Bourbon County Brand Stout -- Goose Island Beer Co. (Chicago, IL)

After my excitement at the Innis & Gunn oak-aged ale, I decided to take a flyer on this Goose Island special. It's easily among the densest beers I've ever sampled -- a heavy-duty imperial black ale aged in bourbon barrels. Goose Island first cooked up this beer as its 1000th batch at its original brewpub, with the batch I'm tasting being from their 2008 vintage (two bottles sampled over the past month).

Characteristics: Brownish-black, opaque color; almost no head or carbonation; exceptionally thick body; flavors that range from vanilla to the best burnt caramel ever to a more pedestrian creme brulee to slightly-burnt toast to charcoal-filtered alcohol. (Did you get the idea that there's a major charred element to this one?)

Minor Gripes: I was disappointed at the utter lack of carbonation in my two bottle. Some head, some bubbles would have helped lighten up the body and mouth-feel.  A champagne-style bottle with a cork would be far more appropriate, especially since Goose Island claims this one can be aged for up to five years. And I'm not sure that this needs to be a 13% ABV.

Bottom Line: The Bourbon County Stout is not for everyone... imagine that a boilermaker were a shot of Beam dumped into a flat, fully-settled Guinness. But if you like rich, complex, hearty beverages, this one is well worth your time (and the cost -- $7-ish for a 12-ounce bottle).

Rating: 6 / 10