You’ve no doubt seen the announcement elsewhere in the interwebs. I have to admit I was at work when the announcement came out. But there still seem to be fans who check me out as well, so here’s the news:
Goose Island Beer Co. will again be debuting its traditional Bourbon County Brand Stout on Black Friday. The Original BCS beer will be accompanied by five variants: two with fruit adjuncts, one with variations on the barrel-aging process, a barleywine, and one aged in a rum barrel for the first time. This information about the 2026 variants is slightly edited from Goose Island’s news release.
2026 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout
2026 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout was aged in a blend of freshly emptied barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey. With an average aging time of 13 months, this stout delivers deeply developed flavors of fudge, vanilla, and caramelized sugar—all wrapped in a rich, decadent mouthfeel. Again this year, the Original will be sold in 4-packs of 10 oz. bottles. ABV: 14.2%
Bourbon County Tiramisu Cask Finish Stout
Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, then finished in rum barrels with espresso, cocoa nibs & vanilla
For the first time, Goose Island finished its Original bourbon barrel-aged stout in rum casks — barrels that carry their own storied past — layering a warm sugarcane richness over the cocoa nibs, espresso, and vanilla woven into the beer. The finished stout moves the way a great dessert does: taking the finest ingredients and bringing them together with thoughtful balance and patient craft. ABV: TBA
Bourbon County Apple Crisp Stout
Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with apple, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, oats & panela sugar.
Few things are more familiar or more comforting than the warmth and aroma of a homemade apple crisp baking in the oven. Goose Island’s Chase Craig leaned into that exact feeling for this year’s Bourbon County Stout — building around his favorite parts of the classic dessert: the caramelized edges, the toasted spices, and that unmistakable crumble top.
2026 Bourbon County Brand Apple Crisp Stout embraces the warming expressions bourbon barrels carry naturally. The cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg layered throughout don’t fight the oak, but let it shine. The apples offer a gentle brightness, while toasted oats soften the body into something plush and inviting. Panela sugar, raw and deeply caramelized, draws out the same toasted sweetness found in the barrel’s own char,rounding into the rich, decadent finish that defines Goose Island’s barrel-aged stout. ABV: TBA
Bourbon County Proprietor’s Stout (Pineapple Upside Down Cake)
Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels finished with pineapple, Montmorency cherry & panela sugar
Every year, Goose Island releases a beer in the Bourbon County family called Proprietor’s that belongs to Chicago alone—inspired by the city that the brewery calls home. When it came time to craft his own concept, Goose Island barrel team member Chase Craig turned to a dessert as iconic in its own right as the stout it inspired: the pineapple upside down cake.
2026 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout leans into the cake itself—the caramelized base, the sticky-sweet crown, the way vanilla and browned sugar transform simple ingredients into something more than the sum of its parts. Pineapple lends a bright, tropical lift, while Montmorency cherries add a depth that echoes the maraschino’s role in the original dessert. Panela sugar ties it together, delivering the same rich, molasses-kissed caramelization that bourbon barrels have been imparting to our beer as it ages. ABV: TBA
Bourbon County Triple Oak Barleywine
Barleywine aged in Kentucky Straight bourbon barrels and finished in a blend of Chinkapin, French & Hungarian oak casks
For the 2026 Bourbon County Brand Triple Oak Barleywine, Goose Island brewers explored the layered complexity of Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Bourbon through the lens of barleywine. Our English-style barleywine is the perfect complement as the more caramelized malts soften the structured tannin of the oak, while not overshadowing the unique character of each oak. The beer itself was first aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels, building a foundation of caramelized malt, dark sugar, and vanilla before beginning its second journey.
After its time in that first set of bourbon barrels, the beer was then transferred into barrels that finished Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Bourbon, each a different species of oak: French oak, Chinkapin oak, and Hungarian oak. Each wood type lends its own voice; French oak bringing refined spice, Chinkapin oak contributing subtle sweetness, and Hungarian oak adding elegant tannin and baking spice. ABV: TBA
Bourbon County Toasted Barrel Rye Stout
Rye stout aged in Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight rye whiskey barrel and finished in toasted barrel
Every barrel tells its story in layers — the oak itself, the spirit it once held, and the way the wood has been treated all shape what it will offer to the beer that follows. For this release, Goose Island explored that story through a rye stout aged in Elijah Craig Toasted Rye barrels. The 2026 Bourbon County Brand Toasted Barrel Stout began its life in rye whiskey barrels, where the stout drew out the grain’s signature spice alongside notes of crème brûlée, hazelnut, and a lingering oak finish.
It was then transferred to Elijah Craig’s toasted barrels, where the oak reveals a different character entirely. Gentle toasting coaxes sweetness from the wood while softening the sharper edges of tannin, bringing forward notes of vanilla and giving shape to a fuller, rounder body. ABV: TBA
As in previous years, the full lineup should be released to selected retail accounts on Black Friday, November 27. There may also be some draft previews at tap accounts on Black Wednesday. Some of these events may also bring out some stashed BCS from previous beers.
