Monsooned Malabar
I looked out my window earlier this week and saw the peaceful scene above. Both of my kids had been jumping on the trampoline, and then they paused to listen to the birds. That’s the kind of January we’re having in Nevada County: peaceful and dry. The lack of rain has meant that our days are spent outdoors whenever possible. I do hope that we get rain soon, but in the meantime I am enjoying the sunshine, especially when it warms up in the afternoons.
This week we have a unique coffee offering for you. It’s been over a year since we carried this Monsooned Malabar, so I thought I would explain it for those of you who have not heard the story.
In other news, we got new stainless mugs this week.
Monsooned Malabar comes from the western coast of India. The coffee is grown on farms in the Chickmagalur hills of Karnataka, at higher elevations. After it is picked, processed and sun-dried, it is transported to warehouses down on the coast, where it is intentionally exposed to the monsoon rains and winds from June to September.
This is a carefully monitored process. The coffee stays in covered warehouses with open sides where it can absorb moisture without molding. The beans visibly grow in size during this time, and become lighter in color. They are constantly raked and turned to keep a uniform absorption. During this time they lose much of their acidity.
Monsooning is intended to replicate the days when coffee came to Europe on sailing ships, and was exposed to the sea air for months on end. When transportation sped up, the Europeans noticed that the flavor had changed. It was determined that the original low acidity characteristics could also be achieved by monsooning, and thus a tradition was born.
With Monsooned Malabar, you taste this process in the cup. It has smooth earthy flavors, with great depth. It is very low in acidity and has a light sweet finish. If you happen to be here while Trace is roasting in the next week, ask him to show you the green beans. They are actually closer to white in color, and much larger than your typical Arabica bean.
You can try a cup on us this week by using the code sweet finish*. This is really an unusual and historic coffee, since today acidity is often a prized characteristic in coffee. Tastes have changed, but Monsooned Malabar is a throwback to another time and another prevailing taste. Let us know what you think below or on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you. You can purchase Monsooned Malabar here. Cheers!
–Holly Fike
*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Monsooned Malabar. Code expires on 1.23.14. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. Code/Offer has no cash value.