Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Stout - Backyard

Bourbon County Brand Stout - Backyard

 

Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois, United States 🇺🇸

  Stout - Imperial Rotating Out of Production
Score
7.65
ABV: 12.9% IBU: - Ticks: 41
Feeling nostalgic this year, we dove into our Bourbon County vault and pulled out an iconic recipe. In 2013, we released “Backyard Rye” and our senior innovation manager Mike Siegel found himself hand picking mulberries off trees just steps away from our Goose Island Barrel House in Chicago. Inspired by that initial release and by his own childhood memories of picking fruit in his own backyard, Mike set to work on this year’s Bourbon County Backyard Stout.⁠

This barrel-aged stout was first aged in bourbon barrels for at least one year, and then finished and blended with mulberries, boysenberries and marionberries. Each addition of berry contributes its own distinct flavor profile, with some adding sweetness and others providing acidity and complexity. A taste of the past, this imperial stout is a balanced and nuanced play on fresh fruit, vanilla, and chocolate.
 

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9

Lots of red fruit, really opens up the flavor.

Tried from Bottle from Mitra R. Van Der Linden Wijk bij Duurstede on 14 Nov 2025 at 20:13


9

Lots of red fruit, really opens up the flavor.

Tried from Bottle from Mitra R. Van Der Linden Wijk bij Duurstede on 14 Nov 2025 at 20:13


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle poured into a snifter. Black with a fizzy brown head. Around is bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, dark berries. Initial taste is chocolate, bourbon, mulberries. Fades to an odd berry/chocolate balance. Full body and a little sting to the carbonation. Not their best version of this. Really odd berry aftertaste.

Tried from Bottle on 01 Nov 2025 at 02:07


7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle to tulip. Pours black with big brown head. Aroma is restrained with moderate berry. Flavor shows chocolate, dusted chocolate, vanilla and various fresh berries. Tongue coating mouthfeel. Slightly viscous.

Tried on 29 Jun 2025 at 05:31


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Quite sweet and fruity, berries, dark malts, seems a little thin on the body. Drinks fine.

Tried from Bottle on 09 Apr 2025 at 18:51


8.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Tried from Bottle on 09 Apr 2025 at 18:38


8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 8

Bottle shared at craft beer junction bermondsey tasting. Many thanks to Tipple for this one. A opaque black brown coloured pour with a oily tan head. Aroma is tangy dark fruits, dark berry, alcohol. Banana. Bronw sugar. Banana. Raisin, brown sugars. Palate is medium sweet, light tang, oily

Tried from Bottle on 09 Apr 2025 at 14:11


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle split at CBJ Tasting Night, thanks to Adrian, 09/04/2025.
Black topped with a khaki crown that thins to the edge.
Nose is chocolate, roast malts, spice, dried fruit rinds.
Taste comprises mellow booze, dark malts, dates, figs, minimal barrel, chocolate.
Full bodied, fine carbonation, drying close with a modest rising boost.
Okay sipper but lacking in barrel for me so a touch pedestrian for this series.

Tried on 09 Apr 2025 at 08:22


8

Malm� May 2024 tasting - rich dark sweet and roasted malts, silky chocolate, full bodied, getting some dark berry fruity accents into the bourbon infused sweet malty finish. Lovely. --- Beer merged from original tick of Bourbon County Brand Backyard Stout (2023) on 22 Jun 2024 at 17:34

Tried from Bottle on 27 Mar 2025 at 05:55


8.4
Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

2023 bottle poured, picked up at Norms. Dark, dense. Near black appearance. Almost no head here. Lots of barrel on the nose, dry oak, bourbon. Berries are really an afterthought here, and I could possibly even miss them in a blind. Come through a little better on the palate, with a subtle jammy character. Barely sweet, bourbon, molasses, some chocolate late. Really unique stout. Very fun addition to the always impressive line up of surprises each year.

Tried from Bottle from Norm's Market on 06 Feb 2025 at 04:03