Goose Island has announced the surprise release of a sixth variant for 2026 of its iconic Bourbon County Brand Stout.
Goose Island Beer Co.
Each year, Goose Island Beer Co. announces the variants of its iconic Bourbon County Brand Stout. The number of variants changes from year to year, but since the beer has achieved an almost cult-like following, the annual release of the beer and its variants is always highly anticipated.
The base beer of the variants—Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout—is often held out as the very first barrel-aged stout, a beer style that is now popular enough to merit its own category at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup, two of the largest beer competitions in the world.
Earlier this year, Goose Island announced five variants for 2026. Combined with the original Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout, that is a total of six versions of the beer that will be made available on Black Friday, which falls on November 27 this year.
Additional Release
But in a surprise announcement, Goose Island has said it will release a sixth variant this year, in very limited quantities, available only at its two Chicago properties: the Fulton Street Brewery and Taproom and the Salt Shed Brewpub.
“In recent years, Goose Island has introduced a series of properties-only releases, born from a small selection of particularly special barrels,” said a representative of Goose Island via email. “Because these barrels yield such limited quantities, only a small amount is available for these exclusive additional releases.”
“This is one of Goose Island’s most limited releases in the Bourbon County Brand Stout family,” said Goose Island. “It will only be sold in limited capacities at Goose Island properties and online, while supplies last.”
When the initial menu of variants was released on July 21, 2026, Todd Ahsmann, president of Goose Island Beer Co. said by email that the theme for 2026 was to explore barrel types. “A barrel is not simply a vessel for aging. It is one of the beer’s most important ingredients. The oak species, char or toast level, and the spirit previously aged inside it can each shape the beer in a completely different way,” he said.
The surprise extra release is an extends that theme. Bourbon County Brand Triple Barrel Stout has been successively aged through three different bourbon barrels over a total period of three years.
Limited Release
While many of the Bourbon County variants are iterations of the same base beer, this year’s additional release is a new beer. Based on an imperial stout brewed with rye, the brewery says the base beer is a bit sweeter which helps to counterbalance the tannin that comes from the three barrels the stout is aged in.
Bourbon County Brand Triple Barrel Stout is aged through three successive bourbon barrels over three years. The beer boasts 18.7% ABV and was described in a press release as having “notes of rich milk chocolate, warming vanilla and deep bourbon character.”
Bourbon County Brand Triple Barrel Stout will be available starting on Black Friday in a 16.9 oz. bottle exclusively at the two Goose Island properties in Chicago, the Fulton Street Brewery and Taproom and the Salt Shed Brewpub.
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