Beer Review: Bramble Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout (fresh)

Reviewing the Bramble Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout from Goose Island Brewing Company.
Score: 97

Bottled 12/10/11. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter and enjoyed on 03/02/12. Re-reviewed 04/20/13.

Appearance: Pours a deep brown color with a faint reddish hue. A super thin layer of creamy chocolate brown head at pour is just enough to cap off the top of the beer, and quickly settles into a ring around the glass. Virtually no lacing. 4/5

Smell: Vanilla, maple, milk chocolate, fig, smooth bourbon, sweet red grape and alcohol esters. Sweet and jammy raspberries and blackberries in the nose. The berry elements adds a nice complement to the sweet barrel notes of regular Bourbon County Brand Stout. The aroma is a little boozier than the 2011 Bourbon County Brand Stout. 4.75/5

Taste: A nice blend of sweet, juicy raspberry/blackberry jam mixed with milk chocolate upfront and throughout. The berry flavors are sweet and jammy, and just a touch tart. This beer hits the right contrast balance between the rich, thick and bitterness of the chocolate and the juicy, sweet and acidic flavors of the raspberries/blackberries -- this tastes like an excellently crafted chocolate cake dessert with berry filling. Maple, brown sugar, booze and vanilla on the midpalate rounds out the flavor profile. A very light amount of dry prune/fig on the midpalate too. This is a very sweet beer and a sipper, and it's a little hotter than the 2011 vintage of the regular Bourbon County, but it's still pretty darn tasty. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, light carbonation. Syrupy mouthfeel. Dry and sweet finish. 4.75/5

Overall: Although this beer was the weakest of the Bourbon County Brand Stout variants out of the gate, the jammy berry element has release developed nicely over time and put this one on par, quality wise, with the coffee variant. The berry adds a nice twist to the bourbon-molasses of the standard brew. My big regret with this beer is that I gave up on it too soon and traded too many away without giving them the proper chance to develop in the bottle into something special. This is not a mistake I will repeat with the Cherry Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout variant.

Recommendation: Seek this beer out!

Pairings: Dark chocolate cake.

Cost: $15.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.