Fresh Roast: Java Government Estate (Djampit)
This Indonesian bean which I got from Sweet Maria’s is grown on the volcanic slopes of Kawa Ijen, and benefits from the acidic soil. Djampit is one of the 6 government run estates, all of which are known for their cups with a thick oily body. Bitter sweet chocolate flavors start to emerge with deeper roasts, and it’s recommended that you roast it to a City, if not Full City+.
I tried both a 6 minute and 7.5 minute roast in the Fresh Roast. Roasting was no issue, and the beans kicked off just the normal amount of chaff and no smoke. However, I found both roasts to be a pretty finicky to get a good shot from. I went through several different grinds, first too course and then to fine before I settled on one that pulled well. I got some hints of vanilla and almond in the aroma with a well balanced bitter-sweet flavor, but I didn’t get much chocolate. Perhaps the beans could go a full 8 minutes. All in all, this was a decent cup that made a wonderful latte, but I prefer some of the other beans for straight espresso.
By the way, if you are thinking that I’m starting to sound too much like an advertisement for Sweet Maria’s, don’t worry. It’s just that I got 8 different types of beans with my starter set and wanted to make my way through them before I started buying more. But, I have lots of new beans to try… sitting somewhere on a UPS truck as we speak… some from Zach and Dani’s and a couple from Intelligensia. Hopefully, I’ll be roasting some up this weekend!
