Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Cherry Wood Stout 16.9OZ

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Cherry Wood Stout (16.9oz / 500ml) is a 14.2% ABV barrel-aged imperial stout finished on toasted honeycomb-shaped cherry wood chips. This limited variant earned a 95 score on BeerAdvocate across 282 ratings, placing it among the most acclaimed expressions in the Bourbon County lineup. It stands apart from the original by introducing layers of red fruit, ripe cherry, and light toffee drawn entirely from the cherry wood finishing process.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.2%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Goose Island Beer Company

Production & Heritage

Goose Island Beer Company, founded in 1988 in Chicago, Illinois, launched its now-legendary Bourbon County Brand Stout in 1992 as one of the first commercially produced bourbon barrel-aged beers in the United States. The Cherry Wood variant begins as fully matured Bourbon County Stout, which is then finished on toasted cherry wood chips cut into a honeycomb shape to maximize surface area and flavor extraction. The malt bill includes two-row barley, black malt, caramel malt, chocolate malt, Munich 10, and roasted barley, with Millennium hops providing bittering balance. This cherry wood finishing step coaxes out fruit-forward and toffee-like characteristics that do not exist in the standard oak-aged base beer.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Rich dark chocolate and bourbon arrive first, followed by dried cherries, molasses, and leather. As the stout warms, floral notes emerge alongside dried orange peel, dates, and a deep malty sweetness.

Taste: The entry is dense with bourbon-soaked dark chocolate and dark roasted malts, giving way to a mid-palate surge of ripe cherry and cherry cordial that carries no tartness. Wood resin, tobacco, toffee, and caramel develop through the mid-palate, anchored by vanilla and a wave of dark fruit that deepens as the beer opens up.

Finish: Long, smooth, and warming with residual bourbon heat that never turns harsh. Lingering cherry wood character, clean dried fruit, and a subtle sweetness taper gradually, leaving a velvety, full-bodied impression.

How to Drink Cherry Wood Stout

Serve at 50–55°F in a snifter or tulip glass to allow the complex aromatics to concentrate and evolve as the beer warms. Pouring slowly and letting it rest for five to ten minutes rewards with significantly more layered flavor. A Boilermaker pairing—sipping the Cherry Wood alongside a pour of straight bourbon—creates a dialogue between the barrel-aged stout and its whiskey origins. A Black Velvet riff, blending a small measure of the stout with dry sparkling wine, yields a decadent, effervescent dessert drink. For an indulgent Stout Float, pour over a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, where the cherry wood character mingles with cream for a rich after-dinner treat.

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer collector during the holiday Bourbon County release season
• Sharing at a vertical or variant tasting alongside other Bourbon County expressions
• Pairing with a multi-course dessert spread at an intimate dinner
• Cellaring for one to three years to observe how the cherry wood character evolves

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cherry Wood Stout taste like? It delivers rich bourbon-barrel chocolate and dark roasted malt up front, followed by a pronounced ripe cherry and toffee character drawn from the cherry wood finishing, with a warming, smooth, and clean finish.

How does Cherry Wood Stout compare to the original Bourbon County Brand Stout? The original Bourbon County Brand Stout focuses on bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, and oak, while Cherry Wood Stout adds a distinct layer of red fruit, ripe cherry, and light toffee from its cherry wood chip finishing step. Both share the same robust imperial stout base and 14.2% ABV, but Cherry Wood reads noticeably fruitier without any added fruit or juice.

Is Cherry Wood Stout good for sipping neat? Absolutely—its 14.2% ABV, full mouthfeel, and evolving flavor profile make it ideal for slow, contemplative sipping from a snifter at cellar temperature.

Where is Cherry Wood Stout made? It is brewed by Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois, a brewery founded in 1988 that pioneered the bourbon barrel-aged stout category in the early 1990s.

What foods pair well with Cherry Wood Stout? Dark chocolate truffles complement its cocoa and cherry notes. Smoked brisket echoes the toasted wood character. Blue cheese like Roquefort contrasts its sweetness with sharp, salty tang. Cherry clafoutis mirrors the fruit-forward profile. Pecan pie amplifies the toffee and caramel undertones.

What sizes does Cherry Wood Stout come in? Cherry Wood Stout is released in the standard Bourbon County format of 16.9 oz (500ml) bottles.

Is Cherry Wood Stout worth the price? It positions as a premium limited-release variant within the Bourbon County series, carrying a higher price than the original due to the additional cherry wood finishing step and its annual scarcity; its 95 BeerAdvocate score and strong collector demand reflect its standing in the barrel-aged stout category.

Why Cherry Wood Stout?

What separates Cherry Wood Stout from other Bourbon County variants is its method of flavor extraction—cherry wood chips cut into a honeycomb shape to maximize contact with the fully matured base stout. This process pulls ripe cherry and toffee characteristics directly from the wood itself rather than from fruit additions, making it a genuinely wood-driven variant in a market saturated with fruit-adjunct stouts. A 95 on BeerAdvocate confirms its quality among seasoned reviewers, and its 4.3 on Untappd across more than 26,000 ratings signals broad appeal beyond the hardcore craft audience. For anyone serious about barrel-aged stouts, this is a variant that demonstrates how a single finishing step can meaningfully reshape a legendary base beer.