Switchback Barrel Series


   Today's coffees come to us from Switchback Coffee Roasters. Switchback is based out of the lovely town of Colorado Springs, CO. My wife & I have a friend on the Springs, so I've done business with Switchback in the past. Brandon & Evan set me up pretty nice when we were in town a couple weeks ago & I was super excited to try this box of beans. 

   Right off the bat, hats off to Christer Tschamler, who put this together. I love the graphics on this box. Top notch. Hand lettered, custom typography (and I'm a sucker for great typography). This box set includes 3 variations of the same Honduran bean. The first being the bean as is. A washed Honduran from Finca El Sucte. The second is the same bean aged in Napa Valley Chardonnay barrel. The third is aged in a Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon Port barrels. 

   The 'normal' bean is nice. Brewed at 1:12, I got flavors similar to what Switchback notes; bread, dark honey, cocoa nibs, grapefruit zest. Not quite the flavors I look for in my cold brew, this would probably be better as a pour over on its own, but still a nice brew. 

   On to the Chardonnay barrel bean. Wow. I have never had a wine barrel aged bean before, and this turned out very nice. As this was brewing (1:8), the fruity aroma was crazy good. Switchback notes flavors of black currant, dates, and cherry blossoms. I definitely tasted a very fruit forward cup that was very full. Not a bright fruit like you'd get from a natural bean, but like a deep fruit reminiscent of fresh squeezed juice. So good!

   And the highlight of the bunch, in my opinion. The Bourbon barrel. Brewed at a 1:8 ratio. I'm not a bourbon drinker, my Kentucky wife is, but I LOVE barrel-aged beans. And something about cold brewing them is amazing. This brew was so woodsy & pipe tobacco & cola. Switchback notes flavors of dried fruit, pipe tobacco. And Bourbon. This is one of the best barrel-aged beans I've had. So amazing. 

   Thanks again to Brandon, Evan, and the rest of the Switchback team for these beans (and others I will be reviewing soon). I highly suggest people go try out this boxed set before they are all gone. A set like this won't come around too often.

Go check these guys out & buy these beans before they sell out:  switchbackroasters.com



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