Goose Island Announces 2025 Bourbon County Stout Lineup

CHICAGO, IL — The 2025 Bourbon County Brand Stout lineup has been announced, offering five variants that will be available on Black Friday.

This year marks the 33rd year that Goose Island has released Bourbon County Stout, which will again 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 sometimes frigid winters.

The 2025 edition of the beer 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.

Although Goose Island rises to the challenge of coming up with variants of the original to present to beer lovers each November, the care with which Bourbon County Stout is prepared places it into its own category. Between the fact that Goose Island won’t use a barrel less than four years old to age Bourbon County Stout to the average of one year during which the beer is aged, the beverage that ends up appealing to beer lovers and bourbon connoisseurs alike makes Goose Island’s preparation for the Black Friday release a brewing process unlike any other.

According to Goose Island's website, this year's favors include Cherries Jubilee and Chocolate Praline as well as Double Barrel, Reserve and Proprietor's Stout.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Per tradition, the 2025 Bourbon County Brand Stout family will be available starting Black Friday on Nov. 28. For the first time this year, Goose Island is debuting 10-ounce four-pack bottles of Bourbon County Brand Original Stout.