Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2020
Let’s get right to the beer, I’m excited that I was invited to Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout Media night. The full 7 bottle variants and taster glasses made for an epic night. This year’s line up was bolder and more aromatic and took a few of us in attendance by surprise.
An unexpected joy of the Bourbon County experience is following how these beers change over a three day period.
The seven beer lineup came equipped with a resealable top option. The result is that your favorites change over time. During the virtual preview tasting, Goose President Todd Ashmann talks about how they feel there’s a giant audience and a lot of runway to convert drinkers as palates are constantly changing.
I can relate as my palate has changed in the last 36 hours regarding these beers. Let’s talk about a few of my faves.
The Bourbon County Carmella Ale’s Wheatwine’s base is naturally a pretty fruity beer. Brewers have been working on an apple variant of Bourbon County Stout for years now. They tried apple chips, apple juice, and purees. What they landed on was apple juice concentrate for the final product. Larceny Barrels from Heaven Hill are the vehicle to deliver these Fall vibrations. This smells just like an apple cinnamon liqueur. We never see these flavors as the focus of a BCS release and that’s part of the joy.
My all-time favorite Proprietor’s Blend was the 2017 (bananas foster). This Spumoni inspired version deserves a nod, it’s good. About 100 cans of candied cherries were added to the whirlpool along with pistachios and cocoa nibs. The Chicago only variant is from a brewer that submits annually but wasn’t chosen for a few years. The story goes that she was in a panic about what liter of beer to provide for competition this year. She had a dream that she was eating spumoni ice cream on Tapdeck (employee only bar overlooking the brewery), the epiphany led to her recalling the childhood treat for trials.
You don’t just get to throw the Weller label on your beer. Sipping on Anniversary Bourbon County Stout. The fact that distilleries respect these expressions enough to partner with Chicago’s oldest brewery says a lot. One of the most rewarding experiences of this entire calendar year was sipping Weller 12 next Anniversary. It's honestly a bourbon that we didn’t fully appreciate until we had side by side with this beer. Maybe we were caught in the full life cycle of this beer and bourbon that we’ll never see again. Maybe it was a moment to reflect on how Goose Island has always been in our lives to provide classic moments. This doesn’t fit in the ‘BCS Rare’ category, but the full power of their network is on full display with the 2020 offerings.
I'm guessing if the annual Whiskeyfest held in Chicago Master Distillers from Kentucky would arrive and enjoy all our city has to offer. During the visit, they would taste some of these beers and could probably pinpoint which barrels are theirs. It’s a testament to how Goose brewers are crafting the original recipe to highlight the connection between their classic stout and some of the world’s greatest bourbons.
All this talk makes you wonder if there has ever been an experiment with tequila or rum barrels for BCS. The fact is that proximity plays a role in how these beers make it to the public. Submitting beers that have curb appeal is just one part of the equation. Barrels from outside the US have challenges. 50% of those might be great or could be a disaster. Import barrels are often dry and don’t hold beer well.
It was a privilege to party and learn so much with the Goose Island Beer Company and experience what felt like an early Christmas enjoying this preview of the 10th Anniversary of Black Friday.