Still phenomenal.

As old as this is, it seems to have held up extremely well. Plenty of chocolate and barrel left and doesn’t taste like its past its prime at all. Glad I have 2 more of these.

I’ve been trying to get my hands on this bottle for a long time. In short, it’s fantastic. Is it better than Rare (2015)? No. You immediately taste the rich complexity of the 2 Elijah Craig barrels it was aged in for a year each and all the boozy goodness you’d expect. Lots of chocolate and a bit of sweetness on the palate. The finish is long with the familiar BC sticky sweetness.

Still tasting great

Still tastes great. Still very boozy in a good way.

Still tastes great. Can’t wait to try it again in a couple years.

This is the 3rd time I’ve had this and it’s been amazing every time. Lots of toffee and typical barleywine sweetness, but with more depth and lots of booziness. Can’t wait to taste this after a few years of aging.

Just as good as I remember on Prop Day. Can’t wait to see what a few years will do to it.

Black Friday

Still tasting great after 2 years. Chocolate and cassia bark forward, followed by barrel and malt.

Bourbon County Vertical 2024

Bourbon County Vertical 2023

Black Friday

This has held up remarkably well. Still plenty of coffee and flavorful maple syrup flavors.

Lots of coffee and molasses, along with dark chocolate. A bit thinner than the regular stouts, but flavors linger for awhile.

Coffee is still prominent, with a hint of sweetness from the maple. Holding up well so far.

Lots of coffee; more than I remember. Glad I have a bunch of these left.

Did a side by side with 2019 Café de Olla and 2020 Special #4. In the end, they’re both fantastic, but the Café de Olla wins. Thankfully, the cassia bark aka cinnamon has calmed down in the Café de Olla.

This is a mouthful of coffee and not a whole lot of other flavors. There’s a subtle hint of the sweetness from the maple. It would have been better if Goose Island stuck with the base stout instead of the thinner, less malty, less flavorful oatmeal.

Still tasting all the things I remember. Holding up well. Finishes a tiny bit bitter.

Really enjoying this one. Depth of flavor and complexity with a hint of fig, sweetness, and bourbon barrel. Overall flavor presents like it has some age on it.

Black Friday

Still tasting great after 2 years. Chocolate and cassia bark forward, followed by barrel and malt.

Bourbon County Vertical 2024

Bourbon County Vertical 2023

Still phenomenal.

As old as this is, it seems to have held up extremely well. Plenty of chocolate and barrel left and doesn’t taste like its past its prime at all. Glad I have 2 more of these.

I’ve been trying to get my hands on this bottle for a long time. In short, it’s fantastic. Is it better than Rare (2015)? No. You immediately taste the rich complexity of the 2 Elijah Craig barrels it was aged in for a year each and all the boozy goodness you’d expect. Lots of chocolate and a bit of sweetness on the palate. The finish is long with the familiar BC sticky sweetness.

Holding up well and tasting great.

This one has not held up as well as others. Mouthfeel is a bit thin and while there’s barrel left on it, there’s a hint of bitterness as well. Hoping it gets better as it warms.

With Phil in Colorado during steak night.

Bourbon County Vertical 2023

Not my favorite year, but crazy depth of flavor and very boozy.

Bourbon County Vertical 2022

Bourbon County Vertical 2021

Tons of dark chocolate, malt, and bourbon goodness. Decadent and rich.

Vertical 2020

Holding up well and tasting great.

This one has not held up as well as others. Mouthfeel is a bit thin and while there’s barrel left on it, there’s a hint of bitterness as well. Hoping it gets better as it warms.

With Phil in Colorado during steak night.

Bourbon County Vertical 2023

Not my favorite year, but crazy depth of flavor and very boozy.

Bourbon County Vertical 2022

Bourbon County Vertical 2021

Tons of dark chocolate, malt, and bourbon goodness. Decadent and rich.

Vertical 2020

This is still excellent and while age is very slightly perceptible, it hasn’t lost any of its positive qualities and flavors.

This is still excellent. Incredibly rich and decadent, with a nice warmth from the barrel.

Drinking this along with a sample of Old Forester 150, the same barrels this was aged in. What a pairing! Thanks Richard!!!

This is the clear winner for the 2021 lineup. Sadly I never got to try the OF 150 bourbon this beer was aged in barrels of, but now I want to even more than before. Low carbonation, but depth of flavor. Tons of barrel. Enjoying it even more as it warms.

Very Bourbon County-esque. Hint of mint, but not too strong.

This was really good, and I would definitely purchase it again, despite the high price. Slightly on the thin side for a barrel, aged stout, but as it warmed especially, it didn’t seem to matter.

It’s sweet, it’s slightly tart, it’s boozy, and it’s got a smoky finish…but not the same smoke in mezcals or peaty whiskeys (which I don’t like). Not something I’d seek out again, but very interesting.

This is one of those that’s interesting and generally good, but not one I’d look for again. Very boozy but not in a bad way. Definitely getting the orange and hibiscus, but not getting flavors of tequila nor barleywine. The finish is slightly sweet.

Held up better than the base beer typically does for 5 years. Slight sense of age, but still great.

Lots of dark chocolate and roasty malt with a hint of sweetness from the maple and booziness from the barrel.

Founders knocked it out of the park with this one. Loads of chocolate, very rich, no bitterness. Only a few sips in, but looking forward to seeing how it changes with some warmth.