mycuppa February 2015 Newsletter

Why are we using black coffee bags?

Has my coffee changed?

Is it still the same?

Of course, it is.

 

Over the last few weeks, you may have noticed we have started using a plain matt black bag for our 1kg coffees.

 

In Jan 2015, we received our regular shipment of 10,000 custom mycuppa 1kg coffee bags from our Melbourne supplier. 

 

As we test every component in our supply chain before releasing into production, we believe there might have been a risk with the new bags and subsequently halted packing our coffee beans in the custom green mycuppa bag until we can investigate the issue with the supplier.

 

We purchase the highest quality (and most expensive) bag available in the market and use the same specification of bags from this Australian supplier over the last 6 years.

 

The issue may take a few months to resolve due to the nature of custom-made bags as there are significant lead times for custom bag manufacturing.

 

In the interim, we are taking the opportunity to trial an interesting concept with our Single Origin 1kg bags - a zip-lock, 3-layer, metalized foil, gusset bag.

 

As such, you will notice that roast dates will be marked in white pencil on the front of the matt black bag instead of the date panels on the rear as used in our custom mycuppa green bag.

 

We will further develop our packaging during 2015 to provide some added features.

 

500g bags are unaffected by this issue and will continue to be packed int our custom mycuppa bags.

 

Mighty Monsoon Malabar

No other bean in the history of coffee has ever created more discussion and interest than the mighty Monsoon Malabar.

 

In recent times, Kopi Luwak and its associated myriad of fake rip-offs and over-hyped experiences somehow temporarily hijacked the modern coffee agenda (glad to see it diminishing); however, Monsoon Malabar is the real deal, and as a concept, we believe it is a more than worthy entry in every coffee lover's bucket list.

 

It was around 18 months ago when we planned the concept of featuring a coffee bean in our monthly newsletter. 

 

At the time, there were a handful of exciting and newsworthy beans that we were eager to feature.

 

Top of mind had always been the interesting and exotic story of Monsoon Malabar for the simple reason there is nothing (I repeat NOTHING) like it anywhere - only the Monsoon Malabar stands alone as a truly unique offering in the global world of coffee.

 

The only difficulty has been when to let the "cat out of the bag"! as it's a really difficult and challenging coffee to source - supply is limited.

 

What we are about to share with you may sound like some exaggerated fable - one of those tall stories passed down through generations that seems to grow "legs" - but this is apparently true and accurate.

 

Coffee has been around for hundreds of years.

 

In the days of wind-powered sailing ships, laden with commodities to be traded with other nations, the raw coffee beans were exposed to many months of sea journey across the equator with searing heat, sea breezes barreling through the ship's timber hulls and limited protection from the extreme elements.

 

What happened to the raw coffee when it arrived at its destination?

 

As you can expect, the raw coffee had been well and truly "weathered". 

 

This resulted in significantly degraded quality (if using today's modern criteria for assessing or evaluating coffee quality).

 

The raw coffee that arrived after months at sea was no longer the normal green, dense, and moist.

 

Instead, it was pale yellow, dried out, and regarded as defective. As if the raw coffee had aged 4 or more years.

 

In those days, there was no alternative; coffee was a scarce and expensive commodity and thus accepted, roasted and sold. Expectations of quality were considerably lower compared to today.

 

However, something very strange happened.

 

Upon roasting the raw coffee, there was a unique and compelling characteristic apparent in the roasted bean - it was strong, smooth, rich, spicy and exhibited huge body and crema when extracted or brewed, especially via espresso method.

 

How was this so? 

 

It was contrary to everything we understood about coffee. 

 

The raw coffee exposed to the elements during transit effectively "seasoned" and had somehow undergone a transformation that enhanced the roasted product.

 

What the?

 

India has an ideal environment for re-creating the Monsoon process - simulating the coffee cargo in a sailing ship's hull for months. 

 

Open-sided warehouses near the ocean were erected and filled with racks of freshly processed raw coffee and left naturally, allowing the monsoonal winds to season the coffee for up to 3 months under carefully controlled management until the coffee reached a perfect "monsoon" state.

