Too Much Coffee

I have had some good experiences with some Liberica from India over the last two seasons, and want to hear some others' experience with it. Where was it from, how did you profile it, prepare it, etc?

I think this forgotten species has a lot of potential fro farmers in the elevations too low for the highest quality Arabicas, but higher than the average Robusta growing areas. IF the professionals of the service side of the industry could resurrect it, that is.

Hunt Slade
Safehouse Coffee and Tea

Never had the oppertunity to try a Liberica... would love to though...

Joris wrote:Never had the oppertunity to try a Liberica... would love to though...

Ditto! Does anyone know of a source?

Tried some from Sweet Marias last year, so repulsive that it became interesting. Seriously its one of those coffees that makes you crave it in a strange way.

You're a very odd man Steve

It made me feel the same way I did the first time I tried an Islay malt, hated it, then the day after so wanted some more and now I love it.

And th answer your question yes I'm odd

I gave Steve the remaining half pound of my pound of Anokhi Liberica from SM. The actual taste was fine even with my imperfect roasting but the overwhelming aroma of over-ripe fruit was too much for me, that's why I passed it on to Steve. Unfortunately he survived, must try harder

Cheers,

Hugh

A good Liberica tastes like fermented coffee.
Arabian countries are the users, but they hide the disgusting taste buy cardamom and possibly other strange add on's . . . . .

Liberica is almost extint as buyers turned to better coffees when they could afford it, (in the early '60th).
Some Liberica's are stilleing grown in Malaysia.

Only cupped it once and it was unpleasant at best (fully washed). I have seen it intercropped with robusta in Indonesia (Semeru area of Eastern Java near Surabaya).

Pic attached and no I don't have small hands

Forgot to say, that as an adopted Ileach I can empathise with you Steve on your delectation for the uisge from my former home

These are very much the comments I have heard from people in the industry which befuddles me to no end. A few months ago, I had roasted some up (somewhat difficult to find an acceptable profile for it) and shared it with several people I admire and respect in the business without telling them what it was. We got favorable comments all around - extreme as this bean is. Most thought it was some kind of natural Yirg or even Harar. What I have had of Liberica has a strong bite, to be sure, but we have had considerable success with it as an espresso blend component and even as a SOE, believe it or not.

Maybe it is just my palate - I tend to prefer natural coffees or anything with a distinct prime attribute. Maybe what I have gotten was long enough from harvest for enough of the "over ripe" or "over fermented" flavors to fall off. I also fear that my coffee preferences have too strongly influenced those of my staff (all of whom were new to coffee when they came on), to the point that I have cloned my palate onto them.

I can only hope that when we can finally afford to bring in this Indian Liberica, that we will have it exclusively!! Not that I really want that to happen - what I would really like to see is a resurgence of it being grown and handled as a fine bean. It was almost completely wiped out in the 1890s by a wave of coffee rust, not to mention how large the plant tends to be presents some legitimate harvesting problems. Perhaps it is all a pipe dream from an unusual convergence of events that produced about ten lbs worth of amazing coffee.

Steve wrote:It made me feel the same way I did the first time I tried an Islay malt, hated it, then the day after so wanted some more and now I love it.

And th answer your question yes I'm odd

Laphroaig Quarter Cask by chance?