Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

Tonight I decided I would finally open a beer that I have been holding for a while now, that beer being Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout. In the past I have had their original Bourbon County Brand Stout and the vanilla version, and loved them both. So, I expected something special from their coffee brewed variation.

The version I am drinking is the 2010 release which is brewed with Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso, from Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea, which is situated right next door to the brewery in Chicago, and I gather is pretty kick ass in its own right. Interestingly, the 2011 release is brewed with Intelligentsia Los Inmortales Beans, so I'd love to get my hands on one of these to see the difference. Anyway, the beer is a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, weighing in a 13% and an IBU of 60. It's brewed with Williamette hops and a whole host of different malts (2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, Debittered Black).

Mine was bottled on 26th March 2010, which means it's about a year and a quarter old, so has had plenty of time to mature, although they do claim it develops for up to five years in the bottle (mine has probably had less than perfect cellaring conditions though).

It pours a thick black, with a good half inch creamy mocha head, however this fades quickly to leave a slight ring. It looks pretty well carbonated and lively, with a constant stream of fine bubbles. The first thing that hit me was the bourbon, the smell is strong boozy bourbon with lots of woody vanilla. I got a bit of that roasted coffee bean smell but it is much more subtle than I was expecting. The first taste was a bitter dark chocolate, with the same heavily booze bourbon that was on the nose. Towards the end the coffee begins to assert itself with a fairly mellow medium bitter taste. There is definitely some vanilla sweetness in there and a slight toffee flavour. It produces a nice warming whisky-like alcohol finish, which I find the best part of all the Bourbon County Brand Stouts.

For a 13% beer it is very drinkable, and hides the alcohol well in the flavours. Will certainly be looking to get my hands on the 2011 release, as well as their Bourbon County Rare, which as the name suggests is incredibly hard to get hold of, and I believe is aged for two years in 23-year old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrels.