India Chikmagalur Gemberly Robusta

It's a Robusta, so don't expect overwhelming (or even underwhelming!) sweetness. But this lot has some cleanliness and definition lacking in many of the Robusta samples we've tasted, and was a surprisingly pleasant coffee to drink! The dry grounds and wet aroma smell pungently spiced, with bitter tea tannins, cocoa, and a dark root-like cola aspect. As brewed coffee, it echoes many of the aforementioned attributes, and offers the incredibly thick body and low acidity Robusta coffee is known for. Dark, pungent roast flavors dominated the cup, accented by complex rustic notes of black pepper, bittering spice, and kola nut. The aftertaste is extremely long and persistent, turning pungent in the finish as would bittering dark roasted coffee, with hints of tannic black tea, and tobacco. Robusta as a blend component ought to be used sparingly, and not take away from the arabicas with which it's blended. Usually I would keep it to around 15% in an espresso blend, but because of the quality of this robusta, I think 25% is a safe start without overpowering the cup.