Virginia Distillery Co. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout Cask American Single Malt (2025)

Despite the name, there's no bourbon in this bottle.

Bourbon County Brand Stout is a beer, Goose Island's stout from Chicago. This whisky is a single malt finished in barrels that had held it.

Virginia Distillery Co. makes it in Lovingston, Virginia: 100% malted barley, distilled in copper pot stills built in Scotland, then aged over five years in ex-bourbon barrels. That's the only bourbon involved. Then it moved into the Bourbon County Stout barrels to finish. It's part of The Brewer's Coalition, the distillery's series of whiskies finished in brewery barrels. Goose Island was one of the first two partners, in 2024.

This is the second edition, from 2025. Virginia Distillery says twenty barrels went into it.

It's 100 proof. Try it neat with dessert, or pour a little into a coffee after dinner.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: rich mocha, banana bread, honeyed nougat
• Palate: malty beer, a hint of cinnamon
• Finish: lingering molasses

Bottle Specifications

• Category: American single malt whisky
• Age: No age statement (the producer says over five years in ex-bourbon barrels)
• Finish: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout barrels
• Series: The Brewer's Coalition, 2025 (second) edition
• Proof / ABV: 100 proof / 50%
• Distillery: Virginia Distillery Co., Lovingston, Virginia

FAQ

Is this a bourbon?
No. It's an American single malt, made from 100% malted barley. "Bourbon County" is the name of the Goose Island stout whose barrels finished it.

Is it bottled-in-bond?
The first edition, from 2024, was. Nothing on the 2025 edition's front label says so.

Why is the bottle 700ml?
Virginia Distillery bottles its Brewer's Coalition releases in 700ml, a size US rules have allowed since December 2020.