Beer Review: Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout (Coconut, 2013 Vintage)

Reviewing the Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout (Coconut, 2013 Vintage) from the Goose Island Beer Co. out of Chicago, Illinois. This Chicagoland-only Bourbon County Brand Stout variant is aged Templeton Rye whiskey barrels with massive amounts of toasted coconut toasted added to the barrels. The 2013 release of Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout is the first release of an annual series of Chicago-only Bourbon County Brand Stout variants according to Goose Island:

Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout is meant to show our immense gratitude to our neighbors here in Chicago – the loyal and adventurous fans whose support helped bring Bourbon County Brand Stout to towering new heights. Each year this release will differ from the previous year; a special variant created for Chicago and unique to the year it was released. 

Score: 100

2013 vintage bottle served in a Bourbon County Brand Stout snifter and enjoyed on 11/29/13.

Appearance: Pours the traditional inky black Bourbon Count Brand Stout color with minimal khaki head, but this variant also comes with splotches of coconut oil and tiny coconut flakes floating on top. While the lacing and retention of the head are minimal, the beer leaves nice oily legs behind and the coconut oil and coconut residuals stick to the sides of the glass. 5/5

Smell: Huge, bold notes of coconut and milk chocolate. Vanilla too. Light brown sugar and whiskey character. Rich and dessert-y nose; these qualities are perfectly integrated. 5/5

Taste: Like the nose, the taste is big, bold, dessert-y and marvelously integrated! Toasted coconut, vanilla, macaroons, brown sugar/molasses, and a nice whiskey finish with a very faint spice note on the midpalate. While not the most complex beer in the Bourbon County portfolio, this one delivers big on the taste and possesses a nice, rich sweetness without being as sweet as regular Bourbon County Brand Stout. Fans of coconut flavors will absolutely adore this creamy coconut-vanilla bomb! There is a hint of alcohol heat, but nothing like you would normally expect from a 14+% ABV beer. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with spot on low carbonation, unlike the 2013 vintage of regular Bourbon County Brand Stout, which I found to be uncharacteristically "thin" by Bourbon County standards (particular when compared side-by-side with the 2011 vintage). Viscous, creamy mouthfeel. Sweet, but without a layering sweetness that cloys or overwhelms the palate. 5/5

Overall: Not just another home run Bourbon County Brand Stout variant for Goose Island; the 2013 release of Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout might be their best Bourbon County variant yet! Huge notes of toasted coconut and creamy vanilla, with whiskey undertones, this one drinks akin to how Vanilla Bourbon County Brand Stout is currently drinking plus a huge dose of fresh, toasted coconut. While this beer is not the most complex in Goose Island's lineup of Bourbon County Brand Stout variants, it is surely one of the tastiest. Seek out with confidence!

Cost: $24.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle, though I have seen prices range from $19.99 to $39.99 around town.

Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout is meant to show our immense gratitude to our neighbors here in Chicago – the loyal and adventurous fans whose support helped bring Bourbon County Brand Stout to towering new heights. Each year this release will differ from the previous year; a special variant created for Chicago and unique to the year it was released. Whether your first sip is today or was from that first batch in 1992, thank you for lifting us up on your big shoulders and joining us every year to celebrate the original bourbon barrel aged stout.

Recipe Information:

Style: Stout Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels with Toasted Coconut
Alcohol by Volume: 13.9%
International Bitterness Units: 60
Color: Midnight
Hops: Willamette
Malt: 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley,
Debittered Black

Serving Suggestions:

Preferred Glass: Snifter
Cellaring Notes: Develops in the bottle up to 5 years - See more at: http://www.gooseisland.com/pages/proprietor_s_bcs/367.php#sthash.QpMfylzT.dpuf