Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Chocolate Praline Stout 500ML

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Chocolate Praline Stout 500ML is a 14.6% ABV bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout brewed with cocoa nibs, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, and dates. Rated 96 on BeerAdvocate, this limited annual release from the brewery that pioneered bourbon barrel-aged beer delivers an extraordinarily dense, dessert-forward drinking experience rooted in three decades of barrel-aging expertise.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.6%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois, USA  |  Style: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Goose Island Beer Company

Production & Heritage

Goose Island Beer Company opened as a brewpub in Chicago in 1988 and is the oldest currently operating brewing company in Illinois, now owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev since 2011. The original Bourbon County Stout debuted in 1992 after Jim Beam supplied the brewery with used bourbon barrels — making it one of the first bourbon barrel-aged beers ever produced. The Chocolate Praline variant begins with that foundational barrel-aged stout, then layers in a blend of cocoa nibs, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, and dates to amplify the chocolate, caramel, and roasted nut character already inherent in the base beer. The barrels age in warehouses exposed to Chicago's natural temperature swings — cold winters followed by hot, humid summers — forcing liquid in and out of the barrel staves and extracting deep bourbon and oak flavors.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Cocoa powder and toasted nuts dominate the nose immediately, followed by waves of caramel and warming bourbon. A subtle dried fruit sweetness from the dates emerges as the beer opens up in the glass.

Taste: The entry is rich dark chocolate that coats the palate instantly. At mid-palate, layered sweetness builds with caramel and date, while almond and cashew provide a savory, praline-like nuttiness that anchors the profile. The bourbon barrel character weaves throughout, adding vanilla, soft oak, and a gentle boozy warmth that never overwhelms despite the 14.6% ABV.

Finish: Dense and remarkably long, with lingering cocoa, soft oak tannins, and a trailing nuttiness. The mouthfeel is full-bodied and slightly viscous, with low carbonation that reinforces the dessert-like weight.

How to Drink Chocolate Praline Stout

Pour into a snifter or tulip glass at cellar temperature (50–55°F) and let it warm slightly to release the full aromatic complexity. This beer rewards patience — sipping neat without any dilution is the ideal approach. For cocktail-adjacent serves, try a Stout Float by adding a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, which tempers the intensity while highlighting the praline notes. A Beer Old Fashioned — substituting the Chocolate Praline for whiskey alongside a dash of mole bitters and an orange peel — creates an unexpectedly layered sipper. It also works beautifully in a Black Velvet variation, blended gently with dry champagne to create a dramatic textural contrast between the heavy stout and bright effervescence.

Best For

• Sharing among craft beer enthusiasts during a vertical tasting of Bourbon County variants
• Gifting to a serious beer collector who values limited annual releases
• Pairing with a multi-course dessert spread at a holiday dinner
• Cellaring for one to three years to explore how the flavors evolve over time

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Chocolate Praline Stout taste like? It delivers rich dark chocolate upfront, followed by layered caramel sweetness and a pronounced nutty praline character from hazelnuts, almonds, and cashews. Bourbon barrel aging adds vanilla, soft oak, and warming heat throughout.

How does Chocolate Praline Stout compare to Founders KBS? Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout) leans heavily into chocolate and coffee with bourbon barrel influence, while the Chocolate Praline variant omits coffee entirely in favor of nut and date additions that push it in a distinctly dessert-forward, praline-driven direction. Both are highly rated bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts, with KBS achieving scores as high as 98 from beer critics and the Chocolate Praline earning a 96 on BeerAdvocate.

Is Chocolate Praline Stout good for sipping neat? Absolutely — at 14.6% ABV with a dense, full body and low carbonation, this beer is built for slow, contemplative sipping from a snifter at slightly below room temperature.

Where is Chocolate Praline Stout made? It is brewed by Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois. Goose Island, founded in 1988, is the oldest currently operating brewery in the state and the birthplace of bourbon barrel-aged beer.

What foods pair well with Chocolate Praline Stout? Chocolate lava cake mirrors and amplifies the cocoa intensity. Aged Gouda or Gruyère provides a salty, crystalline contrast to the sweetness. Pecan pie echoes the nutty praline notes. Crème brûlée bridges the caramel and vanilla barrel character. Charcuterie with smoked meats offers a savory counterpoint to the dessert-like richness.

What sizes does Chocolate Praline Stout come in? The Chocolate Praline variant is released in 500ML bottles as part of Goose Island's annual Bourbon County Stout lineup.

Is Chocolate Praline Stout worth the price? It positions as a premium limited release within the barrel-aged stout category, and its 96-point BeerAdvocate rating, complex multi-ingredient recipe, and annual scarcity reflect that tier. For fans of the Bourbon County program or barrel-aged dessert stouts, it represents strong value relative to comparable limited-edition craft releases.

Why Chocolate Praline Stout?

The Bourbon County program carries genuine historical significance — this is the lineage that invented bourbon barrel-aged beer in 1992, and the Chocolate Praline variant demonstrates how far that foundation can stretch. The specific combination of cocoa nibs, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, and dates is not a simple adjunct addition but a deliberate layering designed to build on the chocolate, caramel, and roasted nut character already present in the barrel-aged base stout. A 96-point BeerAdvocate score from over 135 ratings confirms that the execution matches the ambition. Among the crowded field of barrel-aged imperial stouts, few carry both the pedigree of Goose Island's pioneering program and this level of ingredient-driven complexity.