I prefer earthy or chocolate hinted flavors in espresso. I’m considering to do mixing with thes $7-$9/lb. Any others you’d recommend to get that earthy or cocoa flavor in an espresso roast (in to 2nd crack before cooling)?
Sumatra Mandheling CP Select
Eth Nat3 Limu Nigussie Lemma Edeto & Sons
Kenya AA Rukira Nyeri
Indian Monsooned Malabar AA
You have some good choices there with which to build some good blends. Include some Colombian or Brazil, to even it out a bit. Those are usually beans that provide a nice base to build on like our Colombia Reserve del Patron which has some cocoa notes, or the Brazil Nossa Senorra de Fatima which is a natural with a nice, round body.
Give Malabar Gold another try. Let it rest for 4-5 days or so before brewing, and you’ll find a lot of the earthy, cocoa notes you’re looking for. Also try Felucca Blend as a shot. You’ll find a lot of earthiness, along with a hint of cocoa and a punch of fruit. It’s a favorite.
If you’d like to jack up the cocoa, add something like a little Uganda Bugisu Sipi Falls (A) or Uganda Bugisu Sipi Falls (B) Both are beans with a big cocoa punch. It’s not, however, a regular on the menu–it’s one of those beans we stock when we find we really like a specific lot. You can play a bit with our ready made blends, or add it to one of your own blends to up the cocoa notes. If you’re looking for more body, you might try the Ethiopian Harrar CP Select in place of the Limu.
As to roast levels, go to a full city to full city plus–that’s just into second crack, and perhaps letting it JUST begin to ramp up. The Monsooned Malabar is one exception–take that right into an unapologetic second crack, otherwise the flavors can be a little too funky. Do your blending post roast so you can roast each bean to your preference. It also allows you to adjust the percentages on the fly and experiment with the blends shot by shot. Keep notes so you can remember what works and what doesn’t. Youa can use small canning jars to hold a single roast of each bean then play during a brewing session–once you’ve figured out a blend you like, put together enough for a week or two.