Every barrel tells its story in layers — the oak itself, the spirit it once held and the way the wood has been treated all shape what it will offer to the beer that follows. 

For this release, Goose Island explored that story through a rye stout aged in Elijah Craig Toasted Rye barrels. The 2026 Bourbon County Brand Toasted Barrel Stout began its life in rye whiskey barrels, where the stout drew out the grain's signature spice alongside notes of crème brûlée, hazelnut and a lingering oak finish. 

It was then transferred to Elijah Craig's toasted barrels, where the oak reveals a different character entirely. Gentle toasting coaxes sweetness from the wood while softening the sharper edges of tannin, bringing forward notes of vanilla and giving shape to a fuller, rounder body. 

A celebration of the barrel in all its forms: a rye stout with rye front and center, meeting the rounded warmth of toasted oak — an expression of Bourbon County shaped by the evolving character of the wood itself.