FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GOOSE ISLAND AMPS UP BOURBON COUNTY BRANDS BLACK FRIDAY RELEASE
The Chicago-based, Pioneers of Barrel-aged Brewing to Host Epicurean Events in Nine Select Cities
CHICAGO, (Oct. 20, 2014) – On Friday, November 29, Goose Island,
Chicago’s famed craft beer company, will release their renown Bourbon
Country Brand Stout (BCBS) line up of barrel-aged beers through special
beer-centric Black Friday events in nine cities
including Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Jacksonville, Fla., Los Angeles, New
York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Francisco. Black Friday has become a
beer drinker’s holiday and a true reminder that good things come to
those that wait (literally). It’s almost that
time, the moment beer fans have been waiting an entire year for, the
chance to get their hands on this year’s flock of Goose Island’s
award-winning barrel-aged beers.
“The magic of our Bourbon County Brand Stout is the time and
unpredictable weather conditions our beer experiences in the belly of
each hand-picked bourbon barrel,” said Brett Porter, Brewmaster at Goose
Island Beer Company. “Our brewers, much like our fans,
are passionate about Bourbon County and we’re counting down the days
until Black Friday when we can all enjoy the new variants of the Bourbon
County family.”
As the pioneer in the art of aging beer in bourbon
barrels, the Goose Island barrel program has set the industry standard,
swiftly becoming one of the world’s largest barrel-aged beer producers.
First crafted in 1992, the brewery continues
to push the limits of their lauded Bourbon County Brand through diverse
variants, including Coffee, Barleywine, Vanilla Rye and a special
release just for Chicago. The Friday after Thanksgiving, beer fanatics
can now share in the tradition by enjoying the
2014 batch of Bourbon County. This year’s variants include the
following:
- Bourbon County Brand Stout:
The Original, a liquid as dark and dense as a black hole. The nose
is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke.
One sip has more flavor than an average case of beer. Available
nationally in four and 24-packs in 12-ounce bottles.
- Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout:
Everyday Goose Island smells the wonderful coffee roasting next to
the brewery at Chicago's Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea. This world class
roaster puts the same passion and skill into their coffee as Goose
Island does with its beer. This excellent stout
is made with a different coffee from the friends next door each year.
With the change in coffee comes a change in the flavor profile, making
each release truly unique from the previous years.
The 2014 incarnation features Rwandan coffee. Available in four and 24-packs 12-ounce bottles nationally.
- Bourbon County Brand Barleywine:
Aged in the third-use barrels that were once home to Kentucky
bourbon and then the renowned Bourbon County Stout, this traditional
English-style barleywine possess the subtlety of flavor that only comes
from a barrel that’s gone through many seasons of
ritual care. The intricacies of the previous barrel denizens – oak,
charcoal, hints of tobacco and vanilla, and that signature bourbon heat –
are all present in this beer. Hearty and complex, Bourbon County Brand
Barleywine is a titan and a timeline; a bold,
flavorful journey through the craft of barrel aging. Available in four
and 24-packs of 12-ounce bottles.
- Vanilla Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout:
First brewed for the legendary festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer
in Chicago, drinkers enjoyed this Bourbon County variant so much Goose
Island bottled it the next year (2010). People flocked to stores to get
their hands on a bottle and have this one
of a kind barrel aged stout. Over the years that followed fans express
their love for this version so Goose Island is extremely proud to bring
it back in 2014. This year’s version features twist of aging the stout
in Rye Whiskey barrels instead of bourbon
hand-picked from four different distilleries. Each rye barrel features a
two pound mix of Mexican and Madagascar vanilla beans. This limited
Vanilla Rye will be available nationwide in 22-ounce bottles.
- Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout:
The second annual release of Proprietor’s is aged in Rye Whiskey
barrels and features panela sugar, made into syrup with coconut water,
Cassia bark and cocoa nibs. This variant is meant to show Goose Island’s
immense gratitude to their neighbors in Chicago
– the loyal and adventurous fans whose support helped bring Bourbon
County Brand Stout to towering new heights. Each year this release will
differ from the previous year; a special variant created for Chicago and
unique to the year it was released. Available
only in Chicago, in 22-ounce bottles.
This is the fifth year Goose Island is
releasing Bourbon County Brands on Black Friday. In 2013, at the release
event in Chicago, more than 500 people lined up to experience the
Bourbon County phenomena firsthand.
In 2014, with special Black Friday events in additional cities
featuring unique collaborations with local artisans from coffee roasters
to donut makers, the company expects an even greater turnout.
To learn more about Goose Island’s Bourbon County
Brands and the Black Friday event locations in Boston, Chicago, Dallas,
Jacksonville, Fla., Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San
Francisco; visit
www.gooseisland.com,
Facebook ,
Twitter (@GooseIsland) and
Instagram (@gooseIslandbeer).
About Goose Island
Founded in Chicago in 1988, Goose Island is one of the most successful
craft breweries in the Midwest and produces some of the most popular,
and award winning, beers in the U.S. Since 1989, Goose Island beers have
won a variety of awards at acclaimed beer events
including the World Beer Championships, World Beer Cup, European Beer
Star, World Expo of Beer and the Great American Beer Festival (GABF).
For more information, visit
www.gooseisland.com.
