Bourbon County Vertical 2021 Still tons of vanilla.

Crazy amount of vanilla.

Each one I open has a varying amount of vanilla. This one is like chugging a bottle of vanilla extract; a bit heavy.

Vanilla is still very prominent. The original recipe comes in with rich chocolate and malt on the finish.

Oh wow it that a lot of vanilla that hits right away! Yum. Then the really dark malty, chocolatey flavor from the stout comes in, followed by the booziness of the bourbon barrels. Excellent!

This is better now than I remember it when it was fresh. Lots of coffee, good barleywine base, and lots of dark malt.

Still not worthy of the Bourbon County moniker, but it’s pretty good. Lots of coffee still, even after 2.5 years. Might continue aging the rest, as I think it will get better.

I get the sweet barleywine, but not the aroma of not the flavor of coffee.

Coffee is very strong on the nose and palette. Taste gets darker as it sits. Very boozy. Don’t get the barleywine part of this. Bitter. Disappointed more than I already knew I would be.

Bourbon County Vertical 2023

Bourbon County Vertical 2022

Bourbon County Vertical 2021

Held up very well. Sweet, lots of dark chocolate, booziness, and roasted malt.

8 year vertical

Sadly not as good as 2016, which was not as good as 2015. This has an odd flavor profile and nose. Hoping my other bottles are better.

Bourbon County Vertical 2023

Starting to take on some aged characteristics, but not in a bad way.

Bourbon County Vertical 2022

This is really holding up very well. Lots of barrel, smooth/silky mouthfeel, and lots of chocolate and roasted malt.

Bourbon County Vertical 2021

Vertical 2020

Has aged very well. Lots of dark, roasted malt and booziness.

Lots of dark chocolate and roasted malt. Thin for BC.

Put some cold brewed coffee in. yumm

8 year vertical

Really good, smooth, boozy, rich and roasty.

Great fresh.

Nose is all coconut. Slightly sweet and loads of coconut in a really good way. Outstanding.

To me the nose is off putting, but the flavor is good. Sweet with vanilla and coffee.

Vertical 2020

Damn. Super dark, thick, boozy, dark chocolate, and roasted malt. Nice job this year, Goose Island!

8 year vertical

2018 was better. Very thin and boozy, caramel on the aftertaste. Missing the rich, roastiness and relaxed by warmth.

It’s pretty good. I think I liked it more the last time I tried it. Rather thin and just leaves a dark chocolate bitter taste on the tongue. Wouldn’t buy it again.

Can definitely taste the age on it. Getting chocolate, coffee and cinnamon notes. Dark chocolate lingers long afterwards.

This has lost a lot of its original character in 4 years. A bit of coffee, malt and a subtle cinnamon finish. Will have to try a 2018 for comparison.

Yum

Lots of sweetness; almost too much. A hint of dark chocolate. Not getting much else flavor-wise. Perhaps when it warms, there will be more.

Lots of dark coffee and malt. Overpowers the usual KBS flavors.

The nose has some coffee, the taste seems like they used coffee during the brewing process instead of adding it. Bitter comes At the end.

Really good. Lots of coffee at the front, followed by tons of dark chocolate. No loss of flavor after 1 year.

Loads of dark chocolate with a hint of coffee. Finish is roasted malt and lingering dark chocolate. Held up well.

Really good until the very end when bitterness sets in and becomes the only thing lingering on the palette.

This hasn’t lost much of anything, save a little vanilla.

Don’t taste any coffee on this one any longer. The 2019 I had earlier was much better.

Good this year, though I’m less tolerant each year of the bitterness. If they reduced that, it would likely still be in my top 5.

Loss of chocolate and a hint of coffee. Has held up quite well.

Gave to Stan Soroka as thank you for bourbon samples (Red Breast and New Riff)

Starting to taste like KBS. I THINK 4 years is the longest without losing too much, but fresh is still best. Not much coffee left. Mostly roasted malt.

Lots of coffee and dark chocolate. Definitely taste the age, but still enjoyable.

Definitely taste the age. Still tons of coffee. Best fresh.

This was their off year. I will say while it wasn’t good overall, it seems to have held up to where it was back then. Still best fresh.

Either this was the off year or this didn’t hold up well. Flavors aren’t right. Maybe it will improve as it warms.

2 years later, it still hasn't improved much.

Slightly better than it was when fresh, but still not up to the standards of other years.

It now has a year on it and hasn't improved much. This year's is fantastic; 2016 still is not.

Still not any better. I think this year's batch will need 2-3 years before it tastes decent.