Goose Island 2025 Bourbon County Brand Stout Variants – Exclusive First Taste

I brought you an early peek at some of these beers (here, here, and here), and now, I’m excited to get to participate in an Exclusive First Tasting courtesy of Goose Island in Chicago, Illinois. Back in July, I brought you the full details for the 2025 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout variants, so I was really excited to receive my care package at mybeerbuzz headquarters in advance of the special tasting event. Goose Island was represented by President Todd Ahsmann, Brewmaster Daryl Hoedtke, Innovation Manager Paul Cade, Michael Siegel, John Zadlo, and members of the brewing and marketing teams.

As you can see by the photo above, the tasting will include:

2025 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout
2025 Bourbon County Brand Cherries Jubilee Stout
2025 Bourbon County Brand Chocolate Praline Stout
2025 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout
2025 Bourbon County Brand Double Barrel Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Stout
2025 Bourbon County Brand Parker’s Heritage Reserve Stout

I’ve also included the exact AbV of each beer below.

Here are the beer details courtesy of Goose Island with my tasting notes below each beer:

2025 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout
ABV: 14.8%
Availability: National Markets
Format: 4-pack 10-oz bottle & draft
Tasting Notes: Vanilla, cherry, cocoa, toasted almond & caramelized sugar
Style: Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels
After crafting the very first bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, Goose Island understands that great beer begins with the best ingredients– which is why the brewery continues to source only the freshest and finest from trusted partners along the bourbon trail.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout was aged in a blend of freshly emptied barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey. With an average aging time of 12 months, this stout delivers deeply developed flavors of fudge, vanilla, and caramelized sugar—all wrapped in a rich, decadent mouthfeel.

Now, for the first time ever, Original is available in four-packs of 10-ounce bottles—offering more ways to enjoy this iconic beer. Whether served during a Bourbon County tasting or sipped fireside, this new format makes it easier than ever to elevate any occasion.

Additional Notes/Facts:
● Bourbon County Brand Original Stout is the original bourbon barrel-aged stout created.
● Bourbon County Brand Stout was brewed to celebrate Goose Island’s 1,000th batch of beer in 1992.
● Bourbon County Brand Stout was disqualified from the Great American Beer Fest when first submitted because at the time, there was not a category for bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts.

My Tasting Notes:

● The original Bourbon County Brand Stout tastes better than ever, and I absolutely love the new 10-oz bottles. The portion size is perfect for one person, and I can finally just drink a full Bourbon County Brand Stout on my own without sharing it! It was interesting to note that the barrel-aging facility at Goose is not climate-controlled (which does affect the beer–This year’s Original was aged for 14 months, and previous years were aged 16 months in some cases). These beers all use a British ale strain of yeast, and they are brewed specifically to be barrel-aged. The beers are aged in freshly emptied single-use Bourbon barrels, typically from Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, or Four Roses barrels.

● The mix of rich chocolate, mild coffee, dried fruit, cherry, nuttiness, and sweet vanilla makes this beer one of my favorite Bourbon County brand beers year after year.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Cherries Jubilee Stout
ABV: 14.5%
Availability: National Markets
Format: 16.9oz bottle & draft
Tasting Notes: Burnished cocoa & vibrant dark stone fruit with a caramelized citrus finish Style: Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, finished in cognac barrels with Montmorency cherries, citrus & panela

As stout ages, Goose Island’s brewers often observe a range of fruit expressions that emerge from the barrel and from time itself. Inspired by the flambéed dessert classic Cherries Jubilee, 2025 Bourbon County Brand Cherries Jubilee Stout captures the essence of cognac-soaked cherries and caramelized citrus.

The beer began its aging journey in freshly emptied bourbon barrels, which impart rich layers of oak, warm vanilla, and subtle baking spice. It was then finished in cognac barrels, adding elegant notes of dried fruit and contributing to a rich, full mouthfeel.

Following the aging process, the stout was blended with Montmorency cherries, citrus, and panela–resulting in a velvety, decadent beer with flavors of candied dark cherry, soft vanilla, and a caramelized citrus finish.

My Tasting Notes:

● Cherries Jubilee perfectly describes the flavors going on in this beer, and the combination of Montmorency Cherries, orange zest, and panela sugar (minimally processed sugar) adds a nice touch to the Bourbon and Cognac barrel-aging (This is one of the few BCBS variants aged in Cognac barrels).

