Try saying that title three times fast, yikes! Welcome back to the Weekly Grind, everyone. Hope you all enjoyed your day(s) off last week if you had them.
This Week at Armeno...
We’re back into the swing of things here at the mill, and since it has come time to make another batch of Double Bourbon Barrel Blend, I thought I’d give you all a more in-depth behind the scenes look of how John, our Head Roaster, prepares this unique new brew.
As mentioned in a previous post, the Double Bourbon Barrel Blend is created by aging green sumatra beans in an oak barrel that, for about ten years, had housed Four Roses bourbon inside it. It’s the very barrel that the Double Bourbon beans have been displayed on top of at the front of the store! Of course, since there is no longer liquid in the barrel, it will start to shrink and eventually fall apart as the wood dries out, but luckily John estimates that we will be able to continue reusing it for at least six months to a year before it would need to be replaced.
We leave the beans to age in this barrel for about 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 is sweet and desserty. It’s delicious when cold brewed, or makes for a perfect afternoon or weekend cup.
This Week’s Toasty Tidbit:
Did you know that the Organic Retro Sumatra Mandheling beans are currently the largest beans we carry? This single origin coffee is a new addition to our collection as well, processed in-country using an older, more traditional method than our regular Sumatra Mandheling beans. This brings out a richer flavor profile that really brings out those subtle chocolate notes. Yum!
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.
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