If you’ve been following The Brew Adventures for any length of time, you will not be surprised to know that we are pretty big fans of Peet’s Coffee. They consistently have high-quality coffee that is expertly roasted and full of flavor. But… I am not always a big fan of African beans as I find they are usually too acidic.
If we pair the expert roasting of Peet’s Coffee with beans from Africa, we get the Uzuri African Blend. Uzuri – Swahili for beautiful or excellent – is a blend of beans from coffee growers in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. Peet’s website told me to expect flavors of wildflower, currant, and malt sugar, but the bag of coffee I have is predicting orange blossom and black cherry, so we will see which comes out on top!
We brewed Uzuri African Blend in our French press to our usual specs: 37g of grounds, 24oz of 202℉ water, steep four minutes, press and pour! Right away I notice an aroma of dark, sweet cherries, roasted but not acidic, with a hint of orange. In flavor, the cherry (picture the dark, nearly black cherries at the peak of ripeness) is more forward than orange blossom which lingers instead on the fringes of the palate. The dark roast offers a smooth, full body that enhances the richness of the cherries without letting the acidity get out of control. Malt sugar sweetness lingers pleasantly in the finish, rounding out each sip.
I’ll admit, this is not at all what I expected from a blend of African beans. I think the smartest thing Peet’s did is give these beans a dark roast. Most of the other African beans I’ve tried are medium or light which only enhances the acidic qualities rather than drawing out darker, sweeter flavors. I don’t really taste wildflower, but the dark stone fruit quality is pleasing and comforting.
If you enjoy dark cherries or currants and want to try an expertly roasted blend of African beans, this is a great bag to brew. You might just be as surprised as I was.
Cheers,
Mrs. Brew