Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Fourteen Stout 16.9OZ

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Fourteen Stout 16.9OZ is a barrel-aged imperial stout brewed at 13.2% ABV in a 16.9 oz (500 ml) bottle. This limited variant revisits the acclaimed Proprietor's 2014 recipe with a rye-forward mash bill, earning a 4.46 out of 5 on BeerAdvocate and widespread critical praise, including Drinkhacker calling it "one of my favorites yet from Goose Island."

Quick Facts: ABV: 13.2%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.

Production & Heritage

Goose Island Beer Co. was founded in 1988 by John Hall in Chicago and has produced its flagship Bourbon County Brand Stout since 1992, widely credited as the original bourbon barrel-aged stout. The Fourteen variant pays direct homage to the Proprietor's 2014 recipe by incorporating rye into the imperial stout mash bill, introducing a spicy backbone absent from the original expression. The base stout is then layered with cassia bark, cocoa nibs, panela sugar, and coconut water before barrel aging, building an intricate flavor architecture that balances sweetness against warm spice.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dark chocolate and toasted coconut lead immediately, followed by waves of molasses, clove, and warm oak. A faint whiskey char from the barrel lingers beneath the sweetness.

Taste: The entry is rich and decadent — dark chocolate fudge, caramel, and panela sugar coat the palate. At mid-palate the rye malt asserts itself with a peppery, cinnamon-like spice amplified by the cassia bark. The peak delivers molasses cookies, brandy-soaked cherries, and a toasted coconut character reminiscent of Almond Joy, with brown sugar and toffee rounding out the profile.

Finish: Creamy and full-bodied, the finish stretches long with rich vanilla, subtle cacao bitterness, and lingering anise. A gentle rye bite keeps the sweetness in check, preventing the beer from tipping into cloying territory.

How to Drink Bourbon County Fourteen

Pour into a snifter or tulip glass at cellar temperature (50–55°F) to let the adjunct layers fully express themselves; the beer opens considerably as it warms. Bourbon County variants are best enjoyed neat — no garnish, no dilution — treated like a fine digestif. A small pour of 4–6 oz at a time allows appreciation of how the flavor shifts as it breathes.

Best For

• Sharing among barrel-aged stout collectors during a vertical tasting
• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who follows annual Bourbon County releases
• Pairing with a dessert course at a curated dinner
• Cellaring for one to three years to track flavor evolution

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bourbon County Fourteen taste like? Bourbon County Fourteen delivers a layered profile of dark chocolate fudge, toasted coconut, molasses, and toffee, underscored by a spicy rye character and warm cassia bark that distinguishes it from the original Bourbon County Stout.

How does Bourbon County Fourteen compare to Bourbon County Original Stout? The Original relies on the interplay of bourbon barrel character with a straightforward imperial stout base, while Fourteen adds rye malt for spice alongside cassia bark, cocoa nibs, panela sugar, and coconut water. The result is a noticeably more complex, sweeter, and spicier beer with tropical and baking-spice dimensions absent from the standard release.

Is Bourbon County Fourteen good for sipping neat? Absolutely — at 13.2% ABV with dense adjunct layering, this stout is designed to be savored slowly from a snifter, much like a barrel-proof spirit, and rewards patience as it warms in the glass.

Where is Bourbon County Fourteen made? Bourbon County Fourteen is brewed by Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago, Illinois, where the brewery has produced its Bourbon County line since 1992, making it one of the longest-running barrel-aged stout programs in the United States.

What foods pair well with Bourbon County Fourteen? Flourless chocolate cake mirrors the beer's dark chocolate and cacao notes. Pecan pie complements the caramel, toffee, and brown sugar character. Blue cheese like Roquefort contrasts the sweetness with savory funk. Coconut flan echoes the coconut water adjunct, and Mexican mole dishes align naturally with the cassia bark spice and chocolate profile.

What sizes does Bourbon County Fourteen come in? Bourbon County Fourteen is released in a 16.9 oz (500 ml) bottle, consistent with the standard format for Bourbon County Brand Stout variants.

Is Bourbon County Fourteen worth the price? Bourbon County Fourteen positions as a premium limited-release variant within an already sought-after line, and its 4.46 BeerAdvocate rating and layered adjunct complexity place it among the top-tier annual Bourbon County offerings — strong value for collectors and serious stout drinkers seeking something beyond the original expression.

Why Bourbon County Fourteen?

The rye mash bill sets this variant apart immediately, introducing a spicy dimension that most Bourbon County adjunct stouts lack. Layering cassia bark, cocoa nibs, panela sugar, and coconut water onto that rye backbone produces a beer that reads like a dark chocolate macaroon wrapped in baking spice — an effect no single adjunct could achieve alone. A 4.46 on BeerAdvocate and 4.4 on Untappd across nearly 20,000 ratings confirm broad critical and consumer approval. For anyone who tracks annual Bourbon County releases, Fourteen represents a thoughtful callback to one of the program's most celebrated Proprietor's vintages, executed with greater intensity and refinement.