Kia Kaha Blend

Kia Kaha is our dark roast blend which combines coffees from Mexico and Burundi. The name comes from a Māori phrase used as an affirmation by the Māori people of New Zealand which translates to “Stay Strong”, and also used as “Ake! Ake! Kia Kaha E!” by the Māori 28th Battalion, during World War II.

Kia Kaha can also be used as a term of consolation or support, similar to “hang in there”, or “my thoughts are with you.” Our Kia Kaha blend pays homage to our founder Tyler's home country of New Zealand and it’s the blend we use when we have the sudden urge to use the French Press!

When crafting our Kia Kaha blend, we approached it with the following goals in mind:

A very rich and smooth flavor profile with no bitterness at all
Tastes just as good with Milk, Cream, Almond or Oat Milk
Can be brewed using filter methods such as a drip machine or pour over, as well as full immersion brewing methods such as the French Press or Aeropress
We wanted a three dimensional profile of: sweetness, dark chocolate, and a full body
Our goal when creating this dark roast was to have a blend that offered those deep flavor notes, but without the bitterness that can sometimes accompany a dark roast. Choosing the right coffees that would stand up to a dark roast and still be able to showcase the bean’s intrinsic flavor characteristics was critical.

We decided on a high altitude grown, washed coffee from Mexico to be the base of this blend. Mexico is bursting with potential. The climate and altitude conditions are excellent for specialty coffee. Not only that, but we have found that coffee from Mexico can take on a dark roast without displaying the bitterness that other region’s coffees do. This Mexican origin coffee contributes to this blend’s amazing smoothness and dark cocoa notes.

To add some vibrancy, and beautiful sweetness, the second component to this blend is a high altitude grown, washed coffee from Burundi. This coffee is made up of 100% Bourbon variety.