The Perfect Easter Pairing

At Bailies Coffee Roasters I always get excited when a new coffee arrives. This week the focus is on Equinox - our spring blend. It all starts at origin when our green coffee buyer selects some samples to be sent back to us at the roastery. The sample roasting and cupping of coffee is always a fun but critical process. Scoring and grading of coffee is also a fundamental part of quality control that we are committed to at Bailies.

An important factor when constructing the Equinox Blend was what coffees to use and how they should be roasted. Blends can be tricky to get right and that's why we invest time to ensure we get the best out of each coffee. After sample roasting and cupping we decided on a Guatemalan Bourbon from Finca La Providencia and a Natural processed Brazil red Catuai from Finca Serra De Picada.

Individually, both coffees are great but as a pair the combination is a perfect match. The nutty and chocolaty flavours (typical of a Guatemalan Bourbon) combine with the tropical, fruity flavours and aromas from this (Brazilian Red Catuai). After various tastings, we went with a 2/3 Guatemalan to 1/3 Brazilian. This brings out a distinct taste and a perfect balance of the flavours. It is also a versatile blend that can be enjoyed using various brewing methods.

We roasted Equinox on our Probat UG22. With the Guatemalan we wanted to bring out smooth chocolate and nut flavours, whilst keeping the acidity low with a nice full body. With the Brazilian coffee, a smaller batch size was used keeping the roast shorter, slightly higher in temperature and with a decent development time. This really helped bring out those pineapple and banana aromas, keeping the coffee sweet, fruity and balanced! These coffees work in harmony together with the individual characteristics of both coming through in this blend.

This Equinox Blend pairs perfectly with the WeeChoco Sea Salt Milk Chocolate. It is best enjoyed by sampling the chocolate first and finishing with a freshly brewed coffee. Together the chocolate and coffee combine to create an explosion of nutty and tropical flavours that are complimented by the sweet and salty chocolate. It makes for the perfect coffee pairing with family and friends over the Easter holidays.

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10% discount code - EQUINOX10 (Ends 17th April - Easter Monday)