Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Stout - Backyard (2023)

Bourbon County Brand Stout - Backyard (2023)
(Batch of Bourbon County Brand Stout - Backyard)

 

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

  Stout - Pastry / Flavoured - Imperial Rotating Out of Production
Score
7.57
ABV: 12.9% IBU: - Ticks: 44
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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7.5

As 2023 Vintage

Tried from Bottle on 06 Mar 2026 at 03:50


7.8
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8

On draft as part of a flight at Global Brew, Evansville. Typical BC appearance. Aroma is strong toffee, bourbon, berries. Taste is strong berries—almost vinous— bourbon, earthy malt, toffee. Smooth texture, soft carbonation, finish as taste with alcohol astringency into sinuses. Not super complex but good.

Tried from Draft on 01 Dec 2025 at 17:42


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


7.8
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


7.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Dark brown almost black with no head. Aroma is dark roasted grains with hints of fruit. Taste is dark grains slightly sweet with a tart finish.

Tried on 21 Jan 2025 at 05:38


8.5
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8

Review based on the BJCP2021 guidelines (style 33B: bourbon barrel / 29A: mulberries, boysenberries, marionberries) 2023 Edition. AROMA: medium bourbon aroma with medium-low to low vanillin and wood. medium-low to low fruity background (raspberry-like). medium-low to low malty background with a sweet chocolate character. APPEARANCE: very dark brown body with slight ruby highlights. medium-low brown head with a slight red hue. TASTE: medium notes of red fruits (raspberry, blackberry) with slight bourbon and wood notes. medium-low background of roast malt (chocolate). medium-low bitterness. finishes semi-dry with slight roastiness. MOUTHFEEL: medium-high body with medium carbonation. smooth alcoholic warmth. OVERALL: a nice balanced barrel aged imperial stout with the base beer a bit more muted but understandable since its a 2023 bottle.

Tried from Bottle on 06 Jan 2025 at 16:38


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

500mL bottle, pours black with a small beige head. Aroma has tons of berries, bourbon barrels, and molasses. Flavour is full of berries, bourbon barrels, molasses, and fermented out brown sugars. Good infusion of the berries, mixing well with the bourbon and fermented out sugars. Far from the best BCBS variant but very solid nonetheless.

Tried from Bottle on 27 Dec 2024 at 19:13


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

Poured from 500mL bottle. Very dark brown with minimal beige head. Dark chocolatey malt, mild berry underlay, enjoyable.

Tried from Bottle on 25 Dec 2024 at 00:44


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Tap at Drunk Uncle. The berries sort of make it through the thick base, balancing out the flavor rather well. A pinch vinous, not unlike wine barrel aged stuff.OK, hard to drink more than a few ounces of.

Tried from Draft on 22 Dec 2024 at 02:05


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Nice evening sipper Black pour and a fine beige head Fine intensity in the aroma Pleasant sweetness and bitterness mellow carbonation level Chocolate, toffee, roast/coffee, bourbon and oak in the flavor [Bottle at Sørjordet Plaza in Drammen, Norway]

Tried from Bottle on 27 Sep 2024 at 15:45