Bourbon County Brand Stout

Bourbon County Stout

This is a very rich stout out of Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago.  For their 1000th batch they decided that rather than throw a party, they’d brew a big batch of stout.  Aged in Oak Bourbon barrels for 100 days and the result is quite possibly the richest stout on the planet.

Pour:

It flows out of the bottle a bit like silky smooth thick syrup.  Not much of a head but just a thin tan foamy crust if you will.  I feel that if you let this one sit, which you’d never do, it would begin to crystallize.

Appearance:

It is as black as it gets.  As dark a beer as I’ve ever seen.  No light can penetrate.

Aroma:

It has a beautiful festive aroma with bourbon caramel and smoky oak vanilla sweetness.

Taste:

Rich and delicious.  It has a complex roasted smokey wood, caramel, bourbon and vanilla malt flavor.  As the brewmaster, Greg Hall, states on the label “It overpowers anything in the room.  People have even said it’s a great cigar beer.  But I have yet to try a cigar that can stand up”.

Drinkability:

For a thick stout that has an alcohol content of 13% it is incredibly easy going down.  Quite the treat tasting nearly like a fine dessert.  It’s rich sweet yet smokey flavor is unlike anything I’ve had before and comes through well balanced.  The powerful sweet nature is offset by the strong charred presence.  Very well done indeed!

Tasting Method: 12oz Bottle

My Rating : 9