Goose Island
Bourbon County Brand Stout
The beer that started commercial bourbon-barrel ageing, and the origin of an entire global category of barrel-aged stout.
- Strength
- 13–15% ABV
- Style
- Imperial stout
- Brewery
- Goose Island
The beer that created barrel-aged imperial stout as a category, first brewed in 1992 and aged in bourbon barrels. Vanilla, coconut and oak tannin over an enormously rich chocolate and dark fruit base, at a strength that varies by year.
Almost every barrel-aged stout since is downstream of it. The strength and character shift between vintages, which is inherent to barrel ageing rather than a lapse.
What it tastes like
Inherited from Imperial stout, because this beer sits within the normal range for it. BeerHQ’s comparative scale, not a measurement.
Why BeerHQ carries this beer
| Reason | Carried for its place in the history of beer |
|---|---|
| Strength | 13–15% ABV — checked 2026-08-16. Strengths differ by market and change without announcement, so this is dated rather than absolute. |
| Record stability | Volatile — production, strength or availability are actively changing. Treat specifics as needing verification. |
BeerHQ records no recipe, hop bill, malt bill, yeast strain, IBU or calorie figure for any commercial beer unless it is sourced. Nothing on this page is inferred from what the beer tastes like.
What is distinctive about it
- Generally identified as the first commercial bourbon-barrel-aged beer
- Released annually with the strength varying between years
It is not the same everywhere
Strength and character vary considerably between annual releases and between variants; the range given spans recent years rather than describing one beer.
If you like Bourbon County Brand Stout
Worked out from what this beer actually tastes like rather than from what its style typically does. Three kinds of move, because “what should I try next” is three different questions.
Closest to it
Very similar in structure and flavour. Safe ground rather than discovery.
Foreign extra stout — try Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
A close structural match for Bourbon County Brand Stout — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably more dryness (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more dryness than Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Tropical stout — try Dragon Stout
A close structural match for Bourbon County Brand Stout — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably less alcohol warmth (high–very high → low).
May not suit: Noticeably less alcohol warmth than Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Baltic porter — try Żywiec Porter
A close structural match for Bourbon County Brand Stout — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably less coffee (high → low).
May not suit: Noticeably less coffee than Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Similar, but different
Keeps what you probably like about it and changes one or two things. Usually the most useful answer.
Keeps most of what Bourbon County Brand Stout does and shifts malt intensity.
Different: much less malt intensity (very high → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less malt intensity than Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Irish extra stout — try Guinness Extra Stout
Keeps most of what Bourbon County Brand Stout does and shifts dryness.
Different: much more dryness (none–trace → high).
May not suit: Noticeably more dryness than Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Keeps most of what Bourbon County Brand Stout does and shifts malt intensity.
Different: much less malt intensity (very high → none–trace).
May not suit: Noticeably less malt intensity than Bourbon County Brand Stout.
A bigger jump
Genuinely different, but connected by something specific — the shared trait is named so you can judge whether the bridge holds.
Eisbock — try Schneider Aventinus Eisbock
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Different: much more bread & biscuit (none–trace → high).
May not suit: Roast is a long way from Bourbon County Brand Stout, and that is the most likely thing to put you off.
Doppelbock — try Paulaner Salvator or Ayinger Celebrator
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Different: much more bread & biscuit (none–trace → high–very high).
May not suit: Roast is a long way from Bourbon County Brand Stout, and that is the most likely thing to put you off.
Czech dark lager — try Velkopopovický Kozel Černý
Both carry real malt intensity, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Different: much less alcohol warmth (high–very high → none–trace).
May not suit: Alcohol warmth is a long way from Bourbon County Brand Stout, and that is the most likely thing to put you off.
Likely fits rather than promises. Taste varies, and a recommendation engine that claims certainty is claiming something it cannot know.
What to eat with it
Inherited from Imperial stout. BeerHQ does not duplicate pairings onto individual products unless the product genuinely differs from its style.
- Affogato
The one dessert built on bitterness, and the shared ground is real rather than a coincidence of description: coffee and dark malt both get their character from Maillard reactions and pyrolysis at similar temperatures. Roast meets roast, and the ice cream handles both.
- Brownies
The most reliable dessert pairing in beer: cocoa and roast malt are the same flavour family, and both carry a little bitterness under the sweetness.
- Chocolate
Roasted malt and roasted cacao share a great deal of chemistry. The beer’s alcohol also cuts the cocoa butter, which is what keeps the pairing from becoming cloying.
- Chocolate cake
Chocolate malt and cocoa are the same flavour family, so the two read as one dish rather than two things on a table. The beer needs to be at least as intense as the dessert or the sugar will strip it — which is why an imperial stout works where a porter can struggle.
Keeping it
Imperial stout is typically at its best 12–96 months after packaging, and time is working for it rather than against it.
Rewards age. Given cool, dark, upright storage this develops depth most drinkers would call an improvement. Buy two and compare.
Derived from Imperial stout. See storage and freshness for the full model.
BeerHQ carries a small set of reference beers to anchor styles, not a catalogue. There is no rating here and there will not be one. Last reviewed 2026-08-16.