Kahlua Bourbon

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally created a coffee-forward juice that I actually enjoy. There are definitely ways to improve upon this, but after 4 months of testing coffee concentrates, my tongue needs a break.

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not a big coffee drinker, but back in March, a friend of mine introduced me to the White Russian. Dairy + alcohol sounds like a bad time, but it was much better than I expected. So, the hunt is on!

I began my quest by Googling the word "Kahlua" and found out that it was an actual company by the name, and Wikipedia defined Kahlua as a rum and coffee flavored liqueur. Right off the bat, I knew I would be combining Jamaican Rum with SC Cappucino to create the base of the drink.

Now, for the cream. TFA Sweet Cream wasn't heavy enough and brought some unwanted eggy notes with it at 2%. FLV Sweet Cream was a bit too heavy for what I was going for. I settled in with FA Fresh Cream at 1%. It adds a delicate sweetness and smooths the rum and coffee out quite well. But...

Ew...This isn't sweet...at all...I don't want to overdue but this needs SOMETHING. When I do decide to drink coffee, I drop a soft Werther's Original caramel candy in my cup and let it melt. I also use a few sprinkles of hazelnut. So, let's put them both in the coffee! The caramel sweetens up the mix and adds a bit of grittiness while the hazelnut adds some body, so things aren't super creamy.

From there, it was time to add some alcohol. Vanilla Bourbon isn't quite the vodka that is found in a White Russian, but the boozy notes it delivers fit well into the mix. It also brings that warm vanilla with it which helps bring the entire mix together.

If you're anything like me and not a big coffee drinker, this will either taste exactly like what I have described above, or it will taste like burnt popcorn lol. There is no in-between. It's not profoundly sweet or cloying at all, but the flavor lingers on your palate and in your nostrils if you exhale out of your nose.