Getting Into The Details Of This Year's Bourbon County Stout Lineup

CHICAGO, IL — This year's Bourbon County Stout lineup from Goose Island Beer Co. packs a mighty punch, but goes down smooth all the same.

This year marks the 33rd year that Goose Island has released Bourbon County Stout, which features variations of a beer that is aged in bourbon barrels for anywhere between eight and 16 months in a
non-temperature-controlled environment that makes the most of Chicago's weather rollercoaster that features both extreme summer humidity and frigid winters.

“This year’s release of Bourbon County Brand Stout is especially exciting for me as Brewmaster because it leans so deeply into the heart of our recipes and what we aim to capture in every variant,” said Daryl Hoedtke, brewmaster at Goose Island Beer Co. “This year’s lineup is built around ingredients that each highlight a key characteristic of our bourbon barrel-aged stout: cocoa nibs enhance the roasted malt profile, cherries bring out rich stone fruit notes, double barreling amplifies the bourbon presence, and honey mirrors the caramelized sweetness that defines the Original Stout.”

The 2025 edition of the Original Stout is aged for an average of 12 months in a mix of bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses and Wild Turkey. The stout delivers deeply developed flavors of fudge, vanilla and caramelized sugar.

Each variant builds on the original, taking its classic sweet and syrupy flavor and transforming it through the use of different, complementary flavor profiles.

The Cherries Jubilee Stout is obviously inspired by the dessert, capturing the essence of cognac-soaked cherries and caramelized citrus. The beer was finished in cognac barrels before it was blended with Montmorency cherries, citrus and panela.

It smells like the sweetest wine and tastes like dark-chocolate-covered cherries. On a cold night, it feels cozy to take a drink from this bottle.

The Chocolate Praline Stout was first aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels and draws inspiration from underlying decadence of chocolate, caramel, and roasted nuts. The beer is layered with a blend of cocoa nibs, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews and dates.

Even chilled, this beverage is warm going down. My personal favorite, this specific bottle reminded me of my uncle, who excitedly drank another chocolate-flavored beer at a local brewery in my college town on the coast of California years back. I took a sip and knew he'd love it, so I secured a couple bottles and gifted him them for Christmas.

Goose Island collaborated with Heaven Hill Distillery to create the Double Barrel variant of the Bourbon County Stout. Its flavor is toasted marshmallow and warm vanilla with a pronounced oak finish.

Though delicious, this drink will knock you back a bit, having the highest ABV percentage of the collection. It doesn't impact the obviously, expertly crafted brew, however. This beer was aged in two freshly-emptied Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon one after the other.

The Reserve variant of the Bourbon County Stout rested for two years in casks from American whiskey brand Parker's Heritage Collection. The aging period helped draw out concentrated layers of cocoa, dried fruit, spice and toasted oak.

This 17th edition of the reserve brings unmistakable character and quality to this classic collaboration.

The Proprietor's Stout was first aged in bourbon barrels and then finished with walnuts, pistachios, cassia bark and honey. Similarly to homemade baklava, the stout boasts a dessert-inspired expression with layers of comforting warmth, deeply roasted nuts and a subtly sweet finish.

The flavors were inspired by the beehives on brewer Colby Magratten's aunt's homestead in Rhode Island. The honey deepens the original stout's caramelized body and the nuttiness enhances the recipe's warmth.

This one is special, as it's only available in the Chicago area.

You can purchase the collection at beverage stores near you. To find a location selling the 2025 Bourbon County Stout lineup, visit Goose Island's website.