Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine

Aged in the third-use barrels that were once home to Kentucky bourbon and then our renowned Bourbon County Stout, this traditional English-style barleywine possesses the subtlety of flavor that only comes from a barrel that’s gone through many seasons of ritual care. The intricacies of the previous barrel denizens – oak, charcoal, hints of tobacco and vanilla, and that signature bourbon heat – are all present in this beer. Hearty and complex, Bourbon County Brand Barleywine is a titan and a timeline; a bold, flavorful journey through the craft of barrel aging.

4.1

755 reviews

Chicago, United States

Community reviews

4.2 Bottle on different occasions. Rating a 2014 had 2019. Deep reddish brown with almost no head. Dried fruit overload with prunes, dates. Some caramel sauce, vanilla, oak. Quite boozy overall, but a very nice sipper.

4.6 2016 vint: Very dark with red tint. Aroma is boozy sweet dark fruit. Taste is sticky vanilla and raisin. Fairly sweet. Enjoy it. 2018 vint: seems to add coffee and pepper.

4.2 2017 bottle shared at Lucky Bamboo for Aaron's birthday. Pours a deep caramel colored amber with a finger of off-white foam that dissipates. Lots of prune, fig and raisin aromas on the nose with milk chocolate caramel, dried vanilla bean and toffee as it warms. Rich and decadent on the palate. Yes, it's sweet, but there's toasted malt and woody notes to balance out the sweetness. A year and half in the heat has toned down and it's really smooth and mellow. Would pair immaculately with cheese cake. Lingering bourbon oak, vanilla, toffee coated chocolate, cacao nib and prunes.

3.9 Taster courtesy of Sander, big thanks. Vintage 2016. almost black color, small coffee colored head. smells of bourbon, bit boozy, marzipan, nutty, very nice smell. full body, almost no carbonation, slick mouthfeel. tastes of bourbon, marzipan, nutty, vanilla, light sherry. finishes lightly sweet with notes of vanilla, bourbon and some marzipan notes. very smooth, not very complex, great barrel notes, almost a bit too smooth, overall very nice one though.

4.3 Taste: Intense, spicy, oak, woody, bourbon, dark stone fruit, semi sweet, boozy, wine, hint of smokey notes. Same with the nose. Mahogany brown, clear, not much head but that sticky film to glass when you get a barrel aged ale. Full body. The 2016 vintage was smoother than the 17 as I expected being in the bottle longer.

4.6 2017 edition, bottled October 6th 2017. A rather vigorous pour brought a finger of tan foam, quickly dissipating, very dark brown liquid with reddish hues. Smells...English. caramel malt, burnt sugar, toffee, dark pitted fruits. Aromas worth remembering. Vibrant flavours of caramel, burnt sugar, toffee, raisins, plums, oh my! All working in unison and hiding the ample abv very well. Almost full bodied with perfect carbonation. Amazing! World class!

3.5 Very much an English barleywine, chock full of toffee and caramel backed up by fig, date, black cherry, and candy apple, with a bourbon-oak bitterness on the back end finished off by creme brulee and whiskey. Tasty, but on the sweet side, as if a year and a half on the shelf might have been one too many.

4.2 Flaska från trade. Vintage 2013. Mörk smutsig brunsvart i färgen med liten beige krona. Doftar av bourbon, kolaremmar, marsipan, rostad malt med lätt rågsyrlighet och stor sötma från lönnsirap. Stor, kletig kropp med tydlig fatkaraktär. Smakar ungefär desamma med mycket bourbon, läder, torkad frukt, kandisocker och lätt nötig karaktär.

