Cherry Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout
Goose Island Beer Co.

Rristow from Ohio

4.69/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Tasted from bottle. Pours black with slight beige head. Aroma of bourbon and cherry. Thick and chewy with a nice cherry flavor. Caramel, spicy rye, molasses. Awesome beer.

Feb 02, 2019

rodmanfor3 from Vermont

4.49/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sweet cherry on the palate (without the candied/medicinal flavors that accompany similar stouts), great rye barrel treatment to compliment the fruit flavor, and finishing with a less vibrant Backyard Rye type chocolate bitterness.

Jun 10, 2018

yesterdayfaraway from Missouri

4.54/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

S: tart cherries, and slight bourbon.
T: very tart cherries, chocolate, bourbon,
F: sticky and smooth.
O: great cherry Ba stout, but more tart than jammy sweetness.

Mar 25, 2017

CityFarmer from Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Outstanding beer that has held on well over the years. Not quite as good as backyard, but still superbly balanced. Cherry meets bourbon meets chocolate.

Mar 14, 2017

eppie82 from Illinois

4.69/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

From bottle into chalice.

Dark deep brown liquid with no foam head upon pour. Aroma, even after 5 years has some bourbon presence with an underlying cherry note. The cherry became more evident as it warmes. Taste is that typical bourbon county nutty, deep roastes malts but with well balance of cherry. The aftertaste is smooth and the cherry really comes out in a jammy kind of feel. It's very important to note that this didn't taste like medicinal cherry flavor, but was really more like cherry jam. The mouthfell was sticky.

Overall, a very good BC variant which held up better than expected after 5 years. It reminded me a good bit of Backyard Rye with how well the fruit flavor was balanced with the bourbon and the base beer. And even though I still prefer the Backyard Rye to Cherry Rye, I wouldn't call this anything but a great beer.

Jan 30, 2017

GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottled 11/12/12; drank 6/26/15 @ Golgi Apparatus.

Black/purple appearance.

Almost no tan head; almost no lace.

Sweet AND tart cherry & rich marshmallow notes in the nose.

Thick mouthfeel.

Rich cherry flavor up front; strong marshmallow notes on the finish. Milk chocolate notes emerged as this warmed; no booze heat. Over two years in this is still a cherry forward monster. Delicious.

Dec 30, 2016

winningwes91 from North Carolina

5/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is probably the next best thing to prop 14. Pours typical bc motor oil. Smells like a cherry fudge with spirit and a nice spice character. The taste is a cherry cordial soaked in whiskey and coffee. Delicious.

Jun 11, 2016

Stevem68 from Ohio

4.48/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a midnight black color with a small moch head. Aroma is big and boozy with sweetness and dark cherry. Flavor is really nice, it follows the nose and the dark cherry flavor compliments the sweetness of the beer. Has a soft smooth finish and overall this is delicious.

May 06, 2016

Gambyt20 from Illinois

5/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

DLD bottle share. WOW! What a perfect complimentary duo of cherry and bourbon. This works so well for me, variants seemed slightly thicker from the cherries and slight but not overpowering sweetness marries so well with bourbon and stout.

May 01, 2016

socon67 from New York

5/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'm finally giving a 5 rating. This 2012 offering pours a thick black color and coats the snifter with a thin slickness, underscoring a richness and depth of what it will taste like. There is a slight reddish hue. Scents of bourbon, maraschino cherries, and chocolate notes hit the nose immediately.

Beer is splendidly complex. Rich cherry notes perfectly align with the bourbon flavors that GI consistently churns out in their BCBS line. The addition of rye notes gives a bite that plays off the warming burn in the finish just right. I really cannot find anything I don't like in this beer. The bottle was split 4 ways, and I could have had more.

I think the aging and the liquid itself worked out perfect, and thus the score. This is as good as it gets for me. I enjoy complexity in my imperial stouts. I have now seen the top of the mountain and all that left is to find another peak. Cheers!

Feb 21, 2016

bowzer4birdie from Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 11/12/12 and poured into my BCS 2015 snifter. Been sitting on this one since I acquired it almost 2 years ago so today (for whatever reason) was the day! Slightly oxidized and the rye barrel influence has faded no doubt but still subtle presence. Michigan cherries still might tasty, though!

Jan 30, 2016

rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.72/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Black colored pour, small head on it, super thin, almost no lace/retention to speak of. Aroma was booze and cough syrup heavy kind of cherry. Not good cherry.

Flavor drops lots of sugar on the tongue, still seems like the booziest of all bourbon counties. Oak is overwhelmed. Fragmented tartness, this comes off as way darker cherry than the tart ones though. Low smooth carbonation that is on point for what it is (but also continues to make me think cough syrup at times). My least favorite bourbon county beer.

Dec 09, 2015

zoober911 from New York

4.29/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

L - Pours dark as night. Has a red, brown hue to it. Once in the glass, it almost appears more similar to a barley wine. Little to no head. Small ring of bubbles cling the circumference of the glass.

S - Very little bourbon left on the nose after a few years in the bottle. Cherry, chocolate, roasted notes.

T - Unbelievable amount of cherry presence still. Chocolate covered cherry tartness. Some bourbon, but it has faded. Definite rye spice follows the chocolate covered cherries.

F - As smooth as any of the Bourbon County series. Low carb, soft on the tongue.

O - Overall, this was a nice offering. I would have liked to try it when it was fresh to compare, but happy I had the opportunity. Thanks to a cool BA for helping me out :)

Dec 06, 2015

PHBoiler from Illinois

4.44/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Goose Island Rare Day. Very interesting version of BCBS. The cherries cut right through the middle of the flavor profile with a rounded tartness and sweetness. Like a chocolate covered cherry. Still some bourbon notes and hints of rye spice. Very complex BCBS.

