What beer are you drinking now? #4458

...you're the best, man...!!!...I even will journey to CA to hookup with you to do Heady verticals (with Tired Hands chasers) and reminisce about our days together in the bad bush...

 

Not too bad! About to get back to work after a wonderful holiday break (which included several fantastic cigars for me, as well - including Paragas and Nub habano wrappers). Looking forward to either starting my last series of deliveries in about a year, or moving into "chair management" for a few more years before calling it a career.

 

...ooh, uh, you know, 'moving up' to retail management has killed many a good person's soul...then again, good captain's of industry are few and far between...best wishes to you...

 

Goose Island Brewing Co. -- Bourbon County Brand Stout
The original bourbon barrel aged stout
ABV: 14.7%; pouring temperature: 45.3%; bottling info: 2024, DRINK BY 06JUN29
Source: birthday gift from my neighbors Martin and Dani
Auxiliary vices: Wild Turkey -- Kentucky Spirit - Single Barrel; CAO -- Amazon Basin - Anejo le Toro



Revisited January 03rd, 2025

Clear yet very dark brown color, looks near-black in the glass; thin, fizzy, khaki hued head, quickly renders to a thin patchy appearance. Very nice smell full of roasted and charred grains with chocolate overtones. Big chocolate and whiskey flavor; elements of tobacco juice and dark pitted fruits; black licorice. Heavy body yet a little thin; lots of bourbon heat; mild stickiness on the palate.

BCBS is still a very fine beer, but I'm inclined to think the 2024 release doesn't quite measure up to past iterations. As noted above, the mouthfeel comes across a bit weak, and I personally feel the depth and complexity of the flavor just aren't there. Still compared to many barrel-aged imperial stouts, this one would still stand-out.

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Revisited February 2nd, 2024 (2019 version)

3.5 4.25 4.75 4.5 4.25; BA weighted overall score: 4.43; rDev: -3.7%

Typical ink black pour and appearance in the glass; sparse head, basically a thin ring of brown foam encircling the inside of the glass. Splendid aroma; dark and sweet chocolate; figs; tobacco; cocoa powder. The taste amps up the smell characters and adds a fine, boozy note; bourbon. Heavy, sludgy mouthfeel; semi-sticky; outstanding alcohol warmth.

This aged edition is head and shoulders better than the recent 2022 edition I tried. In fact, I seem to enjoy it more than the 2019 edition I reviewed January 15th, 2020.

ABV: 14.7%; pouring temperature: 51 °F; bottling info: 2019 DRINK BY 25JUNE24

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Ratings and score with brief notes: 3.25 3.5 4.0 4.0 3.75; BA weighted overall score: 3.79; rDev: -17.6%

Dark, clear, garnet body; virtually no head. Dark, imperial stout notes in the smell, yet low-key. Very nice rich imperial stout flavor notes; deep, rich, roasted grain notes with a fairly bold presence of bourbon barrel; dark, bitter chocolate; cocoa and brown sugar tones. Heavy body yet seems rather thin for the style and the hype; mild stickiness.

This definitely is the weakest iteration of the beer I've experienced over the years. Good? Sure? Enjoyable? Yes. World class and extraordinary? No way. In a nutshell, this is indistinguishable from many other barrel aged imperial stouts. I don't recall what I paid for this bottle, but it was fair. And so is the beer.

Pouring temperature: 43 °F; bottling info: 2022
Source: local purchase

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Another visit 11-29-20 (2020 version)

Ratings scores: 3.75 4.0 4.5 4.5 4.25; BA weighted overall score: 4.29; rDev: -6.7%

Looks and smell remain much the same from 2019. The taste is much the same, but doesn't strike me as quite nearing it's previous 4.75 rating from me; still pretty outstanding. The mouthfeel is what I perceive as this year's improvement; heavy and silky, soft and delicately smooth.

Yes, the basic variant is still outstanding across the board. It exudes balance and complexity while wrapping everything in a smooth and luscious body. Still world class? Yes. A must have? Hmm, yeah. The be-all and end-all of American imperial stouts? It still makes a strong argument for its current BA 100 point world-class rating. I'm not arguing with that fact.

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Revisited 01-15-20 (2019 version)

Ratings: 3.75 4.0 4.75 4.25 4.25

The looks remain much the same, rather thin yet lasting head. Nothing new with the smell, taste, or feel.

Still tasting mighty fine and better than any of the varietals I've tried this year (actually just the Bourbon County Brand Café de Olla Stout is all I've had so far).

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Re-reviewed September 10th, 2017

Ratings: 3.75 4.0 4.75 4.25 4.25

2015 Vintage, ABV of 13.7%

Ink black body with a thin yet lasting head. Solid, enticing aroma; lots of esters and roasted grain goodness; fruity. Big, dark grain sweetness dosed with cocoa and bitter chocolate; subtle booziness; dark fruit notes. Heavy body; rich and full.

Some individual rating improvements yet my overall impression remains the same.

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Ratings: 3.5 4.0 4.75 4.0 4.25

Coal-black body with a thin yet lasting tan head. Deep, rich roasted grain scent infused with noticeable bourbon undertone and touches of fudge and milk chocolate. Sweet and boozy are the first taste impressions; loads of chocolate and cocoa. Heavy bodied; velvety and smooth on the palate.

Everything comes across top-notch with this heavy-hitting stout with the relatively minor quibble about a thin head. But, I'm not into beer primarily for its looks, but its flavor, and this monster in incredible! It's a black mystery at first look and then the first (and subsequent) sips reveal all the underlying depth and complexity of robust dark malts, a well-balanced big booze presence that does not overwhelm things, the whole thing being deep and complex yet easily satisfying.

 

...many thanks...Mrs. BeerGoot is treating me to a birthday supper at at a local Greek / American restaurant for one of my favorite lamb and orzo dishes and some Greek beers...life is good...