Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Cherries Jubilee Stout 500ML

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Cherries Jubilee Stout 500ML is a 14.5% ABV barrel-aged imperial stout blended with Montmorency cherries, citrus, and panela in a 500ml bottle. This release marks the first time cognac barrels have been used in the 30-plus-year history of the Bourbon County Stout program, earning a 94 score on BeerAdvocate.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.5%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois, USA  |  Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Goose Island Beer Company

Production & Heritage

Goose Island Beer Company, founded in 1988 in Chicago, pioneered the bourbon barrel-aged stout category with its original Bourbon County Stout in 1992. Cherries Jubilee begins as a wheat-containing imperial stout base aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels before undergoing a secondary finish in cognac barrels — a first for the Bourbon County lineup. The finished beer is then blended with Montmorency tart cherries, citrus, and panela (an unrefined cane sugar), creating a layered expression that bridges the bourbon-barrel stout tradition with French brandy influence.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dark cherry leads immediately, followed by waves of cocoa, vanilla bean, and a subtle bourbon warmth. A faint cognac fruitiness and dried orange peel linger underneath.

Taste: The entry is thick and fudgy with bittersweet chocolate and roasted malt, transitioning at mid-palate into sweet-tart Montmorency cherry and raisin. The peak brings Valencia orange peel, coffee bean, and a brown-sugar sweetness from the panela, while the cognac barrel influence adds a gentle grape-skin depth that distinguishes this from the standard Bourbon County profile.

Finish: Long, smooth, and warming with semisweet chocolate, charred peach, and sustained cherry fruit. Oak tannins from the double-barrel treatment provide structure without astringency, and the final impression is one of rich dried fruit and gentle barrel char.

How to Drink Cherries Jubilee Stout

Pour into a snifter or tulip glass at 50–55°F to let the cognac barrel character and cherry aromatics fully express themselves. This is a sipping stout best enjoyed neat, though it holds up remarkably well to slow warming in the glass. For cocktail-curious drinkers: try a Stout Float with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, where the cherry and chocolate notes become dessert-like; a Black Manhattan riff using a small measure in place of sweet vermouth for deep fruit complexity; or a Chocolate Cherry Espresso Martini where the stout adds body and tart cherry brightness alongside coffee liqueur.

Best For

• Sharing after a holiday dinner as a dessert course replacement
• Gifting a craft beer collector who follows the annual Bourbon County release cycle
• Pairing with a chocolate dessert tasting alongside friends
• Cellaring for one to two years to observe how the cognac and cherry character evolves

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cherries Jubilee Stout taste like? It leads with fudgy bittersweet chocolate and roasted malt, then opens into sweet-tart cherry, raisin, orange peel, and coffee, with cognac-driven fruit depth throughout. The finish is long and warming with semisweet chocolate, oak, and lingering cherry.

How does Cherries Jubilee compare to Bourbon County Brand Original Stout? The Original is aged exclusively in bourbon barrels and presents a more straightforward chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon profile without fruit additions. Cherries Jubilee layers in cognac barrel complexity plus Montmorency cherry, citrus, and panela, giving it a distinctly fruit-forward and slightly sweeter character.

Is Cherries Jubilee Stout good for sipping neat? At 14.5% ABV with dense barrel character and fruit complexity, this stout is purpose-built for slow, contemplative sipping from a snifter at cellar temperature. It rewards patience as it warms, revealing new layers of cherry, cognac, and chocolate.

Where is Cherries Jubilee Stout made? It is brewed by Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois. Goose Island has been producing its annual Bourbon County Stout variants in Chicago since the original release in 1992.

What foods pair well with Cherries Jubilee Stout? Dark chocolate truffles complement the cocoa and cherry notes; cherry clafoutis mirrors the Montmorency fruit character; aged Gouda offers salty-sweet contrast to the malt richness; duck confit with a cherry reduction echoes the stout's fruit-forward profile; and crème brûlée pairs well with the vanilla and caramelized sugar elements from the barrel aging.

What sizes does Cherries Jubilee Stout come in? This release is available in a 500ml bottle, which is the standard format for Bourbon County Stout special variants.

Is Cherries Jubilee Stout worth the price? It positions as a limited, premium variant within the Bourbon County lineup, and the unique double-barrel process using cognac casks — a first for the brand — plus the Montmorency cherry and panela additions place it firmly in the specialty-release tier. A 94 score on BeerAdvocate supports its standing among top barrel-aged stouts.

Why Cherries Jubilee Stout?

The defining achievement here is the cognac barrel finish, a technique never before applied in over three decades of Bourbon County Stout production. That process adds a layer of grape-skin fruit and brandy warmth that no other expression in the lineup delivers. Combined with whole Montmorency cherries, fresh citrus, and panela, this variant occupies its own space — darker and more complex than a fruit-forward sour, more nuanced than a standard barrel-aged cherry stout. With a BeerAdvocate score of 94 and strong community ratings on Untappd, Cherries Jubilee has quickly earned recognition as one of the more distinctive releases in the modern Bourbon County portfolio.