Papua New Guinea Arufa Natural AX

This was the first coffee I ever sold, and there's a reason it's still here. I can't get enough of it. In the Driftless, most people have had a rough experience with light roasts: sharp acidity, grassy flavors, and the sense that coffee isn't for them. I won't get into why, but it shaped what I wanted from a true light roast, one that could show people what it can be.

Picture a bag of raspberries in coffee form. Papua New Guinea coffees tend toward gentler acidity, which is a great start for a light roast. It's easy to taste past the acidity to the sweet berry flavor, especially through drip. The body is light and sweet, like a raspberry tea crossed with coffee.

It's not the most complex coffee out there. What it offers is sweet simplicity: easy-to-spot berry flavors carried by moderate acidity and high clarity. The roast finishes at a deep bronze, with almost no roastiness or bitterness left.

I mostly brew it as filter coffee, but I've seen excellent espresso results from more experienced users, though it's less forgiving than other coffees. I usually recommend it hot, since the tea-like qualities come through best that way, though that may just be personal preference.