The Goose Island Black Friday Bourbon County Stout Release – 2024

(Courtesy Goose Island Beer)

Standing in lines for Goose Island’s annual Black Friday Bourbon County Stout Release, is for many beer lovers a rite of passage.

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.

But one of the benefits of Goose Island’s alignment with Anheuser-Busch InBev is distribution which ensures that its yearly Goose Island Bourbon County Stout variations are widely available on Black Friday, that’s WIDELY AVAILABLE, as in coast-to-coast.

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. They’re all aggressively high octane, with ABVs that hover around 15%. Plus this year is marks the return of Goose Island’s famous Vanilla Rye release from 2014.

And this is what beer lovers can look forward to on Black Friday….

• 2024 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout
• 2024 Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Rye Stout
• 2024 Bourbon County Brand Macaroon Stout
• 2024 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Barleywine
• 2024 Bourbon County Brand Bardstown Cask Finish 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…

2024 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.

2023 Bourbon County Vanilla Rye Stout

Vanilla, as an ingredient, has made an appearance in Bourbon County lineups over the years, but the 2024 Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Rye Stout is a new take on our 2014 Vanilla Rye release.

“This year’s release showcases rye and the complexity it delivers by starting with a rye imperial stout and aging it in freshly emptied rye whiskey barrels. After aging in barrels for a full year, the stout is then finished with incredibly aromatic Madagascar vanilla beans.”

2024 Bourbon County Brand Macaroon Stout

“2024 Bourbon County Brand Macaroon Stout is an imperial stout aged for a full year in bourbon barrels before adding rich cocoa nibs, sweet candied ginger and toasted coconut. This decadent stout is an homage to the flavors of homemade coconut macaroons with a twist of nostalgia.”

2024 Bourbon County Brand Bardstown Cask Finish Stout

“As the creators of the first-ever bourbon barrel-aged stout, we have long sought to push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of beer. That’s why, when crafting this year’s 2024 Bourbon County Brand Cask Finish Stout, we were thrilled to work with our friends at Bardstown Bourbon Company.”

“ We began by aging our imperial stout in Bardstown’s freshly emptied straight rye whiskey barrels. From there, we transferred the beer to “hybrid” oak and cherry wood barrels that finished their rye whiskey. A beautifully balanced beer, Bourbon County Bardstown Cask Finish Stout is deeply expressive with vibrant cherry, toasted oak and a lingering herbal finish.

2024 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Barleywine 

This year marks the debut of a barleywine under the coveted Proprietor’s name. Having fallen in love with the popular Mexican spoon candy, brewer Colby Magratten crafted a recipe with our bourbon barrel-aged barleywine that blends together tamarind, lime, whole Guajillo chiles and piloncillo. With a subtle dried fruit sweetness, refreshing lime zest and a delightfully warming finish, this barleywine is decidedly Chicago.

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. So you know what to do!

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