Sulawesi Aged

We use Aged Sumatra as the primary bean in our Christmas Blend every year, but this is an Aged Sulawesi and it's related but not as intense. While we always blend the Aged Sumatra, I would argue that this bean is perhaps better off drinking unblended. It is spiced and leathery, full bodied, notes of cedar and mushroom, earth. It has sweetness still in it, and tastes rustic and mysterious, like discovering an old treasure chest and wondering what will be inside. 

The aging process has turned the unroasted beans brownish -- they look more like Decaf, and the smell of the unroasted beans is not particularly pleasant. But otherwise they look well sorted and generally high grade and hit between 11 and 12 % moisture content which is right where you want it to be and means they roast normally.

This is not a light roast coffee, but it's an easy bean to roast. You have to take it at least to the 2nd cracks. I give it 11 degrees past the beginning of the 2nd cracks (about 30 seconds into the second cracks) and enjoy the smooth, full bodied, earth, cedar flavor and spicy bite. I'm roasting it 5 degrees lighter than a normal Sulawesi. You can go darker then this without too much change in taste, or to add some bitter or smoky notes.

It is equally interesting as a component in espresso. We are enjoying different experiments of blends using this bean, and the espresso turns out pungent, smooth, and satisfying.