Millars Organic Wood Roasted Coffee (more photos)
This as to be one of the most unique coffee I have tasted in a long time. It come from a company called Millars, which is directly connected with the same people who handcraft the Pull Espresso Machines that I recently posted about. Just as with their espresso machines, a great deal of tender loving care goes into the coffee the roast.
For starters all the coffee that goes into these blends is shade grown certified USDA organic. Secondly, all of the beans are barrel aged in 24 yr old Kentucky bourbon, oak barrels for a minimum of 30 days before they are roasted. Thirdly, the blends are roasted on vintage wood burning Turkish coffee roasting machine, using hardwoods like alder, cherry, and maple to infuse sweet and fruitful flavors with subtle smokiness to the beans.
This is perhaps the most eco-friendly coffee roasting company we have ever encountered.
Although at first I was a bit worried that the flavors from the barrel aging or wood roasting overwhelm the flavor profile, after taste testing the light, medium, and dark blends a number of times each it was clear this was not the case. At best the barrel aging and wood roasting adds subtle background flavor notes that make the coffee more interesting and present to drink.
The end result in the cup at each roast level is a well balanced and fully-body cup, with a creamy milk-chocolate finish. The Lucia Blend (light roast) also had some pleasant buttery, caramel, and nutty notes.The Moulton Blend blend (dark roast) has deep earthy and smokey flavor notes. Each of these blends would also work well as the base for a cappuccino or latte, as an espresso pull or using a pour-over brewing method.
