India Peaberry

Flavor Notes: dark chocolate, dark brown sugar, praline nuts, malted grains, hint of chai Body: Heavy Roast Level: Dark Acidity: Low Contents: Single Origin Specialty Roasted Coffee Preferred Brew Method: Drip or Espresso Good with milk?: Yes Process: Washed Country of Origin: India Farm: Pearl Mountain Estate, Baba Budangiri, Karnataka Variety: Kent, S-795 Elevation: 1200-1500m Roaster's Notes:  In an effort to bring you more coffees from Asia that you've probably never tasted, on a whim, I bought this bag of Indian Peaberry coffee, having never even tried it before. This coffee caught my attention because 1) it's from India and I hadn't tried any coffees from there yet but also 2) it was grown among cardamom and pepper vines. I have to tell you that I struggled to get this one right. I went the whole range from the lightest of light coffees all the way to strong mediums, tasting batch after batch and just feeling like it wasn't quite right. Then I recalled another time when I ran into a similar problem and found that the darker I went, the better the coffee got, so I decided to ditch the medium and light roasts and just go as dark as I dared.  This coffee was taken well into 2nd crack, averaging around a 17.3% moisture loss. This is by far the darkest roast I've ever sold on this website, but I am surprised that I still enjoy it. This coffee has such a depth of roasty, earthy flavor to it and a super syrupy mouthfeel. There is a slight bittering note in the cup but unexpectedly less than other coffee roasted this dark. There's a hint of chai spice, likely from being grown amidst pepper vines and cardamom, but the dominant flavors are definitely dark, dark chocolate and a dark brown sugar, molasses-like sweetness, with some malty flavors mixed in. If you like dark roasted coffee, this one is sure to please you. Brewer's Notes: This coffee makes excellent single origin espresso. Feel free to drink it as a shot or to douse it in your favorite milk or milk alternative - it can handle it. I found good results at around a setting 9 on my DF64 Gen 2 grinder with a classic 18 grams in, 36 grams out at around 25 seconds.  Don't be afraid to brew this a variety of ways. It should do great in a Moka pot or immersion brewer, as well as drip and pour over. As always, if you're feeling like it's too bitter, try either dropping your water temperature or grinding coarser. If you are finding its too sour, do the opposite.