Notes of: Cocoa, Malt, Full Body

Kia Kaha is our dark roast blend which combines coffees from Mexico and Burundi. The name comes from a Māori phrase used as an affirmation by the Māori people of New Zealand which translates to “Stay Strong”, and also used as “Ake! Ake! Kia Kaha E!” by the Māori 28^th Battalion, during World War II.

Kia Kaha can also be used as a term of consolation or support, similar to “hang in there”, or “my thoughts are with you.” Our Kia Kaha blend pays homage to our founder Tyler's home country of New Zealand and it’s the blend we use when we have the sudden urge to use the French Press!

 When crafting our Kia Kaha blend, we approached it with the following goals in mind:

• A very rich and smooth flavor profile with no bitterness at all 
• Tastes just as good with Milk, Cream, Almond or Oat Milk
• Can be brewed using filter methods such as a drip machine or pour over, as well as full immersion brewing methods such as the French Press or Aeropress
• We wanted a three dimensional profile of: sweetness, dark chocolate, and a full body

Our goal when creating this dark roast was to have a blend that offered those deep flavor notes, but without the bitterness that can sometimes accompany a dark roast. Choosing the right coffees that would stand up to a dark roast and still be able to showcase the bean’s intrinsic flavor characteristics was critical.

We decided on a high altitude grown, washed coffee from Mexico to be the base of this blend. Mexico is bursting with potential. The climate and altitude conditions are excellent for specialty coffee. Not only that, but we have found that coffee from Mexico can take on a dark roast without displaying the bitterness that other region’s coffees do. This Mexican origin coffee contributes to this blend’s amazing smoothness and dark cocoa notes. 

To add some vibrancy, and beautiful sweetness, the second component to this blend is a high altitude grown, washed coffee from Burundi. This coffee is made up of 100% Bourbon variety, which is known for its exceptional cup quality. The Burundi component takes on an incredible malt-like sweetness once roasted a bit darker, which ties in perfectly to compliment the dark cocoa notes of the Mexican coffee component.

Roast Level: Dark  Roast Type: Filter Roast - Our approach to roasting this coffee was to craft a roast profile that would retain the intrinsic qualities of the coffee’s origin, as well as offer deep dark cocoa notes and Malt-like sweetness without any bitterness. Both of these blend components are grown at high altitude resulting in a dense coffee bean. Dense coffee beans respond well to a longer, slower, roast cycle which encourages the sugars in the bean to caramelize. These caramelized sugars are what contribute to this blend’s dark cocoa notes and Malt-like sweetness. These notes are further complimented with the addition of Milk, Cream, Almond or Oat Milk.

 Recommended Brew Methods: AeroPress, French Press, all electric drip coffee machines, and the Hario V60. 

*Like other fruits, coffee is seasonal and we love that! Because of this seasonality, we will occasionally switch out a component for another coffee variety with very similar characteristics. By changing the components with the seasons, we are able to offer the most vibrant coffee flavors all year round, which also allows for importing the freshest green coffee possible.

Current components - 50% Washed Mexico, Cristal

                                    -50% Washed Burundi, Kayanaza