Feeling nostalgic this year, Goose’s brewers dove into the Bourbon County vault and pulled out an iconic recipe. In 2013, the brewery released “Backyard Rye” and senior innovation manager Mike Siegel found himself hand picking mulberries off trees just steps away from the Goose Island Barrel House in Chicago. Inspired by that initial release and by his own childhood memories of picking fruit in his own backyard, Mike set to work on this year’s 2023 Bourbon County Brand Backyard Stout.
This barrel-aged stout was first aged in bourbon barrels for at least one year, and then finished and blended with mulberries, boysenberries and marion berries. Each addition of berry contributes its own distinct flavor profile, with some adding sweetness and others providing acidity and complexity. A taste of the past, this imperial stout is a balanced and nuanced play on fresh fruit, vanilla, and chocolate.