 

There are two basic products from the Monsoon process that are sold in the modern-day coffee market - a Robusta and an Arabica that is branded Malabar. 

 

At mycuppa, we only deal with the Arabica Monsoon Malabar.

 

A or AA-grade (the difference is only physical size, not quality) beans are processed by the now famous monsoon method in open warehouses to season the raw coffee under strict supervision, creating a product like no other in the world of coffee.

 

As a coffee roaster, when you first look at Monsoon coffee, it is confronting (actually, it is a massive shock) - how do I roast these beans that are yellow, dried out with almost zero moisture and very low density - surely they will burn and end up bitter?

 

Roasting these beans takes considerable experience and care - they don't dry out like traditional coffee and therefore applying heat is tricky.

 

The lack of moisture presents difficulty as the moisture levels inside of a raw coffee bean help with conducting thermal energy to the core of the beans and assist in the transformation of roasting.

 

With almost zero moisture in the raw coffee, it become difficult to "penetrate" the coffee beans with sufficient heat during roasting. It's probably best described as driving a car down a steep hill, into a valley and then back up the other side of a hill.

 

Careful, low heat, then full-heat, then low again. Certainly needs a skilled hand and more importantly a very flexible roasting platform (many systems can't roast Monsoon properly, but we can).

 

Once the Monsoon coffees reach 1st crack, they tend to race to completion and this is where precise, fine control of air and heat are critical. Again, our custom roasting platform has the widest range of flexibility in the market, so we can control the roast of Monsoon coffees perfectly.

 

The raw coffee is very pale yellow (or even white) in appearance, and we roast this coffee with delicate care so the end product is presented in a style that can appeal to the espresso and milk-based espresso market.

 

Suppose you look at a roasted Monsoon Malabar from mycuppa.

 

In that case, you will notice it appears quite light in colour - but that is highly deceptive as you need to keep in mind that the starting point was very pale yellow, so in comparison to other coffees, they were extremely light in the shade, to begin with - think a lighter shade of mink brown.

 

So what's all the fuss about?

Nothing packs a punch like the mighty Monsoon Malabar - it has that classic coffee flavour infused with spice-laden chocolate. 

 

It's the strongest-tasting coffee available - the finish is famous for being able to taste it up to an hour later. 

 

Hints of tobacco and leather are apparent, and whilst this may sound a bit off-putting, it is quite enjoyable and complimentary in a coffee.

 

Because of the low density and light weight of the coffee, the roasted Monsoon Malabar requires far more adjustment to your grinder than any other coffee bean you have used before - generally speaking, you will probably discover that a very fine grind setting is needed to achieve the best extraction efficiency.

 

Monsoon Malabar delivers truckloads of body - thick, gooey crema that makes it the "Guinness" equivalent of the beer world - it's almost a meal.

 

Monsoon Malabar needs a longer rest period to develop after roasting compared to all other coffees.

 

The general rule is that around 14 days from roasting is when the Monsoon Malabar starts to hit its straps.

 

Ironically, this is when all other coffees are starting to wane, but the mighty Monsoon Malabar is just winding up.

 

We have found that Monsoon Malabar seems to have a very long peak window - it's not uncommon to have more than two months of enjoyment from a Monsoon Malabar - no other coffee is like it. Only Sumatran's come somewhat near it regarding development time and usable shelf life.

 

Customers have become so besotted with Monsoon Malabar that they cannot drink anything else - accustomed to the rich, smooth, powerful, full-bodied, spicy chocolate cup.

 

If you prefer your coffee black, Monsoon Malabar could be just the solution you have been searching for - it's extremely low in acid and makes a truly superb espresso.

 

Set your grinder super fine, up dose, tighten up the espresso shot to slow down the extraction and then prepare to be blown away - the intensity will seduce, the spiciness will delight, and the power of the everlasting finish will change forever the way you think about coffee.

 

Monsoon Malabar is an experience like no other. Black or with milk, you will not be disappointed. Grab it here, Monsoon Malabar