COSTA RICA NARANJO LA ROSA
A soft milk chocolate and subtle orange and lemon citrus flavors earned this Costa Rica a spot in our line-up. Roasted to a medium, Naranjo la Rosa is a crowd pleaser. With a toffee-like sweetness and balanced acidity, this coffee is suited to a wide range of preference and is perfect as an everyday cup.
Patriot Team Picks
After selecting the roast profile for each coffee, we then brew the coffee on multiple brewing apparati to determine which method makes the most of the coffee’s strengths.
Summary – A balanced coffee, best suited to Chemex and French Press, but enjoyable as a regular drip as well.
First Choice – French Press
The entire team thoroughly enjoyed this coffee in the French Press. We brewed it both with a 17:1 and 15:1 water to coffee ratio, with the stronger brew taking the prize. The French Press mellowed out the acidity and increased the depth and complexity of the chocolatey flavor notes. A smooth mouth feel and light pop of citrus made this brewing method the winner in our book.
Second Choice – Chemex
The team felt that the Chemex made the most of the citrus notes, really pushing the orange flavors to the forefront. The coffee’s sweetness also shines in this brewing method. All together a medium-bodied, full-flavored cup, worth the effort of a manual pourover.
Third Choice – Drip: OXO Barista Brain
Still a solid choice, the drip method gives you a little of everything the coffee has to offer: toffee, citrus, chocolate in a medium-light body. The one downside with this method was the presence of a slight bitter citrus pith note and subdued intensity of each flavor component.
Not So Much – Aeropress
Three words: Citrus Pith Bitter. Underneath this unpleasantry, there were strong components including a candied orange and silky chocolate. Unfortunately, the bitterness made us all frown instantly and simultaneously. Our recommendation, stick with one of the other three options.
For brewing tips, head over to http://patriotcraftcoffee.com/brew/ or email your questions to chris@patriotcraftcoffee.com.
