Fruit ESPLOSION Espresso Blend
Summer officially began this week and I dunno about you, but that means I’ve got a hankering for fruity, sweet and refreshing coffees! But with all the amazing options out there, it can be a little overwhelming to choose a single origin that will hit all the right notes. What notes exactly? Ripe fruit, juicy berries, intense sweetness, full body, vibrant acidity and just a hint of smooth, silky chocolate. Oh, and toss in just a dash of depth and complexity because every good melody needs harmony, am I right? Because we’re talking about a true “fruit bomb”, folks! So after roasting, evaluating and testing tons of different coffees in different ratios, we’ve put together our go-to seasonal blend for fruity espresso. In the cup we tasted big notes of raspberry, tangerine, dark chocolate, caramel and a dash of white grape.
Now it’s important to specify this is OUR interpretation of the ideal “fruit bomb.” We tasted lots of blends that were too crisp, too tangy, too sweet and yes, even too fruity! So our preferred blend may not jive with what you have in mind for a fruity extravaganza and that’s ok because everybody’s tastes are just a little different. But we talk to lots of coffee fiends and after listening to their feedback, I can safely say this coffee is a sure bet when you’re not sure which coffee to choose when a fruity coffee must be chosen. And if it just happens to turn into your new favorite espresso blend, I promise not to say “I told ya so”!
A few quick notes on brewing: this blend was formulated and tested for espresso, not filter brewed methods such as pour over or auto drip. If you’re looking for the filter brew version, it’s right here! We tested this blend with several different brew ratios and found that our preferred ratio was 18g in to 45g out for a ratio of 1 to 2.5 at our preferred roast level of light-medium (see roasting notes for more on that). We also liked our shot time to be around 28 to 30 seconds, but your mileage may vary depending on your machine, grinder and personal tastes. If your cup is too bright and getting tangy to sour, try a 1 to 3 ratio before adjusting your roast level since these lighter roasts can be tough on extraction. Also, this espresso is perfect for an iced americano or espresso tonic!
Reminder! This coffee is raw, you must roast it before brewing
Arrival Date: Carried year-round, blend contents vary based on seasonality
Acidity & Brightness: Vibrantly bright with intense, juicy sweetness
Balance & Finish: Moderately balanced and fairly clean finish
Body & Texture: Rich body and smooth, velvety texture
Flavors: Tangerine, raspberry, dark chocolate & caramel
Grade: Blend of Grade 1, SHB and SHG
Processing: Blend of anaerobic fermentation and conventional natural process
Blend Components: Blend of natural processed coffees from the Americas & Africa
Recommended Roast Range: City to Full City (light to medium)
We like this coffee best at City + (light-medium, or around the end of 1st crack), but it will perform well nearly anywhere in the Light to Medium spectrum. Lighter roasts will lean the acidity into the tangy spectrum and can lead to a bit of pucker factor. Medium roasts will lose brightness in favor of body as well as bringing out more rounded sweetness creating more of a candied fruit profile and emphasis on chocolate and caramel. In general if your cup isn’t as fruity as you’d like, roast lighter. Also, we found the flavors more vibrant when roasting hot and fast, hitting first crack with lots of momentum making the crack very active. If the cup is too intense, slow your roast down a notch and stretch the roast time out just a bit. Remember that when it comes to stretching the roast, a little goes a long way, crashes lead to dull cups! Final Note: as the current version of this blend has an anaerobic natural in it, we recommend a lengthy rest time for this blend, 10-14 days.
These coffees are all sourced from our current offerings and while the selections are seasonal, we don’t source anything “just for blending”. So you can bet the coffees in this blend meet all our standard criteria for transparency and quality!
