JULY 2016

We decided to visit some old friends this July. Our itinerary took us back to India, Brazil and Sumatra, but with a different roast spectrum that brought out some bitter sweetness both from chocolate and fruit.

INDIA CHERRY ROBUSTA, KARNATACA, INDIA – LIGHT ROAST
A few months back we sent out a sample of the India Cherry Robusta bean. We like to encourage coffee drinking without cream or sugar, but for this coffee, aka Truck Driver Special, we will look the other way if a little cream or sugar is required per your taste.

This bean boasts a good bitter caffeine punch at 2 to 3 percent more than the Arabica bean’s 1.5 percent caffeine. The Robusta bean is very hearty and resilient to weather, bugs, and diseases. Its increased caffeine levels plus reduced lipid and sugar content, as compared to the Arabica bean, make the Robusta often taste like burnt licorice to blackstrap molasses. This bean is all percussion and no melody—woody, earthy, green bitter walnuts with a hint of molasses. It is best mixed with other beans to smooth out the taste—the proportion depends on the caffeine hit desired.

BRAZIL MOGIANA ARABICA – MEDIUM ROAST
Brazil Mogiana at any level on our roast spectrum was found to be a crowd pleaser. Always smooth with full mouth experience that floats across the tongue. This is the relaxing afternoon coffee without morning caffeine acidic attitude. Transitioning from dark to medium roast, the Brazil Mogiana trades out some of its bitter baker’s chocolate taste in return for some smooth caramel notes.

SUMATRA RED BADGER – DARK ROAST
Sumatra is a classic “go to” coffee—always smooth and when roasted light, will have a sweet citrusy taste. However, when roasted dark, you’ll taste chocolate-dipped dried cherries with a burnt brown sugar finish. This is an excellent after dinner cup of coffee, low on the acid and smooth in the finish. Delicious from the moment it is brewed to the last sip, whatever temperature that might be.

BLEND 421 – OUR RECOMMENDATION ON BLENDING
This month’s blend is unique as we are blending Arabica and Robusta beans. You’ll have that dark full flavor taste to finish along with a good caffeine punch. We recommend a blend of 4:2:1—4 parts Sumatra, 2 parts Brazil, and 1 part India Cherry Robusta. The goal of our blends is to create a cup of coffee that stands on its own before adding sugar or cream. However, for this month, we understand if you want to add a little cream, sugar, or both to your coffee blend.

Try all the roasts individually to appreciate each distinct flavor. Next, give our Blend 421 recommendation a try—savoring the dried cherries dipped in chocolate, drizzled in caramel with a licorice molasses finish. Finally, venture out with your own blend according to your taste preferences. Keep in mind that the lighter bean has more caffeine, while the darker bean has a fuller body. Use a tablespoon to measure out the coffee by parts and place into a burr grinder, then give it a quick shake. Alternately, you can mix them after each bean has been grind individually.