Goose Island Makes A Comeback With New Bourbon County Beers
Two years ago was a painful misstep.
Last year, a learning experience.
In 2017, Goose Island aims to reclaim its place atop the craft beer mountain with the most ambitious release yet for its iconic Bourbon County family of beers. On the day after Thanksgiving, the brewery will release a whopping seven of them, the most ever:
- Bourbon County Brand Stout
- Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout
- Bourbon County Brand Barleywine
- Bourbon County Brand Northwoods Stout (flavors of blueberry and almond)
- Proprietor's Bourbon County Brand Stout (flavors evoking bananas Foster)
- Bourbon County Reserve Brand Barleywine (aged two years)
- Bourbon County Reserve Brand Stout (aged in 11-year-old Knob Creek bourbon barrels)
After an hour chatting with Goose Island brewmaster Jared Jankoski, it seems clear that the brewery has regained some swagger following the painful setback of 2015, when four of its six Bourbon County beers soured in the bottles after being tainted with bacteria later identified as Lactobacillus acetotolerans.