Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 500ML

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 500ML is a barrel-aged imperial stout at approximately 14.7% ABV, widely recognized as the beer that launched the modern barrel-aged stout category. It holds a perfect 100 score on BeerAdvocate from over 13,000 ratings, cementing its status as one of the most acclaimed beers in the world.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~14.7%  |  Origin: Chicago, Illinois  |  Imperial Stout Aged ~12 Months in Bourbon Barrels  |  Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.

Production & Heritage

Goose Island Beer Co. first brewed Bourbon County Brand Stout in 1992, making it the beer often cited as the world's first stout aged in bourbon barrels. The base imperial stout is built on a complex grain bill of 2-Row, Black Malt, Caramel, Chocolate, Munich 10, and Roasted Barley malts, hopped with Millennium hops to roughly 60 IBU. After primary fermentation, the stout is transferred into freshly emptied bourbon barrels sourced from distilleries including Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey, where it ages for an average of 12 months in a non-climate-controlled Chicago warehouse. Seasonal temperature swings cause the barrels to expand and contract, driving deeper flavor extraction from the oak and the residual bourbon soaked into the wood.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Rich dark chocolate and roasted coffee arrive first, followed by layers of molasses, dried fruit, and warm bourbon. Vanilla and toasted oak round out the nose with a faint caramel sweetness.

Taste: The entry is dense and viscous, immediately coating the palate with fudgy chocolate, toffee, and espresso. At mid-palate, bourbon sweetness emerges alongside vanilla bean and toasted almond, while caramelized sugar and dark stone fruit add complexity. The peak brings a harmonious convergence of bitter chocolate, rich oak tannins, and deep molasses.

Finish: Exceptionally long and full-bodied, lingering for several minutes with layers of bourbon warmth, roasted coffee, and cocoa. A subtle dryness from the oak balances the residual sweetness, leaving a satisfying, almost chewy conclusion.

How to Drink Bourbon County Stout

Pour into a snifter or tulip glass at cellar temperature (50–55°F) to allow the full aromatic range to open up; letting it warm slightly in the glass reveals additional bourbon and vanilla character. Bourbon County Stout is best enjoyed on its own as a sipping beer, but it also works in select cocktail-inspired applications: a Stout Float pairs it with high-quality vanilla ice cream, where the beer's roasted intensity contrasts the cream; a Black Velvet variation, layered with dry sparkling wine, creates a striking textural interplay; and a Beer Cocktail Old Fashioned using a small pour of Bourbon County in place of bitters alongside rye whiskey highlights its natural bourbon barrel character.

Best For

• Annual release-day celebrations and vertical tastings comparing multiple vintages
• Gifting a serious craft beer collector during the holiday season
• Pairing with a multi-course dessert tasting featuring chocolate and caramel
• Cellaring for future enjoyment, as the stout develops with careful aging

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bourbon County Stout taste like? Bourbon County Stout delivers an intensely rich profile dominated by dark chocolate, espresso, toffee, and vanilla, with unmistakable bourbon warmth and oak throughout. The body is exceptionally full, coating the palate with a viscous, almost syrupy texture.

How does Bourbon County Stout compare to Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout? Both are iconic barrel-aged stouts, but Bourbon County is notably higher in ABV (approximately 14.7% versus KBS at around 12%) and tends toward deeper bourbon-forward flavors from its longer barrel aging. Kentucky Breakfast Stout incorporates coffee and chocolate additions directly into the brew, giving it a more explicitly coffee-driven character, while Bourbon County derives its coffee and chocolate notes primarily from the malt and barrel interaction.

Is Bourbon County Stout good for sipping neat? Bourbon County Stout is built to be sipped slowly from a snifter, much like a fine spirit. Its complexity, high ABV, and layered flavors reward patience and small pours, making it one of the definitive sipping beers in craft brewing.

Where is Bourbon County Stout made? Bourbon County Stout is brewed by Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago, Illinois. The beer is aged in its barrel warehouse in Chicago, where the city's dramatic seasonal temperature fluctuations contribute to the stout's character through natural barrel expansion and contraction.

What foods pair well with Bourbon County Stout? Flourless chocolate cake complements the stout's deep cocoa character without overwhelming it. Blue cheese, such as Roquefort, contrasts the sweetness with sharp, salty tang. Smoked brisket stands up to the beer's intensity while echoing its caramel and char notes. Crème brûlée mirrors the vanilla and caramelized sugar qualities. Dark chocolate truffles with espresso create a seamless dessert pairing.

What sizes does Bourbon County Stout come in? Bourbon County Brand Stout is most commonly available in the 500ml bottle format, which is the standard release size for the annual vintage.

Is Bourbon County Stout worth the price? Bourbon County Stout positions as a premium, limited-release barrel-aged imperial stout, and its pricing reflects its once-a-year availability, 12-month bourbon barrel aging, and legendary reputation. For collectors and barrel-aged beer enthusiasts, it consistently ranks among the highest-value bottles in its category relative to its quality and cultural significance.

Why Bourbon County Stout?

No barrel-aged stout carries more historical weight than Bourbon County. First brewed in 1992, it is widely credited with inventing the barrel-aged beer category that now dominates craft brewing culture. Its perfect 100 score on BeerAdvocate, accumulated over more than 13,000 reviews, is not a fleeting achievement but a sustained consensus across decades of annual releases. The combination of freshly emptied bourbon barrels from top-tier American distilleries, a complex multi-malt grain bill, and the natural aging conditions of a Chicago warehouse creates a stout that remains the standard against which every barrel-aged beer is measured.