottled 11/19/10; drank 3/5/15 @ Tiny Lounge. Bottle# 7454.
Black appearance.
Almost no dark tan head; no lace.
Marshmallow, vanilla, milk chocolate & cherry nose.
Silky, medium thick mouthfeel.
Vanilla, milk chocolate, marshmallow & caramel flavors up front; booze heat & faint pineapple (?!) notes emerged as this warmed.
A truly remarkable beer that aged beautifully.
Aug 12, 2019
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by GuyFawkes from Illinois
Bottled 11/19/10; drank 3/5/15 @ Tiny Lounge. Bottle# 7454.
Black appearance.
Almost no dark tan head; no lace.
Marshmallow, vanilla, milk chocolate & cherry nose.
Silky, medium thick mouthfeel.
Vanilla, milk chocolate, marshmallow & caramel flavors up front; booze heat & faint pineapple (?!) notes emerged as this warmed.
A truly remarkable beer that aged beautifully.
Aug 12, 2019
4.66/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by miniditka77 from Illinois
Drank in 2019, bottle is about 9.5 years old at this point. Smell is chocolate and dark fruit, but oddly weak. It was hard to get much smell off of this at all. The taste followed the smell - tons of flavors swirling around, chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit, but also weaker than I would have expected. The feel is outstanding, and all of those years really smoothed it all out. Overall, great beer. Possibly a little past its prime, but it's still got it.
Apr 23, 2019
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by miniditka77 from Illinois
Drank in 2019, bottle is about 9.5 years old at this point. Smell is chocolate and dark fruit, but oddly weak. It was hard to get much smell off of this at all. The taste followed the smell - tons of flavors swirling around, chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit, but also weaker than I would have expected. The feel is outstanding, and all of those years really smoothed it all out. Overall, great beer. Possibly a little past its prime, but it's still got it.
Apr 23, 2019
4.73 by Futbolmanby from Michigan on Mar 23, 2019
4.79/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by Rristow from Ohio
Pours black with dark brown head. Lot of bourbon on aroma with boozy notes mixed with roasted malts. Thick and chewy mouthfeel. Flavors of caramel, molasses, cocoa, brown sugar, bourbon. Still a little boozy taste on finish but excellent overall.
Dec 16, 2018
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by Rristow from Ohio
Pours black with dark brown head. Lot of bourbon on aroma with boozy notes mixed with roasted malts. Thick and chewy mouthfeel. Flavors of caramel, molasses, cocoa, brown sugar, bourbon. Still a little boozy taste on finish but excellent overall.
Dec 16, 2018
4.78 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois on Nov 30, 2018
4.94 by Fireman_RK from North Carolina on Jul 09, 2018
5 by That_Bearded_Guy from California on Feb 18, 2018
5 by PrestigeWorldwide from Michigan on Feb 18, 2018
5 by edthehead from New York on Feb 11, 2018
5 by imyourhero21 from California on Dec 18, 2017
4.78 by whitenads from Michigan on Dec 17, 2017
4.75 by rspauldi from Texas on Nov 14, 2017
4.78/5 rDev -0.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by rodmanfor3 from Vermont
Take a stellar vintage of BCBS, elevate the nose and palate with scents and flavors imbued by Pappy barrels, increase the viscosity of an already thick and chewy stout, and enjoy one of the finest beers ever crafted for human consumption. There is virtually nothing wrong with this beer, even after all of these years.
It is the best beer that Goose Island has ever made. If ever you feel the need to tick a whale, this might be the best value still out there on the trade market today.
Nov 05, 2017
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by rodmanfor3 from Vermont
Take a stellar vintage of BCBS, elevate the nose and palate with scents and flavors imbued by Pappy barrels, increase the viscosity of an already thick and chewy stout, and enjoy one of the finest beers ever crafted for human consumption. There is virtually nothing wrong with this beer, even after all of these years.
It is the best beer that Goose Island has ever made. If ever you feel the need to tick a whale, this might be the best value still out there on the trade market today.
