When it comes to warming, winter beers, there’s no contest against a masterfully crafted whiskey (typically bourbon) barrel-aged stout. These have been a staple for the cold weather since Goose Island’s brewmaster Greg Hall made the decision to age a stout in a former Jim Beam barrel all the way back in 1992. Typically, these are fairly high in alcohol (11-14% ABV) packing a punch with flavors of coffee, caramel, chocolate, and a warming, oaky, boozy whiskey. What could be more perfect for a freezing winter evening?

Over the decades since its inception, many breweries have made an effort to replicate the smells and tastes of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. While that particular beer continues to enjoy extreme popularity, several other well-made, flavorful whiskey barrel-aged stouts are now available.

We discovered eight of the most excellent options that can be found in beer stores and markets today. Most of these are widespread and many originate from some of the most renowned breweries in the nation. We have graded them on their overall taste and their ability to warm. Scroll down to see if your preferred bourbon barrel-aged stouts were selected.

ABV: 13.6%

Average Price: $15 for a 500ml bottle

The Beer:

Rogue Ales Rolling Thunder is a distinctive stout, aged not in the typical ex-bourbon barrels, but in Rolling Thunder Barrel Works barrels that once contained Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey. For a fleeting period of nine months, it enjoys the unique qualities of these barrels. The beer is composed of a myriad of ingredients: 2-row malts, Munich malts, black malt, rolled and naked oats, chocolate malts, roasted barley, C-75 malts, cacao nibs, rice hulls, brown sugar, dark Belgian candi syrup, Pacman yeast, and Cascade hops.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a ton of whiskey on the nose as well as chocolate fudge, roasted malts, dried fruits, oak, and caramel. The palate is loaded with toasted vanilla beans, cocoa powder, coffee beans, caramel, and warming, boozy whiskey at the finish.

Bottom Line:

If you want to try barrel-aged stout that was matured in a whiskey besides bourbon, this is the beer for you.

ABV: 11%

Average Price: $17 for a four-pack

The Beer:

The flavor composition of dragon’s milk, assuming it were real, is believed to align closely to this beer’s taste. This stout boasts an impressive 11% ABV and undergoes a three-month maturation period in repurposed bourbon casks. Its distinguished taste profile incorporates the intricate blend of roasted malt, chocolate and coffee.

Tasting Notes:

You’ll smell notes of dark chocolate, roasted malts, fresh bread, vanilla, coffee, and bourbon. When you take a sip, you’ll experience flavors of chocolate, toasted vanilla, roasted malts, espresso beans, raisins, woody oak, and whiskey. It concludes with a sweet, warming, and boozy finish.

Main Takeaway:

When compared to other high ABV barrel-aged stouts, Dragon’s Milk provides a rich flavor profile while maintaining a more accessible 11% ABV.

Alcohol content: 12%

Average Price: $20 for a four-pack

The Beer:

Not far behind the fame of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Founders KBS holds its own reputation amongst barrel-aged stouts. This potent brew at 12% ABV is a bourbon barrel-aged chocolate coffee stout, earning it the ‘Breakfast’ part of its name. It garners attention for its profiles of liquor, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is a blend of roasted malts, caramel, fresh coffee, oaky wood, vanilla beans, and sweet bourbon. The palate echoes these characteristics with hints of dark chocolate, toffee, vanilla beans, espresso, charred wood, and a sweet, boozy, bourbon finish.

Final Thoughts:

If you’re a coffee aficionado, this beer is for you. The brewing and aging process are special on their own, but the addition of coffee elevates it even further.

Alcohol By Volume: 11.5%

Average Price: $18 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Many breweries typically keep the sourcing of their former whiskey barrels a secret, but that’s not the case with Brooklyn. They proudly label their beer as a product of a partnership with the notable distillery Four Roses. This stout, boasting an 11.5% ABV, was aged for an extended period in casks that were once used for Four Roses Small Batch barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of dark chocolate, roasted malts, coffee beans, vanilla, dried cherries, and aromatic whisky start this beer off on the right note. The palate is filled with roasted malts, caramel candy, freshly brewed coffee, charred oak, vanilla beans, chocolate, raisins, and lightly, warming, boozy whiskey.

