Goose Island Bourbon County Stout - Rare 2010
From Greg Hall:
"BCS rare, I’m excited. Brewed in 2008, aged for 24 months in 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle Barrels. These are the very best smelling barrels I’ve come across in 18 years of barrel aging beer. Barrels were originally filled with spirit in 1985. We have 50 bourbon barrels aging, it will be a one time bottling, it will not be repeated."
"BCS rare, I’m excited. Brewed in 2008, aged for 24 months in 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle Barrels. These are the very best smelling barrels I’ve come across in 18 years of barrel aging beer. Barrels were originally filled with spirit in 1985. We have 50 bourbon barrels aging, it will be a one time bottling, it will not be repeated."
4.4
426 reviews
Chicago, United States
Community reviews
THANK YOU Martinus! 650 ml. bottle sampled @ RBBWG V. Pours a sludgy motor-oil black, only a very thin layer of mocha bubbles on the sides, close to zero head. Nose is warming molasses, syrup, thick chocolate bourbon, vanilla, brambleberries, blueberries, chocolate, astonishing. Taste is rich thick molasses, coated in chocolate, blueberries, brambleberries, molasses, sugar, bourbon, dates, vanilla, sweet chocolate, thick sludge, coffee. Very thick & chewy body. Wow this is good, ridiculous. The thing that kept the regular one from reaching perfection was that it was a small touch too boozy, this one isn’t, it has more elegance, more nuances. Not sure if age is the reason here, I have never had the regular one 5 years old or whether this beer had these qualities back when it was young. Either way, this is close to 5 with a bigger pour I might have upped it to a 5. This is astonishing, I feel like I might need to try more in order to fully explore it but I am happy surprised that I even managed to try it at all. Thanks a lot. The price of this one is another discussion.
Bottle at RBBWG, thanks for sharing Martinus. Bourbon, vanilla, oak, this is the perfect bourbon imperial stout.
Black and deep with a fast fading tan head. Huge nose with big thick rich bourbonny chocolate, brown sugar, lots of oak and char, syrupy roasted malt, more cocoa, and rich sweet caramelly/chocolaty booze. Amazing body and flavor that just touches every part of the pleasure center of the brain. Loads of chocolate, bourbonny brown sugar, lots of oak, lots of coffee, a bit of caramel, and more coffee. Loads of roast and chocolate and bourbon barrel, but nothing too much out of line. Just simply amazing.
Vintage 2010 enjoyed tonight with wife and family, dont @ me. Pours like all other aged bcbs varroe t. Dark, little head. Solid smokey bourbon nose, tadge is full of bourbon goodness, vanilla, oak, smoke, cocoa. Full body, smooth. Somewhat lingering booze burn finish. I said dont @ me.
Bomber: Vintage 2010: #1496: Thank you Rene: Taster:
Black beer, brown lacing
Mighty bourbon, roast and chocolate.
Flavour is so soft and smooth: roast, chocolate, bourbon, wood, bitters, vanilla, fudge...
Aftertaste is fudgy smooth, bourbon, chocolate, mocha, sweet roast...
Low carbo, silky mouthfeel, full bodied.
Superb!
Delicious!
Bottle @ joes. Dark brown colour with almost no head. Smells wine, alcohol apple syrup, sweet, boozy, red fruits. Tastes red fruits, oak, whisky, chocolate, roasty. Full body, soft carbo, sick taste.
Thanks Benzai. Donker bruin bier met een goede getinte schuim kraag. Ruikt alcohol, peated, geroosterd, vanille, overrijp fruit. Smaakt heerlijk. Vanille, overrijp fruit, chocolade.
Bottle #1448
Pours viscous, pitch black and completely opaque with a half finger mocha head that immediately disappears. No lacing left behind but it does have lasting legs that coat the glass in a muddy film.
Barrel character is really strong in the nose but it seems nicely integrated into aroma. Lots of spicy bourbon but it’s not overpowering with dry oak, toasted coconut and vanilla bean notes. Sweet, slightly roasted malt backbone with sweet and dark chocolate, molasses, coffee bean, baker’s chocolate and subtle roast/burnt malt.
