Goose Island Bourbon County Brand 2 Year Barleywine Reserve 500ML

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand 2-Year Barleywine Reserve 500ML is a limited-release English-style barleywine aged in Old Fitzgerald bourbon barrels, bottled at 17.0% ABV. What distinguishes this reserve from the broader Bourbon County lineup is its use of 14-year, 16-year, and 17-year-old Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series barrels — among the most coveted cooperage in American whiskey. The beer holds a 4.6 out of 5 rating on Untappd across more than 7,700 reviews.

Quick Facts: ABV: 17.0%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois, USA  |  English-Style Barleywine  |  Brewery: Goose Island Beer Company

Production & Heritage

Goose Island Beer Company, founded in 1988 in Chicago, launched its Bourbon County Brand Stout in 1992 — widely credited as the first bourbon barrel-aged beer produced commercially. The 2-Year Barleywine Reserve extends that barrel-aging legacy by resting an English-style barleywine in three distinct sets of Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series barrels ranging from 14 to 17 years of age. The prolonged two-year maturation in these premium bourbon barrels allows deep extraction of vanilla, oak tannin, and caramel character from the wood, while the high-gravity barleywine base provides the structure to absorb and balance those barrel influences without becoming overly tannic.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Bourbon and toasted oak lead immediately, followed by layers of vanilla, toffee, and brown sugar. Darker notes of dates and dried fig emerge beneath, with subtle dark fruit nuances rounding out a deeply complex nose.

Taste: The entry is thick with caramel and toffee, giving way to a dense mid-palate of figs, dates, cherry, and candied orange peel. Bourbon heat builds steadily through the center, accompanied by tobacco, almond, and rich brown sugar, while vanilla and mellow oak weave through the entire progression.

Finish: Long and warming, with boozy bourbon intensity that lingers alongside raisin, plum, and dark malt sweetness. A final wave of rich maltiness and dried fruit carries through a velvety, slightly tannic close.

How to Drink the 2-Year Barleywine Reserve

Serve in a snifter or tulip glass at 50–55°F to let the barrel character open gradually; this is a sipping beer meant to be savored slowly. Given the 17% ABV and concentrated flavor profile, it drinks more like a digestif than a typical ale. While not a cocktail ingredient in the traditional sense, it pairs remarkably with a small pour of bourbon as a boilermaker-style pairing, stands up alongside an espresso for a barrel-aged dessert flight, or works as a float atop a rich imperial stout for a layered blending experiment.

Best For

• Gifting a serious craft beer collector who values rare barrel-aged releases
• Cellar aging alongside other Bourbon County vintage bottles for vertical tastings
• After-dinner sipping as a dessert replacement on a cold evening
• Sharing among friends during a barrel-aged beer tasting session

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the 2-Year Barleywine Reserve taste like? It delivers intense toffee, caramel, and brown sugar sweetness alongside dark fruit flavors like fig, date, and cherry, all saturated with bourbon, vanilla, and toasted oak from two years in Old Fitzgerald barrels. The 17% ABV brings significant warmth, but the malt density keeps the heat in check.

How does the 2-Year Barleywine Reserve compare to Sierra Nevada Bigfoot? Sierra Nevada Bigfoot is an American-style barleywine with prominent hop bitterness and roughly 9.6% ABV, making it a far leaner, hoppier expression. The Bourbon County 2-Year Barleywine Reserve is nearly twice the strength, barrel-aged for two years, and emphasizes malt sweetness, bourbon character, and dark fruit rather than hop-forward flavors.

Is the 2-Year Barleywine Reserve good for sipping neat? Yes — this is designed to be sipped slowly like a fine spirit or dessert wine. Its viscous body, complex barrel character, and high ABV reward patient, contemplative drinking from a snifter.

Where is the 2-Year Barleywine Reserve made? It is brewed by Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois. Goose Island, founded in 1988, is the originator of bourbon barrel-aged beer and produces the Bourbon County series at its Chicago facility.

What foods pair well with the 2-Year Barleywine Reserve? Dark chocolate truffles complement the toffee and bourbon sweetness. Blue cheese like Stilton or Roquefort contrasts the malt richness with sharp, savory funk. Pecan pie mirrors the caramel and brown sugar notes. Slow-smoked brisket stands up to the intensity of barrel and malt. Crème brûlée echoes the vanilla and caramelized sugar character.

What sizes does the 2-Year Barleywine Reserve come in? This release is packaged in the standard Bourbon County format of 500ml bottles, consistent with Goose Island's approach for its reserve and special variants.

Is the 2-Year Barleywine Reserve worth the price? It positions as an ultra-premium, limited-release barrel-aged beer — the use of highly sought-after Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series barrels and a two-year aging period place it at the top tier of the Bourbon County lineup. For collectors and barrel-aged beer enthusiasts, the rarity and barrel provenance justify its premium positioning within the category.

Why the 2-Year Barleywine Reserve?

The defining detail here is the barrel selection: 14-year, 16-year, and 17-year-old Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Series barrels are among the most prized in American whiskey, and dedicating them to a barleywine is an uncommon move that yields extraordinary depth. Two full years of contact with that aged bourbon wood imparts a complexity that standard one-year barrel-aged beers rarely achieve. With a 4.6 rating on Untappd from thousands of reviewers, this reserve has earned genuine critical enthusiasm from the craft beer community. For anyone serious about barrel-aged barleywine, this release represents one of the most ambitious expressions Goose Island has produced.