Mugged: El Salvador [Kifu Coffee]

What does Mugged mean?

Subject: Kifu Coffee Roasters

Mugged: El Salvador Santa Rita Natural

Rating: 4+ [see key]

How a coffee is processed after harvest has a huge impact on what you end up drinking. Yes, this statement is obvious and elementary to most people reading this, but it seems a lot of people still remain oblivious to it. Yet for the still small recognition it gets, it really exemplifies the huge role that the farmers play in making great coffee. Stellar beans come from back-breaking work and lots of thorough processing.

One of the older methods of processing coffee that today has flared up in popularity is the dry process, which allows the cherry to dry on the bean, resulting in the bean absorbing much more of the fruit then in other methods like the wet fermentation or machine-assisted wet processing. Recently I was able to try out one of Kifu Coffee's dry processed coffees, this one from El Salvador, a coffee reputed to have lots of apple. I sampled it via drip, siphon and french press.

The drip produced a cup with grapefruit, nutmeg, corn on the cob, shredded wheat, a little hickory and some earthiness amidst a medium body. A bright and smooth coffee that proved fairly delicious. 

The french press held less brightness, with less flavor of grapefruit but still similar tastes of corn on the cob, nutmeg, shredded wheat, powdered sugar and hickory amidst a medium body. This cup proved also delicious though not as wonderful as the drip. 

The siphon proved in the middle of the other two infusions, with a bright flavor more resembling a tea of rose petals, although corn and grapefruit still appeared in addition to sugar, nutmeg and a little smokiness within a medium body. Overall good. 

Kifu's El Salvador proved to be a spiffy dry processed coffee, though I never really found the brightness to be like an apple (more tart then most apples I've had). Aside from some minor over-piquant notes and some light smokiness (it didn't seem to fit), I would heartily recommend this coffee.

note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

Mugged: Better Morning Blend [Kifu]

What does Mugged mean?

Subject: Kifu Coffee Roasters

Mugged: Better Morning Blend

Rating: 3+ [see key]

If there's two types of coffee blends you can find at most coffee roasters, it's an espresso blend and a morning blend. The espresso blend serves a function (it's the blend we use for our espresso) but the morning blend seems to be something carried over from early 20th century advertising that really serves no concrete purpose except that it's usually a light or medium roast coffee that typically goes swimmingly with pancakes.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sample Kifu Coffee's Better Morning Blend, a light/medium coffee that appeared to have good potential for the post-breakfast coffee market. I put my pancakes aside and tried it out via my french press, siphon and drip apparatus. 

The drip produced a cup flowing with grilled steak, blackberry, curry, birch, some baked apple and a fairly heavy body. An intriguing compilation to say the least with the bright notes coupled with the steak and curry.

The french press offered similar notes of steak, cilantro, buttermilk, birch, baked apple and corn amidst a medium to heavy body. A smoother cup though still a bit off with the taste of steak.

The siphon had the sweetest cup, with the flavors of molasses, corn, bran, biscuit, maple syrup and birch amidst a medium/heavy body. 

While I did find Kifu's Better Morning Blend a decent coffee amongst morning blends, there were certain aspects to it that held it back in my book (such as the grilled steak and the heavy body). But then again, if you're looking for a coffee to go well with a heavy breakfast, this coffee might be a perfect fit (if you do give it a try, let me know).

note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

Mugged: Ethiopian Sidamo [Kifu]

What does Mugged mean?

Subject: Kifu Coffee Roasters 

Mugged: Ethiopian Sidamo Korate

Rating: 5+ [see key]

 

 

 

 

If there's anything that warms my heart, it's a microroaster that roasts good beans and gives back to the community. Take Kentucky's Kifu Coffee Roasters, a coffee company created out of a non-profit coffee fundraiser that turned into a for-profit company that gives back to the global community 5% of their profits through various programs such as Cows for Communities.

Recently, Kifu sent me out a few coffees to try and the first I cracked into was their Ethiopian Sidamo Korate Natural, a Kifu-proclaimed "fruit bomb" (i.e a coffee with heavy notes of fruit, usually blueberry or blackberry, showing up strongly in the cup). I tried the coffee out via drip, siphon and french press.

The drip produced a coffee that kicked off with bright blueberry, light chocolate, flemish sour ale, vienna fingers, virgin olive oil and oats amidst a medium body. A bright and nicely faceted coffee.

The french press threw out similar notes of blueberry and flemish ale, but it had more chocolate and olive oil, as well as some notes of wheat, all within a medium body. This infusion was not as bright as the first but it was still good.

The siphon really had the most in terms of chocolate, followed by blueberry, flemish ale, vienna finges, olive oil and oatmeal in a medium body. Also not as bright as the drip but still delicious. 

As fruit bombs go, I can't say that Kifu's Ethiopian was the brightest, but I can say that it was still a fine coffee, having a nice range of flavors in addition to a pleasantly sweet acidity. If you're looking for a bright coffee you can feel good about buying, give Kifu's Ethiopian a slurp. 

note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.