Goose Island’s Bourbon County 2025: The Stout That Changed the Game Keeps Reinventing Itself

Every fall, beer nerds and bourbon heads line up like it’s Black Friday at the altar of Goose Island. The reason? Bourbon County Brand Stout—the OG, the heavyweight, the beer that cracked open a barrel and redefined what craft brewing could even mean. Three decades later, it’s not just a beer; it’s a movement. And in 2025, the lineup comes back swinging, telling a story of transformation, patience, and pure liquid power.

It always starts with the Original. Bourbon County Brand Stout isn’t just the backbone—it’s the mythmaker. The one that took an imperial stout, threw it into bourbon barrels, and blew open the doors for every brewer chasing barrel-aged glory ever since. This year, Goose Island is doing something wild but simple: dropping 10-ounce four-packs of the Original. Same recipe, same wallop of depth, just in a format made for side-by-side tastings or slow-burn solo nights.

But Goose isn’t stopping at nostalgia. The 2025 variants push the stout into new territory, flexing barrels, ingredients, and time as instruments in an ever-expanding symphony. Cherries Jubilee Stout gets kissed by cognac casks, bringing dessert decadence to the party. Chocolate Praline Stout leans into single-use bourbon barrels, layering richness with nutty swagger. And the always-anticipated Proprietor’s Stout? This year it’s a baklava bomb—pistachios, walnuts, and cinnamon wrapped up like a Middle Eastern pastry fever dream.

The lineup also doubles down on its whiskey DNA. Double Barrel Stout dives deep into Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond barrels, stacking complexity like a prog-rock guitar solo. Reserve Stout takes it even further, spending time inside Parker’s Heritage 17th edition rye whiskey barrels—liquid history soaking into a beer that already knows how to age with swagger.

Bourbon County isn’t just beer anymore. It’s alchemy. It’s patience turned into power, tradition smashed against innovation, and a reminder that Goose Island still owns the throne it built back in the ’90s. The 2025 family isn’t just a release—it’s proof that legends can evolve without ever losing their edge.

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