Haitian Premium – Singing Rooster – Hybrid Honey Processed

Description

New 2022 crop! Fantastic coffee from fantastic folks. 17/18 is strictly large beaned coffee versus some of the offerings, which are not screened by size.

Half the crew organizing this coffee in Haiti live right here in Madison, Wi, they are called Singing Rooster. Singing Rooster is a non-profit that brings Haitian products (art, coffee, cocoa and more) direct to consumers and stores with 100% of the proceeds funneling back to the farmers and communities in Haiti.

Sure, its good to feel good about the beans you buy, but something just as important or even more important is the product itself; the coffee is beautiful, the quality of prep and consistency of the beans is up easily a couple of notches over most coffees. Clean cupping, clean screen with more money getting to the farmers and communities. A win-win in anyone’s book.

Almost every farmer is now experimenting with honey and natural processed coffees.  They are the more sustainable route to go, using less fresh water to process the beans. There is a huge diversity of flavors honey and natural processed coffees can produce. This cup is a perfect example of a ferment natural; when one does natural processing and really slows down the dry time, that’s where they get exotic.  the beans ferment in the coffee fruit and bring some wonderful exotic tones to the cup; with being exotic, realize some love this, some hate this.

Tasting Notes:  Much cleaner processing this season which is a perk, a point higher rated, but a little less fruity/wild of a cup. Hints of a red fruit at lighter roasts, especially as the cup cools.  A bit fuller bodied and on the sweeter side, balanced with a bakers chocolate like earthiness (a good contrast) found in the other Haitian coffees. Lighter roasts will let the exotic profile shine but be a bit punchy with a slight risk of grassy tones if you get a couple beans too close to first crack.  Medium roasts were our favorite for its more balanced; a pronounced darker tone along with the more exotic floral and fruit. Darker roasts touching 2nd crack are far less fruity and hold more true to the Haitian profile, a little floral acidity still comes through the cup but strong and smoky with almost no hint of being a slow dry honey processed.

Roasting Notes: A nice medium roast is the way to go on this bean but somebody liked it at almost every roast during our tastings. Very even roasting compared to last season, still a bit higher chaff but there improved processing has moved this coffee into the easier to roast category.