Two Great Plants That Go Great Together:
Enjoying coffee and cannabis together is a time-honored tradition in many cultures. Both are agricultural delicacies that we enjoy with our senses. We smell, taste and savor them. Both also effect how we feel and experience the world around us, whether we’re alert, focused, relaxed, euphoric, sleepy and more. No doubt many of you, like us, have been combining these two passions in your lives for a long time, intentionally or not. If you haven’t noticed, our shop is literally built around an espresso machine. That is no accident. We want to give these two plant allies the full attention they deserve.
This month we’re offering our first coffee and cannabis pairing. We worked closely with our coffee partners, Brio Coffeeworks, to identify a single origin coffee which would complement one of the cannabis cultivars on our fall menu.
For this first duo it’s all about sweet, fruit flavors that complement each other; a Natural wash coffee grown by Naga Singage Community Farmers in the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia, and Super Boof grown by Forest City Cannabis here in Chittenden County.
The Coffee:
Brio Coffeeworks sources beans that express the unique conditions and care under which they were grown. Then they lightly roast the coffee in a way that brings out their sweet, vibrant and complex flavors.
Ethiopian Naga Singage is a naturally processed coffee that comes to Brio from a long-time importing partner who works closely with farmers in many regions of Ethiopia. This particular coffee is from the Aricha micro-region of Yirgacheffe, grown by farmers of the Naga Singage Community. Known for its high altitude and mountainous terrain, coffee beans from this area take longer to mature on the trees, resulting in a fuller and intense flavor.
“In terms of why we love this coffee,” says Nate Van Dusen, co-owner and lead roaster at Brio, “I would say that it’s a very refined expression of the flavors that we look for in a naturally processed coffee from Ethiopia. The berry notes come through very clearly in the aromatics and the finished cup.” Nate refers to Ethiopian Naga Singage as a “clean” coffee, which means that there are no processing defects that obscure the positive flavor attributes.“Naturally processed coffees almost always contain some defects,” he says, “particularly over-fermentation, that linger in the background, and it’s exciting when we find one that doesn’t.” In addition, Brio’s notes describe this coffee as having a fresh stone fruit quality with a delicate sweetness, and light floral undertone, which hint at chamomile and sweet tea.
The Cannabis:
Forest City Cannabis is a family-operated, Tier 3 Indoor Cannabis Cultivation license located in Chittenden County, VT. Partners Clay de Melo and Heidi Glesman de Melo have legacy roots and a decade of growing together in the Colorado licensed market. Forest City focuses primarily on hybrids, searching out the best genetics available on the market. Their indoor facility was built from the ground up to meet the specific needs of the cannabis plants and the professionals that tend them. It is one of the most well-run facilities we have visited in our 12 plus years in the industry.
Super Boof is a cross of two cultivars, Tropicana Cookies and Black Cherry Punch, bred by respected cannabis geneticists Blockhead Buds. Initially called Blockberry, the cultivar gained widespread popularity when selected and cultivated by grower Mobile Jay who gave it the Super Boof name. It produces very firm and frosty buds making it a favorite of both growers and cannabis consumers. The flavor is fruity (think fruit loops) with a touch of gassy funk. From the start, it’s effects are euphoric, uplifting and creative, then settling into a non-sedating body high that makes this cultivar excellent for experienced daily users. Clay describes Super Boof as “cherry, grapefruit, blue cheese and dumpster funk” and relays that it remains a staff favorite at Forest City.
Generally testing at over 24% THC, Super Boof is best for experienced consumers. This current batch has a total active cannabinoid (TAC) content of 29.78% and 25.03% THC. The prominent tepenes are beta-caryophyllene, limonene and linalool. Minor terpenes of note are a-bisabolol and nerolidol.
This pairing is available in a limited quantity on a first-come-first-served basis. It includes a 12oz bag of coffee beans and a 3.5g jar of cannabis. Members of our Pounds and Ounces club receive 10% off the retail price of $66.50 +tax.