“City+ to FC+: Dark dried raisin raisin-plum fruit, rindy orange brightness, light body with syrupy texture, dark malty notes, slight cedar hints, long cinnamon finish.”
The roast was targeted at Full City, however it may have gone a little closer to Full City+. This was the first roast done with RoastLogger to monitor roast temperature and time. It did not get to second crack, but was close, which is why I am posting it at a Full City+.
Initial sips yield a dark roast flavor, with the malty notes very apparent in the aftertaste, with a lingering cedar hint. There is a slight acidity, but the dark fruit notes definitely overshadow it. As the cup cools, the bolder flavors have balanced out, and the citrus brightness has increased. The “rindy” flavor is evident in the slight acidic aftertaste, which lingers briefly, but the finish does have a nice spice to it that helps to balance out the acidity, and the malt flavor adds a slight dark chocolate semi-sweetness.
The second serving had more cinnamon flavor throughout, and the acidity settled down into a nice smooth body. The second cup was definitely more balanced. Both servings were made at the same time, in the same French Press, and the second serving was stored in a thermal mug to keep it hot, so it did not brew any longer than the first cup, but it had more time for the flavors to integrate.
Overall, I think this first roast was a little dark for this bean. The roast was done in a Whirley Pop, with a low flame (gas stove), and was preheated to approximately 176 degrees celsius before the beans were added. After the temperature stabilized at 128 degrees celsius, it took approximately 9.5 minutes for the beans to reach first crack, which lasted 1.5 minutes, and allowed for a much more even roast. After first crack ended, the roast was allowed to progress for another 1.5 minutes before the beans were pulled. They were cooled with a strainer, agitated over an air fan to ensure they did not coast very much after being removed from heat. They reached room temperature within 3 minutes.
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I can see this as a standalone cup, with the dark flavors giving it a full body flavor. This could be a second cup roast, as the dark flavors would probably overshadow any lighter body coffees.