Goose Island's 2026 Bourbon County Stout Lineup Arrives Black Friday

Just in time for the holidays, Goose Island Beer Co.'s 2026 Bourbon County Brand Family is set to hit shelves nationwide on Black Friday, November 27.

Honoring its legacy as the creator of the world's first bourbon barrel-aged stout, this year's lineup celebrates the relationship between the beer and the barrel, emphasizing the barrel itself as a core ingredient. From dessert-inspired expressions to barrel finishes, each release showcases the flavors, character and possibilities unlocked through time and oak.

The 2026 Bourbon County Brand Family includes:

• 2026 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout was aged in a blend of freshly emptied barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses and Wild Turkey. With an average aging time of 13 months, this stout delivers deeply developed flavors of fudge, vanilla and caramelized sugar. (ABV: 14.2%)
• 2026 Bourbon County Brand Apple Crisp Stout embraces the warming expressions bourbon barrels naturally carry. The cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg layered throughout don't fight the oak, but let it shine. The apples offer a gentle brightness, while toasted oats soften the body. Panela sugar, raw and deeply caramelized, draws out the same toasted sweetness found in the barrel's own char, rounding into the finish that defines Goose Island’s barrel-aged stout. (ABV: 13.9%)
• Inspired by the layered Italian dessert, 2026 Bourbon County Brand Tiramisu Cask Finish Stout is aged in bourbon barrels, then finished in rum barrels. This results in notes of fudge, delicate pastry and espresso, with the rum cask adding warmth and sugarcane richness over cocoa nibs and vanilla to the beer’s profile. (ABV: 15.1%)
• Inspired by the layered complexity of Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Bourbon, 2026 Bourbon County Brand Triple Oak Barleywine is an English-style barleywine first aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels, where it developed notes of caramelized malt, dark sugar and vanilla. It was then finished in French, Chinkapin and Hungarian oak casks, each imparting its own character: refined spice, subtle sweetness, tannins, and baking spice. (ABV: 16.2%)
• The 2026 Bourbon County Brand Toasted Barrel Rye Stout is first aged in Elijah Craig Toasted Rye whiskey barrels, drawing out the grain’s signature spice alongside notes of crème brûlée, hazelnut and a lingering oak finish. It is then transferred to Elijah Craig’s toasted barrels, where gentle toasting brings forward notes of vanilla and sweetness while softening tannins, creating a fuller, rounder body with the warmth of toasted oak. (ABV: 16.2%)
• Available exclusively in Chicago, this year’s Proprietor’s Stout was inspired by pineapple upside down cake. Aged in bourbon barrels and finished with pineapple, Montmorency cherry and panela sugar, the stout leans into the dessert’s caramelized fruit, vanilla-soaked cake and browned sugar notes. Pineapple brings a tropical lift, Montmorency cherry adds depth, and panela sugar ties it together with molasses-like caramelization that complements the toasted oak character of the barrel. (ABV: 14.0%)
• Another Chicago exclusive, The 2026 Bourbon County Brand Triple Barrel Stout was aged for three years in three freshly emptied bourbon barrels, layering notes of milk chocolate, warming vanilla and barrel-forward character. Not available online or local retailers, this beer can be purchased exclusively at Goose Island Taproom & Brewpub in Chicago. (ABV: 18.7%)