On the fuller end of medium bodied with subtle viscosity and an excellent barrel character that’s perfectly integrated into the base beer. Spicy bourbon barrel with toasted coconut, marshmallow, vanilla and a wonderful spicy PVW flavor. Subtle boozy heat but not fiery, harsh or overpowering. Tastes just like the spirit without obliterating the base beer. Sure, there’s some sweet booze and heat lingering throughout but the other barrel notes and malt backbone counter things nicely. Fudge-y chocolate goodness with fudge, caramel, molasses and toffee give it a sweet and dessert like quality but it’s not one-note. There’s some roast with hints of dark chocolate, roasted gourmet coffee bean, burnt toast and oatmeal. The high ABV is extremely well masked making this delicious, complex beer dangerously drinkable. The flavor of this beer is close to perfect.
From notes. Shared at a BCBS tasting put on by Brian Winters. Thanks! I didn’t get the bottle number on this baby, but oh man. The pour is a thick, viscous, oily black with a medium brown collar of head. The aroma is phenomenal. Heavy roasted malts and chocolate to go along with a wonderful bourbon complexity. This is probably the best smelling bourbon barrel character I’ve ever picked up in a beer. There is a lot of dark fruit and a little toffee in there. The flavors mimic it as well. The only thing that pails is there is a light lack of vanilla in the aroma. This is detectable in the flavor, and I love it. The malts and dark fruits are killer, and there is just a great bourbon presence. The mouth feel is viscous and chewy with a soft carbonation and a lingeringly boozy, caramel, malty finish. I love it
22oz bottle. Been Waiting years to drink this. Pours black with a small an head. Aroma is strong on the bourbon. Lots of chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla, and dark fruit in the nose. Smells absolutely fantastic. Taste is of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and dark fruit. Has a very strong, underlying bourbon taste. Lingering taste of bourbon and vanilla. Mouthfeel is thick, and almost oily. Body is thick and sticky. The alcohol is definitely warming on this one. It goes down very easy. Delicious.
Incredible blend of chocolate, bourbon, vanilla and dark fruits fill your nose and palate. Deep brown pour with a dark tight bubbled head. Thick, viscous mouthfeel and a surprisingly dry finish.
cocoa beery with flavor of bourbon. malt and licorice behind it. powerful enough with moderate body and mouthfeel. for me the vanilla is unwelcome in the bourbon.
From the bottle into snifter. Black viscous poor, small tan head. Nose is incredible, small hints of cardboard but mostly tons of incredible Bourbon and chocolate, some raisins, scotch. Oily body, soft carbonation, incredible mouth feel, a bit of heat in the finish. Loads of chocolate, vanilla, Bourbon. Wow, really great.
Sample at Epic Bourbon County Tasting, thx to Bart and Thijs!
APPEARANCE: pitch black beer, small unstable beige head.
NOSE: lots of bourbon, alcohol, very sweet, boozy, some coffee.
TASTE: bourbon, sweet, lots of alcohol, boozy, alcohol warming, caramel, oak, bourbon overload actually. Was looking forward to this one quite a bit, but was disappointed quite a lot...
22oz bottle. Bottle 2425. Poured a black color with a smaller sized head. Roast, wood, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, and dark fruits.
Bottle @ the Epic Bourbon County Tasting. Really proud to be this beers 400th rater! Pours another pitch black beer with a slight brownish hue around the edges. Aroma has massive bourbon, sugary touches, caramel, molasses, licorice, oaky influences. I’ve never tried Pappy van Winkle bourbon, but I’ve had several PvW BA beers and this one has the PvW influences in there for sure. Flavor has epic bourbon touches with a mellowed out, sweet alcoholic background. Very malty, roasty, woody and incredibly sticky and sweet. Lots of layers here, but the bourbon is strong in this one. Great complexity, base beer has faded to background but is still showing his greatness. Awesome beer!
Drank at the magnificent BCBS tasting in Bodegraven 10/1/2015. Really good. Very rich and comprehensive taste. Bourbon county core with lots of complex extra layers.
Bottle at the Bourbon County tasting, De Molen, January 2015. Poured a clear dark brown with a rich roasty, molasses aroma. The flavour is moderate bitter sweet with a rich roast malt molasses, chocolate, alcoholic bitter palate. Full bodied with soft carbonation.
