Session # 101 | Goose Island |Night Stalker| 11.7% ABV
Imperial Stout | Chicago, IL | Rating: 90/100
Goose Island is easily the most recognized craft brewery in Chicago. They are notorious for their palate-crushing Imperial Stout called Bourbon County Stout (BCS), which chimes in at about 13% ABV and carries enough bourbon heat to flatten the average beer drinker. The same can almost be said for this limited release called Night Stalker. It is an Imperial Stout that uses the same base as the BCS but comes in a little weaker at 11.7% ABV. The bourbon barrel aging has been replaced with a healthy dose of hops, which excited me upon learning because I was excited to taste a BCS without the intense bourbon component. How would it stand up? Would it unveil a sub-par beer? The barrel process that is used so heavily today can easily hide the imperfections of average beers. That’s just not the case with Night Stalker because it is a very complex beer that brings a good deal of aromas and flavors like caramel, cave, meat, grass, oak, spiciness, and even mushrooms. The hop character leans more toward the spicy and earthy side due to the Mt. Hood hops and doesn’t have much of a pine or citrus element from the Simcoe hops. This is likely due to the fact that the beer is nearing the six-month mark, too. The mouthfeel is not quite as intense (or chewy) as one would expect from something this big, but that actually helps the beer. Night Stalker is very balanced and quite enjoyable, and I cannot stress enough how good this beer would taste with a big man-sized steak, sautéed mushrooms, and crumbled goat cheese. I’ll be putting it to the test one day soon I’m sure. Up next: Wachusett Larry
Others: Bell’s Expedition Stout, Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, Beer Here Dark Hops
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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Powersolo “Good Behaviour”
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Posted by Big Mike on August 10, 2010 at 2:41 PM
I was able to try some 07 Bourbon County Stout and an 09 Bourbon County Coffee Stout a few weeks ago. Both were absolutely phenominal. I’d be curious to check this out to see what the base beer for those 2 tastes like before they jazz it up.
Cheers!
Big Mike
Posted by Big Mike on August 10, 2010 at 3:03 PM
Correction. That should read 2010 Bourbon County Coffee Stout as it was bottled in March of this year. Anyway, it was phenominal none the less
Posted by beaverc32 on August 11, 2010 at 5:28 AM
Bought 4 bombers of this when it was released this year, and I’ve enjoyed one a few days after its release and my latest one was just a week or so ago. I preferred the fresh bottle as the hops really came through on that. They have absolutely mellowed out in just a few months, but Night Stalker is still a damn fine brew.
Posted by thehopry on August 11, 2010 at 7:30 AM
Yeah I really would have liked to taste this one fresh. Maybe if they release it again I can try it then. I definitely like the hoppy stouts…
Posted by theReaper16 on August 20, 2010 at 11:55 PM
I saw this review and was like “I just had this beer three weeks ago and it was a 96/100 for me. No way could it have fallen that fast.” Well, having had a bottle a few nights ago, it had fallen that fast. My most recent bottle was a very similar experience to yours – still a very good beer but not what it was. Take my word for it: you’ll love a fresher bottle if they release it next year. It’s like imperial Dark Hops.