As Danny aggressively hand-ground this whole bean blend, we sat in wait to revisit the March Coffee of the Month and come up with the right name. Would it be fruity? Would it be chocolatey? Would it be full and dynamic with nutty undertones?
It would be all of the above! And we have Dean's keen sweet tooth to thank for appropriately naming it the Neapolitan blend.
Roast: Medium
Flavor notes: strawberry, nuts, chocolate
Acidity: Mild
Caffeine level: C&K standard (1.5-2x a regular drip)
The Blend:
- Indian Cherry Robusta from Wayanad Social Service Society collective in the Western Ghats Mountains of India
- Ethiopian Arabica from the Worka collective in the Gedeb region of Ethiopia
- Sumatra from the Gayomandiri collective in Sumatra
Fun fact: the Ethiopian and Sumatra beans were picked by hand! And there is a bit of a variety of roasting patterns. The Ethiopian was roasted LIGHT to bring out the floral and fruit flavors, and the Sumatra was roasted MEDIUM to get more of the dark chocolate flavor.
There is also a variety of processes used for each bean:
- Robusta: full natural process and dried under the sun.
- Ethiopian: eco-pulp process—soaked under water over night and dried on raised drying beds and the pulp is taken off later.
- Sumatran: wet hulled (unique to Indonesia) to bring out a lot of the earthier tones and mute the acidity.
Each of these beans were farmed from small, local coffee farms in their respective regions. The cooperatives mentioned above help the small farms increase their yield, make more money, and find new revenue streams. Essentially, they assist local famers in growing organic products and give back to these farmers as much as they can, so we like to support them.
And when you put them all together, you have the Neapolitan! Our new favorite tri-colored coffee blend for March.