Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Rye Stout (2014)
(Batch of Bourbon County Brand Stout - Vanilla Rye)

7/XII/24 - 66cl bottle from... I don’t remember where I got this, shared @ the Big Bottles Tasting / Proevertjesdag (Oudenburg), BB: n/a, bottled: 31/X/14 (2024-1265)

Clear dark brown to black beer, no head. Aroma: lots of dark chocolate, good roast, bourbon, vanilla, alcohol, a bit oxidized, sugary impression. MF: ok carbon, medium to full body. Taste: lots of chocolate, good roast, bitter, hoppy touch, alcohol, more roast, lots of caramel, sugary, some chocolate, vanilla notes, lovely! Aftertaste: more alcohol is present, sugary, good roast, dark chocolate, vanilla notes, very nice, love it!

Bottle shared at Dangerous Bottleshare 10th Anniversary. Pours pitch black with a small dark brown head. Aromas of vanilla, cocoa, dark chocolate, coconut, milk chocolate, "kinderæg", light savory notes, fudge, lots of barrel notes. Taste is dark chocolate, milk chocolate, vanilla, licorice, pretty subtle roast, lots of rye, dry rye finish. Hot damn!

2014 vintage brought by some folks to Zwanze many thanks. Dark pour. Rich chocolate nose some vanilla. The rye is subdued but adds to of bitter and peppery notes to the lush chocolate. Barrel comes through adding tonvanilla. Quite delicious and still going strong.

650 ml bottle, 2014 vintage, shared by Sander, many thanks! Black body, with a small, creamy, beige head. Aroma of bourbon, wood, cocoa powder, tobacco, some vanilla, slight dark fruits. Tastes beautiful, quite similar, but so rich, with a moderate booze. Full, medium creamy mouthfeel, with a moderate carbonation. Finishes dry, roasty, warm, a bit sweet, with cocoa powder, tobacco, bourbon, wood. Very tasty! Surprisingly balanced for the ABV, a bit boozy, but not too heavy to drink. Quite roasty, with just enough sweetness. There's also some smooth, wooden dryness to it that I like a lot. Another great BCBS variant. Score: 8 / 4 / 9 / 4 / 17

65cl bottle as vintage 2014 (13,6%) from trade with Virby44, many thanks man, my beer #5000. F: thin tanned film, quick gone. C: black, totally opaque. A: a lot of chocolate, vanilla, bit coffee, chocolate sauce, bit woody, cognac, toffee, caramel, complex. T: rich chocolate, vanilla, caramel, bit coffee, woody touch, warming alcohol, old red wine, bourbon, bit spicy, complex full body, low carbonation, very good but what else should to be expected here, fully enjoyed as slow sipper along to watching 2nd series OA.

From 0,5l bottle at Sanders place. Vintage 2014. Black color, small coffee colored head. Smells of bourbon, fudgy, marzipan, light vanilla, brownie dough. Very nice smell. Full body, light carbonation. Tastes of bourbon, vanilla, marzipan, nutty, earthy, doughy, fudgy. Finishes lightly sweet with notes of fudge, bourbon and vanilla. Very very smooth, very good to drink

Bottle, shared round at Dan’s. Clear, deep chestnut brown. Ring of tan. Clear legs. Nose has bourbon biscuits. Amaretti biscuit. Neapolitan ice cream. Booze steeped vine fruits. Vanilla pod. Chocolate malts. Loads going on here. Taste is sweet and rich, boozy chocolate. Minimal, roast coffee bean bitterness. Silky, smooth, slightly oily on the palate. Low carbonation. Soft, chocolatey bitterness to finish. Impressive gear.

29-09-18 // taster from tap at Mon Petit Cafe Stuttgart at the Pre-Zwanze-Tasting. 2014 version from keg. Deep black. Vanilla nose. Oily. Dark sweet chocolate. Fantastic brew.

2014 vintage draught at Stoddard's, 11/22/17 and 2014 bottle drunk 12/1/17.
Pretty happy they offered this on Bourbon County Day, as I imagine this stuff is getting quite scarce. Granted, the bourbon county stouts have been so hit or miss as far as quality, with some being syrupy, hot, sugary messes, or prematurely oxidized, and others being pretty fantastic, that I wasn't sure what to expect. Fortunately, this one lived up to the hype.
Pours as an inky, viscous, jet black, motor oil with no head. Seemingly opaque, as well.
Rich oak, dark chocolate, and soft vanilla all encompass the nose, with no aggressiveness nor any thick fudge, booze or surplus of sugar. Light raisin and vinous notes persist on the end, helping to add a sense of balancing acidity. The vanilla shows restraint, coming in as just one small (albeit very well-done and enjoyable) note amongst the fairly complex character. Some inevitable drying and very light alcohol, but it's very relaxed and minor.
In the mouth, it is perhaps even more impressive, with an incredibly soft, sticky, viscous texture that is nonetheless still fairly well-attenuated. I wouldn't call the beer dry, or even off-dry, by any means, but it never threatens to cloy and shows plentiful barrel tannin, raisin and other dark fruit acidity and soft, inviting vanilla notes. Together it does achieve a pretty nice balance, as far as dessert stouts go. Carbonation is engaging but low, with little/no alcohol, no big fudgey-sweet notes nor any significant amount of toasted oak. Excellent stuff.
The draught version was in excellent shape and showed little/no oxidation or tiredness. As expected, the bottle was more tired and showed light-to-moderate oxidation. Definitely a drink-now, but will still be enjoyable for a few more years.

Bottle opened by Ryan at Logan's house. Pours black, with a small, fizzy, brown head. Decadent vanilla bean aroma, with some brownies, light rye malts, and molasses. Very sweet, with almost perfect balance. Very heavy body, with a thick, creamy, and smooth texture. Simply decadent and delicious. Tons of vanilla and light, tasty booze.