Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Banana Fosters Stout 16.9OZ

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Banana Fosters Stout 16.9OZ is a 13.9% ABV bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout brewed with bananas, almonds, and cassia bark. Scoring 94 on BeerAdvocate, this limited release traces its origins to a Chicago-exclusive 2017 Proprietor's Stout recipe that proved too compelling to keep regional.

Quick Facts: ABV: 13.9%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois, USA  |  Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Goose Island Beer Company

Production & Heritage

Goose Island Beer Company, based in Chicago, pioneered the bourbon barrel-aged stout category with the original Bourbon County Brand Stout in the early 1990s. The Banana Fosters variant ages in bourbon barrels subjected to Chicago's dramatic seasonal temperature swings, which cause barrel staves to expand and contract — driving deeper extraction of bourbon character, vanilla, and oak. Bananas, almonds, and cassia bark are introduced during the process, building layers of fruit-forward sweetness and warm baking spice atop the base imperial stout. The recipe first appeared in 2017 as a Proprietor's Stout exclusive to Chicago drinkers, marking one of the brewery's earliest experiments with banana as an adjunct ingredient.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh-baked banana bread arrives first, followed by warm cinnamon, toasted almond, and a deep caramelized sweetness. Underneath, bourbon-soaked oak and a subtle char note anchor the nose.

Taste: The entry is immediately full-bodied and rich, with banana puree and a light banana-candy brightness giving way to crème brûlée, brown sugar, and dark chocolate at mid-palate. Boozy bourbon and wet oak emerge alongside coffee-like roasted malt, while nutty almond and cassia bark weave through the peak, adding a monkey-bread quality reminiscent of the classic dessert.

Finish: Long and warming, with molasses, vanilla, and leather lingering alongside persistent bourbon heat. Raisin-like dark fruit and a final whisper of cinnamon slowly fade.

How to Drink Bourbon County Banana Fosters

Pour into a snifter or tulip glass at 50–55°F to let the banana and spice aromatics fully open up. This is a sipping beer — no garnish, no ice, just patience as the flavors evolve with warming. For a beer float, pair a small pour with vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce to mirror the banana fosters dessert concept. It also stands well in a stout affogato, poured over a scoop of coffee gelato, where the roasted malt and banana complement the espresso bitterness. Finally, use a measured splash in a beer-based Old Fashioned riff alongside bourbon, a dash of chocolate bitters, and an orange peel — the barrel character bridges both liquids seamlessly.

Best For

• Sharing after a holiday dinner as a dessert course replacement
• Gifting a craft beer collector who seeks limited Bourbon County variants
• Cellaring alongside other vintage Bourbon County releases for a vertical tasting
• Pairing with a rich dessert course at an intimate dinner party

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bourbon County Banana Fosters taste like? It delivers a rich combination of banana bread, dark chocolate, crème brûlée, and bourbon-soaked oak, with cinnamon and almond adding warm baking-spice depth. The 13.9% ABV provides noticeable but well-integrated warmth throughout.

How does Bourbon County Banana Fosters compare to the original Bourbon County Stout? The original Bourbon County Brand Stout focuses on pure bourbon barrel character — chocolate, vanilla, and oak — without adjunct ingredients, and is widely considered the benchmark for the barrel-aged stout category. The Banana Fosters variant layers banana, almond, and cassia bark over that same barrel-aged base, creating a distinctly dessert-forward profile.

Is Bourbon County Banana Fosters good for sipping neat? Yes — at 13.9% ABV with exceptional complexity, it rewards slow, contemplative sipping from a snifter and continues to evolve as it warms in the glass.

Where is Bourbon County Banana Fosters made? It is brewed by Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois, where the bourbon barrel aging process benefits from the city's wide seasonal temperature fluctuations that intensify barrel extraction.

What foods pair well with Bourbon County Banana Fosters? Bananas Foster flambéed tableside mirrors the beer's namesake dessert flavors. Dark chocolate truffles complement the stout's cocoa and roasted malt. Bread pudding with caramel sauce echoes the brown sugar and vanilla notes. Blue cheese provides salty contrast to the sweetness. Pecan pie aligns with the nutty almond and molasses character.

What sizes does Bourbon County Banana Fosters come in? It is released in 16.9oz (500ml) bottles, the standard format for Bourbon County Brand variant releases.

Is Bourbon County Banana Fosters worth the price? It positions as a premium limited-release barrel-aged stout, and its 94 BeerAdvocate score, complex adjunct profile, and limited annual availability place it among the more sought-after expressions in the Bourbon County lineup, offering strong value within the specialty craft beer tier.

Why Bourbon County Banana Fosters?

This expression stands apart in the crowded barrel-aged stout landscape because of its specific origin story — a 2017 Chicago-only Proprietor's release that earned enough demand to warrant a wider audience. The combination of real banana, almond, and cassia bark layered over Goose Island's proven bourbon barrel-aging program produces a stout that genuinely tastes like its namesake dessert without tipping into artificial sweetness. A 94 score on BeerAdvocate across more than 200 ratings confirms critical consistency, and the 4.2 on Untappd from nearly 24,000 check-ins reflects broad enthusiast approval. For drinkers who appreciate the original Bourbon County Brand Stout and want to explore how thoughtful adjunct additions can expand the template, the Banana Fosters variant delivers one of the most convincing dessert-stout experiences in the category.