Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout - 2016

This is the 2016 vintage of Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Stout. It is a 13.8% ABV stout aged in bourbon barrels. 

The beer pours opaque black. There is a short, and short-lived, head of dark tan/light brown. The aroma is sweet, maple, bourbon, vanilla, with lighter notes of dark roast and char. The taste follows the aromas, hitting all the same notes, but the char is bumped up a notch in the flavors. The aroma is all about sweet maple bourbon, the taste blends that equally with dark roast and char. The beer is sweet, but the char and barrel oak add enough astringency to put a bit of dryness near the finsh. It is warming, but not hot or boozy. The beer drinks very smooth, almost a silky feel in the mouth. There is a light, soft, tingle of carbonation. This is well-done, tasting nice this year, and I will enjoy putting a bottle away and tasting it in a couple of years.