Blue Bottle Coffee offers seasonal blends, and I was fortunate enough to pick up a bag of their Summer Blend while it was still available. I first was alerted about this blend through Blue Bottle’s email list, where Blue Bottle’s quality control director, Ben Brewer (really? Is there a more spot-on surname for someone working in coffee??) described this combination of first-rate Ethiopian and Kenyan coffee as “adding sparkle to the sparkle.” Read more about why they chose the coffees they did for this special blend at this link.
Whole bean: Sweet with a subtle fragrance of nectarine.
Chemex: Brewed for 3:45, this came out toasty with flavors of iced tea and apricots. Refreshing!
V60: Lots of tangy, stone-fruit flavor in this. More complex than the Chemex cup.
French press: I found the immersion methods made for a more sugary result than the pourover methods; this cup had the stone fruit along with marshmallow sweetness.
AeroPress: Nutty, peachy flavors, but a bit unbalanced as a concentrate. This was much more creamy and sweet once a little extra water was added.
Summary: Good in all methods, but the French press and AeroPress (+ a little additional water) cups were tied for my favorite ways to brew this coffee.
From the roaster: Our Summer Blend is a coffee in full bloom. Quenching even on a hot day, in the cup it opens like a magnolia blossom, bursts like a sweet-tart nectarine, and ends with the brisk refreshment of sun tea.
This particular blend is no longer in season, but you can find a link to Blue Bottle’s online store here: Blue Bottle Online Store
Review conducted 6-8 days post-roast.