(Chicago, IL) – In the beer trading community, there are these things known as whales . . .

[11/24 Update: Rare Bourbon County will retail for approximately $45 according to the Chicago Tribune. A total of 940 cases (11,000 bottles) spread over 18 states. Available beginning on Black Friday.]

[10/28 Update: From Brewmaster, Gregory Hall’s Twitter account, “Just tasted Lolita, BCS Vanilla and BCS Rare. All beautiful and ready to go. Vanilla in bottle next week JIT for FOBAB.”]

[10/27 Update: Ignore the release dates listed below. There is no release date set for this beer at the moment.]

. . . beers that are tough to trade for because they are so hard for the original buyer to attain and the asking price can be quite high. They cause much strife in the beer community as some prefer to trade on purchase price over perceived value. It’s an ongoing debate.

We don’t yet know how ‘rare’ that Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout will actually be but each bottle will be individually numbered which is only a small hint. [Update: Per Goose Island’s Greg Hall, the beer is aged in 43 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels for two years with an expected yield of 7,000-8,000 bottles. The beer will be available in Chicago and New York though other markets are up in the air. Given that information, that probably takes this beer out of “whale” status but that is still very limited availability.]

Per the label, “This stout was aged for two years in the finest old barrels Goose Island has used it its 18 years of Bourbon Barrel-aging beers. A true rarity – savor and share it only with those you hold dear, as it will never be made again.”

Rare Bourbon County is one of a few variations of the original planned for 2010. It is scheduled for November release. Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout, released in April, sold out quickly and earned a rating of “World Class” on Beer Advocate. The beer sits 9th overall in the world rankings.

In October, the brewery will release Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout. Those timetables are subject to change as is ordinary for barrel-aged beers.