There are a few things that happen like clockwork each summer, but only one that has little to do with humidity, sunburns or trips to the beach. That would be Goose Island’s annual announcement of its Bourbon County Stout lineup — something that has historically combined tried-and-true flavors with a penchant for experimentation and collaboration. This week, Goose Island announced its 2024 lineup, and — wouldn’t you know — there’s a similar ethos at work this time around.
This year’s lineup includes five distinct beers, as compared to six last year and seven in 2022. Barrel-aged beer aficionados will note a few running themes from year to year, including a cookie-themed stout (this year: macaroons) and a collaboration with an acclaimed distillery (Bardstown Bourbon, in this case). Here’s what you can expect from the current roster:
- 2024 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout
- 2024 Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Rye Stout
- 2024 Bourbon County Brand Macaroon Stout
- 2024 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor’s Barleywine
- 2024 Bourbon County Brand Bardstown Cask Finish Stout
Mike Siegel, Goose Island’s senior innovation manager, revealed some of the changes in store for this year. “For the first time ever, we are using bourbon barrel-aged Barleywine as the base beer for Proprietor’s, before blending in tamarind, lime, guajillo peppers and piloncillo sugar,” he said in a statement. “Our collaboration with Bardstown Bourbon Co. showcases how cask finishing impacts flavor by starting with aging our Imperial Stout in rye whiskey barrels and finishing them in casks made of cherry wood and oak.”
Goose Island’s announcement pointed out that this year marks the return of a vanilla-themed stout to the lineup for the first time since 2018, though the addition of rye whiskey offers a distinction from what came before. The process of brewing Macaroon Stout included aging beer for a year and adding a combination of cocoa, candied ginger and toasted coconut. Rounding out the lineup, this year’s Original Stout was aged in a combination of barrels from a quartet of distilleries: Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses and Wild Turkey.
We Tasted and Ranked Every 2023 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Delicious, as always.“This year’s lineup is an exploration of the unique ways we at Goose Island highlight the story of grain in our barrel-aged beers,” said Goose Island senior brand manager John Zadlo when announcing the lineup. “With new friends in our collaboration partners and exciting variants, each beer in this year’s release is a celebration of our legacy with a commitment to push the boundaries of our craft.”
Four of the five Bourbon County Stouts mentioned above will be available nationally, with the Proprietor’s Barleywine available exclusively in the Chicago area.
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