Beer Man: Goose Island brings barrel-aging to near perfection
Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world.
This week: Goose Island Barrel-Aged Porter
Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago
Goose Island has been making bourbon barrel-aged beers since either 1992 or 1995. The reason for the discrepancy is that the brewery states 1992, but research by Chicago Tribune reporter Josh Noel found that 1995 was more likely.
Either way, Goose Island is credited for brewing the nation’s first bourbon barrel-aged stout, which nowadays is common for breweries to produce as a specialty beer to showcase the artistry and quality of a brewery.
It also has spawned a barrel craze, with beers being available aged in casks of not only bourbon but rum, brandy, port, single-malt Scotch, tequila and various wines.
More: Beer Man: Barrel aging works well in new Goose Island brew
Goose Island’s latest barrel release is its bourbon Barrel-Aged Porter. Besides barley malt, the 8.3% ABV porter also is made with carapils, chocolate, Munich 2 and roasted barley malts, and Simpson Golden Naked Oats.
The body was a wonder — not oily or thick, but provided a silky and clean-tasting mouthfeel. The creamy silkiness was probably from the oats. The balance between the caramel and chocolate malts was a perfect blend, with both noticeable, but neither being stronger than the other.
The flavors are everything you would want in a porter — chocolate, caramel, roasted grain, brown sugar, vanilla, bourbon and more. The barrel presence was more of the bourbon than woody oak, which was a nice touch — usually it’s the other way around.
Although the color of the beer was dark brown, I could still see through it and red highlights appeared when the glass was held to the light.
More: Beer Man: Goose Island's Cooper Project does malt right
As if the porter wasn’t enough, Goose Island also is releasing Bourbon County Brand Northwoods Stout, a 12.6% ABV imperial stout with the addition of blueberry juice and almond extract.
The blueberry was intense and with the almond had a rum-molasses background to all the other great flavors — cocoa, caramel, coffee, molasses, vanilla, bourbon — all expertly blended. Northwoods had a bit more oak and char notes to it than the porter, with neither inhibiting any of the other flavors.
Both beers had healthy heads, and ample lacing and carbonation for the styles. Anyone looking for rich, decadent beers will find much to enjoy with either of these ales.
The porter is available now; the Northwoods Stout won’t be released until Nov. 24, along with five other Bourbon County Brand releases. More on those in a later column.
Goose Island has wide national distribution, but be aware these are specialty beers that probably will not last long on the shelves. The brewery has a Beer Finder link is here.
Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability by mail. Contact Todd Haefer at beerman@postcrescent.com. To read previous Beer Man columns, click here.