The Whisky Thief

Our coffee takes its inspiration from the Valinch, a pipette used for drawing whisky out a cask for sampling, and known colloquially in distilleries as the ‘whisky thief’. Over a month of resting in whisky barrels, the green unroasted coffee slowly absorbs left over heady aromas of whisky through the deft and guile of osmosis. After resting the coffee finds a point of perfect equilibrium ready for roasting with a new, unique flavour profile. Our choice of barrel was originally a Spanish sherry cask with a Speyside whisky further aged and finished during the final maturation. These drinks are full of dried fruit, nut and caramel like aromatics with a liqueur like quality that adds vibrance to the finish, perfect for pairing with coffee.

The coffee we’ve chosen first time round for our first batch of the Whisky Thief is the ever approachable and moreish El Paraiso from Huila in Colombia. With its classic dried fruit and caramel flavours intensified with the cask finishing, further red fruit and boozy liqueur like qualities add layers of complexity and interest. We’ve roasted the coffee with a medium to light roast, focusing on the caramel, dried fruit, and vanilla like qualities of El Paraiso. These act as a base for the cask finishing and the unique flavour the barrel brings. Here a bold liqueur and whisky note works with plump raisin, ripe red berry and warming spice like notes.