Tea and Coffee: Rare Sumiyaki Coffee from Japanese Coffee Co

My gargoyles guarding my Sumiyaki coffee from Japanese Coffee Co.

If you’re a regular Tea Deviant reader you’ve heard me praise Japanese Green Tea Co. many times. Their award winning teas have become a regular in my tea arsenal and when they asked if I wanted to be an affiliate it was easy to say yes. Kei Nishida who started Japanese Green Tea Co. contacted me when he started his new Japanese Coffee Co. and asked if I wanted to try his coffee. Sounds like an adventure to me!

Yes this is a tea blog and I am a tea freak, but I like a good cup of coffee too. I’ve experimented with some fun tea and coffee combos and really enjoyed them. What piques my interest about Japanese Coffee Co. is that the coffee they sell is made with a charcoal roasting method called sumiyaki. 

Sumiyaki - Japanese Charcoal Roasted Coffee

This was my first time having charcoal roasted, single origin coffee and it was deep and delicious. Ever curious, I wanted to understand what makes sumiyaki coffee different. 

There are two main ways coffee is roasted: using hot air or using fire. However, the fire method can be achieved through either gas or charcoal fuel. Much like grilling food has a different flavor than cooking on top of a gas range, charcoal roasting coffee imbues it with a delicious light smokiness and depth. 

Charcoal fire also produces far infrared rays which means more even roasting and less chance of destroying cell structure (which is more likely with gas heat and causes poor flavor). As an added bonus, this method also increases shelf-life by delaying oxidation.

Indonesia - Arabica Typica - Mandheling Berkat Lintong  Single Origin Premium Coffee

The first of their coffees I tried was Indonesia - Arabica Typica - Mandheling Berkat Lintong. A hand-picked, screen sorted, single origin coffee from the North Sumatra province of Indonesia. 

Roast: It is to the darker side of medium 

Taste: Coffee with personality, full body, slight smokiness, rich and smooth feel with a pleasant bitterness, but I detected no sourness 

I really enjoyed this coffee even without milk and I usually have milk in my coffee. With milk the personality of the coffee still made itself known which I think is the mark of a great coffee or black tea. 

I am a fan of cold brew coffee as it is easier on my stomach and I like the smoother flavor. I also like a warm cup of coffee. As I heard that this kind of coffee is great brewed french press style I gave that a go using the following parameters:

• 1 - 2 Tb. coffee (coarse ground) to each 8 oz. cup (I found 1 ½ TB. worked for me)
  
• Boil the water and let it cool for 30-60 seconds
  
• Pour just enough water to cover the grounds and let them ‘bloom’ for 20-30 seconds
  
• Pour remaining water to your fill line, put top on without pressing plunger and steep four minutes
  
• slowly depress plunger and decant all the coffee (if you leave it in the press, even with the plunger depressed, the coffee will become a bitter beast)
  

Coffee and Tea - Double the Awesome

In my previous coffee adventure I mixed tea and coffee together in a few ways. This time  I decided to try mixing matcha with this Indonesian coffee. Intense! If you like both beverages, their health benefits and the kick they give this combo is for you. 

I simply added one teaspoon of matcha to one cup of regularly brewed coffee. If you want to start slower try ½ tsp. matcha in ½ cup coffee. There are no awards given for having to be beaten off the ceiling like pinata if you’ve had too much caffeine. If stomach issues are your thing, I suggest making the coffee as a cold brew. The reduction in acid is amazing. Then add matcha. You can also add milk of choice to further cut any acidity, though you do lose a little of the matcha benefit that way.

​Decaffeinated - Premium Blend Coffee (Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia)

I find decaffeinated coffee, like decaffeinated tea, to taste like punishment, so I avoid them. Most decaffeination methods rob the coffee bean of its unique flavor beauty. I was interested when Kei told me how Sapporo Coffee Kan, their supplier, uses a new German style of decaffeination, liquid dicarboxylic acid extraction.   He said this application allows the coffee to retain it’s flavor profile while removing 98% of the caffeine. Hmm. Ok. I’ll bite. 

It was probably the best decaffeinated coffee I’ve ever tasted. I would not have known it was decaffeinated had I not been told. My coffee drinking friend agreed. As this is a blend, it brings together the strengths of these regions with a full body, balanced sweetness and bright acidity. If you love coffee but have to reduce your caffeine intake give yourself this gift of flavor sans jolt. 

The Japanese Coffee Co. site is very thorough. It includes details on the history of this sumiyaki style coffee, the differences between charcoal and gas roasting and tips on how to brew for the best cup. 

Sapporo Coffee Kan, Japanese Coffee Co.’s supplier, has a 35 year history of charcoal roasting coffee. They introduced this type of roasting to Japan. They source responsibly and have exclusive contracts with the farms that grow the coffee they roast.

I love a good taste adventure and this coffee did not disappoint. My relationship with tea is good. Tea knows it is my number one. When I told tea that sometimes I have coffee it didn’t ruin our relationship. So if you are a tea AND coffee enthusiast, I welcome you to this delicious taste rabbit hole!
Japanese Coffee Co provided the coffee for this taste adventure