Coffee Review: Global Warming, Rocketfuelcoffee.com

Posted by toasted on Mar 11, 2010 in Coffee | 1 comment

Company: Rocketfuelcoffee.com

Bean Origin or Blend: Global Warming (Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaiian Kona, Triple X [Ethiopian Yirgacheffee Bold])

Body: Medium

Roast: Medium/Full

Brew Method: Drip and French Press

Price: $20/lb.

Background:
We profiled Rocketfuelcoffee.com in our first review of the Hawaiin Kona Dark (review) and in our interview with company owner Lisa Rotenberg (interview). We continue to be very impressed with their beans, service, and customer interaction. So, take a look especially at our interview with Lisa, she’s great! And don’t forget to check them out online and on Twitter.

Beans:
Rocketfuelcoffee.com’s Global Warming is their house blend and is comprised of three beans: Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaiian Kona, and Ethiopian Yirgacheffee Bold, which Lisa calls her Triple X. Here is a bit of information one each.

Blue Mountain – From the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica (obviously!), these mountains are some of the highest in the Caribbean where the soil is excellent for coffee production, with wonderful water drainage from the many waterfalls.

Hawaiian Kona – Cultivated on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South districts, this bean is highly sought after; it takes around 100 pounds of cherries to produce 12 pounds of roasted coffee!

Ethiopian Yirgacheffee Bold – Organic and fair trade, this bean comes from the African forests of Kenya and Ethiopia, known as the “Kaffe” region.

This is quite a mixture of beans, as each of these carries their own strong characteristics. So, how will they mix? Will they fight for prominence or submit to a perfect, happy marriage!? Let’s see!

Profile:
The aroma on the Global Warming was much more subdued than I was expecting; it was quite dense but no one aroma dominated the cup. However, the sip quickly revealed the complexity. Very smooth with a medium to full body, the flavors included dark chocolate, mixed nuts, and hints of berry. There was the slightest bit of acidity that was very enjoyable and the body was very thick with a long finish. The finish was smokey and a bit chalky as well, with some charcoal-like texture. This finish was rather unique and contributed to the overall favorable experience for me.

When I am considering purchasing a pound or more of coffee, I want a smooth cup that is also complex enough to entertain me over weeks of drinking. This is without a doubt the case with Global Warming – each day I enjoyed this coffee I tasted something new and, for me, that defines an excellent coffee.

Synopsis:
Lisa carries some hard to find coffee and often times the prices reflect that (upwards of $200/lb.), but Global Warming is set at a great price point. You’re more than likely not going to be able to find this coffee outside of Canada, so you’ll need to take shipping charges into account, but at $20/lb I think this is priced right. I was very pleased with how well the beans mixed together and the complexity it delivered. If you enjoy any of the featured beans separately, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how well they play together in Rocketfuelcoffee.com’s Global Warming.