Small brown barrel with roasted coffee beans
Food - Drink
What Is Barrel Aged Coffee?
By CATHERINE RICKMAN
White cups and bowls surrounded by coffee beans sitting next to a barrel
Alcohol and coffee are a great combo, but sometimes, you want boozy flavor without enjoying a pre-lunch tipple. The best compromise in this situation is barrel aged coffee.
A glass of whiskey next to a wooden barrel
Barrel aged is coffee made by storing coffee beans in barrels that once contained liquor. The beans are kept in the barrels for a few weeks while they're still fresh and green.
Top view of a cup of coffee and two croissants on a dark gray surface
The beans are then roasted, allowing their boozy flavors to blossom without any actual alcohol content, since it all burns off during the roasting process.
Two glass mugs of Irish coffee on a wooden table with an open bag of coffee beans
Infusing the beans with flavor before roasting, rather than adding a flavored syrup or chemical infusion after roasting, gives them a purer flavor without artificial ingredients.
Close up photo of a Buffalo Trace Distillery bourbon barrel
Bourbon barrels are popular for barrel aging coffee, adding notes of caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, and other spices. Rum and rye whiskey barrels are also popular to use.
Three large glass coffee decanters for serving at a restaurant
Barrel aged coffee may become more popular soon, but for now, you can buy beans from a few companies such as Cooper's Cask Coffee, Oak & Bond, and Whiskey Barrel Coffee.
A woman shops in a grocery store coffee aisle
A man pours coffee into a white mug
A teal coffee cup and matching saucer with swirled latte
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