Australian coffee liqueur brand Mr Black has announced a limited release collaboration with Vermont whiskey distillery WhistlePig.
“The rich spice of Whistlepig Rye pairs astonishingly well with Mr Black,” said Baker. “They’re like long lost brothers, raised in different countries but united once again.”
The Barrel-Aged Coffee Liqueur expression features Mr Black’s OG coffee liqueur, made from 100 percent speciality arabica coffee. The liqueur has then been aged for 9 months in WhistlePig barrels that previously held Piggyback 100% Rye.
The ageing process needed to last long enough for the flavours of the barrel to seep into the liquor, but not so long that the spirit would lose its strength.
Since oxygen is the enemy of good coffee, the barrels were constantly topped off … a process more in line with winemaking than whiskey distilling. Baker has a former winemaker on his team, and through careful experimentation, they were able to determine that six months was reportedly the right amount of time.
The result is a liqueur with tasting notes of dark coffee, rye spice, honey, vanilla and oak with a hint of smokiness, with a warm, boozy kick to finish.
“This is one of the biggest spirits we’ve ever made,” says Baker. “It’s Mr Black turned up to 12 in terms of flavour and texture – it’s a spirit for a spirit’s drinker, intense and delicious.
“WhistlePig is a brand with such a sense of place up there in Vermont. We’re a world away down under in Australia, but working our mitts off to make it in the USA,” Baker added. “We loved the idea of bringing our home and our future together in a bottle.”
For more information, go to mrblack.co