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Is it too early to start thinking about the fall? Cooler temps and changing leaves still feel a long way off, but that is the season when spirits and beer brands release some of their most collectible bottles, like Chicago brewery Goose Island‘s cult Bourbon County Stout series. We have the details for this year's beer lineup, and as usual it's aged in bourbon barrels sourced from some of Kentucky's finest distilleries, and features some very unusual flavors.
Bourbon County Stout was first introduced to the world more than 30 years ago in 1992 to celebrate the brewery's 100th batch, but the more expansive series didn't arrive until 2010. The details change with each release, although the core beer, Bourbon County Brand Original Stout, remains pretty consistent (even though the barrels used to age it differ). "From the beginning, in the early '90s, we recognized that the barrel acts as an essential ingredient, just like water, malt, hops, and yeast," said Todd Ahsmann, president of Goose Island Beer Co., in a statement. "We also realized that no two barrels are ever quite the same. That's the fun of barrel aging: every barrel adds its own character, giving each beer a personality all its own. In 2026, we're continuing to push ourselves with this lineup, embracing where we started while ever evolving to push the boundaries of what barrel-aged beer can be."
This year's Bourbon County Brand Original Stout was aged in "freshly emptied barrels" from well-known distilleries like Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey for an average of 13 months, giving it notes of fudge, vanilla, and caramelized sugar according to the tasting notes (samples were not made available). Next up is the Bourbon County Brand Tiramisu Cask Finish Stout, an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels and then finished in rum casks (a first for Goose Island) with espresso, cocoa nibs, and vanilla to bring some dessert flavors into the mix. Then we have the Bourbon County Brand Apple Crisp Stout, which is aged in bourbon barrels with apple, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, oats, and panela sugar.
Bourbon County Brand Proprietor's Stout is another mainstay in the series, and this year's version is a tribute to pineapple upside-down cake. It was created by Goose Island barrel team member Chase Craig, who chose to finish the barrel-aged stout with pineapple, Montmorency cherry, and panela sugar. Bourbon County Brand Triple Oak Barleywine was inspired by Angel's Envy's Triple Oak Bourbon. The barleywine was aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels and then finished in the same chinkapin, French, and Hungarian oak barrels used to age that Angel's Envy expression. Lastly, Bourbon County Brand Toasted Barrel Rye Stout is a rye stout that was initially aged in Elijah Craig straight rye barrels, and then finished in Elijah Craig Toasted Rye barrels to bring some warmth and sweetness to the rye spice.
As usual, Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout lineup will be available starting on Black Friday, which falls on November 27 this year, but if you want to try previous years' releases they are available to order online.
