Sideyard Coffee: September 17 - DR Congo Virunga Blend 🇨🇩 🦍
Hello Sideyard Friends,
This week's coffee comes from an area just outside the Virunga National Park in the DRC–an area better known as home to the endangered Mountain Gorilla. It's a blend of coffees from numerous farmers who bring their coffee cherries to the Kawa Kanzaruru Coop for processing. We pushed this coffee a bit darker than the last few, which lends itself to the darker chocolate and caramel notes found in the brewed cup. The fresh grounds have a whiff of something fruity, which might show up in an espresso or with the right food pairing.
If you look at a handful of these beans, you'll notice a bit more sheen and some downright shiny spots starting to emerge. The darker the roast, the more the cellular structure of the bean breaks down, and the more the fatty acids (lipids 🤓) break free. With really dark/oily roasts you want to make sure you're storing the beans in a cool dark place and use 'em up before the oils start to go rancid. These same oils accumulate on grinders and brewers, so it's worth giving both a thorough cleaning, especially if you've previously been in the habit of drinking lots of French roast.
This week's origin track, recorded by Congolese native Tabu Ley Rochereau, is a cover that everyone will recognize straight away: Lal'a By.
Cheers,
Ryan
p.s. Please be on the lookout for an extra newsletter arriving early next week that details some changes we're making to subscription pric and payments.