Use a small amount of Kaapi Royale in your espresso blend for greater crema and an additioal caffeinne kick.
But! Don't confuse these beans with the cheap filler in canned coffees! This is high quality washed Robusta from India, and best used only as a small element in your home espresso blends.
As espresso expert Dr Joseph John says, "A signature component of European espresso, Indian washed Robusta is clearly superior to Robusta from other origins in regard to its bean and cup qualities. These Indian washed Robusta beans provide a smooth, mellow cup with intense aroma and a chocolate-like fragrance. They also have a rather pleasant aftertaste with cup qualities that are actually quite Arabica-like."
Kaapi Royale is comprised of 17-screen beans obtained by re-grading and resorting washed Robusta Parchment-AB. Kaapi Royale roasts much more uniformly than the Parchment-AB and the Kaapi Royale grading has zero defects.
You do NOT want to make a whole cup of coffee with only Robusta beans. But do try 10% in an espresso blend and see the difference.
"The differences between Robusta and Arabica coffee start long before they get to the cupping table—they start with the seed. All coffee plants belong to the botanical genus Coffea in the family Rubiaceae, which includes 500 genera and more than 6,000 different species. It is believed that the number of species of Coffea ranges from 25 to 100. Arabica and robusta make up just two of those species.
Shade grown, Washed Robusta single estate Kaapi Royale. These beans are selected and imported by Dr Joseph John himself of the Josuma Coffee Company.
Arabicas, known by the name Coffea arabica (Rubiaceae) in the science world, are native to Ethiopia. The species arabica includes a number of subspecies, the most common being Catuai and Caturra. Hybrids and sub-species include Bourbons, Pacas and Maragogypes. A delicate plant requiring rich soil, sun and shade, and specific climates, arabicas are not the easiest plants to grow. Add to that their susceptibility to pests, disease and poor handling, as well as their need to be at high elevations, and it’s easy to see why they require so much care and attention.
Robusta, on the other hand, refers to a variety of the species Coffea canephora. A much hardier shrub native to West Africa, robustas grow to about 10 meters high with a shallow root system. Robustas thrive in low altitudes, yield more per acre, and have better protection against pests and diseases that often attack arabicas. They also produce more beans than arabica, and..."
Want to read more? Get the March April 2006 issue of Roast Magazine.
As Dr John tells us, "Robusta coffees, often scorned in the specialty world, are grown, picked, and processed in India with the same care as Arabica. Most are grown at elevations as high as 4,000 feet—an elevation also suitable for growing Arabica. Indian Robusta coffees are some of the cleanest, mellowest Robusta in the world, and the markets have assigned a substantial premium for Indian washed Robusta. It has none of the rubbery aftertaste one normally associates with such coffees."
"These Robusta coffees are excellent roasters, with a good green aroma. The dry fragrance is fruity, very strong, and deeply sweet. Fruitiness dominates the wet fragrance; it's very strong, with some pleasing herb overtones such as lavender. The coffee features a creamy mouth feel and brew strength. The taste is also fruity, and the aftertaste is long and reminiscent of prunes and tobacco."
"from the Hoowinahuckloo (means Pot of Flowers) and Kerehuckloo group of estates and the Balanoor Plantations in Balehonnur, within the Chikmagalur district, at elevations above 3,000 feet, these Robusta plants are grown in the shade." Though not certified these "original jungle trees and Silver Oak provide permanent shade."