Nov 05, 2017
4.95/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
by DrinkBeard from Illinois
This is the closest thing I have had in terms of a perfect bourbon barrel aged dark beer. The mouth feel was kind of thin so I really would liked to have had it on tap. The newer Rare has nothing on this guy. When this first came out the shelves were full if it. Nobody in Chicago could justify spending $60 on a bottle of beer! Ahhh, the good old days.
Nov 04, 2017
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
by DrinkBeard from Illinois
This is the closest thing I have had in terms of a perfect bourbon barrel aged dark beer. The mouth feel was kind of thin so I really would liked to have had it on tap. The newer Rare has nothing on this guy. When this first came out the shelves were full if it. Nobody in Chicago could justify spending $60 on a bottle of beer! Ahhh, the good old days.
Nov 04, 2017
5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by fireazzi from Massachusetts
Beautiful still. Tons of barrel even almost 8 years later. Great nose, not boozy or hot at all. Nice and smooth. Pours a nice dark thick color. Really held up well.
Sep 16, 2017
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by fireazzi from Massachusetts
Beautiful still. Tons of barrel even almost 8 years later. Great nose, not boozy or hot at all. Nice and smooth. Pours a nice dark thick color. Really held up well.
Sep 16, 2017
4.84/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
by bennyman12 from Missouri
Big business. Looking at my bottle number, I lament I don't have another one of these. I've been into beer for 20 years and I missed this release. SAD!
Bottle split with 2 buddies, allongside bcbs 2011 for comparison
Aroma is rich, increasingly yeasty as it warms.
On the palate, caramely bourbon, toffee, banana, all you'd expect. The big diff between this and the bcbcs 2011 is that while that fades to fuzzy cola, this has more flesh on its backside.
It is past its prime--falling apart a bit in the body, but still super sexy. More so for still being out there.
Get it done!
Cheers!
Jun 22, 2017
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
by bennyman12 from Missouri
Big business. Looking at my bottle number, I lament I don't have another one of these. I've been into beer for 20 years and I missed this release. SAD!
Bottle split with 2 buddies, allongside bcbs 2011 for comparison
Aroma is rich, increasingly yeasty as it warms.
On the palate, caramely bourbon, toffee, banana, all you'd expect. The big diff between this and the bcbcs 2011 is that while that fades to fuzzy cola, this has more flesh on its backside.
It is past its prime--falling apart a bit in the body, but still super sexy. More so for still being out there.
Get it done!
Cheers!
Jun 22, 2017
4.74 by kylehay2004 from Illinois on Mar 12, 2017
5 by chefduff2 from New York on Mar 09, 2017
4.69 by Travitten from Iowa on Feb 21, 2017
5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by Gambyt20 from Illinois
Simply wow, Lucky to get a taste of this rare gem. After 7 there is still so much complex barrel flavor to this beer. Amazing oak, wood, old barrel, rustic, vanilla, musty in a good way nose and taste. wow!
Jan 29, 2017
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by Gambyt20 from Illinois
Simply wow, Lucky to get a taste of this rare gem. After 7 there is still so much complex barrel flavor to this beer. Amazing oak, wood, old barrel, rustic, vanilla, musty in a good way nose and taste. wow!
