Bourbon County Stout

Goose Island's Bourbon County lineup is widely feted as exceptional barrel-aged beer. This year, there's been increased scrutiny of the brand, especially here in the Northwest - AB Inbev's acquisition of 10 Barrel has reminded folks of the continuing trend of small, independent breweries (including Goose Island) being snapped up by macro-heavy conglomerates. Many friends, acquaintances, and fellow bloggers have worried that Goose Island's quality will inevitably slip under AB Inbev's stewardship.

I was thinking about this today as I visited the Bier Stein, who hosted a Bourbon County event featuring rare kegs of the Bourbon County Stout and Coffee Stout, as well as one of Goose Island's non-barrel aged imperial stouts.

As it turns out, Bourbon County is still fantastic.

The Coffee Stout, in particular, is a masterclass in how to create a coffee-based beer. It's the beer I didn't know I really wanted at the Coffee Stout Fest earlier this month - decadently rich, smooth, and - something I thought I'd never say about a 13.5% beer - mellow. Its coffee flavor is decidedly creamy, with none of the harsh acidity that marred several of the coffee stouts I had at that fest, and the gentle alcohol warmth and caramel-sweet bourbon embrace the coffee from first sip to last.

Not that the "standard" Bourbon County Stout is any less worthy - its agenda is simple: creating the ideal caramel-bourbon flavor with a perfect amount of warming alcohol heat and malt sweetness. It's actually a touch stronger, at 13.8%, but there's no alcohol punch - this weight is instead realized more in the thick, almost syrupy mouthfeel.

I also had the chance to try the Muddy, a non-barrel aged imperial stout with licorice and candi sugar, but made the mistake of tasting it after the Bourbon County stouts. Muddy's got an assertive licorice spiciness, but tasted thin and hollow by compare (even at 9%!).

My recommendation: do everything in your power to secure some Bourbon County. It's the benchmark for bourbon-aged imperial stouts for very good reason.