I became a fan of Glasgow-based coffee roastery Ovenbird about a year ago. When I found out that they had beans matured in Laphroaig barrels on offer, I had to order these! I enjoyed them so much that I kept placing regular orders in Ovenbird’s online shop, trying both their regular releases and their other whisky barrel expressions. Yes, that’s right! They not only enshroud their beans in Laphi wood, but they also put ’em into Auchentoshan casks! Here, they have three different versions available: aged for 12, 18 and 21 weeks. I have recently opened a bag of the “18 Weeks Old”. It is a neat, lean and smooth coffee with an vibrant, invigorating character. I enjoy it tremendously!

by Tobi

Eye: Full-hued brown.
Nose: The nose is more on the light side with elegant roast aromas and sweetend gooseberries. Furthermore, I sense elderflower, marzipan and butter cookies.
Palate: The coffee provides lean and lively notes of fresh fruits, squeezy limes and slightly bitter almonds. These flavors harmonize nicely; but here and there, a pinch of salt shimmers through and throws the balance off for a second. That’s a nice detail, for sure.
Finish: The aftertaste is soft and clean. At this stage, a somewhat floral quality chimes in as well. Other than that, I find not-too-sweet cookies and dried zest to be especially noticable. Far in the back, there’s also some roasted hazelnuts.

Type: Barrel-aged coffee
Region: Scotland
Age: 18 weeks
Alc. volume: –
Cask type: Auchentoshan whisky barrels
Package size: 350 gram
Price range: ~20.00 Euro
More info: https://www.ovenbird.co.uk (Roastery)

*** I bought the beans as a regular customer. ***