Last month, my wife and I decided that we were going to participate in Dry January this year. Not for any real reason. It just seemed like something to kick us out of our rut. Because of that, I needed to look ahead and see what I could find that I could taste ahead of time. I had a couple of things hanging around that I hadn’t gotten around to writing about yet, but that wasn’t enough for an entire month. So I went to the liquor store, set myself a price limit of $150, and bought everything I was going to taste for the coming month. What follows is one of those things I had hanging around that I really needed to write about.
I am the worst snob ever. I get accused of it all the time, but I’m just really not good at it. I love whiskey but hate paying too much for it. I love coffee but prefer automatic drip over fancier methods of extraction. But as I said, I have been told many times that I am, indeed, a snob. I buy my coffee from a small roaster in Whitefish, Montana. I have been for almost twenty years now. I just really love their coffee. But to some people, that makes me a snob. It's the same with whiskey. I gave a poor review to a bottom-shelf blended whiskey a few years ago and was called a snob then, too. In fact, the comments are still coming in for that one. I was told to get over myself not three months ago.
Apparently, knowing what you like makes someone a snob to some.
But I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yum. Honestly. If you’ve found that Kentucky Gentleman is your favorite whiskey. Go for it. No skin off my nose. I just ask for the same courtesy when respectfully turning down a weak cup of Folgers. Well, unless we are camping. I’d probably accept one then. All bets are off when we are camping and making breakfast around the fire.
So, it was with great curiosity that I added a 200 mL bottle of coffee liqueur to my shopping cart last summer. After it arrived, of course, I sat on it for six months because, well, I have no idea. The best I can tell is that it is a small bottle and got stuck behind something. In any case, by the time I got around to trying it, I was feeling a little trepidation. With a liqueur, you never know what you are going to get. It could be delicious, or it could be thin and weak like the coffee that much of my older immediate family makes (I mean, seriously, you can see the bottom of the cup through a full cup of coffee from some of them).
Luckily for me, this was delicious. But before we dig in, let’s see what the producer has to say:
Each and every bottle is made at our coffee roastery and distillery just north of Sydney, Australia. Our roasters source specialty beans from the best growing regions to create complex spirits that are bold, balanced and unapologetically coffee, without compromise or equal. Producing consistently concentrated cold brew and fine-tuning water composition, temperature and time are lifelong obsessions for both our Head Of Coffee, Detlef Mohr, and Master Distiller, Philip Moore. The difference between something good and something great, after all, comes down to the details.
Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur
Purchase Info: $13.99 for a 200 mL bottle at Curiada.com, though my corner liquor store has it for $28.99 for a 750 mL.
Price per Drink (50 mL:) $3.50 at Curiada or $1.93 locally
Details: 23% ABV
Nose: Dark, rich coffee, vanilla, and molasses.
Mouth: Thick and creamy mouthfeel. This tastes like a great cup of dark roast coffee with sugar and a dash of cinnamon.
Finish: Medium length. Lingering coffee notes.
Thoughts: I wasn't sure what to think about this before I tasted it. I was prepared for a thin, insipid drink that was really only good for a cocktail ingredient. But damn! This is thick, rich, sweet, and full-flavored. It tastes like a great cup of cold brew. If you didn't know better, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a coffee-flavored syrup, as there is little detectable alcohol burn. This is great! Now to try a few of the cocktail recipes from the brand website.
Cocktails: Delicious in a boozy milkshake. The Coffee Negroni from the website is very good. Chocolatey in a way I wasn't expecting. The Cold Brew Old Fashioned from the website is also very good. The orange bitters and rye bring forward a cocoa note that works very nicely with the rye.
Damn! I look forward to exploring this one further when Dry January is over. If you are a coffee nut like me, this is one to try.
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