Sundowner Dark Roast

Some people want their coffee dark, strong and without surprises. This is that coffee, made with the same care as the light roasts. Thandi takes it to the edge of the second crack and stops it there, so it tastes roasted, not burnt. The blend is 50 % Brazil Cerrado from Fazenda Chapada Alta, 30 % Guatemala Antigua from Finca Ceniza Alta and 20 % Kenya Nyeri AA from the Mathira Hills farmers' society. The Kenya is the trick: it keeps a thread of fruit through the dark roast.

We named it for the end of the day, when the fire is going and someone puts the kettle on.

In the cup

Dark cocoa, molasses, toasted almond. A heavy, oily body. The acidity is low, and the finish is long and bittersweet, like dark chocolate.

The details

• Origin: Brazil, Guatemala and Kenya
• Region: Cerrado Mineiro, Antigua and Nyeri
• Producer: Fazenda Chapada Alta (50 %), Finca Ceniza Alta (30 %) and the Mathira Hills farmers' society (20 %)
• Altitude: 1 100 to 1 900 m
• Process: natural (Brazil) and washed (Guatemala, Kenya)
• Variety: Yellow Catuaí, Mundo Novo, Bourbon, Caturra, SL28 and SL34
• Roast: dark, 5 of 5

How we brew it

In a 1 L plunger, with water a little off the boil, which keeps a dark roast from turning harsh:

1. Grind 30 g of coffee coarse.
2. Add 500 g of water at 90 to 92 °C (a ratio of 1:16.7).
3. Wait 4 minutes, stir the crust and skim it.
4. Press slowly and pour it all out.