Overview: Goose Island has expanded its Bourbon County Brand lineup for the 2026 release, adding a Triple Barrel Stout to an existing roster of barrel-aged favorites. The Chicago brewery announced the full collection in July 2026, with availability scheduled for November 27, 2026.
The Full Story
The Chicago brewery has since added a Triple Barrel Stout that spent three years moving through three bourbon barrels, joining a collection that already had plenty going on. While that limited release gives Chicago beer fans another hometown advantage, the broader 2026 lineup has its own attractions, from rum cask-finished tiramisu stout to an ambitious barleywine finished in three different types of oak.
The 2026 Bourbon County Brand Triple Barrel Stout comes with serious numbers: three years, three successive freshly emptied bourbon barrels and an imposing 18.7% ABV. Brewed with rye, Goose Island’s first Bourbon County Brand Triple Barrel Stout picks up additional bourbon and oak character with each transfer. The brewery describes milk chocolate and warming vanilla notes, with the barrels doing much of the talking. This one will take more planning to track down. Goose Island lists availability exclusively at its Chicago Taproom and Salt Shed Pub.
Other releases include the 2026 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout, which spent an average of 13 months in freshly emptied bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses and Wild Turkey. Expect the familiar fudge, vanilla and caramelized sugar character that helped build Bourbon County’s following. For drinkers who want their stout without a dessert recipe attached, Original remains the obvious starting point.
The Tiramisu Cask Finish Stout adds another ingredient to the equation: rum barrels. For the first time, Goose Island finished its Original bourbon barrel-aged stout in rum casks, adding sugarcane richness to a beer layered with espresso, cocoa nibs and vanilla. The 2026 Bourbon County Brand Apple Crisp Stout features panela sugar, toasted oats, apples, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. And with release day falling immediately after Thanksgiving, the timing couldn’t be much better.
The Proprietor’s Stout combines pineapple, Montmorency cherries, and panela sugar with bourbon barrel-aged stout. Another Chase Craig creation, the 2026 Proprietor’s belongs to Chicago, so this is another bottle that won’t be joining the national shopping list. The Triple Oak Barleywine was transferred into casks previously used to finish Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Bourbon. Those casks represent three oak species: French, Chinkapin and Hungarian.
The Toasted Barrel Rye Stout begins its barrel journey in Elijah Craig rye whiskey barrels before moving into the distiller’s toasted barrels. That second stage brings additional vanilla and oak sweetness, rounding out that rye’s spice. Goose Island describes crème brûlée, toasted hazelnut and sweet oak notes. It’s another reminder that Bourbon County’s most interesting ingredient isn’t always something added after aging. More times than not, it’s the barrel itself.
Production & Profile
The 2026 Bourbon County Brand Triple Barrel Stout is aged three years in freshly emptied bourbon barrels at an 18.7% ABV. The Original Stout spent an average of 13 months in bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey at 14.2% ABV.
The Tiramisu Cask Finish Stout is finished in rum casks with espresso and cocoa nibs. The Apple Crisp Stout features panela sugar, toasted oats, apples, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. The Proprietor’s Stout combines pineapple, Montmorency cherries, and panela sugar. The Triple Oak Barleywine is aged in French, Chinkapin, and Hungarian oak casks from Angel’s Envy at 16.2% ABV. The Toasted Barrel Rye Stout begins in Elijah Craig rye whiskey barrels then moves to toasted barrels at 16.2% ABV.
What This Means
Goose Island lists availability exclusively at its Chicago Taproom and Salt Shed Pub for specific releases like the Triple Barrel Stout and Proprietor’s Stout. The broader 2026 lineup has national distribution, creating a distinction between hometown advantages and wider accessibility. Release day falling immediately after Thanksgiving positions the Apple Crisp Stout timing to complement seasonal preferences.
Consumer Takeaway
Drinker should note that Triple Barrel Stout and Proprietor’s Stout are Chicago exclusives available at the Taproom and Salt Shed Pub. National distribution covers Original, Tiramisu Cask Finish, Apple Crisp, Triple Oak Barleywine, and Toasted Barrel Rye Stout.
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