When was Goose Island Bourbon County Stout first bottled

I know for a fact it was bottled in 2008, because I was able to sample some in beer class this fall and got to keep the bottle. Outside of that, I have no idea (but I'm sure somewhere does and has a full collection of bottles).

 

It goes back at least to 2005. The labels are white and use a font that looks like cursive, but they are paper labels, not engraved/etched. 2006/7/8 have the year on the "neck" label, and 2005 doesn't. At least that's the best I can gather.

 

paging @jesskidden

EDIT: a certain beer tracking app is showing bottles from 2005. looks like they were using regular calendar dates back then.

 

I believe 2005 was the first year. There was no date printed on the neck label. There is 2006 printed on the 2006 neck label, 2007, etc.

 

This is what the 2007 bottle looks like. Drank this last year. It was still good as ever. Not sure when it was first brewed but I believe it was early 2000's.

 

Another point to show it was at least 2003....look up the first BA review and it's from 2003 by a guy in CA.

 

Make sure you consider the "Serving Type" noted by each reviewer.

- Joe

 

2003 and 2004 were unmarked staff releases only 2005 was the first distribution.

 

I have an '06-'13 vertical. Need an '05... heard rumors about '04 but have never seen one.

 

Correct. It's been on draft since 1992. First hyper-limited bottling was in 2003....so limited I believe all they did for the label was turn a Honker's Ale label inside-out, tape it to the bottle, and write "Bourbon County" on it. There used to be pictures of it floating around here. The first commercial bottling was 2005.

All of the labels from 2005 through 2008 looked like this:







The current labels were adopted in 2009; this was also the year they switched to the current labels for Matilda and Pere Jacques.

Note the year on the above picture, now note the year on this picture:



There were actually two bottlings in 2009, one 12oz/355ml in four-packs (pictured above) and one 22oz/650ml:




Every other Bourbon County Brand Stout (regular) bottling has been 12oz/355ml bottles.

 

Went to a tasting in January 05-13 BCBS and every variant. 05-06 were almost undrinkable

 

I haven't waxed and taken a pic with the '13 yet.

 

I find that VERY hard to believe. I just cracked open and shared a 2004 Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock on Valentines Day. It wasn't as amazing as it was a few years ago, but it was still pretty damn good for a 5.8% beer that was 10 years old!
I had an '07 BCBS just last fall and it was friggin' UNREAL!!! I can only speak to how I cellar (not closet/shelve/leave out in the sun on a windowsill or on my fireplace mantel... yeah, I've seen too many peoples "Cellars") my beer. I can't imagine any properly cellared BCBS being undrinkable.

 

That's what I always remembered.

 

05 and 06 were oxidized pretty badly the 07 was still drinking fantastic as were the rest

 

I miss the OG labels that Goose used before they switched everything in 2009

 

couldn't agree more. The original Matilda label was my favorite, with the tale behind the foundation of the monastery where they brew Orval. Orval and Matilda used to be nearly identical side by side, I wonder if increased production has changed that.

 

Wow !! Beautiful. Let us know how it goes. I'm still happy though. I've heard BCBS is as good as it's ever been.