Bottom Line:

This is a surprisingly complex barrel-aged stout. It has a ton of rich, chocolate and coffee flavors as well as dried fruits. The finish is less boozy than many of the others on this list.

ABV: 11.9%

Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

The majestic and unique narwhal, a creature often compared to a unicorn of the sea, lends its name to Sierra Nevada’s imperial stout, and its barrel-aged variant. The imperial stout boasts an impressive 11.9% alcohol content and is allowed to mature for nearly a full year in ex-bourbon barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Upon encountering this stout, one is met with a myriad of intriguing scents. Emanating from the brew are hints of dark chocolate, roasted malts, toasted coconut, raisins, butterscotch, toasted vanilla beans and a sweet touch of oaky bourbon. As one partakes in the drinking experience, flavours such as cocoa powder, maple syrup, caramel candy, dried fruits, vanilla beans, oak, and whiskey spring forth. It leaves the taste buds with a warm, lingering sensation ripe with the richness of boozy whiskey.

Final Verdict:

The complexity of the Sierra Nevada Narwhal imperial stout is impressive in its own right. However, allowing it to mature in ex-bourbon casks could significantly enhance its richness.

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 14.1%

Average Price: $14 for a 16.9-ounce bottle

The Beer:

Goose Island Bourbon County Original Stout is the OG whiskey barrel-aged stout. It’s also still the most sought-after. While there are different variants, Bourbon County Original Stout is matured for around twelve full months in recently emptied bourbon casks from Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, and even Wild Turkey.

Tasting Notes:

A scent profile of rich chocolate syrup, fragrant vanilla beans, hearty oak, savory toffee, dehydrated fruits, and smooth bourbon tempts you before the initial tasting. The flavor profile indulges in your palate with sweet candied nuts, fruity raisins, caramel-infused sugar, charred wooden notes, sweet bourbon, bitter coffee, and dark cocoa elements, together making this an unforgettable beer.

Summary:

Don’t miss the opportunity to try Goose Island Bourbon County Stout if you haven’t tasted it yet. This was one of the earliest and still remains one of the best (if not the best) interpretations of the stout style available in today’s markets.

Alcohol Volume: 9.2%

Average Price: $7 for a 16-ounce can

The Beer:

This is not your everyday whiskey barrel-aged stout. Parabolita is defined as a bourbon barrel-aged stout with varieties of vanilla, cocoa nibs, and sea salt. The process involves aging the popular Parabola from the brewery for a comprehensive year in previous bourbon barrels, then merging it with Velvet Merlin milk stout. Following that, it’s enhanced with cocoa nibs, vanilla beans derived from Madagascar, and sea salt.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll detect scents of fresh coffee, toasted vanilla, butterscotch, chocolate fudge, molasses candy, dried fruits, and sea salt. The taste profile combines elements of milk chocolate, oaky wood, toffee, dried fruits, vanilla, whiskey, and salted caramel.

Conclusion:

The addition of sea salt imparts a subtly salty flavor that complements the overall complexity of this extraordinary beer perfectly.

Alcohol by Volume: 11.3%

Average Price: $20 for a 500ml bottle

The Beer:

The North Coast Old Rasputin maintains its status as one of our top picks amongst imperial stouts, more so the barrel-aged version. Ageing in the whiskey barrel enhances the dark chocolate, vanilla beans, dried fruits, and caramelized sugar aromas and flavors.

Tasting Notes:

Prevalent on the nose are scents of butterscotch, caramelized sugar, dark chocolate, toasted coconut, pipe tobacco, vanilla, and sweet, bourbon that is reminiscent of corn. The palate is treated to a symphony of flavors from roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate, brown sugar, charred oak, vanilla, dried fruits, to the boozy, lightly spicy whiskey at the finish.

In Conclusion:

The Old Rasputin from North Coast is a standout beer. Its barrel-aged version feels as though it has been ramped up to a level eleven or perhaps even twelve. It is indulgent, intense yet incredibly layered.