SHADY LANE

A LIGHT DARK ROAST:
People have been drinking dark roasts for over two-centuries and it seems both short-sighted and careless to ignore history. And yet if you roast too dark, all of the unique flavours of origin are lost and you simply taste the bitter burn and one-dimensional char of the roast process itself.

Shady Lane is a new way of roasting that uses a gentle approach and precise technique to strike a compromise: it engages in our coffee past with an approachable low-acidity  but also showcases the deeply sweet and delicious chocolaty notes possible with particular origins. It is new and old because as the Pavement song concludes, "the worlds collide, but all that we want is a shady lane". 

ORIGIN:
From Peru's harvest this year, we brought in three different lots from the beautiful Sandia Valley. It is home to not simply the best coffee in Puno, or even all of Peru, but rather, its crops are among the best in the world! The perfect growing conditions are fostered by the  altitude influenced temperatures, the multi-generational knowledge of the producers in the region, as well as the natural impact of the Andes, which offer a unique diversity of fertile and mineral rich soil. For Shady Lane, we are featuring an Alto Inambari community lot. Its name comes from the fact that it is the highest part through which the Inambari river waves through the Sandia Valley. 

FLAVOUR:
Sourcing crops for Shady Lane is always a fun challenge. We look for crops with a smooth sensory experience opening with a mild acidity, think cooked apples or pears, with a strong cocoa or cooked sugar backing.  Alto Inambari is a perfect fit with its beautiful dried cranberry and mixed berry jams flavours that mingle with the sticky sweetness of amaretto or pecan pie. There is a nice hit of round baking spices in the middle, think gingerbread or light nutmeg. The finish is big with huge chocolate flavours that remind me of a heavily frosted cake.