Jam Session – Farewell Coffee Roasters

In the past, I’ve always been partial to single origin coffees and strayed away from blends, but this past year has shown me the refinement possible within a high-quality, well-roasted blend. I’ve specifically discovered and enjoyed single origin blends (blends comprised of coffees all from a single country) (examples include: Tropical Weather from Onyx, Fruit Snacks Blend from Dapper & Wise and S.O.B. Espresso from Folly). For that reason, I was really excited to try Farewell’s new blend of my favorite type of coffee—naturally processed Ethiopians. The result is a fruit-forward, jammy and slightly funky single origin blend that is truly a treat to drink.

The fragrance of the coffee is sweet, full of raspberry/blueberry notes and lime zest. Upon brewing, the aroma is incredibly rich and leads into a rich and vibrant flavor that is full of chocolate and berries. The sweetness is not incredibly strong, but surprisingly complex. It reminded me of an interesting mix of berries, caramel and vanilla. The brightness in the coffee was quite strong, but not overpowering. The body was light, yet silky. I really enjoyed the balance Farewell was able to achieve in the blend between these two coffees. They found the perfect roast profiles to create an incredibly complex, yet balanced unification of coffees that are so similar, yet unique.

The Bottom Line

The best blends are the ones that create something that together is better than the sum of its parts. I think Farewell accomplished that with Jam Session by creating a blend that has all of the fruitiness and funkiness I love with naturally processed Ethiopian coffees, but also an incredible amount of complexity.