Goose Island Bourbon County Elijah Craig (2018)

ABV: 15.2%
STYLE: Stout 
ORIGIN: Chicago, Illinois
 
In 2018, Elijah Craig stepped in to collaborate on one of eight releases: the Bourbon County Stout Reserve. Unlike their baseline Bourbon County Brand Stouts, the barrels used for this release were much older than the four to six-year-old barrels that Goose Island had previously used to age their beer. They also aged this stout exclusively in Elijah Craig barrels, which allowed them to highlight the flavor profile of this specific Bourbon release. And this Bourbon was a batch worth celebrating.
In fact, the barrels they used had recently housed our 12-year-old Barrel Proof Bourbon, which went on to be named the 2017 “Whisky of The Year” by Whisky Advocate: the highest honor in the world of international whiskey.
“We are huge fans of Elijah Craig, and Goose Island acquired these barrels during the summer of 2017—just a few months before they were honored with the award,” says Todd Ahsmann, President of Goose Island Brewing Company. “We knew they were going to be good, but we didn’t know they were going to be this good.” The end result was a midnight-colored stout with flavors of chocolate, caramel, roast barley, and all the subtle nuances of our award-winning Barrel Proof Bourbon.