Why did we create a Black Edition of Twin Engine Reserve Coffees?
In order to understand this, you should know a little bit about us. We live in the world of coffee. Here in Nicaragua, we are not detached roasters with "whatever country, single-origin" beans some green coffee importer sells us in Cleveland. No.
On a daily basis, we are connected to the coffee plants. We are examining coffee bean development on different coffee farms. We are taking those beans and roasting them all differently. Sometimes the rain comes early and we harvest early so that they don't get swollen with water. Sometimes the beans are left to mature longer because the pickers are harvesting another section of the farm and it takes longer than expected. The variables at the farm are numerous.
We are sorting, constantly, the wheat from the chaff. The great from the good. And sometimes, when separating the great from the good, the great comes out in only a small quantity. That is the reason that we have our "Reserve" coffees - Honey-Bear and Elefante.
Our "Reserve" coffees are limited edition products not because of any reason except: experimental coffees that require hand-craftsmanship in growing, curing, aging, and roasting are not industrial coffees.
Black Edition | Honey-Bear and Elefante are micro-selections of already small "Reserve" coffees. Black Editions are dark roasted coffees. It is not only the dark roasting of these coffees that make them special. Let's take a look:
Elefante | Black Edition is not our Reserve Elefante roasted dark. It is the same bean from the same farm. We took a small quantity of those beans and "honey processed" them, that is to say that we sun-dried them with their own fruit. This imparts some sweetness and complexity to the coffee's taste that it does not have when processed traditionally here in Nicaragua.
Honey-Bear | Black Edition is a groundbreaking coffee here in Nicaragua. When we first offered our Honey-Bear Reserve, it was the first heritage Nicaraguan coffee that was honey processed in the African style. Again, honey processing means sun-drying the coffee seed inside its own fruit. What we are doing with the Black Edition is to make a selection of these beans that are ideal for dark roasting. The bold taste that comes from this coffee was called by our graphic designer "the best coffee I have ever tasted".
So, Black Edition coffees from Twin Engine are extremely special coffees, produced in necessarily small batches and roasted dark.
French press or pour over methods are excellent ways to make these coffees. If you are an espresso drinker, try these for something special with extra crema for an Arabica coffee. The honey-drying brings extra crema.