Roast Review: Cafe Kreyol

I am thrilled to introduce you to this next roaster (if you don’t already know them) as they won Roaster of the Year for 2023! Cafe Kreyol puts sustainable employment, fair wages, and innovative coffee varieties at the forefront of the business. In fact, I was impressed to see Cafe Kreyol pays farmers around 300% higher wages than what Fair Trade requires! Additionally I was very taken by the fact that you can read in depth about each farmer that they partner with, as you can see here. If you are looking for a coffee roaster with heart that also delivers an extraordinarily quality product, look no further! Today I’ll be sharing my experience with one of their roasts.

Bolivia Selva Verde

First impressions

I opened the bag and inhaled the sweet smell. For me it was reminiscent of chocolate but not in a bitter, cacao way, more like chocolate cake. James remarked that it was quite different from the last coffee (referencing the Evans Brothers coffee) and agreed there was something sweet and bright. We decided to try this roast with our Picopresso. After using the Exagrind the smell of sweet chocolate was more pronounced in the air, as well as a certain bright smell. 

Tasting notes 

James tasted his espresso first and said that it was robust and full-bodied.

“I get more of a nutty flavor, and don’t notice anything floral or citrusy about it.” He also remarked that it was a consistent espresso all the way through. He did mention a certain brightness specifically around the outer edges of the tongue but couldn’t quite place what it might be because the taste overall blended together so well.

I took a sip and still got the distinctive taste of chocolate that I had interpreted while smelling. It was so smooth! I shared that it seemed like it would be a wonderful coffee paired with the Cuppamoka or Pipamoka too. The Cafe Kreyol team had mentioned this coffee would do well as an espresso or cold brew and I could definitely see (or rather taste) why!

Reveal

This coffee has notes of chocolate, milk, and sugar. You can expect a heavy body with chocolatey undertones. This is a classic espresso that is rich with flavor as well as history. Read more about the farmer here.