Bourbon County Beer Tasting

Last weekend my brother brought some beers to my parents for a little tasting. I'm familiar with Goose Island, a craft beer company based in Chicago as I've been to their Wrigleyville location for lunch (back in 2006) and I was handed one of their 312 beers at the finish line of the Chicago Marathon. I love their unique beers, so I was more than happy to see the Bourbon County Stout ready and waiting.

Goose Island's "extreme ales" are aged in bourbon barrels - hence the name and the distinct caramel flavor. These beers are so flavorful, and very rich. They are sipping beers, meant to be enjoyed slowly, as to taste all the different flavors. They're also very high in alcohol, so there's only so much you can drink in one sitting.

I have listed them below in order of which I liked best. All of the beers were fantastic. It was great to be able to try some new to me (Rare and Vanilla) flavors. It was also special that the Rare had a hand-written number on it (we sampled beer 3093), showing you just how few of these bottles were brewed and distributed.

The Stout was my favorite. I've tried this beer before, so I knew I would like it. The strong caramel and dark chocolate flavors are outstanding. The second beer, the Rare, tasted similar to the Stout yet had a more intense, deep flavor. These beers are aged in the bourbon barrels for up to two years! The third beer, Vanilla, was my least favorite. I thought it didn't hold up against the other two beers. I also didn't love the vanilla undertones in the beer. We took our time drinking the last two beers, as the Rare and the Vanilla are no longer in production.

If you're ever at the liquor store looking for something different, I highly recommend Bourbon County Stout. Around $13 for a bottle, it's a high alcohol content beer that's reasonably priced. It's a great stout with a strong caramel and chocolate flavor, that's good alone or paired with a favorite dessert. Perfect for a Friday night at home!


Bourbon County Stout

Style: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout*
Alcohol by Volume: 13%
International Bitterness Units: 60
Color: Midnight
Hops: Willamette
Malt: 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, Debittered Black

Bourbon County Rare
 Style: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout*
Alcohol by Volume: 13%
International Bitterness Units: 60
Color: Midnight
Hops: Willamette
Malt: 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, Debittered Black

Bourbon County Vanilla

Style: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Vanilla Stout*
Alcohol by Volume: 13%
International Bitterness Units: 60
Color: Midnight
Hops: Willamette
Malt: 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, Debittered Black 


 
*this information taken from the Goose Island website