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Goose Island Bourbon County Stout’s 2020 line had been widely regarded as one of the best top-to-bottom for the brewery for years; The 2021 lineup appears to take what worked last year and use a similar theme: showcasing the barrel.
“For over two decades, we have been an integral part of the evolution of the barrel aged beer category, helping to develop it to what it is today,” said Goose Island President. , Todd Ahsmann. “It’s all made possible by the passionate family of Goose Island innovators – and this year’s Bourbon County Stout line reflects exactly that, creativity and true craftsmanship.
Along with Goose Island’s relationship, the unique barrels they have access to are part of what makes Bourbon County so unique. In 2018 and 2019, the brewery showcased more fruity and sweeter variations – some worked and others had a very specific fan base. In 2020 they changed and used different barrels to show their impact on base beer.
The barrels that held Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon and Weller 12-Year produced two of the most popular variations last year. Goose Island also released different versions of Original Bourbon County with single barrel variations from various distilleries.
“Goose Island has forged deep-rooted relationships with some of the industry’s most sought-after whiskey makers and we are grateful for the partnership and confidence they have placed in us to age beer in top-notch casks, such as Old Forester, Elijah Craig and Blanton’s, ”said Mike Siegel, director of Goose Island Barrels and Beyond Beer Innovations. “Each year, these partnerships allow our Imperial Stout to extract new characteristics and complexities from oak and whiskey to elevate the quality and taste of Bourbon County Stout.”
This year’s line follows a similar pattern, which has the potential to be as successful as it was in 2020. There are eight versions of Bourbon County this year, one more than last year’s seven-bottle line. Here’s what to look for when exiting Bourbon County on Black Friday.
Bourbon County Stout ABV 14% and 14.4%
The original variant that was Greg Hall’s recipe launches programming like every year. After spending eight to 14 months in a variety of Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace casks, the beer is blended to give us Bourbon County Stout (BCS). Expect heavy notes of chocolate, molasses, oak and vanilla as usual.
Bourbon County Cherry Wood Stout 14.3% ABV
The first way Goose Island uses barrels / wood in this year’s lineup, the name Cherry Wood Stout pretty much describes the beer. The brewery took BCS and finished it with grilled honeycomb-shaped cherry wood chips. These wood chips add a layer of flavor and complexity to cherry wood that you don’t get in BCS. Notes of ripe cherry and caramel should appear in this beer while retaining the base of the Comté de Bourbon.
“We had a flavor profile in mind when we started creating this beer and over time we researched and tested until we found the best way to develop it,” said Keith Gabbett. , Senior Director of Innovation for Goose Island. “We used honeycomb shaped wood chips, which allowed for a larger surface area and greater extraction compared to traditional wood chips, helping us to achieve more improved wood characteristics for beer. already impeccable. “
Bourbon County Reserve 150 Stout 15.6% ABV
Using the formula that worked so well last year, Goose Island once again teamed up with Old Forester to add BCS to special barrels to produce what I think will be one of the more variants. sought. To celebrate Old Forester’s 150th anniversary, the distillery selected 150 casks that lay in their barrels and created three unique batches of bourbon. Those barrels then housed Bourbon County and that’s how we get BCS Reserve 150 Stout.
“Each of the three lots of this highly sought after version represented a sort of deconstructed glimpse into the intricacies of this incredible bourbon,” said Jacquelyn M Zykan, Old Forester Master Taster. “Recombining the special flavors that each barrel must impart throughout the Goose Island beer finishing process is sure to showcase the unmatched dimension and quality brought to the bottle by both partners. “
Bourbon County Double Barrel Toasted Barrel Stout 16% ABV
Say this name 10 times quickly. For the second time only, Goose Island is offering a twin-barreled version of BCS. This beer spent a year in the Small Batch Bourbon Barrels of Elijah Craig, then another year in the Elijah Craig Toasted Bourbon Barrels. These grilled barrels are, you guessed it, more toasted than your typical bourbon barrels. Expect a more woody beer that will likely be the wettest variant of the bunch.
Bourbon County Reserve Blanton’s Stout 15.4% ABV
Continuing the trend of using specialty barrels, this variant takes the base BCS and places it in Blanton’s Original Single Barrel Bourbon barrels for 18 months. Previously, the Single Barrel Blanton was only available to certain groups of people, but it is now widely available. Goose Island brewers expect notes of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon with these classic dark chocolate flavors.
“With the Bourbon de Blanton being the original single-barrel bourbon and the Goose Island Beer Company being the original Bourbon County Stout, we knew this collaboration would be special,” said Aaron Lawrence, Global Brand Ambassador for Blanton’s Bourbon. “And after 18 long months in the wet barrels of Blanton, our patience has paid off with something truly exceptional.”
Bourbon County Classic Cola Stout 14.1% ABV
This one screams Kentucky Fog from 2020 and is the variant that will be the most polarizing. People are going to love or hate this one as this is the first time Goose Island has made a cola inspired BCS variant. They took those classic cola flavors and added lime and orange juice, zest, cilantro, and a host of other additives to produce a beer that mimics that of a whiskey cola. This is the one I will be most interested in hearing people’s thoughts on.
“Our biggest challenge was getting all the ingredients to taste like cola, not nine individual things,” said Jason Krasowski, Goose Island Brewer. “Ultimately, this BCS variation has all the depth and complexity you would expect from blending nine ingredients into our beautiful BCS base, while being, surprisingly, as refreshing as your favorite cola brand! We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we enjoyed making it.
Bourbon County Fourteen Stout TBD ABV
The fourth highest rated beer on Untappd of all time, Prop 2014 was something special. Those notes of chocolate, rye and coconut are something no beer drinker will forget. To honor this beer, Goose Island takes the recipe from 2014, but adds more rye to the beer. The original additions of cassia bark, cocoa nibs, panela sugar, and coconut water are still there, but expect an extra level of spice we didn’t have in 2014. I think that this will be the most sought-after variant of the Eight – even more than this year’s Prop.
Bourbon County Stout from owner TBD ABV
To wrap up the lineup, Proprietor’s (only available in Chicago) returns with a similar theme starting in 2020. After trying Spumoni last year, which was done pretty well overall, Goose Island is going for a flavor of strawberry ice cream bar this year. Emily Kosmal, who also came up with the recipe last year, is the mastermind behind Prop 2021. This is actually the third time Kosmal has created the Prop recipe. You will get hints of strawberries, vanilla and coconut in this one with the basic chocolate flavors mixed in it.
So. The Goose Island 2021 Bourbon County Stout range. Which ones excite you the most?
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