Not just any beer... The highly sought after Goose Island Bourbon County Stout! This has become a tradition every Black Friday for me and my wife and 2015 marks the third year that we have gone out on a wild goose chase to score Chicago IL's Goose Island's Bourbon County Stouts. Braving the 13 degree temperatures, we head out to Tipsy's Liquor World in Littleton at 7 a.m. By the time we arrive at 7:30, there is already a line of people 20+ deep waiting for a chance to get a bottle of the good stuff!  A few minutes before the doors swung open, a nice woman handed out numbered tickets prior to the rush... We were number 23 and 24. This almost certainly would assure us that we were not going to be purchasing a coveted bottle or the Bourbon County Rare stout, which was selling at $69.99. A little to rich for my blood, but it would have been pretty nice to have the chance to buy one, yet still taking a pass. Making a bit of small talk, we all stood there anxiously awaiting the doors to swing open not only to buy our beer but to escape the cold. 8 a.m. comes and the doors are open, we are all ushered in via a single file line to the gigantic bar in the middle of the store. It's our turn to pick what we want to purchase and these are the bottles we took home...

Matt Sparx/TSM
Matt Sparx/TSM
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Bourbon County Brand Stout - Coming in a 16.9 oz. bottle the stout is a 14.2% ABV (alcohol by volume). This is the first year that the regular Bourbon County Stout has been released as a single bottle. In previous years you could purchase them in 4 packs. This Bourbon County Stout has been aged in bourbon barrels for 8-12 months soaking in all of the bourbony goodness until the time it goes into the bottle.

Matt Sparx/TSM
Matt Sparx/TSM
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Matt Sparx/TSM
Matt Sparx/TSM
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Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

Like the regular BCBS, the coffee comes in a 16.9 oz. bottle and has a lower ABV of 13.4%. Last year was the first year I was able to score a bottle, in fact an entire 4 pack of the stuff! Thankfully I was able to get another one this year. Brewed with Los Delirios coffee from Intelligentsia Coffee from Chicago then aged in bourbon barrels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Sparx/TSM
Matt Sparx/TSM
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Bourbon County Brand Regal Rye Stout

Likewise with the previous two variants of BCBS, this comes in a 16.9 oz. bottle with an ABV of 13.5%. This is the first year that I have been able to find the rye and I am really excited to try it out! The Regal Rye has a combination of fresh sour cherries, candied cocktail cherries, blackberry juice as well as sea salt, then aged in rye whiskey barrels. I will not be having this brew anytime soon as I think I will age it for at least a year prior to cracking the bottle cap off of this bad boy.

 

 

 

I am already preparing myself for next Black Friday!

 

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