Nov 16, 2015

FFreak from Vermont

4.84/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Thanks to BoldRulerVT again for pulling this one out of his cellar after aging it for 3 years. Shared around a campfire on Halloween night. Poured into teku and tulip glasses.

Pours a thick, oily black with a reddish edge showing when lifted up to the light. Has a very slight tan head, that dissipates leaving almost nothing.

The smell is amazing - cherries right off the bat followed by whiskey and chocolate.

Taste is sweet whiskey-laden cherries buried in chocolate and brown sugar. Just a tinge sweet, but not cloying. Super tasty sipper.

Mouth feel is perfect for a huge, high-ABV stout. Full bodied, silky, chewy, with lingering booziness.

Overall, a fantastic beer and quite a treat, which apparently will never be enjoyed again.

Nov 01, 2015

BoldRulerVT from Vermont

4.88/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This beer was enjoyed with family and friends outside around a campfire in Vermont on Halloween.
Poured from the 22oz bottle into a snifter.
Pours a thick jet black with barely any head. What head there is a deep caramel color.
Aromas are deep dark roasted malt, whiskey and zing of cherries.
Taste is huge and incredible. Chocolate, whiskey, cherries and deep roasted malts abound. Incredible cherry flavor without being cloying.
Mouthfeel is perfect as with all BCBS. Silky and thick. Just right.
Overall this bee is incredible. Perfectly crafted with complex, deep flavors.
Only thing that could have helped with rating would be more head and maybe a touch more intense aromas.
It's damn near a perfect beer.

Nov 01, 2015

GreesyFizeek from New York

3.94/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Curran the other night, thanks man.

This one pours a dark, oily looking black, with a very small head, and no lacing.

Smells like fudgy chocolate, sweet rye whiskey, a bit of sweet cherry, and some caramel.

The cherry is way more subtle than I would've expected, but I guess that's the age on this, 2012. There's the typical fudge, vanilla, and caramel that you expect from Bourbon County, with a lighter amount of rye whiskey also than I'd expect. Don't get me wrong, this tastes really nice, it was enjoyable, but it's not up to the usual standard that you expect from Bourbon County. Probably one of the lesser variants.

This is pretty thick bodied, a bit oily and syrupy, with a lower level of carbonation.

Definitely tasty, but a little bit disappointing.

Oct 19, 2015

deadsincebirth from Illinois

4.34/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Looks black with red tinge. Smells of cherries and rye. Rye spiciness up front with some cherry on the backend. Feel is of big spiciness mellowed by chocolate and cherry. Overall needs more cherry to balance out.

Aug 28, 2015

Marguerite from Indiana

4.99/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the best beer that I have ever had. Everything about it is spot on. It's still got the bourbon taste but the cherry flavor adds just the right amount of sweetness. If you ever see this bottle available for trade do it.

Aug 13, 2015

Domvan from Texas

4.79/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Tastes like a delicious cherry chocolate boozy cake, this beer is fantastic and I would of definitely snagged a bunch of these when it came out. This aged amazing too

Jul 07, 2015

KaeF from Netherlands

4.52/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great beer, but the cherry isn't that outspoken as I would've expected. There is a slight hint of it in the beer, but I would have liked it to be more present. Nevertheless is this still an awesome beer.

Jun 26, 2015

mctizzz from California

4.07/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Great stout that was made not so great with the infusion of some off-brand cherry cough syrup. I was given fair warning, but I could not resist my compulsion to try every BCBS variant. Not worth the cost of admission, worst variant to date. Still scored above a 4 because the rating system is silly, if I was to give it a raw, 1 number score it would be 3.75ish.

May 11, 2015

stakem from Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured into a matching BCBS snifter. The brew appears black in color with a dark brown head that is quick to fade.

The nose is filled with cherry and chocolate. Subtle whiskey accent along with vanilla and caramel. A strong cherry character is present smelling natural and pitted, bordering on over-ripe juiciness.

The taste includes a lot of over-ripe pitted cherries. Somewhat earthen with chocolate, roast, vanilla and caramel. It gets boozy and nearly medicinal as it warms up.

This is medium to full bodied with modest carbonation. A surprising amount of tart cherry quality that is mildly medicinal at times but well blended and enjoyable. Would not mind having this again but doubt id be willing to give up what it would take.

Mar 26, 2015

SportsandJorts from Virginia

4.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: pours a dark walnut color. some reddish hues and brightness around the edges. small tan head forms but has a weak retention. dark and opaque.

Smell: cherry pie, whisky, chocolate and brown sugar.

Taste: opens with cherry and strong booze. chocolate and brown sugar round out the opening flavor. dark fruits come in along with a strong whisky. Booziness comes out throughout the taste

Mouthfeel: alcohol burn. thick and viscous. quite a bit of sweetness.

Overall: out of the bourbon county tasting night (all bottles from 08-14) the year one off is always the highlight. the berry ryes are all killer and this in no exception. the berries all hold up much better than the other flavored ones.

Mar 14, 2015

HartsyThaiFood from Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Had on tap at the Hopleaf.

Look is black as night, but also transparent and red when looked at on certain angles.

Smell filled with strong black cherry and chocolate notes.

The taste of this thing is fantastic. Chocolate covered cherries with no boozy burn. Extremely drinkable for a 13% beer.

Feel is very smooth. Not complaints on that end.

All in all, it lived up to the hype and then some. Glad I finally go to check this off my list of wants. Would obviously drink again if it somehow fell in to my lap.

Feb 01, 2015