I have had a couple of these in the basement for a couple of years. Last night seemed like a good night to try one. Wish I had had a couple of chocolate chip cookies to go along with it.
2007 Bourbon County Stout
Goose Island Brewing, Chicago, IL
Style: Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout
Serving Style: 12 oz. Bottle
Aroma: A big hit of bourbon whiskey with some chocolaty roast and vanilla. Sweet alcohol fumes round it all out. The gigantic aroma jumped out of my snifter and just about knocked me down.
Appearance: Blacker than black. Almost no head, but maintained a fine mist of dark tan foam on the surface.
Flavor: Chocolaty roast is dominant, like burnt bittersweet chocolate or the cookie part of an Oreo. Alcohol is a major player here, but sweet, not solventy. These are complemented by a mix of light smoke, vanilla, wood, caramel, and molasses. This is one hugely flavorful beer, but smooth. It has a remarkably dry finish, but one that lingers on forever.
Mouthfeel: Thick, rich, creamy. A big boned beer that remains drinkable because of the dry finish. Low carbonation.
Overall Impression: After two years in the bottle this was a fantastic beer. Could probably still take a couple more years of aging as the alcohol is a bit intense for my taste. I’m not a fan of big, thick Imperial Stouts, so the dry finish on this one made it nicely drinkable. It’s a sipper though. At 13% ABV it will mess you up.
I had the chance to sample this beer (though of different vintage) when Stub & Herbs had their Goose Island night. I expected the Night Stalker Stout (part of the FultonWood Draft Series) to be the standout of the night but upon sampling the Bourbon County Stout I was simply blown away. I would concur the alcohol is definitely a bit too prevalent in the flavor but considering the ABV it comes as no real surprise. I’m sure it ages wonderfully and would be interested to see what happens after a number of years of further aging. Solid review, Cheers.
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