Try saying that title three times fast, yikes!
Curious about how our batches of Double Bourbon Barrel Blend are made? Here's a look behind the scenes of how John, our Head Roaster, prepares this unique aged coffee.
The Double Bourbon Barrel Blend is created by aging green (a.k.a. unroasted) Sumatran beans in dry, oak, formerly bourbon, barrels. We used Four Roses bourbon barrels for our very first batches back in 2017, and a number of different Buffalo Trace, W.L. Weller, and Eagle Rare barrels in the years since. You may have noticed we have some of these barrels displayed in the front retail area of the store and in our wine room!
Since there is no longer liquid in the barrels, they do shrink and eventually fall apart over time as the wood dries out, but luckily they last about a year or so before needing to be replaced.
We leave the beans to age in this barrel for approximately a month before John vacuums a bunch of them up from a hole in the barrel and pops them in the roaster. You can always tell when he’s in the middle of this process because that rich bourbon aroma is suddenly the only thing you can smell no matter where you are in the mill!
Once roasted to our standard full city roast level, the beans are placed back in another bourbon barrel for about four days (in case any flavor was lost during roasting) before being packed up and put out front for you to take home. The result is a brew with a strong bourbon nose and light oaky, vanilla notes that make for a slightly sweet, desserty cup. It’s delicious when cold brewed, or makes for a perfect afternoon or weekend coffee. Just don't take it to work with you; your boss will never believe there's no alcohol in there!
Give it a try by ordering here. If we're between batches, you can click the 'notify me' button on the product page to be alerted when the next batch is available.
Have questions for us?
Email us at beans@armeno.com, and keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram feeds to be notified of any new additions to our coffee roster, holiday hour changes, and upcoming events.
