Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Kenya Kiambu Peaberry -Ndumberi Coop

There are a few things that really make you stop and appreciate life. The first blooming tulips in spring, taking a quiet evening walk, etc. To this, I will add the aroma of freshly roasted, quality Kenya coffee. A lot of people like to talk about resting coffee after roasting for a day or more, but to me this is just staling it. If you want to try something special, brew a vacuum pot of a really good Kenya coffee about 12 hours after you roast it. The aromas are so piercing, so floral, so sweet that there is almost nothing else like it.

Coffee is a seasonal crop, and I went some time without Kenyas in my stash. This coffee reminded me how much I missed it. Word on the street is that 2009 is going to be a great year for coffees from this origin, and I am looking forward to it in a big way.

After roasting a lot of coffees darker than I otherwise might have, working on the blend I previously talked about, I wanted to get a nice, crisp, light roast on this one:



The aromas of the grounds, and in the cup, are pure muesli: sweet toasted grains, brown sugar, and dried fruits. It is a heady aroma, almost intoxicating in its sweetness. The taste follows, with refreshing acidity, some green grape, and a chocolate note that gets more prevalent as the coffee ages a bit. For me Kenyas change very rapidly after roasting. Capturing that initial burst of aroma and fruit before the roast and chocolate notes take over is one of the purest pleasures of roasting your own, and something you can't get in storebought coffee. What a great cup.

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