My coffee bean year ender.

For the last(!!) Java Jabber for 2021, I thought I'd try coffee from a local coffee chain. Bo's Coffee actually has a store in nearby mall so I thought I'd drop in and buy a bag from them directly. Thankfully, I was able to get the last bag of the variant I wanted to try!

As much as possible, I always stick with dark roasted single origin beans but I've always wanted to try a houseblend/combo so that's what I did! I got Bo's Coffee's Barista blend beans. The Barista Blend has a combination of 70% Robusta beans from Cavite and 30% Arabica from Benguet. This blend is described as having a "bold and bittersweet flavor with smooth mouthfeel". It has a medium dark roast and has notes of caramel, chocolate, and nuts.

First off, the beans are just so aromatic. I've had beans before that don't have strong aromas but with this one, I can smell it already before opening the bag. Smells just like a coffeeshop!

I tested the beans with my Moka pot and it produced coffee deep but still medium-bodied coffee. Does that make sense? Like, the coffee was more bitter than usual but it didn't have that deep, dark richness and feel. It still felt quite light to the taste, though it did have some acidity to it. I added more hot water and milk on top of it and I felt like I lost a little bit of the coffee in the mix.

Brewed coffee pretty much yielded the same light feel, medium-bodied coffee but the acidity isn't as full on. I feel like you can easily take it straight black in this form. Again, with added milk, I still feel like the coffee lost a bit of its potency in terms of taste.

However, I think my most favorite form of this coffee is in cold brew! I was so surprised at how delicious my cold brew was! I was able to appreciate the Barista blend's flavor more: its hint of smokiness and nuttiness, its lovely light mouthfeel, its bittersweet flavor profile-  they're all present in my cold brew. This is the kind of coffee I won't mind having ala iced Americano! The cold brew has this silkiness and lightness to it and has no hint of sourness so it's perfect on its own, as well as an afternoon pick me up. Yum!

Overall, I recommend trying out the Barista blend especially for cold brew. Its hot form can be a bit underwhelming or light for those who prefer something dark and bold but its cold counterpart just hits the right spot. I can't wait to make more!! So happy to be ending this year with this bag o' beans. :)

Java Jabber 2021 now officially signing off. See you all in 2022! xx