Mugged: Bali Kintamani [Convive]

Subject: Convive Coffee Roastery
Coffee Mugged: Bali Kintamani
Rating [see key]: 4+


I like surprises once in a while, especially ones that blossom into a joyous outcome from a vine of gloomy expectation. Even though they come infrequently, much like dark winters create a love for the harvest, periods of normalcy make (pleasant) surprises that are much more gratifying.

Recently, the fine personnel of Convive Coffee Roastery sent me out a coffee from Indonesia, specifically from the region of Kintamani in Bali. While many coffees from this part of the Pacific, especially Sumatra, have a reputation for being overtly deep and earthy, this one seemed to be the Napoleon Dynamite of its peers, with reputed notes of fruit and flowers. Not sure what to expect, I went to the lab and tried out the beans via pourover, french press or siphon. 

And just like that, I was happy to find the rumor true. The pourover doled out some powerful notes of sweet berry along with accents of toasted sesame seed, carrot, peppercorn, cream and minor wheat. A solidly bright cup up front with a deep and peppery follow-through. 

The french press proved a bit heavier, but still full of berry, cane sugar, pound cake, romaine lettuce and peppercorns.

The siphon conversely was the lightest brew, with practically no bite, full of raspberry, blueberry, dandelion greens, pound cake and slight pepper, making for the best of the three infusions.

In the end, I found this coffee a stupendous example of the complexity and quality an Indonesian coffee can embody. I would be curious to see how this coffee fared at a lighter roast profile, as the darker qualities only pulled this coffee down in my opinion. But if you like a coffee that delivers a fruity punch followed by an uppercut of peppercorn, check out this Bali Kintamani from Convive.

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

Mugged: Kenya AA [Convive]

Subject: Convive Coffee Roastery
Coffee Mugged: Kenya AA Organic Kia-Ora Estate

Rating [see key]: 4+

Like any fan of history, I am a prolific memorizer of random knowledge that only comes in handy during games of trivia. And with knowledge comes a desire to see or experience the facts firsthand. Being home to the oldest permanent European settlement in the United States, St. Augustine has almost as long been on my list of places to visit. Sadly, my purposes never lead me to the warm sands of the city, but sure enough it will happen soon.

And though I know much of the city of St. Augustine, I knew of few great coffee options in the area until a friend of mine mentioned a friend of hers had a roasting operation in town. The name of the roaster was Convive Coffee Roastery, a small coffee business that just this past year dove into the the adventure of entrepreneurship. Sending out a bag of their Kenya AA Organic Kia-Ora Estate, I was able to try out their beans via pourover, french press and siphon.

The pourover dealt out chocolate, prune, rye, oatmeal stout and a little blackberry, with the profile proving deep and sweet. The french press extended out notes of savory herbs, cream, nougat, stout, buttered bread and a little berry. The siphon belted out flavors of cream, chocolate, oregano,  blackberry and buttered toast. 

Throughout, this was a coffee of varying heaviness, though consistent in it's sweetness and depth of flavor. Thus if you're looking for a sweet and girth-y Kenyan, give Convive a whirl either by stopping by at their location in Dos Coffee. Wine or order a bag online. 

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