Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout 16.9OZ

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout 16.9OZ is a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout brewed with Intelligentsia Coffee, bottled at approximately 13% ABV in a 16.9 oz (500ml) format. This legendary variant earned a perfect 100 score on Beer Advocate from over 7,600 ratings and reviews, cementing its reputation as one of the most revered barrel-aged coffee stouts in American craft beer.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~13% (varies by vintage)  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois, USA  |  Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.

Production & Heritage

Goose Island Beer Co., founded in 1988 in Chicago, Illinois, pioneered the bourbon barrel-aged stout category when brewmaster Greg Hall first filled bourbon barrels with imperial stout in 1992. The Coffee Stout variant begins as the same base beer — a massive imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels sourced from distilleries including Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, and Four Roses for an average of 12 months. What distinguishes this expression is the addition of Intelligentsia Coffee's "Turihamwe" blend from Burundi, sourced from a community of female farmers known for producing exceptionally clean, sweet coffee. The barrels are carefully blended across different ages and origins before the coffee integration, resulting in a layered interplay between barrel character and roast.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Rich, dense waves of dark chocolate and freshly ground espresso dominate the nose, followed by bourbon-soaked vanilla, toasted coconut, and bitter roasted malt. A subtle boozy warmth rises as the beer opens up in the glass.

Taste: The entry is immediately bittersweet — dark cocoa and smooth espresso coat the palate before giving way to a mid-palate surge of caramel, vanilla, and oak-driven bourbon warmth. The coffee integration is seamless rather than overpowering, weaving through layers of roasted malt and creating a velvety, almost syrupy richness that never turns cloying.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering dark chocolate bitterness and a persistent espresso roast that fades slowly into vanilla and charred oak. The bourbon presence carries through to the very end, leaving a dry, complex impression.

How to Drink Bourbon County Coffee Stout

Pour into a snifter or tulip glass at 50–55°F to let the full aromatic complexity emerge; this beer rewards slow, contemplative sipping. While not a traditional cocktail ingredient, its intense flavor profile lends itself to creative applications: use it as a float in a Black Velvet variation layered over a coffee liqueur base for a decadent after-dinner sipper; incorporate it into a Beer Flip shaken with a whole egg, simple syrup, and nutmeg for a rich dessert drink; or blend a small measure into an Espresso Martini in place of stout syrup for barrel-aged depth and natural coffee character.

Best For

• Annual Bourbon County release-day celebrations with fellow craft beer enthusiasts
• Gifting a serious beer collector who values limited-release barrel-aged stouts
• After-dinner sipping alongside a rich chocolate dessert course
• Vertical tastings comparing different Bourbon County vintages and variants

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bourbon County Coffee Stout taste like? It delivers a bold combination of smooth espresso, bittersweet dark chocolate, caramel, and vanilla, all wrapped in bourbon barrel warmth and oak. The coffee character is deeply integrated rather than sharp, producing a velvety, complex drinking experience.

How does Bourbon County Coffee Stout compare to Founders KBS? Both are bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts with coffee, but Bourbon County Coffee Stout typically runs higher in ABV (around 13% versus KBS at roughly 12%) and uses a single-origin Intelligentsia coffee blend rather than Founders' Sumatra and Colombian coffee combination. Goose Island's version predates KBS by roughly a decade and tends toward a denser, more viscous body with pronounced vanilla and coconut barrel notes.

Is Bourbon County Coffee Stout good for sipping neat? Absolutely — it is designed as a sipping beer best enjoyed slowly from a snifter at cellar temperature, where its layered barrel and coffee complexity can fully develop. The high ABV and rich body reward patience as flavors shift and evolve with each sip.

Where is Bourbon County Coffee Stout made? It is brewed by Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago, Illinois, using bourbon barrels sourced from major Kentucky distilleries including Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, and Four Roses. The coffee is sourced through Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee from their Turihamwe blend grown in Burundi.

What foods pair well with Bourbon County Coffee Stout? Flourless chocolate cake matches its bittersweet intensity; espresso-rubbed brisket echoes the roasted coffee notes; aged cheddar or Gruyère contrasts the sweetness with savory sharpness; crème brûlée mirrors the caramel and vanilla barrel character; and pecan pie complements the toasted, nutty bourbon oak undertones.

What sizes does Bourbon County Coffee Stout come in? The standard release format is a 16.9 oz (500ml) bottle, which is the signature size for the entire Bourbon County Brand lineup.

Is Bourbon County Coffee Stout worth the price? It positions as a premium, limited-release barrel-aged stout — a category where its perfect Beer Advocate score, Intelligentsia coffee sourcing, and 12-month barrel aging justify a higher price point than everyday craft stouts. For barrel-aged beer enthusiasts, it represents a benchmark expression in the style.

Why Bourbon County Coffee Stout?

Few beers in any style carry a perfect 100 score on Beer Advocate, and the Coffee Stout variant achieves this through a combination that no competitor has fully replicated: 12 months of aging across some of America's most celebrated bourbon barrels, finished with a purpose-grown Intelligentsia coffee blend from Burundi's Turihamwe community. The result is a beer where neither coffee nor barrel dominates — they fuse into something greater than either component alone. As the originator of the bourbon barrel-aged stout category dating back to 1992, Goose Island's Bourbon County program carries historical weight that newer entries simply cannot claim. This Coffee Stout variant stands as one of the most critically acclaimed expressions in American craft brewing.