Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Wheatwine 16.9OZ

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Wheatwine 16.9OZ is a barrel-aged wheatwine brewed at 15.4% ABV and sold in a 16.9 oz (500 ml) bottle. Scoring a 94 on BeerAdvocate across hundreds of ratings, this release stands as one of the most acclaimed entries in the Bourbon County series beyond the flagship Imperial Stout.

Quick Facts: ABV: 15.4%  |  Origin: Illinois, USA  |  Style: Barrel-Aged Wheatwine  |  Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.

Production & Heritage

Goose Island Beer Co., based in Chicago, Illinois, launched its iconic Bourbon County Brand Stout in 1992, pioneering the concept of aging beer in bourbon barrels. The Wheatwine variant marked the first new recipe to diverge from the original Imperial Stout since Barleywine debuted in 2013. Built on a grain bill of two-row barley and malted wheat with zero specialty malts, Goose Island describes it as their "most stripped down variant" — an intentional move that allows the bourbon barrel character to dominate. Various vintages have been aged in 4+ year old Heaven Hill bourbon barrels and in Larceny wheated bourbon barrels, layering deep oak and vanilla influence into the wheat-forward base.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Toasted bread and honey greet the nose first, followed by waves of vanilla, butterscotch, and a faint honeysuckle sweetness. A gentle wheat note lingers beneath the pronounced bourbon barrel character.

Taste: The entry is immediately rich and sweet, with caramel and toffee coating the palate. Mid-palate, flavors of cinnamon sugar, dark bread, and molasses develop alongside hints of applesauce and cocktail cherries. Brown sugar and honey wheat carry through to the peak, underscored by warming bourbon and oak.

Finish: Long and smooth, with vanilla and toffee slowly tapering into a gentle bourbon warmth. Residual sweetness from the wheat base balances the barrel-derived oak tannins, keeping the finish velvety rather than astringent.

How to Drink Bourbon County Wheatwine

Serve at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, in a tulip glass or snifter to concentrate the complex aromatics. This beer rewards slow, contemplative sipping — its 15.4% ABV and layered sweetness unfold best when given time to breathe. For a beer float, pour over a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to complement the caramel and toffee notes. It also pairs well in a Boilermaker format alongside a pour of wheated bourbon, amplifying shared vanilla and grain character. A small measure added to a beer cocktail built with maple syrup, bitters, and citrus peel creates a rich, Old Fashioned-inspired drink.

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer collector who values limited annual releases
• Vertical tastings alongside other Bourbon County variants
• Dessert course pairing at a dinner party
• Cellaring for future vintage comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bourbon County Wheatwine taste like? It delivers an intensely sweet, malty profile dominated by caramel, vanilla, toffee, and butterscotch, with supporting notes of dark bread, honey, and bourbon-soaked oak. The wheat base gives it a softer, smoother body than the flagship stout.

How does Bourbon County Wheatwine compare to Bourbon County Barleywine? While Barleywine uses six specialty malts to build complexity, Wheatwine uses zero specialty malts, relying entirely on two-row barley, malted wheat, and bourbon barrel aging for its flavor. The result is a cleaner, more barrel-forward beer where the oak, vanilla, and caramel from the cask are more prominent.

Is Bourbon County Wheatwine good for sipping neat? Yes — at 15.4% ABV with a rich, dessert-like sweetness, it is designed to be savored slowly from a snifter at cellar temperature, much like a fine digestif.

Where is Bourbon County Wheatwine made? It is brewed by Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago, Illinois, and barrel-aged on-site using retired bourbon barrels sourced from Kentucky distilleries including Heaven Hill and Larceny.

What foods pair well with Bourbon County Wheatwine? Bread pudding with caramel sauce echoes the beer's toffee sweetness. Aged cheddar or Gruyère contrasts the malty richness with savory sharpness. Pecan pie mirrors its brown sugar and vanilla notes. Foie gras or duck liver pâté matches its unctuous body. Dark chocolate truffles complement the bourbon barrel depth without overwhelming the wheat character.

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

Is Bourbon County Wheatwine worth the price? It positions as a premium, limited-release barrel-aged beer within the Bourbon County lineup, and its 94 BeerAdvocate score and annual scarcity support strong value for collectors and serious craft beer enthusiasts relative to comparable barrel-aged wheatwines on the market.

Why Bourbon County Wheatwine?

This expression occupies a singular position in the Bourbon County series as the most minimalist grain bill Goose Island has ever released under the brand — no specialty malts, no roasted barley, just wheat and two-row meeting bourbon wood head-on. That stripped-down approach puts the barrel aging front and center in a way no other variant does, resulting in a beer that drinks closer to a bourbon-influenced dessert wine than a traditional ale. A 94 BeerAdvocate score and recognition at the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers confirm it has earned credibility among both critics and the barrel-aged beer community. For anyone seeking a different lens on what Bourbon County barrels can produce beyond stout, the Wheatwine is the definitive answer.