Goose Island 2026 Bourbon County Brand Stout Original 10-oz Bottles: Your First Peek

While the official release won’t arrive until late November 2026, it’s already that time of year when Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago, Illinois begins to stir excitement for its most iconic annual release: Bourbon County Brand Stout The Original. Once again, I’m bringing you an early look at the 2026 packaging for this legendary barrel‑aged stout, one of the most sought‑after beers in the American craft beer scene.

For the second year in a row, Goose Island will package Bourbon County Brand Stout The Original in single‑serving 10‑oz bottles, a format that has quickly become a favorite among collectors and BA stout drinkers. The smaller bottle size offers a more approachable pour for solo tastings, vertical flights, and holiday sharing, while still delivering the full impact of this bourbon barrel‑aged imperial stout.

Known for its deep, rich flavors of chocolate, coffee, oak, and vanilla, Bourbon County Brand Stout remains a benchmark for barrel‑aged beer in the U.S. craft beer market. Each year’s vintage brings subtle shifts in character, aging, and mouthfeel, making it a must‑try for fans of high‑ABV stouts, Black Friday beer releases, and limited‑edition barrel‑aged beers.

Goose Island has yet to reveal the full lineup of 2026 Bourbon County variants, but if past years are any indication, we can expect a mix of collaborative blends, rare barrel treatments, and adjunct‑driven stouts that push the boundaries of what barrel‑aged beer can be. Tasting notes, ABV details, and official Black Friday 2026 release information will be announced in the coming months.

Stay tuned for updates as we get closer to the big day. Whether you’re a longtime Bourbon County fan, a Chicago beer enthusiast, or just someone who loves tracking seasonal craft beer releases, this year’s drop promises to be another highlight in the world of American barrel‑aged stouts.

About Goose Island:

Goose Island is the innovator, brewer, and bringer of fun. Because since 1988, Goose has been dedicated to making quality beer for all people and all occasions.

Goose is at its best when it’s bringing great beer to everyone because beer is fun, and life should be fun, too. Goose was born in Chicago, but raised around the world. Goose is inclusive, fun-loving, and explorative. Goose asks, “why not?” Goose cares about quality. Goose cares about being an active member of the community. Goose is a lot of things. But Goose, at the end of the day, just wants to have fun (oh, and bring damn fine beer to the city of Chicago and beyond). You get the gist.

You know what we need more of? Fun. And not the big, planned, prepared-for fun.

But those everyday moments when you’re able to think, “You know what? We got it pretty good.” Hanging with friends on your front steps downtown. Watching a ball game in the rain. Running into an old friend on the street with time to spare. Or crammed in a DIY basement party to see your friend’s shitty band.

Our beer started with a trip across Europe, when Goose Island founder (and unabashed beer lover), John Hall, took a tour across the continent.

Pint by pint, he savored the styles and selections of brews in every region, and thought to himself, “America deserves some damn fine beer like this, too.” Craft beer wasn’t widely known at the time, but upon return from his European sojourn, John set out to change all that. He settled down in his hometown of Chicago—a city perfect for craft beer, with rapidly evolving tastes and the largest system of fresh water on the planet—and then he got to brewing.

First, he made some beer. Then he invited the city to enjoy it with him. The result was a new fascination with craft brewing. That was back in 1988 and we haven’t slowed down since. By 1995, John’s beer became so popular that he decided to open a larger brewery, along with a bottling plant to keep up with demand. 1999 brought even more growth, along with an additional brewpub, and today, what was once one man’s pint-filled dream has become the Goose Island you know and love.

Here’s where we tell you that in 2011, Goose Island Beer Company was acquired by Anheuser-Busch. Since then, we’ve continued to brew beer that we’re proud of and now we get to share these beers with our friends locally, nationwide, and internationally. We think that’s pretty sweet. If you’re ever in Chicago, we’d love for you to stop by the brewery and have a beer with us.

Our brewery was built in 1995 and has more than doubled in size since originally built.

We bring you our tasty pints using 32 fermenters, over 15 different yeasts, state-of-the-art filters, centrifuges and a 50 barrel JV Northwest 5 vessel system that brews 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It turns out that making awesome brews is quite the science. Luckily, our brewery facilities have all the equipment necessary to deliver results.

Our can/bottle line alone bottles 500 cases an hour, with our keg line at a rate of 50 kegs every 60 minutes. Once the beer is complete, we store it at a crisp 38 degrees until shipping. We even have separate rooms to house small batch innovation programs and yeast propagation units, and our barrel-aged beers have their own dedicated stockroom and 143,000 square foot barrel warehouse. It’s only the very best equipment for our beer.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our beer, and that is why we have a robust Quality Program and dedicated Quality Assurance Laboratory. We are able to measure and analyze our beer through microbiological, physical-chemical, and sensory means. We have industry-specific instruments that allow us to monitor and control the brewing and packaging processes from raw materials to packaged, finished goods. We generate and interpret data to support our brewing and packaging teams to help them quickly identify and resolve issues.

If you found this interesting, it might be time for you to book a tour on Fulton Street.
In 1992, Goose Island gave the beer industry a new reason to belly up to the bar: bourbon barrel-aged stout.

We thought we’d never make it again…

In 1992 Greg Hall, wanted to brew something truly unique for the brewpub’s 1,000th batch, he just needed inspiration. Then a chance encounter between Greg and Jim Beam’s Booker Noe led to Goose Island acquiring the barrels for what was to become the world’s first bourbon barrel aged beer. The young brewmaster soon found himself in the uncharted waters of bourbon barrel aged beer.

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