In a prior post, I noted how G-LO and I try to exemplify the great parents that we are by getting our boys together for a little fun on the weekend. On this particular day, while the boys were doing their thing, G-LO and I had an opportunity to try the Moving Parts Batch No. 03 from Victory Brewing Company. In addition to that delightful beer, G-LO had raided his beer fridge and brought over a bottle of Goose Island’s 2014 Bourbon County Stout. I have made it no secret that I loves me some stout, so I was quite pleased that G-LO brought this bottle as well.

Goose Island is a Chicago brewer that started as a single brewpub in 1988. They make some top-notch Craft Beer, but thanks to the legalese of their purchase by Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2011, they are technically no longer a Craft Brewer. G-LO discovered them with his finding of Sofie, a Belgian style farmhouse ale. I fell for them with my first sip of Matilda, a Belgian style pale ale. In addition to Sofie and Matilda, we’ve had their 312 (an urban wheat ale), Harvest Ale, IPA, and The Muddy.

Here’s what they say about their Bourbon County Stout:

Brewed in honor of the 1000th batch at our original Clybourn brewpub. A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer.

And now for our review…

• ABV: 13.8%
• Appearance: Incredibly opaque. Deepest, darkest brown (mahogany?). No froth, but there is a thin bead of tan foam that circles the top.
• Aroma
  • Limpd: Mince meat pie filling. Lots of dried stone fruit. Fig Newtons (with the trans fats).
  • G-LO: Rich dark chocolate and cocoa notes. Turkish figs [Editor’s note: this is where I usually go off on G-LO and his reviews. Turkish figs? Really? Not just any figs, but Turkish ones]? Maybe some candied orange peel? Yes and yes! Did I mention some booze? Yes to that too!
• Taste
  • Limpd: Boozy… like a beer transitioning to port. A bit of raisin and a big boozy blast in the finish.
  • G-LO: Lightly carbonated. A tad viscous and velvety smooth. “BOOOOZY!” with a healthy hit of alcohol to start things off (“It burns! It burns!”). It’s like drinking melted dark Valrhona chocolate [Editor’s note: not just any dark chocolate mind you] and chasing it with dried figs [Editor’s note: Lemme guess, G-LO! Were they Turkish figs?] and candied orange peel. Big delicious flavors abound from start to finish!

The Verdict

• Limpd: Wow! I say WOW! What a difference a cask makes. This beer is most definitely not for the faint of heart. Love it!
• G-LO: If this beer were a boxer, it would be Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber. It packs a punch and is ohhhhh so satisfying. The smart money says buy this when you see it. It definitely lives up to its reputation!

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Many thanks to Miracle Max for gifting us this bottle and to G-LO for sharing this delightful beer and not being his usual selfish bastard self!