Goose Island Reveals Five New 2026 Bourbon County Brand Variants: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Stout, Toasted Barrel Elijah Craig, Toasted Barrel Virginia Distilling, Triple Oak Angel’s Envy, & Cask Finish Angel’s Envy

This morning brings a major early preview for fans of Goose Island Beer Co. and its legendary Bourbon County Brand Stout program. Following your exclusive look at the 2026 10‑oz bottles, we now have your very first peek at five new 2026 Bourbon County Brand variants coming out of Chicago, Illinois, and this lineup is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious, oak‑forward, barrel‑layered releases Goose Island has ever assembled.

These 2026 variants lean heavily into toasted oak finishing, multi‑barrel maturation, American single malt whiskey barrels, and Angel’s Envy Bourbon and Rye casks, with two barleywine expressions and three stout expressions rounding out the set. All five releases will arrive in 16.9‑oz (500ml) bottles, with ABV details and Black Friday 2026 release information still to come.

Bourbon County Brand Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Stout (2026)

A dessert‑leaning, nostalgia‑driven entry, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Stout begins as a rich oatmeal stout before aging in Bourbon barrels. Goose Island layers in raisins, brown sugar, vanilla, and molasses to recreate the full sensory profile of a fresh‑baked oatmeal raisin cookie. Expect deep notes of chewy raisin, caramelized sugar, soft oak, and warm baking spice, all wrapped in the signature Bourbon County barrel‑aged stout body. This one is built for fans of pastry‑adjacent stouts and classic holiday flavors.

Bourbon County Brand Toasted Barrel Elijah Craig Rye (2026)

One of the most barrel‑driven variants of the year, Toasted Barrel Elijah Craig starts as a rye stout aged in Elijah Craig Rye Whiskey barrels, bringing bold notes of peppery rye spice, charred oak, and vanilla‑forward bourbon sweetness. Goose Island then finishes the beer in toasted oak barrels, adding layers of caramelized wood sugars, toffee, and deepened oak structure. This is a rye‑centric, oak‑intensified expression that should appeal to both bourbon drinkers and barrel‑aged stout collectors.

Bourbon County Brand Toasted Barrel Virginia Distilling Co. (2026)

This variant highlights the growing influence of American single malt whiskey in the craft spirits world. Goose Island ages this imperial stout in Virginia Distilling Co. American Single Malt Whiskey barrels, known for their fruit‑forward malt character, honeyed oak, and Blue Ridge Mountain terroir. The beer is then finished in toasted Bourbon barrels, amplifying notes of vanilla bean, toasted coconut, warm oak, and malted chocolate. Expect a layered, whiskey‑driven stout with a distinctly American single malt signature.

Bourbon County Brand Triple Oak Angel’s Envy (2026)

One of the most complex barrel treatments in the 2026 lineup, Triple Oak Angel’s Envy is a barleywine ale aged first in Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon barrels, then finished across a blend of Chinkapin oak, French oak, and Hungarian oak casks. Each oak species contributes its own profile, Chinkapin brings spice and structure, French oak adds elegance and vanilla, and Hungarian oak contributes depth, tannin, and dark fruit tones. This is a collector‑grade, multi‑oak barleywine built for long‑term cellaring.

Bourbon County Brand Cask Finish Angel’s Envy (2026)

The second barleywine in the lineup, Cask Finish Angel’s Envy begins in Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey barrels, known for their spice‑forward, citrus‑tinged rye character. Goose Island then finishes the beer in Caribbean Rum casks, adding layers of molasses, tropical fruit, brown sugar, and rum‑soaked oak. Expect a fusion of rye whiskey heat, rum sweetness, and barleywine richness, making this one of the most globally influenced Bourbon County variants to date.

Packaging, Release Timing & What’s Next

All five 2026 Bourbon County Brand variants will be packaged in 16.9‑oz (500ml) bottles, continuing Goose Island’s premium large‑format approach for special releases. ABV details, full ingredient lists, and official Black Friday 2026 release information will be announced in the coming months.

For now, this early preview confirms that Goose Island is leaning harder than ever into toasted oak finishing, multi‑barrel maturation, and high‑end whiskey partnerships, a direction that should resonate strongly with barrel‑aged beer collectors, bourbon enthusiasts, and Bourbon County Brand Stout fans tracking every detail of the annual lineup.

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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