(Courtesy Goose Island Beer Company)

A successful beer launch is seldom by accident, and we’re pretty sure Todd Ahsmann would agree. After all, he’s the #1 guy at Chicago-based Goose Island Beer Company, home to the annual Bourbon County Stout release, which is a pretty big deal.

Maybe because Todd was so distracted putting the final touches to the, always interesting and usually brilliant, barrel-aged stout variations for this year’s Black Friday rollout, that he agreed to subject himself to American Craft Beer’s “5 Stupid Questions.”

And since he was so accommodating, we snuck in a bonus question, because that’s how we roll…

Q: Todd, thanks so much for making time for us. Can you tell us a little about your background and how you ended up at Goose Island? Was the brewing biz always in the cards for you?

A: I first fell in love with craft beer culture in 1988 when I started as a bartender at Goose Island’s Chicago brewpub. I spent 20 years in music marketing, but my real passion was beer, so you could say it was always in the cards for me, since I was determined to stay in the Goose Island circle.

ACB: Every annual release of the Bourbon County Stout lineup begins with the classic Bourbon County Brand Original Stout, a pioneering imperial stout that made its debut more than thirty years ago. As we understand it, the core recipe has never changed, but the mix of barrels used and time spent aging may vary from year to year. Do we have that right?

A: Correct, specifically 2025 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout is the mainstay and the constant through our lineup each and every year. This year, we aged Original in freshly emptied barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey. Every year there’s variation on mix of barrels and age time but this year we felt the perfect spot was at 14 months. This year it’s showcasing a ton of cocoa, toasted vanilla, and caramelized sugar.

Bourbon County Original is the one that people consistently come back to, so it’s interesting to see how slight differences in the barrels that year, coupled with the natural variation and unpredictability of the process, means the beer will express itself slightly differently every year.

(Courtesy Goose Island Beer Company)

ACB: And this year Goose Island is debuting Bourbon County Brand Original Stout in a new 10-ounce four-pack bottles format. Why did the company decide to go this route?

A: Bourbon County Stout’s packaging has steadily evolved over the years by listening closely to what consumers want. Our new smaller format is ultimately about accessibility. Because the beer returns annually, shifting from a single bottle to a four-pack creates more occasions and more moments to enjoy it. Whether you want to share one with friends, open one on date night, or take one on a camping trip, this format makes that decision easier. It also gives bars and restaurants new flexibility to feature Bourbon County Stout on their menus.

We all know these beers age beautifully, but we didn’t want people to feel like they needed to hold onto it. This new bottle size gives people the freedom to hang onto one or two or simply enjoy them in the moment whenever it feels right.

ACB: In addition to Bourbon County Brand Original Stout, the 2025 Bourbon County Brand Stout release includes five brand new variations, all of them nuanced by a differing mix of barrels, aging periods and unique ingredients like toasted nuts, dates, Montmorency cherries or honey. But unlike previous years that might include an occasional Barleywine, it’s all stouts this time around. Was that the plan all along, and if so why?

A:  Some years a barleywine fits naturally into the lineup, and other years the focus leans fully into stouts. We’re very intentional about this, especially because all of our beers launch on a single day: Black Friday. With that in mind, we build a lineup that speaks to different palates while still telling a cohesive story.

This year’s story centers around showcasing how Original evolves in the barrel as it ages, and the levers our brewers can pull to influence that expression. Every stout this year begins with Original, but each one amplifies a different variable. Reserve highlights the impact of a single barrel type. Double Barrel showcases what bourbon alone can bring. Chocolate Praline is a study in how oxygen and time interact with the malt. Cherries Jubilee leans into the fruit character naturally found in Original. And Proprietor’s brings it all together, layering honey, cinnamon, pistachios, and walnuts into a unified blend.

It ultimately comes down to how the beers work together as a family. We let the beer, and not trends, guide us. Barrel-aged stouts naturally express themselves differently each year, so we pay close attention to what the base beer is showing us and then elevate the qualities already present in Original Stout.

(Courtesy Goose Island Beer)

ACB: Barrel-aging beers is an artform that Goose Island has been championing for more than three decades. Who oversees these variations throughout the year and who decides what makes the final cut? And there’s got to be an occasional variation that doesn’t pan out, right?

A: The beauty of barrel aging lies in its variability, with each year welcoming unique differences. We listen carefully to the traits emerging in that year’s Original Stout, which we often call the base beer, drawing out those flavors and notes throughout the entire lineup.

The result is a lineup of variants, each with its own distinct personality. From fruit and nuts to bourbon and spice, these flavors come together in exciting, unexpected ways, inviting longtime craft beer lovers and newcomers alike to discover the many expressions of our Original Stout.

Our Goose Island Barrel House team always says ‘barrel aging doesn’t follow a strict timeline.’ We track our beers closely as they mature, and some batches may need extra time in the barrel, so we let them develop at their own pace. That’s why some years bring four variants, others eight or more. And just like with ingredients, the beer leads the way—we listen, follow, and respond.

Because of our history and our commitment to quality, there are times when we need to hold back a release. A good example is our partnership with Angel’s Envy on the Port Wine–finished stout. That beer was four years in the making. Midway through the second year in the finishing barrels, we realized we weren’t getting the character we needed from that set of barrels. It was a tough call, but we decided to start over and source fresh Port barrels directly from Portugal. That ended up being the missing piece, and the final beer was absolutely worth the wait.

ACB: Every Bourbon County Brand Stout variant is a unique one-off that’s worth looking forward to, so it’s probably not fair to ask about some of the highlights. But we will anyhow, “what are some of your favorites that beer lovers can look forward to this Black Friday”

A: Every year I return to Bourbon County Brand Original Stout, because it’s the lens through which I view the entire lineup. Each variant brings its own unique character, but the common thread that ties the portfolio together, this year and every year, is Original.

I’m constantly amazed by how profoundly a barrel shapes these beers. That’s why I’m always excited to taste the stouts we make with our distillery partners. This year, both Double Barrel and Reserve really impressed me. They’re two very different beers that showcase two very different expressions of how essential barrels are as an ingredient—but most importantly, they offer an exceptional drinking experience.

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