Bourbon County Brand 30th Anniversary Reserve Stout
Goose Island Beer Co.

500ml bottle, 2022 release, poured into a stemless wine glass.

The beer pours a great jet black color, thick and viscous, super opaque with a finger of khaki head that dissipates immediately yielding no lacing but a thin layer of film around the circumference of the glass. The aroma is nice, loads of charred oak, earthy and musty, lots of toasted coconut, bittersweet dark chocolate, stone fruits, light vanilla, and strong fusel bourbon spirit. The flavors are good, smooth dark chocolate, rich and luscious with early stone fruits, hot bourbon spirit, charred oak, plenty of earthy and chewy oak, leather, tobacco, toasted coconut, lingering bourbon heat. The mouthfeel is great, coating, lively but smooth heavier medium body that finishes easily with a hot bite.

Verdict: A nice version of BCBS from Goose Island. It's more hotter and more barrel forward than the standard product and feels a bit more rough around the edges, but the layers of flavor are great and the beer feels really dynamic.

Look - black and thick with a nice tan head
Smell and taste - so much woody barrel with chocolate malts, vanilla and some dark fruit in the back
Feel - full body with a lighter carb
Overall - outstanding

 

500 mL bottle into a snifter

Dark brown ale, sludgy with no head. Oaky nose with wafts of burnt sugar, suggestions of unsweetened cocoa.

Rich and nuanced on the palate, but quite singular and smooth. Besides the standard BBA oaky, caramelly aspects, notes of candied raisin and vanilla and tobacco. There’s a grainy, floral undertone as the sip closes with a long, sweet finish.

Quite a remarkable brew. Would’ve been ‘the best beer in the world’ 10 years ago, but that’s all meaningless at this point.

Splurged for an occasion. Drinking this in Feb 2026, so it is a few years old, I imagine the ABV is a bit higher.

Pour is ordinary, not too much head very dark deep brown color. When you swirl it a bit, you can see the light carbonation.

A bit of nose - slight sweet smell.

Absolutely smooth. Creamy, soft, excellent balance for a stout.

A top beer.

 

2022 vintage.
16.9oz bottle with a best by date of 27JUL27. Opened 2/1/26.
Thin tan head with short retention ends up as a ring on a black imperial stout body. Some spotty, slippery lacing.
Rich chocolate fudge brownie aroma. Wood is prominent along with some high toned bourbon booziness.
Big dark fudgy notes intertwined with some vanilla, brown sugar, wet coconut, and a kiss of bourbon.
Full body, slick and round mouthfeel. Abrasive tannin-like feel across the tongue initially.
Rich, malty, roasty, woody, and lengthy finish with a touch of lingering sweetness.
Iron fist in a velvet glove. Delicious powerhouse of a beer.
Can't be sure but I feel like I opened this at a close to perfect time.
World-Class

 

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. 3 year old properly cellared bottle. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a fizzy, thin dark khaki head that dissipates to sparse patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, bourbon, bakers chocolate dried plums and hints of vanilla and oak. Flavor is dark toasted malt, bourbon, bakers chocolate, dried plums, vanilla and oak.. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess; very nice mouth feel. A very rich and full bodied barreled stout. Excellent bourbon and barrel character with some dark fruit and vanilla. As with many of these specialty barrel treatments, I'm not able to taste the nuances of the different barrels, as a matter of fact it's been a long time since I've had Jim Beam and it was certainly the base version. While this has all the depth and barrel notes I expect from BCBS, it does seem to have more flavor depth, but it may be the impression of the fancy box and all. Delicious and I'm glad I got it. Another find in the basement that should have tasted years ago, but was "saved for a special occasion", which turns out to be Christmas, 2026, and a worthy stout for that. These things age like beasts; it's amazing. I get no oxidation or other over-age flaws at all. Only flaw is the fizzy pour and lack of head; otherwise looks, smells and tastes fabulous.

 

 

 

 

 

It didn't form head nor foam nor film when poured into a snifter from my 2022 cellar.
It does have a Jim Beam bourbon barrel nose that says nothing else is needed.
The flavor is decadent dark fruit, chocolate, vanilla and cherry in a creamy mouthfeel.
There's finesse in the finish with just a little ABV heat.
That's fine with me.

Purchased at a local Binny's. Almost black pour, nice light brown head. Nose gets booze and chocolate. Flavor is similar, some dark fruit and molasses. Thick body, creamy. Glad this was half price.