Flavor Profile
Temple Distilling’s Co-Authored Gins are created through partnership. Co-Authored Roasted’s partner is nearby Washington, USA based Visible Coffee Roasters.
The coffee in this gin is an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. To best capture the coffee flavor, the beans are distilled the day after roasting, and separately from the other botanicals to capture the more floral side of the coffee. It is supported by two types of cardamom, both black and green, as well as cloves, orange, and juniper.
Tasting notes
Color: Perfectly clear
Aroma: Bright and orange citrus with crisp fresh roasted coffee beans— think a freshly opened bag of coffee, less so of brewed coffee— with juniper and clove. The coffee note on the nose is beautiful.
Flavor: Strong cardamom at first. Then some piney-green juniper for a brief flash before the coffee blooms. Bright and slighty roasty, it has some slight notes of bittersweet chocolate, cacao nibs and espresso beans.
Late, there’s a delicate smoky, roasty note— part black cardamom and part coffee, with clove’s eugenol giving some nutmeg and baking spice nuance.
Finish: Clean, and dry with clove quietly lingering long on the finish.
Cocktails and suggested serves
The Espresso Martini has been having a moment in late 2023/early 2024. It’s no surprise that this gin works well in one. Temple Distilling recommends pairing it with Lillet Blanc and simple syrup for a “clear” version of the cocktail.
If you’re looking to try Co-Authored Roasted in more traditional gin drinks, might I recommend the Negroni. The coffee comes through vividly, however, paired with the bitterness of Campari and Vermouth it offers an unusual riff that vidily takes me to Bar Termini in London— a bar where my order is almost always espresso followed by one of their house Negronis.
If you’re a fan of drinks like the coffee-lemonade (which I am) you may also enjoy a Tom Collins. However, I know those citrus espresso drinks can be a bit of an acquired taste.
Overall, Co-Authored Roasted
I’m not just a gin lover, but a coffee lover. Co-Authored Roasted scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. While I’ve mostly sat out the Espresso Martini renaissance, this gin has piqued my interest.
This gin is a flavored gin that is perhaps a bit more about the coffee than it is the juniper. However, there is more than enough juniper in this gin to stand out as a gin, and not a coffee flavored vodka.
The coffee flavor is beautifully executed from a technical distilling standpoint and it captures all the most beautiful volatile aromas of a freshly opened bag. I enjoy this greatly, but whether or not you like Co-Authored Roasted comes down to whether or not you love coffee.
If you do— this is worth seeking out.
Highly recommended in its category.