Bottle courtesy of Kermis. Big thanks. Poured a clear dark brown with a round tan head. The aroma is rich red-berry fruit, molasses, alcoholic. The flavour is medium to strong sweet with a rich fruity boozy whisky alcohol palate. Full bodied with soft carbonation. A super smooth flavour packed beer. A real king of beers. Goose Island rarely disappoints.

Thanks! 655 ml. bottle sampled @ ZBF 2014. Pours an oily black with zero head. Nose is astonishing, thick molasses, bourbon goo mixed with gelatine candy and berries, warming, high quality alcohol. Tastes of berry-flavoured gummy bears, molasses, very strong, excellent warming whiskey, thick molasses, candy, vanilla, faint coconut and very thick brown sugar. Very warming, drinks like motor sludge in a good way. I

Bomber courtesy of and shared with Kermis. No head or carbonation. Clear black pour. Lots of fruit. Lots of fruit. Lovely

Re-rate 1/16: Bottle sample at a tasting at Tom L’s place. Thanks Scott. 2013 bottle. Black with a brown head. Wonderful aroma full of dark chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, cookies, a bit of berries. Sweet flavor with lots of dark chocolate, caramel, fudge, vanilla, bourbon, a bit of berries. Full-bodied. Not as much berries as it had 3 years ago, but still wonderful. 9/4/8/4/17=4.2

Bottle shared at a tasting at the Beer & Beyond shop. Thanks troganmi for this bottle! Bottled 11/19/13. Black with a quickly-dissipating brown head. Amazing aroma, a bit alcoholic, full of juicy berries, dark chocolate (like delicious berry pralines), roastiness, vanilla notes, wood and a bit of whiskey. Sweet flavor with lots of chocolate, berries (with a light tart note), some roastiness (with a bit of roasty bitterness), a bit of vanilla, bourbon, wood and a slightly roasty and bitter finish. Great thick full body. A wonderful Imperial Stout. 9/4/8/5/17=4.3

Bottle from Colonial Spirits muled by Hoppasaurus Rex, thanks. I decided to open this tonight after a bizarre bottle stacking cap denting incident in my basement. Pours a solid black with a decent sized tan head that quickly dissipates to some fuzz on top. Aromas of molasses and brown sugar with bits of rye whiskey, oak tannin, and bits of tart fruit. The flavor follows the aroma but the tart berry is much more pronounced. Thick sugary molasses base with hints of chocolate atop a pile of tart berries. Light oak and vanilla with a touch of ethanol round thing out quite nicely. Thick body with a light to moderate level of carbonation and a thick sweet syrupy mouthfeel. Great variation, I really enjoyed this beer, wish I had another.

Bottle shared at Hopduvel, Gent, big thanks to Bobochamp. Pours black with no real head. Aroma of is like a Black Forest gateau, combined with an over grown backyard with berries. Chocolate and caramel. Thick and chewy in the mouthfeel with heavy sweetness and moderate bitterness. Full bodied with soft carbonation.

Imported from my RateBeer account as Goose Island Bourbon County Stout - Backyard Rye Barrel (by Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev)):
Aroma: 9/10, Appearance: 3/5, Taste: 10/10, Palate: 5/5, Overall: 19/20, MyTotalScore: 4.6/5

25/II/14 - 1Pt. 6Fl. Oz. bottle @ De Hopduvel (Gent) - BB: n/a (2014-210) Thanks to Bobochamp for sharing the bottle!

Clear dark brown to black beer, no head. Aroma: lots of chocolate, cherry liquor (Mon Chérie), sweet, lots of red berry candy, more chocolate. MF: no carbon, full body. Taste: very fruity, raspberry jam, nice fruity sourness, some sweet chocolate and caramel underneath, more red fruits jam, nice mix of sweet and sour. Aftertaste: chocolate, vanilla, lots of raspberries, strawberry jam. Wow, this is amazing!