Goose Island Bourbon County Macaroon Stout 2024
14.6% ABV | 16.9oz / 500mL bottle | Aged 1 year in bourbon barrels | 2024 vintage | Chicago, IL — dessert in a barrel: Goose Island Bourbon County Macaroon Stout 2024 is the 2024 Bourbon County variant inspired by homemade coconut macaroons — the base imperial stout aged a full year in bourbon barrels, then finished with rich cocoa nibs, sweet candied ginger, and toasted coconut. An homage to Goose Island employee Paul Spiller's family baking memories, scaled up to 14.6%.
The 2024 Bourbon County lineup (Original, Vanilla Rye, Macaroon, Proprietor's Barleywine, Bardstown Cask Finish) was one of the most celebrated in years, and Macaroon was its crowd-pleaser — reviewers report bourbon, nuts, and coconut on the nose, and a palate of bourbon, oak, char, coconut, dark fruits, cherries, dark chocolate, coffee, molasses, caramel, vanilla, and ginger, with a chewy, thick mouthfeel and low carbonation. It's the sweetest, most decadent face of BCS: a liquid macaroon with a bourbon backbone. 2024 bottles are the current cellar vintage — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
Tasting notes
Per Goose Island's official description: cocoa nibs, candied ginger, toasted coconut over barrel-aged imperial stout. Per reviewers (BeerAdvocate 2026): bourbon, nuts, coconut; palate of bourbon, oak, char, coconut, dark fruits, cherries, dark chocolate, coffee, molasses, caramel, vanilla, ginger; thick, chewy, low carbonation.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 14.6% ABV — one of the richest, most dessert-forward BCS variants ever
- Cocoa nibs + candied ginger + toasted coconut over a full year in bourbon barrels
- 2024 vintage — the current cellar release, built to age for years
- From Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago — the brewery that invented barrel-aged stout
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Cellar temp (50–55°F) in a snifter or tulip. Pair with actual coconut macaroons, dark chocolate, or vanilla ice cream — or just let it be dessert. Ages gracefully for 3–5 years.
Frequently asked questions
What does Macaroon Stout taste like?
Like its namesake cookie, amplified: toasted coconut, cocoa, and candied ginger layered over bourbon-barrel stout — bourbon, oak, dark chocolate, caramel, and vanilla underneath.
What was in the 2024 Bourbon County lineup?
Original Stout, Vanilla Rye Stout, Macaroon Stout, Proprietor's Barleywine, and Bardstown Cask Finish Stout — all released Black Friday 2024.
Is it very sweet?
It's the sweetest-leaning 2024 variant by design — a dessert stout at 14.6%. The bourbon barrel char and ginger keep it from cloying.