SHADY LANE

A LIGHT DARK ROAST:
People have been drinking dark roasts for over two-centuries and it seems both short-sighted and careless to ignore history. And yet if you roast too dark, all of the unique flavours of origin are lost and you simply taste the bitter burn and one-dimensional char of the roast process itself. Shady Lane is a new way of roasting that uses a gentle approach and precise technique to strike a compromise: it engages in the coffee past with an approachable low-acidity but also showcases the deeply sweet and delicious chocolaty notes possible with particular origins. It is new and old because as the Pavement song concludes, "the worlds collide, but all that we want is a shady lane". 

ORIGIN:
Grupo Yosotatu is an informal collective, consisting of just over 40 families and neighbours in the San Agustin Loxicha area. Given the prominence of large-scale, umbrella cooperatives, they split off on their own in 2013 to seek more control and foster higher quality crops.  Madelina Lopez Lopez is the backbone of this group. With an increase of demand, she ensures cup quality. This season all of the producers worked heavily on improving their ability to dry more parchment at a slower, more even rate. Overall volume is small, but Yosotatu really highlights Oaxaca at its best!

FLAVOUR:
It's hard to imagine a better candidate for Shady Lane than Grupo Yosotatu. It opens with gooey cooked apple and pear notes. It has a very dominant chocolate body, that is full of a notes of malt and sugary pecan. The finish is long and, as espresso, you will get a great deal of lush chocolate pudding flavours.