Cooper’s Cask Whiskey Barrel Coffee Review

When the opportunity came up to review Cooper’s Cask Coffee, I couldn’t resist. My love of coffee outshines my love of bourbon (and that’s saying something). I do occasionally mix my two loves in the same cup so I thought this coffee might be perfect for those times when a whisky-laced cup of coffee just isn’t going to fly.

Now, I’m not a fan of flavored coffees generally, but Cooper’s coffee is different. Small batches of green coffee beans from Sumatra have been aged in barrels that were previously used for making whisky. This barrel aging is what provides the flavor, rather than adding flavoring to the coffee after roasting. From Cooper’s site:

Many people may ask, “Isn’t this the same as flavored coffee?”.  It is completely different.  Flavored coffee is the process of adding a flavored syrup to the beans after it has been roasted to take on the predominate flavor.  Such flavors are made from artificial flavorings made from chemicals.

The sample they sent to me was their medium roast Whiskey Barrel Aged coffee. They suggest using a French Press to brew it, but my weapon of choice for coffee brewing is the AeroPress so I used that.

Bourbon Coffee Name:  Cooper’s Cask Coffee, Whiskey Barrel Aged

Age: The beans were freshly roasted.

Year: March 2015

How I Drank It: Black, in an Irish Coffee cup (but with no whisky added).

My Nose Noticed:  The freshly ground beans smelled like sweet dried dates to me. The brewed coffee had a scent to it that reminded me of fruit cake, sweet with notes of whisky and dried fruit. The smell was a bit odd.

First Sip:  A bit pungent, tobacco, dried fruit.  As the coffee cooled off, I tasted more of the whisky, but… cold coffee.

The Burn:  Warning: Hot coffee can cause severe burns. Please be careful.

Neat, Splash or Rocks:  Black no sugar.

Share With: Folks who like flavored coffee or trying something new.

Worth The Price:  At $30.00 for 12oz I’m going to have to say no.

Bottle, Bar or Bust: I regularly drink a dark roast and I used the same amount of coffee I would normally use for a cup. This coffee was weaker and paler than I’m used to. It didn’t quite work for me. While I love the idea of this coffee, it’s just not my cup of tea (or coffee).