Best Beach Christmas Ever Part 1 - Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

So Christmas has come and gone. That meant and always means some long drives to visit Margaret's family. She has family around the country and even outside the country now. The closest of said family lives 6 hours away by car utilizing my lead foot. Since I have made it farthest from the nest, only 2 hours from my place of origin (that sounds pretty census-like), we typically make it back to the New Orleans area frequently enough to save the holidays for Margaret's family. We head to Florida or Virginia for each Christmas alternating between Margaret's (or Peggy as she was referred to during this trip) Aunt Carla (Florida) or Aunt Bonnie (Virginia). This year's destination was Florida, specifically the gulf coast.

One of Margaret's cousins, Philip (or Phil as he was referred to on this trip) has the ever optimistic habit ("tradition") of claiming everything we do on any trip, is the best ever. This trip was frequently called the "Best Beach Christmas ever, pt.1." No lack of superlatives and he continually assumes that there will of course be a part 2 next time we meet.

One of the other traditions that are employed for our group Christmas gatherings is the drawing of names for buying presents. This relieves the pressure to find something for everyone there and with the statutory $ limits, it is not going to break the bank. The last time we had a beach Christmas, two years ago, I had the good fortune to have Margaret's cousin Meredith (or Leroy as she was referred to on this trip) draw my name. She is the only other beer lover among the crowd and she did not disappoint.

She put together 2 six packs of assorted beers from a New Orleans beer and wine store. However she did not stop there, she did some research and put together some index cards with facts about the specific breweries and beers. Not only was it a cool present, it may have been the most thoughtful one I have ever received for Christmas. I would say it had some part in my decision to pursue my interest in craft beer and ultimately starting this blog.

As my good fortune would have it, this year my name again was drawn by Meredith and she did not disappoint. Now that she lives in New York, her beer choices have increased tremendously. She gifted me with a fine selection of beers to sample, including the one I will review below, the Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

Goose Island is a Chicago area craft brewery that I am not completely unfamiliar with. I had one of their beers several years ago while visiting the Windy City. However I do not remember what specific beer it was, but I know it was not this one.

The Bourbon County Stout is a Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout. Beer Advocate has it rated as a 98, which is world class on their scale. Due to its high ABV (15%) I shared the bottle with Meredith.

Appearance: Beer poured a pitch black with no noticeable head or lacing. The beer was practically still as no carbonation was present. Upon pouring I noticed just how viscous this beer is. This is a no joke beer.

Smell: As one would expect, I picked up a strong alcohol smell up front. Molasses aroma was present as well as some woody notes.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Heavy mouthfeel with no carbonation present. Like the nose, some molasses flavor was present at the outset. The other noticeable flavor was raisin, like I have found with some Belgian beers. For the first time I have ever noticed with a beer, it had a real warming quality on my chest with each sip, like with some wine or liquor.

Overall: This was one of the most unique beers I have ever had. From the appearance to the mouthfeel and flavor, it was not exactly like any beer I have ever had. I enjoyed it a lot and am glad I had someone to share it with. This one would have put me on my rear if I had to do it myself. For more info on this beer, please see Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

No beach trip would be complete without some beach shots. Below are two sunsets. The first of which is not done justice by the photo.

For those who are wondering, the line up from left is as follows: Philip (Phil), Meredith (Leroy), Margaret (Peggy) and Myself (Cobra or Matthew Cobretti as I was called this week).

The Cobra nickname is a carryover from the Best Christmas Every pt.1 from Virginia 3 years ago. Much like myself,  these guys figure if something is funny once, it would be even funnier 50 times. No dead horse left unbeaten.

On a serious note, we had a great time this Christmas thanks to the hospitality of Aunt Carla and Uncle Dick. Thanks for hosting the Best Beach Christmas ever part 1.

Cheers!