March 31, 2021

Sideyard Coffee: April 2 - Moka Java Blend 🇪🇹 +🇮🇩+🦄

Hello Sideyard Friends,

This week's coffee is a version of the world's oldest blend-Moka Java. Traditionally, it comprised coffees from the port of al-Makha in Yemen and "Java" from Indonesia. These coffees were blended together, most likely out of utility rather than a desire for any sort of nuanced balance of carefully roasted coffees. Regardless, the flavor profile stuck!

The Yemen is designed to bring a brighter, fruitier note, while the Indonesia part lends deeper cocoa and earth tones. The version I roasted this week substitutes a dry process Ethiopian coffee for the Yemen and keeps true to its namesake with an Indonesian coffee specifically from the island of Java. As for the taste, there's a lot going on here and I'm not sure how much of it I can parse. There's definite ripe fruits coming through in the aroma and I'm tasting bitter cocoa and something pine-y on the palette, but beyond that all I can say is that I look forward to the next cup!

To bring some historical balance to the world's oldest blend, here's a contemporary disco-infused track from the multi-hyphenate Indonesian dj/record producer/designer Munir. 

Cheers,

Ryan

p.s. Thanks to my daughter Suvi for letting me turn her handsome unicorn drawing into a coffee bag stamp! I'm sure the dandelion stamp will be back before too long (as they're want to do), but for now this magical creature feels like just the thing to pull us into summer. 

References
https://library.sweetmarias.com/moka-java-constructing-the-worlds-oldest-blend/
https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/munir-of-midnight-runners-talks-about-his-formative-years-hometown-scene-and-more