Bottle to glass. Thanks bj! Pours a thick syrupy black color with no head. Aroma is a huge molasses, bourbon, vanilla, roasted malts. Thick creamy body. Big smooth bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar, dark fruits. Out of this world! So glad I got to experience this.
22oz bottle pours oily black with a paper thin tan head. Nose is deep inviting rich fudgey bourbon, nutty vanilla, marshmallow, coconut, roast chocolate, touch of spice, peanut, subtle wood. Taste is heavenly silky layered boozy fudge spice, coconut, some vanilla oak, semi sweet dark fruits, marshmallow, bourbon. Finish is mouth coating semi sweet dark boozy chocolate sauce with round dark fruit, vanilla, light woody spice and layered bourbony soaked dark chocolate. Simply amazing.
Bottle at Anchorage Dec ’14 Tasting: Poured rich brown with light brown head. Aroma was strong bourbon and alcohol burn, very inviting. Taste huge vanilla, bourbon, roasted malts, and sipping alcohol burn.
Bottle..Pour is brown with a fading head..Nose is oak, vanilla, maple, chocolate, some oxidation..Tatse vanilla, maple, roast, oak, cream,
A top-3 beer! A great stout. I can hardly wait for my next bottle to fill a tall and frosty glass. :-)
Bottle [no. 11341] shared by kermis. HUGE HUGE THANKS MAN! INSANE! Opaque black color, small dark brown head that diminishes quite quickly. Aroma is malts, loads of liquor, lightly vanilla. Taste malts, whisky, vanilla, a hint of liquorice, softly bitter. Full flavored, full body, oily texture, soft suitable carbonation. Lovely. Absolutely lovely.
Bottle 1496 of bottling 19/11/2010 @ weekly tasting shared with Dutchdrebus, Joes, Countbeer, Abijen and Judyvv. Opaque black color, average sized light brown head. Aroma is malts, some alcohol, a hint of chocolate, bourbon, vanilla. Tastes about the same: malts, bourbon, vanilla, lightly an alcohol burn. Intense. [Score not altered]
bottle in a trade HUGE thanks to jeff for hooking me up with this one together with the vanilla!! perfectly cellared ever since. shared with my good friend. poured a pitch black colour with just a small non lasting mocha ring on top. some lacing on the side. just one great looking stout!! the aroma puts a smile on our face in 0,5 sec! wow! there is still so much bourbon nose! pappy!! smell is basic BCBS but more smooth and more complexity. big dark chocolate, vanilla, oak, some toasted coconut, sweet caramel, a bourbon soaked marshmallow, sweet complex roasted malt flavour, bit of a small fruit tone in the back covered in chocolate (could also be of the age). some figs, a spicy alcohol feeling under the tongue. i’ve been dying to try this bad boy. and t’s just living up it’s hype. pappy barrels are just something unique. it was an incredible experience to try this one!
"been waiting for this one and it did not disappoint. immediately upon opening the aroma burst through my congestion! i gotta try some 23 year old pappy van winkle (the barrels this was aged in). i think with a year or two on it, this could be near perfection. as it is, the bourbon is a little hot on the palate and overpowering in the flavor (it’s a month old) but it’s so damn tasty, you don’t mind. chocolate, vanilla, oak, and a ton of gooood bourbon. if this mellows a little, it could be one of my favorites. as it is now...still elite. 10/11 still a little hot, but it hurts so good :) "
I know it's not the best thing to do to overrate beers, but that was the best beer I've had so far. So complex and so simple at the same time. Black colour with dark tanned head. Aroma of chocolate, coffee and vanilla, wood and bourbon. Taste pretty much the same. Can't really describe it. Wish I had another one!
Bourbon pappy smell. Taste is a nice smooth balance of bourbon, oak, and caramelly stout.
Beer Bloggers Conference - San Diego - Super beer. Great Bourbon flavor perfect finish this was a near perfect beer.
Dark brown, almost black, almost looks like used motor oil. Minimal tan head. Chocolate and alcohol aroma. Strong alcohol presence with an infusion of bourbon flavor.