Chocolatey, Winey, Velvety
 
Before I go into any detail around this third release, I would like to thank you all for supporting the cause so far. The Roastersaurus ‘Road to Taipei’ project was designed to simultaneously bring you along the journey by providing a memorable and educational product, whilst raising funds to support the costs involved in preparing for and competing in the World Roasting Championship in Taiwan.
 
Until now, we have explored innovation in cultivation for the purpose of the combined goal of high cup quality and sustainability, as seen in the F1 Centroamericano and the H3 (my blog for more on this). We have also explored innovation in processing via utilisation of methods from other industries, such as the inoculated washed process of Pineapple Candy. And so in this ‘three-act-play’ we arrive to our final act which- if you know theatre- tends to contain the climax! As we continue to look toward the future with open mind and widened perspective, I am excited to roast an anaerobic natural TR4 from the Ea Tân cooperative in Vietnam for you. 
 
You are probably wondering what the heck TR4 is! The TR4 variety is a clone from the ‘Congo group’ of the Canephora species. What? Robusta?!? Yes Robusta– specifically specialty grade robusta that has been anaerobically processed- and that sits in this set to challenge the biases we might have as well as look toward a possible future! But more on all this in a future blog. For now, I am including a small sample of commercial grade Robusta, so that you can taste that alongside this beauty and appreciate how far specialty robusta has come.
 
Now, roasting Canephora means different rules. For those who do not know, Canephora roasts tend to be about 15-20% longer than Arabica roasts, as this lengthening of the total time tends to soften the rougher characteristics of the species. In order to maximise the softening whilst still showcasing the fruitier notes from the anaerobic process, I extended the total time of the roast slightly, but maintained an arabica style shorter time after crack.
 
When I first plucked a roasted bean from the cooling tray, having a little chew as I usually do, I was blown away by the experience. From fruity to chocolatey to winey and back- explosive and cyclical- yet like a wave. In the cup those chocolatey attributes combined themselves with a strawberry note, resulting in something akin to black forrest gateau. As the cup cooled, dried fruits, such as prune and dried fig, sweet pipe tobacco, and puffed rice surfaced. Winey undertones and a kirsch retro nasal aroma added a further complexity to the cup, and were followed by an aftertaste of black sesame ice cream, and a velvety mouthfeel. 
 
#roasttotaipei