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Coffee Review: Don Pablo Canadian Whisky And Maple Infused Coffee

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Coffee Review: Don Pablo Canadian Whisky And Maple Infused Coffee

Name: Don Pablo Coffee Review: Canadian Whisky and Maple Infused Blend
Item: Coffee Review: Don Pablo Canadian Whisky And Maple Infused Coffee
Author: Jacob Wirt

We review Don Pablo Canadian Whisky And Maple Infused Coffee, in which the beans are soaked in Canadian whisky before the drying and roasting process to preserve the flavors imparted by the booze.

by Jacob Wirt
March 27, 2023

Jacob Wirt, former cook and researcher, now explores the world of whiskey with curiosity.

Tasting Notes:

About:

Appearance:

Deep black of course, but a spectrometer would be required to be more specific and I dont have one handy, slightly thick due to my method of preparation (french press), with a small amount of oiliness showing at the top of the mug.

Nose:

Mild aroma of toffee with a hint of spice.

Palate:

This was pretty unassuming on the nose but has more personality on the palate. A bit of milk chocolate, but more so the tich, complicated sweetness of maple and honey with just a little shiny alcoholic taste in the background. To my palate, the honey flavor actually makes a bigger impression than the maple and leads to a fading, earthy, rye-like spice finish. Final Thoughts: Interesting as a novelty item thats fun for a cup or two, but theres nothing here that makes me want to stop buying my usual beans. Coffee and whiskey are a decent pairing, with the bitterness of the roast and the malt sweetness balancing each other out and the rye whiskey imparts a muted, but noticeable zip of spice to this cup of joe.

Finish:

Comments:

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Editor’s Note: This coffee was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review.

The coffee/whiskey cocktail is, in my experience, a tough nut to crack. The combination of two acquired tastes can pose a challenge even for those such as myself who’ve acquired both. Coffee’s bitterness and whiskey’s sweetness have the potential to strike a delicate balance when the right beans meet the right juice in the right proportions. But identifying the right balance of mutually supporting flavors is a trial and error process which, I’ll admit, I’ve never managed to follow through.

Florida based coffee roaster Don Pablo offers something of a shortcut to this process by infusing their Arabica beans with whiskey. According to Don Pablo’s promotional materials, they soak the beans in Bourbon, Irish, or Canadian whiskeys before the drying and roasting process which preserves the flavors imparted by the booze while burning off any but the most stubbornly residual alcohol. This process deftly sidesteps the persistent philosophical question posed by coffee cocktails– is it an upper or a downer?

I sampled three whiskey-infused coffees by grinding the beans at a medium-coarse setting and brewing for 3 minutes in a french press. Per the recommendation on Don Pablo’s website (which, conveniently, aligned exactly with my own personal preferences), I took my coffee black without any additional sweetener and share my experience with the Canadian Whiskey and Maple infused offering here in a whiskey review format.

Don Pablo Canadian Whisky And Maple Infused Coffee review — We review Don Pablo Canadian Whisky And Maple Infused Coffee, in which the beans are soaked in Canadian whisky before the drying and roasting process to preserve the flavors imparted by the booze. (image via Don Pablo)

Tasting Notes: Don Pablo Canadian Whisky And Maple Infused Coffee

Appearance: Deep black of course, but a spectrometer would be required to be more specific and I don’t have one handy, slightly thick due to my method of preparation (french press), with a small amount of oiliness showing at the top of the mug.

Nose: Mild aroma of toffee with a hint of spice.

Palate: This was pretty unassuming on the nose but has more personality on the palate. A bit of milk chocolate, but more so the tich, complicated sweetness of maple and honey with just a little “shiny” alcoholic taste in the background. To my palate, the honey flavor actually makes a bigger impression than the maple and leads to a fading, earthy, rye-like spice finish.

Final Thoughts: Interesting as a novelty item that’s fun for a cup or two, but there’s nothing here that makes me want to stop buying my usual beans. Coffee and whiskey are a decent pairing, with the bitterness of the roast and the malt sweetness balancing each other out and the rye whiskey imparts a muted, but noticeable zip of spice to this cup of joe.

Jacob Wirt

Jacob Wirt, whose past lives as a cook and cultural studies researcher, continues to shape his deep appreciation for fermented grain beverages. His understanding extends beyond the mere enjoyment of the drink; he recognizes the knowledge, labor, and rich history behind every glass. With a passion for homebrewing beer, Wirt finds a similar fascination in whiskey, exploring how techniques, ingredients, and nuanced variables create the distinctive character of each expression.

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