Jan 29, 2017
4.56 by Stardusthotel83 from Washington on Jan 18, 2017
4.92/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
by Treyliff from West Virginia
22oz bottle poured into a snifter
A- pours viscous black in color with a one-finger khaki head that eventually disappears
S- smells of mocha fudge brownies with toasted walnuts up front, followed by dark artisan chocolate, fig & dark cherry. Big oaky bourbon barrel aroma gives sweet vanilla and coconut, caramel & toffee. All elements blend brilliantly
T- opens up with huge sweet notes of dark chocolate, caramel & toffee, quickly followed by a hit of toasted walnuts. The bourbon barrel kicks in mid-palate, adding plenty of vanilla & coconut and just the right amount of bourbon. As it nears the finish, notes of dark cherry, raisin & fig pop up, along with more toffee sweetness. Lingers of a perfect blend of bourbon, caramel, chocolate and dark fruit
M- medium-thick body with low carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel and a silky finish that coats the mouth
O- quite possibly the best aged barrel aged stout I've ever had. It blends brilliantly and leaves you wanting more
Dec 17, 2016
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
by Treyliff from West Virginia
22oz bottle poured into a snifter
A- pours viscous black in color with a one-finger khaki head that eventually disappears
S- smells of mocha fudge brownies with toasted walnuts up front, followed by dark artisan chocolate, fig & dark cherry. Big oaky bourbon barrel aroma gives sweet vanilla and coconut, caramel & toffee. All elements blend brilliantly
T- opens up with huge sweet notes of dark chocolate, caramel & toffee, quickly followed by a hit of toasted walnuts. The bourbon barrel kicks in mid-palate, adding plenty of vanilla & coconut and just the right amount of bourbon. As it nears the finish, notes of dark cherry, raisin & fig pop up, along with more toffee sweetness. Lingers of a perfect blend of bourbon, caramel, chocolate and dark fruit
M- medium-thick body with low carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel and a silky finish that coats the mouth
O- quite possibly the best aged barrel aged stout I've ever had. It blends brilliantly and leaves you wanting more
Dec 17, 2016
4.63 by BEER88 from Washington on Nov 17, 2016
5 by AirborneBeer from Maryland on Nov 05, 2016
4.54 by dddddddd from Washington on Nov 04, 2016
5 by Cibsie from Minnesota on Oct 12, 2016
4.97/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by steve8robin from Massachusetts
Finally opening up my 1 bottle of 2010 Rare in celebration of my first child, a son named Micah!
A: pours black as motor oil with a small khaki colored head that disapates quickly.
S: like sniffing an awesome triple chocolate cake. Sweet notes, vanilla notes, coffee and chocolate notes, and a hint of raisin on the back. Smells like heaven!
T: coffee notes upfront quickly followed by chocolate brownie smothered in fudge. A slight dryness on the backend and oh so smooth! Man, did those barrels and holding onto the bottle for 6 years do wonders for this beer! Like pouring chocolate fudge over molten lava cake!
F: so thick, but never cloying. Sweet but not overly sweet.
O: this beer is definitely magical! I'm so glad I waited so long before cracking this one. I've had it for so long that I can't even really remember getting it, hah. If you get the chance to try this beer at least once, cancel you vacation to Italy and do it!!
Oct 08, 2016
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by steve8robin from Massachusetts
Finally opening up my 1 bottle of 2010 Rare in celebration of my first child, a son named Micah!
A: pours black as motor oil with a small khaki colored head that disapates quickly.
S: like sniffing an awesome triple chocolate cake. Sweet notes, vanilla notes, coffee and chocolate notes, and a hint of raisin on the back. Smells like heaven!
T: coffee notes upfront quickly followed by chocolate brownie smothered in fudge. A slight dryness on the backend and oh so smooth! Man, did those barrels and holding onto the bottle for 6 years do wonders for this beer! Like pouring chocolate fudge over molten lava cake!
F: so thick, but never cloying. Sweet but not overly sweet.
O: this beer is definitely magical! I'm so glad I waited so long before cracking this one. I've had it for so long that I can't even really remember getting it, hah. If you get the chance to try this beer at least once, cancel you vacation to Italy and do it!!
Oct 08, 2016
5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by mig100 from Texas
Bottled on 11/19/2010. Consumed on 10/2/2016. Bottle #1738.
My god... BCBS heightened to perfection.
There are only a few beers in the world that could be considered perfect, this is one of them.
Oct 03, 2016
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
by mig100 from Texas
Bottled on 11/19/2010. Consumed on 10/2/2016. Bottle #1738.
My god... BCBS heightened to perfection.
There are only a few beers in the world that could be considered perfect, this is one of them.
Oct 03, 2016
4.74 by mattsander from Canada (AB) on Sep 27, 2016
5 by winningwes91 from North Carolina on Aug 28, 2016
5 by clausm76 from Texas on Aug 07, 2016
4.85/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
by KaeF from Netherlands
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.
Jul 22, 2016
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
by KaeF from Netherlands
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.
Jul 22, 2016
4.62/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by zoober911 from New York
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.
Jul 07, 2016
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
by zoober911 from New York
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.
Jul 07, 2016
Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout (2010) from Goose Island Beer Co.
Beer rating:
100 out of
100 with
1394 ratings