Goose Island BCBS Knob Creek Reserve (2017)

The final Bourbon County of the tasting, after all the variants, turned out to be the best. Aged in 11-year-old Knob Creek barrels as a throwback to the original Bourbon County brewed in 1992 (according to the handout Goose Island gave us; Josh Noel might have other things to say about that) and a celebrationg of Knob Creek’s 25th anniversary, this beer, upon first sniff, didn’t differ all that much from original Bourbon County – chocolate, oak, and vanilla, along with a subtle smokiness. Sipping it for the first time, it tasted almost exactly like original Bourbon County, but with a little smokiness at the end. Then I went back to the original Bourbon County and had them side-by-side (which I would highly recommend) and the differences became very apparent, as the Reserve is less sweet, smoother and drier than the the original Bourbon County. It was pure palate enjoyment to be able to keep sipping this one again and again, waiting until the next time you could get a taste of it. Was it the first one I finished? Not at all, because I wanted to savor it as much as possible.