3.8 2017 vintage. 10/14/17 bottle date. Appearance: Dark mahogany brown, opaque, with a minimal light khaki head. Aroma: Rich molasses, vanilla, oak, and a touch of vanilla Taste: Intense, syrupy, molasses sweetness. Vanilla oakiness evolves on the back end. A touch of oxidized maltiness creates tobacco like flavors. Minimal perceived bitterness against the rich maltiness Mouthfeel: Heavy bodied with an extremely light carbonation that leads to a syrupy like mouthfeel. Finish: Strong vanilla and toasted molasses maltiness linger. Intensetmalt forward. Overall: An intensely rich, malty barleywine with distinct bourbon barrel characteristics of vanilla, oak, and oxidized tobacco. This beer is 16 mths old and the carbonation has essentially vanished, which accentuates the malt character of the beer. Barrel character adds a lot of complexity to this barleywine, but the lack of carbonation makes it cloyingly sweet

4.0 09.02.2019, 12 oz bottle (2013 vintage) @ home: Nice slightly bubbly-creamy mediumlasting head. Aroma is slightly sweet boozy, oak, dark malts, dark sugar, bourbon, minerals, bark, old rope, toast, soil, burnt caramel, raisins, chocolate, grass. Taste is sweet boozy, dark sugar, fruit stones, booze, minerals, raisins, toffee, toast, bark, grass, bourbon, caramel malts, chocolate, soil, dried dark fruits, butterscotch. Medium bitterness, sweet boozy mouthfeel. Nice.

3.5 Bottle at Lars'. Pours a clearish dark brown with no head. Very sweet with aromas of coco nut, vanilla, oak, bourbon and light milk chocolate with dates and raisins. Full bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Very soft carbonation. Very sweet finish with more coconut and dried fruits.

3.6 Black pour with a thin tan head. Aroma has raisin, and raw rye bread. Taste is sweet, with dark fruit, grapes. Very heavy and syrup like feel.

4.3 The definition of decadence. Pours dark mahogany with a thin line of beige head. Aroma is rye bread, cherry wood, yeast, plums, raisin. It's complicated. Thick, syrupy, and overwhelmingly sweet. Balance went out the window. Thick and viscous beer candy. Hot and warming at 14.4%. Do not drink alone. Needs some absorptive material to cut it down. My ass hurts

3.8 The aroma is raisin, caramel, figs. Pours a dark brown with amber hues, virtually no head. The taste is a medium sweet. The body is full, the texture creamy, the carbonation lively and the finish long. Sweet, not much alcohol burn, lingering syrupy sweetness.

4.8 500 mL bottle from Total Wine, Chesapeake, VA (bottled October 10, 2017; 14.4% ABV). Pours an almost still ruddy brownish-orange with some very faint carbonation when agitated. Aroma is stunning and complex with oak, vanilla, tobacco, and faint citrus as the most dominant notes. The taste is sweet upfront with big toffee and graham cracker flavors leading the way but on the back end there is subtle tangerine and sherry followed by vanilla, bourbon, and oak. Some noticeable heat as well as the contrast of flavors is on the finish. Quite a treat and everything I had hoped it would be.

3.2 Very good. Definitely a sipping beer. Not as good as Samichlaus, but a nice treat.

4.1 Bottle. Pours deep Brown with a small white head. Aroma of deep toffee, loads of barrel, slight ryebread, slight tobacco, slight Spice, Brown sugar. Sweet and rather velvet, loads of toffee scent of dried fruits, loads of ryebread, Big and syrupy. Good

3.8 Pours hazy mahogany with a thin tan head. Aroma is caramel and bourbon. Taste is plum and caramel, moving to buttery notes and roast. Finish is bourbon. A tasty barley wine.

4.6 It’s delicious. What more need be said. High ABV, but smooth, what more need be said. Live forever with this miracle.

4.4 Slodki zapach suszonych owoców, rodzynki, figi, nawet suszone śliwki, wanilia, powidełka, smak słodki z lekkim wytrawnym finiszem.

4.4 Aromat suszonych owoców, śliwki w czekoladzie, fig, rodzynek. Wspaniały i głęboki. W smaku nadal głównie suszone owoce, duża dawka słodyczy, posmaki winne. Piękne, likierowe, głębokie ciało. Fantastyczne, klasyka stylu. Do Weer&Wind brakuje niewiele.

