Distinctive Features of Malabar Gold
Low Acidity
High acidity, considered a virtue by some in brewed coffee, is not a desirable feature in espresso. Malabar Gold uses the one-of-a-kind Monsooned Malabar-AA Super Grade, the lowest-acid coffee in the world, as its base. This
monsooned coffee provides a smooth, mellow consistency with ample body and a
crema of its own. It has a mild, pleasant, earthy flavor that doesn't conflict with the flavoring coffees in the blend.
Josuma uses other highlighter coffees for the primary flavor components—aroma and taste—of Malabar Gold. These top-grade coffees, which may vary depending on availability and other factors, are some of the most aromatic coffees in the world, and their individual characteristics are proudly displayed in this espresso.
Premium Washed Robusta
Malabar Gold espresso is enhanced by the use of a premium washed Robusta from India. This clean and mellow Robusta is quite unlike the dirty, rubbery, cheap Robusta coffees that typically flood the worldwide coffee market. Our washed Robusta delivers a smooth, soft cup with no rubbery aftertaste. Because Robustas are normally higher in caffeine, it also gives Malabar Gold the extra kick that espresso consumers expect. It is likely the most expensive Robusta coffee in the world.
Because most of the espresso beverages sold in North America are milk based, this high-quality Robusta is an important additive that helps fortify the coffee. By cutting into the milk, it helps bring out the flavors of the Arabica highlighter coffees.
Perhaps the most significant effect of this premium washed Robusta is it enhances the richness and longevity of the
crema without detracting from the neutral character that is so critical for a superior espresso. It also adds a unique flavor profile, typical of European espresso, that simply cannot be achieved with Arabica coffees alone.
Light Roasting
Malabar Gold is lightly roasted to full city with little or no oil on the freshly roasted beans. It is much lighter than the traditional extremely dark roast of North American espresso. By roasting to such a light degree, Josuma can preserve the varietal features of the coffees in the blend.
The use of low-acid coffees, such as Monsooned Malabar-AA Super Grade, is critical when employing a light roast. Any rationale that existed in the past for dark roasting—whether because good clean coffees were not available and the off tastes of the inferior beans had to be masked, or because the beans were too acidic and needed a dark roast to reduce acidity—does not apply to Malabar Gold.