Bourbon County Brand Stout - Double Barrel Toasted Barrel (2021)
Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Rotating Out of Production|
Score
8.21
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Our Double Barrel Toasted Barrel Stout was aged for one year in Elijah Craig’s Small Batch Bourbon Barrels, then another year in Elijah Craig Toasted Bourbon Barrels. These toasted barrels are built to the same specifications as normal bourbon barrels but are more heavily toasted and very lightly charred. Not only does this stout embody distinctive elements from Elijah Craig’s award-winning Small Batch Bourbon Barrels—like warm spice & vanilla—it also deepened in intensity during its second year of aging. The result? A Bourbon County Stout unlike any before. In addition to the familiar chocolate, caramel, and vanilla comes flavors of toasted marshmallow and a very pronounced fruit and oak finish. Bourbon County Double Barrel Toasted Barrel Stout has a rich complexity and flavor only attainable through true craftsmanship, partnership, expert blending, and, of course, patience. This is only the second time we have packaged a “Double Barrel” Bourbon County Stout —and trust us, you’ll want to get your hands on this special limited-edition gem.
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7.6/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
pitch black to very very very dark brown, small brown head that is bubbly and soon goes away.
A really nice, quite layered and complex aroma that starts out as wood, vanilla, roasted malts and hints of booze, dark caramel, dark chocolate. It has a tiny boozy almost a bit phenolic sting to it, if it was not for that, i'd give it 9 in aroma. some of my very favorite BCBS does not have this phenolic note, most black beers around 16% abv have it a lot more, and i don't really like it. the vanilla and wood and bourbon really blends well into a composite but even note, really good.
flavor is bourbon, roasted malts, vanilla, wood, dark chocolate, faint licorice, a boozy note, sorry to say, but a bit like cheap booze, very faint slightly fruity note , a bit like a liquer, but very faint. End is bourbonish and roasted malty.
I think this one needs some more years to get that boozy note to go mostly away. tasted feb 2026, bottle was 2021 i'd say give it 2-3 more years.
A really nice, quite layered and complex aroma that starts out as wood, vanilla, roasted malts and hints of booze, dark caramel, dark chocolate. It has a tiny boozy almost a bit phenolic sting to it, if it was not for that, i'd give it 9 in aroma. some of my very favorite BCBS does not have this phenolic note, most black beers around 16% abv have it a lot more, and i don't really like it. the vanilla and wood and bourbon really blends well into a composite but even note, really good.
flavor is bourbon, roasted malts, vanilla, wood, dark chocolate, faint licorice, a boozy note, sorry to say, but a bit like cheap booze, very faint slightly fruity note , a bit like a liquer, but very faint. End is bourbonish and roasted malty.
I think this one needs some more years to get that boozy note to go mostly away. tasted feb 2026, bottle was 2021 i'd say give it 2-3 more years.
Tried
on 03 Feb 2026
at 22:36
8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
500 mL bottle poured, aged 3 years for an occasion. Celebrating new life with lifelong friends seemed like the perfect time. Cheers, T. Dark and dense pour. Aroma comes off a bit rich, with some nice chocolate and charred oak, maybe a hint of dark fruits. Bold flavors with lots of dark chocolate. Flavor doesn't come off nearly as sweet as the aroma suggested, or that I would expect in such a big beer. Toasty finish with a slightly dry oak, steady boutbon, and very dark chocolates. Absolute treat of a brew. Not sure I'd be paying the price for this on the regular, but for the occasion it was priceless. Very good variant in a great series here.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Oct 2024
at 03:57
8.4/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
bottle - have saved for a special occasion - 2021 vintage. Goose Island Imperial Stout at its best
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Sep 2024
at 14:54
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
500ml bottle at share. Near black pour with a ring of beige head. Roasty aroma, boozy, chocolate. Taste is roast malts, burnt toast, toffee, coffee, chocolate and a hint of vanilla. Plenty warm.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Jul 2024
at 20:27
9/10
Special beer to max out the stout badge! The bourbon is really at the forefront, almost overpowering the stout. Great oak character. Supremely smooth though. Great, thick mouthfeel.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Sep 2023
at 01:20
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Poured from a 500 ml, 2021 vintage bottle. Aroma is rich and malt forward with layers of chocolate and lighter notes of roast, caramel and toffee. Hints of honey, leather, raisin and prune. Medium light oak notes with light bourbon and hints of almond, vanilla and char. Medium light alcohol notes. Pours jet black with a large, thick, dark mocha head that recedes steadily to a small, creamy, mocha head that lingers a bit before disappearing to the edges. Light lacing and sheets of alcohol. Flavor is fairly sweet with layers of chocolate and lighter roast notes. Some caramel and toffee with much lighter notes of honey and leather. Hints of candied fruit like raisin and prune. Moderately high bitterness and medium alcohol notes. Light oak notes with hints of vanilla and charred oak. Medium light bourbon notes. Mouthfeel is full bodied and a bit sticky with medium carbonation. Low astringency and medium low alcohol warmth. Overall, a really solid bourbon county variant. Great oak and bourbon notes. Malt profile shows great complexity and carries the alcohol nicely.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Apr 2023
at 07:10
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle, courtesy of Sergey; vintage 2021, bb 20jul26
Black colour, no head. Aroma of dark malts, ashes, dark chocolate, alcohol, light smoke and leather. Full bodied; the alcohol is hot; moderated sweet, but the sugars are partially covered by the alcohol; burnt sugar, some dark chocolate, touch of toffee, breadcrust, Bourbon, and then even more alcohol. Hot, but excellent.
Black colour, no head. Aroma of dark malts, ashes, dark chocolate, alcohol, light smoke and leather. Full bodied; the alcohol is hot; moderated sweet, but the sugars are partially covered by the alcohol; burnt sugar, some dark chocolate, touch of toffee, breadcrust, Bourbon, and then even more alcohol. Hot, but excellent.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Mar 2023
at 04:06
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
500ml shared @ Alex's. Appearance: almost black with a weak beige head. Aroma: some booze, sweetness, fudge, bourbon barrel, feels like smth on the thin side. Something like rosehips coming from the barrel. Taste: along the same lines, moderately sweet, a bit boozy (but not really). Overall: it's good, but it's on the thin side for the 16% beer. I am not sure why most of the people went crazy about it. And, obviously, it is insanely overpriced for what it is.
Tried
on 19 Mar 2023
at 05:21
8/10
Medium body, oily, boozy. Lots of barrel, coffee, caramel, charred oak, fairly dry. Smooth, a bit smoky. Very nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Dec 2022
at 15:53
8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Poured from bottle (bb 21 July 2026). Very dark brown with small beige head. Bourbon forward, nice and smooth, good barrel quality, very enjoyable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Dec 2022
at 06:19