The taste and aroma of your favourite Three Llamas Coffee beverage is majorly impacted by the degree of roast of the coffee beans (i.e how light or dark roasted bean is).
In coffee drinks brewed from lighter roasts, the flavours from the bean dominate with fruity/acidic flavours being accentuated, producing a complex and vibrant cup reflecting the origin of the coffee bean. Whereas, in coffee brewed from darker roasts, the flavours of the coffee roaster dominate - producing a richer and heavier cup, with dark toasty notes such as bittersweet chocolate, smokiness, burnt caramel, nuts, or even ashiness. These coffees whilst being more 'grunty', often risk losing complexity and becoming more simple (generic even) in their flavour. If roasted too dark, they lose all trace of their origin flavours and can develop unpleasant harsh notes associated with burning (bitterness, astringency - think of burnt toast).
Image: The subtle colour difference between an over-roasted bean, and a optimally roasted Organic Dark Roast.
With the rise of specialty coffee roasters like Three Llamas, there has been a general trend towards roasting beans lighter to showcase the unique flavours present in Specialty grade coffees. However, dark roasts are still immensely popular, particularly amongst coffee lovers who seek a stronger tasting, richer brew.
Image: Three Llamas Coffee founder and roaster Richard uses precision and accuracy to ensure the perfect roast every time.
In response to this ongoing popularity, we developed our much-loved Organic Dark Roast. We sought to develop a roast profile that would provide the boldness and richness familiar to dark roasted beans, yet still retained the unique characteristics from our Peruvian Specialty grade beans. Luckily for us, one of the traits of our Peruvian beans is an inherent sweetness in both aroma and flavour. Through careful roasting techniques, we are able to fully develop the dark notes within the roast, whilst still retaining our unique complexity, sweetness and smoothness. This means we can avoid the harsh notes traditionally associated with dark roasts, and produce a gourmet roast that is fantastic in espresso, stovetop, and plunger - particularly when combined with milk. As our dark roast features caramel notes with hints of bittersweet chocolate flavour, it pairs beautifully in a mocha or a cappuccino - a popular customer choice at our Three Llamas Roastery cafe.
Image: Organic Dark Roast brewed using stove top, one of the methods we recommend to best extract the Peruvian flavours in this roast.
Image: A mocha paired with Organic Dark Roast. This popular combination draws on the subtle bittersweet chocolate tones in this roast, making it a dreamy combination for any chocolate lover.
Organic Dark Roast specs:
Origin: San Ignacio, Northern Peru.
Certified Organic
Cupping score: 84 - 85.5 (Specialty Grade starts at a cupping score of 80)
Roast Profile: Dark, just past second crack, no oil present on surface at end of the roast.
Preparation: Goes well with espresso and stovetop, particularly when combined with milk. French press (plunger) makes a nice alternative retaining some of the more delicate flavours still present in the bean.
