Diedrich IR5 Analysis by Doris Garrido
Complexity in a unique form, vibrant, and beautifully harmonious in its sweetness. Our new Kenyan offering is simply outstanding. Just picture the notes we have had in this roast: Oolong tea, blood orange, lychee, mango, kumquat, pomegranate, sweet orange, and lemongrass. Subtle body, with a juicy and clean finish.
This is easily one of my favorite coffees to roast. The Diedrich roaster truly shines utilizing the heat retention from its infrared panels to complement this coffee's unique profile.
To begin the roast, I warmed the drum to 446°F. After stabilizing the roaster, I dropped the coffee, applying 100% gas power within the first 20 seconds. I maintained this for approximately three minutes before reducing the gas to 60%, and then a minute later, to the lowest setting of 30%. That was the extent of the gas adjustments. From that point, I focused on observing the Maillard reaction, carefully adjusting the airflow to refine the cup's clarity and gently slow the roast's progression. The coffee finished smoothly, with a post-development time of 1 minute and 31 seconds and an end temperature of 397°F.
This was a straightforward roast, leveraging the initial heat to guide the coffee through to ending in a total of 8 minutes and 27 seconds. This exceptional and delicious coffee will hit the menu very soon. It was surprisingly easy to roast, especially considering these are small Peaberry beans that arrived with slightly low moisture. Despite that, this roast resulted in a remarkably juicy cup.
While I often find myself roasting to highlight acidity in most coffees—especially Kenyans, my personal preference—I must say that this coffee also delivers an incredible clarity of sweetness. It offers great caramel and guava complexity and an incredibly enjoyable body if you choose to caramelize it further.
