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 our 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:
Sochiapam is one of the largest coffee growing areas in all of Oaxaca and for many years was more known for quantity than for quality. However, over the last 5 years the perception no longer holds. After working through samples in 2022, the Red Fox team began working directly with the producers in the area on a number of directives including training and harvesting technique. By using selective harvesting over strip picking, longer fermentation and drying timelines, shifting toward rust-resistance hybrids, and improving infrastructure, like drying patios, the coffee quickly improved. 

Aleco at Red Fox explains, "we laid out the value proposition" but "many producers were reluctant". However, those first producers who shifted "saw great results and provided proof of concept for a communal shift from quantity-first farming to quality-first". Little by little the entire community embraced the new approaches. For Aleco, "the most enthusiastic about the change were the younger producers, who with their curiosity, competitiveness, and commitment to continuous improvement, led the way and encouraged the rest" and "now at each harvest we work hand in hand with the producers in the area, providing specific, timely, and high-quality feedback and supporting them to improve both quality and quantity".

FLAVOUR:
Sourcing crops for Shady Lane is always a fun challenge. We look for crops with a smooth sensory experience opening with a mild acidity, think cooked apples or pears, with a strong cocoa or cooked sugar backing. This Sochiapam community lot opens with some candied cherry, think grenadine syrup or bing cherry. There is a nice candied nut note that lands between amaretto or pecan pie. It has a big body and a nice long finish that mixes milk chocolate with caramel and praline flavours.