Goose Island Beer Announces 2025 Bourbon County Stout Release

(Courtesy Goose Island Beer)

Signaling summer’s eventual departure and the onset of the fall, Goose Island Beer has announced this year’s Bourbon County lineup.

And although many in the craft beer community dismiss Goose Island (now owned by AB InBev) as no longer being ‘craft beer,’ their annual Bourbon County Brand release still generates a great deal of buzz.

According to the Chicago-based brewery renowned for championing America’s first barrel-aged stout, Goose Island will be releasing five different variations of the barrel-aged brand this year along with its Original in 2025…

And here’s what will become available on Black Friday 2025….

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

Here are Goose Island’s descriptions of this year’s lineup which as usual will become available nationally on Black Friday, with the exception of its Proprietor’s Bourbon County Stout which as a gift to its hometown fans is a Chicagoland exclusive release…

(Courtesy Goose Island Beer)

2025 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout

Bourbon County Original Stout is aged in a mix of freshly emptied bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses and Wild Turkey distilleries.⁠ Barrel aged for an average of 12 months, Original boasts deeply developed flavors of fudge, vanilla, and caramelized sugar with a rich, decadent mouthfeel.

And now, for the first time ever, Original is available in four-packs of 10-ounce bottles—offering more ways to enjoy this classic.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Cherries Jubilee Stout

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. It was then finished in cognac barrels, adding rich notes of dried fruit to a full mouthfeel.

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

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 barrel.

(Courtesy Goose Island Beer)

2025 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout

Inspired  by the flavors of crisp and nutty homemade baklava025 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Stout was 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 variation, as with every Bourbon County Brand Proprietor release over the years, is a tribute to its Chicago fans and only available around Chicagoland.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Double Barrel Stout

2025 Bourbon County Brand Double Barrel Stout is a masterclass in aging.

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.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Double Barrel Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Stout

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.

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.

2025 Bourbon County Brand Parker’s Heritage Reserve Stout

2025 Bourbon County Brand Reserve Stout is a testament to the depth that comes from extended aging in an exceptional single lot of barrels. For this special release, Goose Island rested its imperial stout for a full two years in casks from one of the most respected names in American whiskey: Parker’s Heritage Collection.

This longer aging period goes beyond the brewery’s traditional process, drawing out concentrated layers of cocoa, dried fruit, spice, and toasted oak. The result is a rich, contemplative expression of Bourbon County—one that rewards patience and reflects a legacy built slowly, barrel-by-barrel.

“This year’s release of Bourbon County Brand Stout is especially exciting for me as Brewmaster,” said Daryl Hoedtke,  “because it leans so deeply into the heart of our recipes and what we aim to capture in every variant. At Goose Island, the Bourbon County Brand Original Stout is always our starting point and the inspiration behind each beer we create.”