Aki Autumn Blend from Japanese Sumiyaki Coffee
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Every now and then, a company will contact us with an offer to send us a product, usually a subscription box or something else Japan-related, in exchange for a review. One of the first companies we ever worked with was Japanese Coffee Co., whose charcoal-roasted coffee and single-serve pour-over packets we’ve previously tried and enjoyed, so much so that we’ve sent them as gifts to friends and family.
Japanese Coffee Co. specializes in sumiyaki coffee, which imbues the beans with a rich charcoal flavor and results in a unique taste profile. Japanese Coffee Co. has a new blend out for fall, and we were lucky enough to receive a box of free beans to try and review.
Aki blend fall flavor from Japanese Coffee Co.
Out in time for fall, Aki Blend (“Aki” means “autumn” in Japanese) is described on the website as being “deep roasted, low in acidity, full in body, with a sweetness and aroma that open up in the aftertaste instead of up front. The roastery calls it hokkori (ほっこり), the Japanese word for the warm, settled feeling of an autumn afternoon. Best hot, and our pick for café au lait.”
The packaging also describes it as being a medium roast that is smooth and full of sweetness. This would contrast it with the Single Origin Indonesia Lintong that we tried before, which had a strong aroma and mega-powerful taste. My expectation was that it would be a little bit milder than that first one, so I wanted to see how much charcoal came through in the Aki Blend.
Aki blend charcoal-roasted coffee in a moka pot
The first thing I noticed when I opened up the bag was the smell, or lack thereof. I enjoyed the strong smell of the single-origin sumiyaki coffee, but it can really fill up a room. These beans did not have that smell, making them better for a workplace or house with a shared kitchen.
In the afternoons, I usually make myself an iced latte with almond milk using our Moka pot. We use a Kalita hand grinder, and pre-heat the water before adding it per a YouTube video I watched. As you can see, I don’t use a ton of milk or ice, which allows me to get the flavor of the coffee.
Because there hadn’t been much of a scent, I hadn’t expected such a strong taste, but one sip of this thing knocked me out. Not only did the coffee flavor burst through despite the milk and ice, but it was a unique flavor, with interesting notes to it. I’m not very good at describing coffee flavor, but most lattes you try either taste purely of milk or just a general “coffee” taste. The only places in Tokyo that I can think of where you get a little more are Samaa and Verve Coffee. This was like that, where the flavor was strong, but “strength” wasn’t all it brought to the table. It told a story. It had its own personality.
If you use a Moka pot or another type of espresso maker, these beans will definitely work for you. Coffee aficionados will taste the difference, but it’s mild enough that you could still enjoy it even if you don’t love strong flavors. And if you don’t make espresso at home, we did another trial just for you.
Aki fall blend made in a pour-over
The second time we made coffee with the Aki Blend was using our pour-over setup. For Americans, this is closer to the coffee that you’re used to, but without the coffee machine. We also didn’t have almond milk at the time, so I used soy milk, which is what Eriko usually drinks and is a bit stronger in flavor.
The coffee definitely has a weaker taste when done this way. I didn’t get the rich complexity that I found in the espresso, and the soy milk was actually too strong for it, overpowering the flavor and resulting in a rather timid taste. Subsequently, I tried it with almond milk and just drinking it black, and in those cases, it was a bit stronger, but didn’t taste anywhere near as good as when I used the Moka pot.
Verdict: how does Aki Blend compare to the best coffee beans?
Eriko said she liked how smooth it was, without the bitterness that can come from stronger coffees. She would rather drink something like this than the single-origin sumiyaki coffee because it doesn’t have as much of a kick, but I don’t think this one feels as special. If you’re buying a gift for someone, I would definitely go with the singe origin because it’s different and memorable. This one is for people who have already tried that one and want something smoother, or just don’t want to pay as much for a bag, as the single origin is quite pricey.
If I were to come across these beans at the store, I would probably buy them all the time. The taste is better than a lot of the coffee we get from Kaldi. However, I would say Kaldi’s coffee is better when done pour-over style, which is how we most often make it. Sometimes we’ll buy an espresso blend to keep in the fridge for when I make lattes, and that’s where this bag is going to live. It doesn’t make sense to use it every morning when I can’t get the full flavor from that method. I’m going to use it exclusively for espresso, and if that’s how you enjoy coffee at home, you’re probably going to like it.
How to get Aki Blend and other charcoal-roasted coffees at 10% off with free delivery
Japanese Coffee Co. has grown quite a bit over the last few years, and now offers a number of ways to enjoy its coffee. In addition to the Aki Blend and single-origin sumiyaki coffee, they offer a number of other blends, single-serve pour-over, and K-cups. As I said, we’ve given their beans as gifts to other coffee lovers, so they get our seal of approval.
If you follow our affiliate link and use code SeenJapan10 at checkout, you can get 10% off, and all orders over $60 get free worldwide shipping, meaning our readers around the world can enjoy this coffee as well. Click the button below to give it a try!
