Robusta Smackdown! Compare 3 Robustas - Sale

Ahhh Robusta. The counterpoint to Arabica, Robusta is lower in acid, higher in caffeine, and stimulates the back- and mid-palate, whereas Arabica is mostly perceived in the front. People usually prefer one or the other of these two species of coffee, because the world is divided about 50/50 between front- and back-palate people. Sort of like ballot questions in Florida. (Sorry!) But within Robusta crops there are of course many different taste variances, depending on soil, climate, and how the beans are dried. Sun-dried naturals are different from beans that have been fully washed and kiln-dried.

So we present to you: 3 very unique Robustas to compare, and we even let you compare roast levels. 

Vietnamese Peaberry Robusta : For the last 2 seasons, an overall scarcity of beans meant that producers did not separate the peaberries and sell them at a premium, like they generally do. Peaberries are the round, unsplit beans that happen naturally to about 6-8% of the crop. They tend to have a stronger, nuttier taste profile than the regular split beans, giving the cup a very different set of tasting notes. But this season, the Peaberries are back!

Vietnamese Honey Robusta : This crop was naturally sundried with some of the fruit and pulp left on the beans, and then washed to make the beans smooth. The extra sugars in the pulp convert into a more complex and finished taste profile than non-honey-process beans. These beans are much pricier to us than the regular ones, but for this sale we are treating them equally to the others.

India Natural Robusta : We chose this origin to compare to because we generally are able to keep it in stock year-round, unlike Uganda Robusta, which comes and goes as it please :-) Indian Robusta can often have flavor faults, as the crop is sometimes grow in close proximity to rubber plantations. In this case, however, the beans are grown near spice plantations, and it lends just a bit of unique flavor to the rich, chocolatey profile. We are very fond of this origin and it has a good following on our website.

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Roast levels:  Choose between our "trademark" Chocolate Roast, which is simply an extended Medium Roast that allows more development time for the chocolate notes that Robusta excells in. This profile is mild and sweet. Harlequin Roast combines a base of Dark Roast with a regular Medium. It has a stronger, deeper profile.

Each selection below gives you 3 bags of 8 ounces of coffee, a good size for comparisons.