One of the signs of the upcoming Bourbon County Brand Stout Season is that sometimes, a different BCS variant “escapes” into the wild.
Today, Goose Island is introducing its first Bourbon County Brand Triple Barrel Stout, an ambitious new release aged for three years across three freshly emptied bourbon barrels.
According to Goose Island’s news release:
Every barrel holds a story years in the making. From oak tree to cooperage, distillery to Goose Island’s Barrel House in Chicago, each cask leaves its mark on the spirit it holds and the beer that follows. With Bourbon County Brand Triple Barrel Stout, Goose Island extends that journey further than ever before, moving the stout through three successive bourbon barrels over three years to build layer upon layer of spirit, oak and character.
At 18.7% ABV, the rye stout is confidently barrel-forward, with notes of rich milk chocolate, warming vanilla and deep bourbon character. Each new barrel adds another dimension, resulting in an expression that celebrates both Goose Island’s barrel-aging expertise and the unmistakable influence of the American bourbon tradition.
There seem to be some details to be filled in for the beer-curious: has this been run through just one barrel each? It would seem likely, since the beer is only being sold in the usual BCS 16.9 oz. bottle, exclusively at Goose Island’s Chicago properties – the Taproom and Salt Shed Pub.
This is definitely one of the highest alcohol beers in the Bourbon County lineup; blame the “Angel’s Share” from three different barrels. This would also look to be different from the Black Friday release of the “Triple Oak Barely Wine,” which starts by aging in Angel’s Envy barrels, then goes through a series of casks in different types of oak.
The “Triple Barrel” aging seems to be a new trend, as I’ve had a few that all proved delicious. There are variations in whether they’re aged in different brands’ barrels, different years of the same bourbon, and so on. What they usually have in common is three years of aging instead of two, which gives the beer an even stronger bourbon flavor.
