Every year, we watch Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Stout (BCBS) lineup get larger and larger—and 2017 is no exception. This year, Chicago's craft beer behemoth is releasing seven BCBS variants including two newcomers to the newly minted Reserve Series. You'll probably recognize the first five variants (Bourbon County Brand Stout, Bourbon County Brand Barleywine, Bourbon County Brand Stout Coffee and Bourbon County Proprietor's Brand Stout, Bourbon County Brand Northwoods Stout), but the Reserve Series is using different barrels for two special releases: Bourbon County Reserve Brand Stout and Bourbon County Reserve Brand Barleywine.
This year's proprietor's variant is inspired by the New Orleans breakfast delicacy Bananas Foster and will only be available in Chicago. Brewed by Goose Island brewer Quinn Fuechsl, it uses banana, cassia bark and roasted almonds in 5-7 year old bourbon barrels. The national variant, Northwoods Stout, has blueberry and almond notes with a chocolate nose. The Bourbon County Reserve Brand Stout is made with 11-year-old Knob Creek bourbon barrels and the Reserve Brand Barleywine is made with 35-year-old Heaven Hill barrels and has been aged for 20 months.
As usual, this year's Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Stout release will happen on Black Friday, November 24. Details on pricing and where to pick up your bottles, will be released closer to that time. If you still have bottles of Bourbon County in your cellar, you might want to drink a few to make room for some new additions.
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