Disclosure: Pull & Pour received coffee samples for this post, however, as always, all opinions are 100% my own.
I always enjoy a barrel-aged coffee from time to time and the ones offered by Oak & Bond have consistently been my favorite—they are balanced, well-roasted and feature the proper amount of bourbon strength for my preferences. This past holiday season, Oak & Bond offered a special barrel-aged coffee—a Double Barrel Bourbon Barrel Aged single origin Guatemalan coffee. The profile in general was similar to past bourbon barrel coffees I’ve had from Oak & Bond, but the double barrel added a nice additional level of complexity I really enjoyed.
One of the best attributes of barrel-aged coffees is their aroma and that was no different for this one. Upon opening the bag, you are immediately met with a rich fragrance of bourbon, coffee and chocolate that reminded me a lot of tiramisu. As you begin to brew, the bourbon notes evolve and a rich, dark chocolate aroma presents itself. In the flavor I tasted notes of chocolate, woody/oak, boozy sweetness and a very balanced bourbon profile. Many times the bourbon quality can overwhelm the coffee in barrel-aged coffees and that wasn’t the case in this coffee at all. The bourbon added to the coffee’s complexity without overwhelming it. The acidity was quite balanced as well with a boozy sparkling quality to it. The sweetness featured the same booziness, but also a caramel-centered, tiramisu characteristic. The body was rich, full and smooth—almost creamy. The bourbon lingers in the finish and makes you wonder if you just drank a sip of coffee or high-quality Kentucky bourbon.
I really enjoyed exploring this coffee in different brew methods; it was so incredibly versatile. It was wonderful in traditional pour over methods, but also great iced via my Japanese iced coffee recipe and incredibly good in espresso. I enjoyed playing with adding it to various cocktails to bring in both the coffee and boozy bourbon characteristics.
The Bottom Line
Oak & Bond delivers again with an incredibly special bourbon barrel-aged coffee. The double barrel while similar to their other barrel-aged coffees creates an added complexity that was incredibly fun to explore. Because each batch uses different barrels (they are labeled on each container), each coffee will be a bit different and unique. As a result, the possibilities of exploration are truly endless.