● The Bourbon remains prominent in this beer, but you can’t miss the cherry flavors with just a touch of boozy at the end. The overall balance of this beer has me wanting another sip, and I thought the beer leaned a bit sweeter than most BCBS variants.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Chocolate Praline Stout
ABV: 14.6%
Availability: National Markets
Format: 16.9oz bottle & draft
Tasting Notes: Rich fudge with toasted marzipan & chewy toffee
Style: Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with cocoa nibs, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews & dates Bourbon County Brand Stout is a beer crafted for aging. Over time, Goose Island’s imperial stout undergoes an incredible transformation within the barrel. With patience and time, the beer not only absorbs the character of the freshly emptied bourbon barrels, but also develops expressions of toasted marzipan and dried fruit—signature to Original Stout.


Goose Island brings these flavors to the forefront with 2025 Bourbon County Brand Chocolate Praline Stout. First aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels, this stout draws inspiration from the underlying decadence of chocolate, caramel, and roasted nuts found in Original. Layered with a blend of cocoa nibs, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, and dates, this full-bodied stout showcases the classic flavors of a chocolate praline while embracing the subtle nuances imparted by the bourbon.

My Tasting Notes:

● If you’re looking for chocolate in your Bourbon County Brand Stout, then this is your variant. The mix of Bourbon and cocoa nibs (the brand makes a real difference- these are THCO) really pumps up the chocolate flavors, and the soft flavors of hazelnuts/filberts, cashews, almonds (1,500 pounds of nuts), and dates (organic date syrup from the Date Lady) help to bring a nice but definitely chocolate-forward balance.

● I’ve always wondered why there aren’t more chocolate-based Bourbon County Brand variants, but this one makes up for all of that. The semi-sweet cocoa nibs combine with the dates to make for a really sippable beer, and the praline/nuts really round out the beer nicely. This may be an all-time favorite BCBS variant for me.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout Baklava
ABV: 13.9%
Availability: Chicago Market
Format: 500ml bottles & draft
Tasting Notes: Caramelized honeycomb, baking spice & roasted candied nuts
Style: Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with walnuts, pistachios, cassia bark & honey Inspired by the beehives on her aunt’s Rhode Island homestead, Goose Island brewer Colby Magratten was immediately drawn to the flavors of crisp and nutty homemade baklava—an idea she knew would be perfect for 2025 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout. First aged in bourbon barrels and then finished with walnuts, pistachios, cassia bark, and honey, each ingredient was carefully chosen to complement the aged imperial stout: toasted nuts highlight its warm, nutty character; cinnamon enhances the spice of the bourbon barrel; and rich honey deepens the stout’s caramelized body. This stout boasts a dessert-inspired expression with layers of comforting warmth, deeply roasted nuts, and a subtly sweet finish—crafted with love for, and available only in, the city Goose Island calls home: Chicago.

My Tasting Notes:

● I’ve only ever had the opportunity to sample Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Reserve a few times in the past, so this one is exciting for me. I’m also a big fan of Baklava, so this one tastes really good to me. The beer includes pistachio, walnut, honey, and cassia bark…and while it’s not a combination I would have ever dreamed up, it works!

● It’s really hard to describe how this “Love Letter to Chicago” tastes, other than to say it tastes really good. The nut flavors of pistachio and walnut are really subtle but effective, and the cassia bark brings in a spicy and cinnamon-flavored finish that really brings everything together. I should also mention that I really liked the 500ml bottle size.


2025 Bourbon County Brand Double Barrel Stout
ABV: 17.4%
Availability: National Markets
Format: 16.9oz bottle & draft
Tasting Notes: Toasted marshmallow, warm vanilla with a pronounced oak finish
Style: Imperial Stout double barrel-aged in Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon barrels
Shared dedication to their respective crafts is what unites Heaven Hill and Goose Island in the creation of 2025 Bourbon County Brand Double Barrel Stout. As the creators of the world’s first bourbon barrel-aged stout, the brewers at Goose Island have spent over thirty years redefining what beer can be through the evolution of Bourbon County Brand Stout. Over time, the series has grown into a diverse family of beers—each expressing a distinct character and perspective.

