Perhaps I should be resting my broken hand, Suffered after I got home from the Bourbon County Stout media preview. But this seems to be one of my most popular annual summaries, so let’s go to it.
This year’s introduction to the Bourbon County variant lineup took place at Goose Island’s barrel warehouse facility on Sacramento Boulevard. As they have mentioned before they chose the location because it was a straight shot from the Fulton House brewery so they could transport their imperial stout to the bourbon to the barrel and to the barrel loading facility without joshing it around without slashing it around.
in previous presentations at the barrel warehouse, we have only gone as far back as the first Warehouse chamber past the public area. This year we went through much more of the facility, which struck me as like one of those infinite IKEAs in a science fiction story; that you could never get out of.. Each room crammed with more barrels. We had several stops where bottles of the Bourbon County variants were waiting to be poured and sampled. While we were encouraged to keep our sample glasses of the Bourbon County Original filled so we can compare it to the base style.
Our hosts for the presentation where Goose Island Brewing president President Todd Ahsmann, Senior Brewmaster Daryl Hoedtke, Senior Manager of Innovation Mike Siegel, and Senior Brand Manager John Zadlo. Throughout the evening, they took turns discussing how each variant was designed, the process of making it, and the own personal and professional attachment to the barrel–aging program.
This year’s program involved the largest number of different barrels that were used to make the variants. They went from toasted or charred oak – American white oak, chinkapin, French, Hungarian – and what liquors the barrels originally held.
Original:
Once again, the BCS original is being offered in the 10 oz bottles, with the usual blend from barrels of Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Wild Turkey and Heaven Hill. I get vanilla and chocolate and notes of fruit leather. The taste is kind of dry and rather mild as the bourbon base goes. The char from the barrels is pretty light and I get more vanilla as I go.
We were told this year’s Original only clocks in at 14.2% alcohol by volume, so it’s a little lower than last year.
How is the current Bourbon county Stout original different from the way it was in its early days? Ahsman noted that the first batch was only aged for about 100 days, which was not enough to settle out oxidation.
Today’s BCS variants will have spent 12 to 18 months in barrels, some up to two to three years, with or without transferring to other bottles.
Triple Oak Barleywine
Barleywine aged in Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight bourbon barrels and finished in a blend of Chinkapin, French & Hungarian oak whiskey finishing casks
I find it noticeably lighter and brown compared to imperial stouts, of course. There is no foam from the bottle pour. It shows a heavy raisin taste. Some of that sweetness is due to the fresh oak being used to finish the beer. The lack of char in the finish lets more tannins in, too.
Our presenter showed us slices of the barrels. The one that has the full char, showing a black alligator skin texture, while the other, which had been toasted. The toasted sample showed just a light tan.
They also note that even after all the whiskey in a barrel is dumped out there will be two to five gallons remaining, soaked into the wood. That will be drawn out as they are filled beer for aging.
“We stack the Original barrels at the bottom of the warehouse in this entire space. it’s not temperature controlled. We’ll keep it just above freezing in the winter, and that’s by design. We want that warm Chicago summer, that cold Chicago winter. All of that of allows the expansion and contraction of the barrel to really form the flavor of the beers here. That’s part of our ‘Chicago Terrior.'”
Toasted Barrel Rye
Rye stout aged in Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight rye whiskey barrel and finished in toasted barrel
This one also shows more toast to it than char. Oak and Rye are adding more tannins, and I get a note of creme brulée. Or even s’mores. The smell is light but the body is solid black. I do get a slight banana taste as well and with roast malt. I look for the spice from Rye but instead I get marshmallow and smoke. More in the second sip. But I do pick up a little more spice from the rye as I go further down.
Apple Crisp
Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with apple, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, oats & panela sugar.
This was the annual variant based on a recipe submitted by a Goose Island employee. The base style is Apple Pan Dowdy.
The nose is right there with apples and sugar, slightly hotter in alcohol. It pours with a slight ring of foam. The apple crisp hits my nose every time I raise it to my snoot. There’s definitely apple, cinnamon, clove, and other spices that come in at just the right proportion and then caramel as well. The cinnamon taste never goes away, nor does it become overwhelming. That might be worth noting as a lot of spice beers that get salad will fade over time. Despite the fact that this year’s focus is on the different barrels, I think this is the variant that’ll be a favorite.
Tiramisu
Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, then finished in rum barrels with espresso, cocoa nibs & vanilla
The first BCS to be finished in rum casks, one American oak, the other French.
The nose is originally focused on chocolate. This combination of adjuncts is usually the most common in any brewer BA stout, but in much lower proportions. Coffee builds as I drill down, and there’s another finish of marshmallows.
Proprietor’s (Pineapple Upside Down Cake)
Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels finished with pineapple, Montmorency cherry & panela sugar.
The pineapple flavor is not big but definitely adds to the overall impression. It comes out in equal parts with the Cherry flavor. The dessert taste is big, big, big! Yes, I seem to be running out of coherent things to say by this point.
Triple Barrel Stout
We took a rye stout and aged it in King of Kentucky bourbon barrels, then moved it to Old Forester Birthday Bourbon barrels, then finished it in a blend of Old Forester and King of Kentucky barrels, for a total of three years in the wood.
This is actually the second “Triple” BCS, although the Barley Wine is finished in different woods from the same distillery. And this goes through barrels from two different brands. This beer was announced last month and will not be part of the main Bourbon County Stout lineup. It will be sold only at Goose Island’s Salt Shed and at the Fulton Street tap room. It should also be available at Prop Day, November 7.
For such a big 18.7% abv beer, it has a surprisingly smooth burn going in, like a regular BCS amplified. With a smooth sugar and cream note.
Unaged BCS Testing
As happened last time we met at the Barrel Warehouse, Preview participants got to sample a “nail pull” of Original BCS at various stages:My impressions from tasting through the 2026 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout lineup. #beeronautMy impressions from tasting through the 2026 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout lineup. #beeronaut a fresh, unaged beer, a barrel aged just 5 months, and the fully finished BCS.
I seem to have only taken notes on the five month batch. Partly because my +1 was ready to leave, and our Über showed up sooner than expected. It had a light beer nose, and a definite unfinished beer impression. There is a tobacco nose and even a touch of smoke present, and some dried fruit. It has more of a Belgian character, because of some yeast still showing through. I would think that a 5-month-aged light Bourbon County Stout would still be worthy of packaging.
Only a few other notes that I’ll append once I get this published and, I hope, once I get a less clumsy splint for my hand.
Another thing they like to emphasize is that their location in Chicago turns out to be really close to Kentucky, so freshly emptied barrels can be brought here rather quickly. I also note that the immature beers show a bit more of a smokey character possibly from the barrel chart.
Better post for now. maybe I’ll add a little more if I can decipher the transcribed conversation on my phone. 🤕
Just a reminder, many of your favorite bottle shops and liquor stores are taking pre-orders for Bourbon County Stout packages. Give them a check. Many locations will be serving the beers on Black Wednesday, November 25), while bottle sales and pickups start on Black Friday.
