“Backpackers Blend” from K’zoo Coffee CO.

One of my favorite coffee roasters can be found in the great state of Michigan. It’s Kalamazoo Coffee Company. They have many roasts to choose from. They have “Pressed for Success” all the way to the bizarre, but still delicious, “Maple Bacon” or “Maple Walnut”. Today though we will be focusing in one their most popular roast, “Backpackers Blend”. I have been an avid drinker of KCC coffee for about 3 years now and I had never bought this blend before today. The aroma that exits the bag when it is opened can not be matched; it’s enough to wake me up in the morning. It is a medium roast and should be respected as so. Because of it being a medium roast there is a higher caffeine content compared to a dark roast. This is a new favorite of mine. I normally drink my coffee black and this is no exception. To load this coffee with cream and sugar is not necessary. It is sweet on its own. I normally grind this coffee so that it is a medium-coarse grind; about a 7 on a scale from one to ten; ten being the coarsest and 1 being ultra fine. Of coarse though, this will depend on your brewing process of choice. I personally use a manual bur grinder so that the grind is more consistent. I have made this coffee with two different brewing processes, french press and Chemex. Both are equally amazing but the Chemex is superior in the sense that it removes the oil that would normally be found on the top of a cup of coffee, from the coffee and produces a cleaner, sweeter, cup of coffee. I am quite the “hipster” when it comes to brewing coffee because I would not suggest using a normal coffee maker that you could buy at some big-box store. Keep it “simple” and use a french press, Chemex or a pour over method.