Goose Island Issues Refunds For More Infected Bourbon County Beers

By Stephen Gossett in Food on Jul 15, 2016 5:49PM

"Bizarrely sour with hints of bacteria and a lactic-acid finish.” If your tasting notes for last year’s batch of Bourbon County Brand Stout went in that unexpected direction, you are not alone.

Goose Island is offering refunds for certain 2015 batches of its hugely popular Bourbon County Stout Original and refunds for one batch of its Proprietor’s variety. The beers were infected with a lactic-acid bacteria that, while not harmful, causes off flavors and sour tastes. Goose Island also offered refunds in January on Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout and Bourbon county Barleywine after they were similarly infected.

The popular bourbon-aged stout and its different varietals draw huge crowds each year at annual Black Friday releases in Chicago—even as craft beer tastes have arguably shifted away from big, bold high-ABV flavors into lower-alcohol, “session”-friendly brews. It remains to be seen whether or not last year’s infected batches will have any effect on that stronghold. Perhaps the potential for a new, scotch-aged flavor this year will be enough temptation.

A list of beers eligible for refund along with a return application can be found here.

[H/T Crain's]