5.0 Love this beer! Aroma of sweet raisin and cherries with a bit of flowery essence. This is a mildly sweet and mellow malty booze well-blended. It is hard to focus on one standout characteristic. The cherry taste is not a citrus flavor so the dominant profile is the bourbon. This is best at room temp and the warmth in the alcohol adds a layer on the palate. The punch comes in on the back of the tongue and the sweetness lingers without turning into an offensive sip. Perfect for the style. Chicago my hometown!! Adding 2018 variant: Different label Bottle opens with faint aroma of cherries. Pours as a deep ruby red golden liquid. The brew is smoothly sweet with a yummy candied character. This is well a done ale.

3.5 together with yves at my home dark brown colored body with a small off white head and with a malt hop alcholic fruity aroma a malt sweet fruity caramel alcholic taste with an alcholic bitter finish

3.4 Shared with Wim at his home. Malty alcoholic aroma. Full sparkling palate. Finish is sweet malty caramel.

4.8 2018 - Beautiful bottle at home, 2017 ed. Pours a dark burgundy, reddish very dark brown colour topped by a foamy light beige head. Intense syrupy sweet raisins and dried figs, toffee, molasses, vinous, ripe apple calvados, marzipan, tannins, vanilla, bourbon, toasted coconut and marshmellow, charcoal, boozy, medium bitter finish: very complex, but balanced to the maximum. Linger keeps on coming with dry but syrupy sweet vinous dried fruits. Huge ass body, oily, sticky, syrupy mouthfeel, medium carbonation. Pure heaven. Re-rate 2022, vintage 2013 bottle. Dark mahogany, foamy beige head that's quickly gone. Lots and lots of toffee, raisins, sugary, vanilla, figs, marzipan, quite boozy, oaky dry on the finish - exceptional balance. Getting a little cardboardy. Body is good but not great (anymore I presume), low carbonation, soft but lightly cloying mouthfeel.

4.0 Blind beer #2, think 12oz bottle. Pours a dark brown with a thin beige head...tried to avoid the swamp like yeast mixture at the bottom but a little might have gotten in since I didn't know what this was.First sniff makes me think of Kuhnhenn 4th Dementia Old Ale...lots of raisin, toffee, fig, a bit of booze soaked fruit cake but not sure if this is BA or not. Mouthfeel has low+ carbonation and full body, fairly sweet and boozy, but has a bit of a dryer finish then I would expect, almost like an aged english barleywine. At first there was some metalic notes but that is probably because it was in the fridge and needed some time to open up. Overall I don't think I want to drive after this bottle...curious if this could maybe be an older goose island barleywine...never had it before but the mouthfeel is somewhat familiar. Ended up being 2014 vintage.

4.2 500ml bottle camping @ Weaver Lake Labour Day Weekend. 2016 Vintage, 18Oct16 13.6%. Pours a dark reddish brown colour with a tiny beige head. Nose is a complex display of bourbon barrels, vanilla, toffeee, and dark fruits. Flavour is a delicious blend of everything described in the nose with a boozy warming character. Medium to full bodied, soft carbonation, sweet and booze. Nice stuff! Rating added 5/29/2018 : 1 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 2 0.9 500ml bottle @ home. 2015 Vintage. Sadly this is infected :( Thought I could power through the sourness, but it didn't quite sit right. 29OCT15 1627 12.9X

2.3 Bottle share: 2015 infected bottle. What the fuck. I thought this was supposed to be good. Wack sour taste plorp.

4.6 28-APR-2018, bottle @home, from Goose Island Taproom Chicago, shared with Morten. Almost clear mahogany with an off-white head. Alcohol, sweet malt, dried fruit, Bourbon but not nearly as much as in the BCS. Full body, sweet, lively carbonation. This is GREAT! I love BW.

4.3 Bottle at home. Aroma of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, tobacco, charred, Vanilla, oak and bourbon. Heavy sweet with some alcoholic warmth and lingeting Bourbon notes. Medium and stucky. A good one.