Queen Bean Monsoon Malabar, the Queen of Coffee

Queen Bean Monsoon Malabar is the Queen of coffee, and this years offering of the Monsoon Malabar is no exception. We found this coffee to be exotic, and full of flavorful surprises in the cup.

Back Story:

Monsoon Malabar is a coffee that needs a back story, so, it comes from India and is a world renowned coffee, but what makes the Monsoon Malabar stand out is the process that the coffee beans go through that provides the very distinctive flavor that has fans world wide keeping their eyes open when the coffee is on the market.

Monsoon Malabar dates back to the 1800s, the time of the East India Company and the British Raj. Between the two, they were sending exotic goods to England and Europe for trade and business. Coffee by that time in Europe was well establish. The Monsoon Malabar got it’s humble start as being a coffee source of the highlands of India, it was harvested and sent to the docks to be ship to England. The voyage in those days took six months to complete it could only happened when it was Monsoon season.

The coffee beans were stored in loose jute bags next to spices, teas, and other aromatic items. The ships at that time were not very sea worthy and not air tight at all. What happened was that the coffee beans in those jute bags took on moisture and swelled, opening the coffee beans to be influenced by the spices and herbs that were stacked and shipped next to them. The end result was a very exotic and unique tasting coffee that won the coffee drinking crowds of England and Europe.

Current story:

Today’s shipping is quicker and the ships are more air tight, thus loosing the six month exposure that gave Monsoon Malabar it’s recognizable flavor. To fix that problem the coffee companies now store the coffee beans in a open warehouse that is also used to store spices and teas to mimic the six month journey. The coffee is exposed to the monsoon weather to encourage the beans to swell and then are stored with the fine spices of India. The end result is the perfect imitation of the sea voyage that made Monsoon Malabar world renowned. 

Queen Bean has mastered the roasting of the Monsoon Malabar and has some now that you can enjoy at home.

Here is what I found.

Aroma:

The aroma is big and exotic, luring you to have a cup. I picked up Vanilla first followed by the subtle spices of cinnamon and cardamon, these aromas followed through in the cup when I tasted it.

Flavor:

The vanilla is a very enticing flavor note to this coffee, it blends well and is balanced, and not overpowering. The other spices are a nice sub note and is brought forward with dairy, giving you a wonderful palate of flavors. That keeps you wanting more.

Body:

This Monsoon Malabar has a full, rich and heavy body. I find it enticing, not dirty or grainy, but smooth.

Acidity:

This is where the magic happens, it is naturally sweet, not bitter. It ages well in the cup. The flavor is constant weather it is hot or cold. A nice finish, not leaving you with a aftertaste.

Overall:

If you are a Monsoon Malabar fan, or a person who enjoys trying something different, this is your coffee! Get it from Queen Bean, you will get a full pound of it as well with their other offerings. Queen Bean and Mills Coffee pays the utmost attention to their roasting, you quality and quantity. You can’t go wrong.