Gold in Dessert or Pastry Beer
Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Hops
Tasting Notes
Caramelized honeycomb, baking spice & roasted candied nuts
| Form | Use | Farm or Lot | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millennium | Millenium | Not Found | Not Found | Not Found | gooseisland.com |
| Alchemy | Alchemy | Not Found | Not Found | Not Found | gooseisland.com |
Aroma
Mild, somewhat pungent
Grown by
Not Found
Aroma
Not Found
Grown by
Not Found
The 2025 Bourbon County Brand Proprietor's Stout is a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout finished with nuts, cassia bark and honey, released by Goose Island Beer Co. of Chicago as a Chicago-only variant of its Bourbon County line.
| Category | Medal | Entries | Brewery | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11, Dessert or Pastry Beer | Gold (1st place) | 67 | Goose Island Beer Co. | Chicago, IL |
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with walnuts, pistachios, cassia bark & honey | Goose Island: 2025 Proprietor's Stout |
| ABV | 13.9% | Goose Island: 2025 Proprietor's Stout |
| IBU | Not Found | Not Found |
| Hops | Millennium, Alchemy | Goose Island: 2025 Proprietor's Stout |
| Malts and grains | Not Found | Not Found |
| Yeast | Not Found | Not Found |
| Adjuncts, fruit, spices | Walnuts, pistachios, cassia bark, honey | Goose Island: 2025 Proprietor's Stout |
| Other | aged in bourbon barrels; 16.9 oz bottle; Chicagoland only; allergens wheat and tree nuts; tasting notes of caramelized honeycomb, baking spice and roasted candied nuts | Goose Island: 2025 Proprietor's Stout |
First aged in bourbon barrels and then finished with walnuts, pistachios, cassia bark, and honey
Source: Goose Island: 2025 Proprietor's Stout
Caramelized honeycomb, baking spice & roasted candied nuts
Source: gooseisland.com
Goose Island says the recipe came from brewer Colby Magratten, inspired by the beehives on her aunt's Rhode Island homestead and by homemade baklava. On its page, the toasted nuts "highlight its warm, nutty character; cinnamon enhances the spice of the bourbon barrel," and the honey "deepens the stout's caramelized body" (Goose Island). A trade report on the 2025 lineup describes the same beer as inspired by baklava, combining toasted pistachios, walnuts and cinnamon (Beverage Information Group). The hops line reads "Millenium/Alchemy"; no malts or yeast are named.
| Hop as Published | Variety | Form | Use | Lot or Farm | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millenium | Millennium | Not Found | Not Found | Not Found | gooseisland.com |
| Alchemy | Alchemy | Not Found | Not Found | Not Found | gooseisland.com |
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Color (SRM) | Not Found | Not Found |
| Original gravity | Not Found | Not Found |
| Final gravity | Not Found | Not Found |
| Water | Not Found | Not Found |
| Process | Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, then finished with walnuts, pistachios, cassia bark and honey | gooseisland.com |
As category context only, the Brewers Association guideline for Dessert or Pastry Beer describes beers that "build on a strong dark beer base and incorporate culinary ingredients," deep amber to black, at 5.5 to 10.25 percent ABV or more and 20 to 65 IBU. A 13.9% imperial stout with nuts, spice and honey fits the open ended upper ABV range and the culinary intent.
| Year | Competition | Category | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Great American Beer Festival | Dessert or Pastry Beer | Gold |
Generated from the loaded results for this brewery and beer name, not researched separately; years not loaded are not covered.
Goose Island Beer Co. is in Chicago, IL. Brewery type in Open Brewery DB: Large brewery.
Links checked 2026-10-14: Website, Instagram, Untappd.