It’s not even the middle of August, but the holiday season is already officially upon us. Goose Island Beer out of Chicago, Illinois, has just released the lineup for its annual Bourbon County series (BCS). First brewed in 1992, the heavy-hitting imperial stout is credited with helping kickstart the barrel-aged beer movement. It was so groundbreaking, in fact, that when entered into the Great American Beer Festival three years later it was disqualified because it didn’t fit into any existing categories.
These days it’s a cult sensation, of course. And for the past decade, the opaque liquids have debuted to dedicated fans on the day after Thanksgiving—lending an added relevance to the term ‘Black Friday’.
Along with the original flagship, today’s announcement signals the arrival of six full-flavored variants. Some are spiked with tea, others with cacao nibs and pistachios, another studded with single-origin coffee beans from Ethiopia. All of them hover at around 15% ABV and are guaranteed to make beer geeks swoon. Here’s the complete list of BCS headed your way on November 27th—with expanded tasting notes on each.
Bourbon County Stout
This year’s flagship is a blend of beers aged for a year in barrels formerly holding some of Kentucky’s most celebrated whiskies, including Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill and Wild Turkey.
Tasting notes: Fudge, vanilla and caramel — carried by a rich and creamy texture.
Bourbon County Kentucky Fog Stout
This one is inspired by the London Fog tea drink. It was brewed with Earl Grey and Black Tea as well as clover honey.
Tasting notes: Black licorice, white pepper, citrus, s’mores.
Bourbon County Special #4 Stout
A variation on the original recipe incorporating oatmeal in its mashbill, this one also incorporates Ethiopian coffee beans as well as barrel-aged maple syrup during the brewing process. All of these alluring sweet and fruity roasted notes are elongated during a year of oak maturation.
Tasting Notes: Coffee, vanilla, toasted nuts, cocoa, maple.
Bourbon County Caramella Ale
This one’s intended to evoke the aromas and flavors of caramel apples from the country fair. It’s a wheatwine aged in wheated bourbon barrels. During aging, actual apples are added to the liquid, along with cinnamon and natural caramel flavoring. It holds a boozy warmth in its sustained finish.
Tasting Notes: Creamy caramel, red apple, cinnamon, funnel cake.
Proprietor’s Bourbon County Stout
Known affectionately as ‘Prop’ this annual release is a tribute to the brewery’s Chicago roots. Each year’s recipe is selected from a trove of entries submitted by Goose Island employees. This year’s is a play on a spumoni—the classic, tri-layered Italian desert. It blends BCS with fresh pistachios, cacao nibs, candied cherries and natural vanilla. Conceived by third-generation Italian American brewer Emily Kosmal, she now becomes the first brewer to be credited with two Proprietor’s concepts.
Tasting Notes: Cherries, pistachio, dark chocolate, vanilla, barrel spice.
Birthday Bourbon County Stout
Goose Island has partnered up with Old Forester for this first-of-its-kind pairing. It utilizes barrels formerly held by the Kentucky whiskeymaker’s coveted Birthday Bourbon. The exclusive liquid, drawn from 11-year-old casks, is renowned for bold barrel spice and caramel cake notes. These same elements you’ll detect in the beer that shared its cooperage.
Tasting Notes: Dark chocolate, vanilla, maple, raspberry, cinnamon.
Anniversary Bourbon County Stout
This year will mark the tenth anniversary of the ‘Black Friday’ BCS releases. To commemorate the occasion, the brewery has partnered with Buffalo Trace to create this extra-aged one-off. It spends two full years in barrels previously belonging to Weller 12—one of the most sought after bourbons on the market today. So expect far more pronounced oak notes here compared to the other offerings on this list.
Tasting Notes: Oak! Chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, caramelized sugar, dried dark fruit. And more oak.
In year’s past, BCS enjoys it’s unofficial debut at the annual Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer (also known as FoBAB). Scheduled near the beginning of November at the UIC Forum in Chicago—the competition and event is in the midsts of figuring out how to shift to a virtual setting.
Goose Island, for its part, might have to consider a similar pivot. Black Friday is notorious for attracting large lines and overnight camping outside of Chicago area beer stores. So some sort online sale or lottery seems imminent in the months ahead.
Any forthcoming news related to the release will be updated below. In the meantime, Goose Island President Todd Ashmann, issued the following statement to Forbes:
“Our flagship Black Friday BCS release is special to Goose Island and we’re hopeful that we can celebrate our great city of Chicago alongside our fans again this year. We’re continuing to monitor the current situation to ensure the safety of our fans and employees is at the center of our plans. Plans are in progress but details are subject to change and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate this situation.”
