Goose Island has officially announced its 2026 Bourbon County Brand Stout lineup, with all six beers releasing on Black Friday, November 27th. The July reveal has become an annual tradition for the Chicago brewery, giving everyone a few months to figure out their release day plans before the bottles actually hit shelves. This year's lineup features five variants alongside the base stout, including the first Bourbon County ever finished in rum casks, a Chicago-exclusive Proprietor's inspired by pineapple upside down cake, and the first non-adjunct Bourbon County barleywine since 2022.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Beers:
Bourbon County Brand Original Stout (14.2% ABV) —
The 2026 vintage of the Original was aged for an average of 13 months across a blend of Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey barrels, with notes of vanilla, cherry, cocoa, and caramelized sugar. For the second year in a row, Original will be sold in 10-ounce four-pack bottles, a format that made verticals and sharing a lot easier when it debuted last year.
Photo: Goose Islane Brewing Company
Bourbon County Brand Tiramisu Cask Finish Stout —
The beer I'm most excited about in this lineup. Aged in bourbon barrels, then finished in rum casks with espresso, cocoa nibs, and vanilla, marking the first time Goose Island has used rum barrels in the program's history. The brewery describes the finished beer with notes of crème brûlée and toasted hazelnut alongside the coffee and chocolate you'd expect. Goose has run Bourbon County through cognac, wine, and maple syrup barrels over the years, so a rum finish feels overdue, and tiramisu is about as natural a fit for it as exists.
Photo: Goose Island Beer Company
Bourbon County Brand Apple Crisp Stout —
Created by Goose Island innovation brewer and barrel warehouse specialist Chase Craig, this variant blends the barrel-aged stout with apple, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, oats, and panela sugar to recreate the classic dessert. Releasing an apple crisp beer the day after Thanksgiving is a well-timed move, and Craig's track record with these dessert-inspired recipes speaks for itself.
Photo: Goose Island Beer Company
Bourbon County Brand Proprietor's Stout (Pineapple Upside Down Cake) —
As always, Proprietor's is the one variant that never leaves Chicago. The 2026 edition is inspired by pineapple upside down cake, brewed with pineapple, Montmorency cherry, and panela sugar. Proprietor's has become one of the most sought-after bottle in the lineup year after year, and it's one of the better perks of drinking in the best city in the world.
Photo: Goose Island Beer Co.
Bourbon County Brand Triple Oak Barleywine —
An English-style barleywine aged first in bourbon barrels, then finished in Angel's Envy Triple Oak Bourbon barrels. Those finishing barrels are each made from a different species of oak; French, Chinkapin, and Hungarian, hence the name. This is the first straight, non-adjunct barleywine in the Bourbon County family since 2022, and if you've been waiting for them to get back to letting the malt and the wood do the talking, the wait is now over… well… kind of.
Photo: Goose Island Beer Company
Bourbon County Brand Toasted Barrel Rye Stout —
A rye stout aged in rye whiskey barrels, then transferred into Elijah Craig Toasted Rye barrels to finish. The goal here is layering rye spice over a toasty oak sweetness, and between this and the barleywine, it's clear Goose Island wanted the barrels themselves to be the story this year rather than the adjuncts.
Photo: Goose Island Beer Company
Release Details
All six beers release Black Friday, November 27, 2026. Everything distributes nationwide except Proprietor's. Final ABVs and pricing for the five variants haven't been announced yet, so keep an eye on this article closer to release day.
If past years are any indication, expect lines at bottle shops around the city on release morning and limited allocations on the variants, especially Proprietor's. Between the rum cask and a barleywine comeback this is one of the more interesting lineups Goose Island has put together in recent memory. November can't come soon enough.