As Bourbon County ages, it develops a myriad of characteristics: complex, layered, and deeply expressive. Drawing on decades of experience, Goose Island’s brewers have learned how to elevate Goose Island Beer Co. those qualities by fine-tuning every variable—from ingredient selection to barrel choice to time spent aging. Every decision reveals a new facet of Original Stout.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Double Barrel Stout is a masterclass in that approach. In collaboration with Heaven Hill Distillery, Goose Island aged this release in not one, but two sets of freshly emptied Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon barrels. By centering the nuanced complexity of the whiskey, the resulting beer is a true celebration of bourbon, collaboration, and the most essential element of every Bourbon County release: the barrel itself.

Additional:
On March 3, 1897, the Bottled-in-Bond Act was signed into law, establishing a government-backed guarantee of quality in American whiskey by enforcing strict standards for origin, distilling, aging, and labeling. With its rigorous criteria, the act became a trusted marker of excellence and a clear statement of craftsmanship from participating distilleries.

It was in this spirit—and with those same values in mind—that Heaven Hill Distillery filled its first barrel in December of 1935. After patiently waiting four years before releasing its first bottled-in-bond whiskey, the distillery launched its namesake bourbon in 1939, establishing a legacy as the nation’s premier producer of bottled-in-bond whiskey.

Today, continuing that historic tradition, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey stands a class above. Aged a full three years beyond the required four, this fully mature 7-year bourbon exemplifies how time and patience can unlock remarkable depth, richness, and balance.

My Tasting Notes:

● This Bourbon County Brand Stout Variant is hard to describe, but easy to drink. The complexity comes in early and the double barrel-aging in two sets of Heaven Hill Bottled In Bond Bourbon barrels really makes a difference (in a good way).

● This Bourbon County Brand Stout just screams “Bourbon!” The complex flavors of vanilla and rich Bourbon really set this variant apart from all of the others and it definitely earns the “Bourbon” in the beer name. If you like simple, but complex Bourbon barrel-aged beers, this will be your favorite.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Reserve Stout
ABV: 15.2%
Availability: National Markets
Format: 16.9oz bottle & draft
Tasting Notes: Layers of dried fruit & marzipan with nuanced rye spice
Style: Imperial Stout aged two years in Parker’s Heritage Collection 10-year 17th Edition Rye Whiskey
barrels

Parker Beam began his distilling career at Heaven Hill in 1960, working alongside his father before becoming a sixth-generation Master Distiller in 1975. Over five decades, he built a legacy of uncompromising quality and quiet innovation—values now embodied in the Parker’s Heritage Collection, named in his honor. Released annually, the collection has become a benchmark of excellence within the whiskey industry.

My Tasting Notes:

● I’m no Bourbon expert, but I’m excited to report that the differences between a Bourbon County Brand Stout aged in Heaven Hill Bottles-In-Bond barrels or in this case Parker’s Heritage Collection barrels is really noticeable. This one is aged for two years in Parker’s Heritage Collection 17th Edition 10-Year Rye Whiskey barrels, and the outcome is amazing.

● I really thought this variant had the most complex and well-balanced group of flavors. I’ve never tried the Bourbon that this beer was aged in, but I will definitely seek it out as the Bourbon flavors in this beer are amazing (and hard to describe). I tasted dark chocolate, dark fruits, fig, sweet vanilla, dried fruit and just a touch of brown sugar…making for an incredible sip of stout. I know I’ve named several favorite BCBS variants as my favorites already, but this one will knock your Bourbon socks off!

Overall:

A big thank you to everyone at Goose Island for sharing an early sip of their 2025 Bourbon County Brand Stout variants. I’m excited to say that I really enjoyed each variant and I definitely found some new favorites and what I think will become instant classic BCBS variants. The new 10-oz bottles are the perfect package for enjoying Original Bourbon County on your own, and I really loved the 500ml Proprietor’s Reserve bottle as well as the standard 16.9-oz bottles. The Cherries Jubilee variant had a really nice Bourbon/fruit balance, The Chocolate Praline variant really nailed the chocolate flavors nicely, the Proprietor’s Reserve variant really pushes the limits of what a Bourbon barrel-aged dessert stout can be, the Double Barrel Heaven Hill variant really nails the Bourbon flavors on board and finally the Parker’s Heritage two year reserve variant brought it all together in one beer that was simply incredible.

These Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout variants will be coming your way on Black Friday, November 28th, so get out there and try them all for yourself…and when you do try them, be sure to let us know what YOU think.