Dark woods is unlike many of the roasters that you come across in the UK. It is located in the stunning West Yorkshire Pennines on the edge of a small village called Marsden. The 1950’s Probat that they use to roast all of their delicious coffee is set in a refurbished Victorian textile mill beside a canal. They attribute the inspiration behind the mood and flavours of their coffee to the dramatic windswept valley.

Opening its doors in 2013, the three founding partners came together with a wealth of experience in the industry. Their collective knowledge and expertise allowed them to rapidly establish themselves amongst others in the space and quickly grow a loyal customer base. Their unique location is reflected in their eye-catching branding which jumps off the shelf. The range of coffees and care that is taken with each roast is testament to the expertise behind Dark Woods.

The Rwandan Musasa Dunkunde Kawa from Dark woods was another well presented and well-executed coffee. Rwandan coffee is always a pleasure to drink and is one of those origins that often have great stories about empowering coffee communities. This cooperative, for example, receives school fees and medical insurance from international and national aid programs alongside practical quality premiums in the form of livestock (for food and fertiliser) and specially modified bicycles to deliver their cherries to the washing station.

The fragrance of the unground coffee as I opened the bag was of hazelnuts and almost woody notes, not something that I would usually attribute to a Rwandan coffee, however, many times coffees don’t always give up their flavours in the aroma of the beans - you have to actually drink the stuff to taste them!

When brewing the coffee the wood notes were still apparent but also entwined with herbs and tea aromas.

The coffee begins with a juicy kick right to the back corners of your palette which is paired with layers of raisins and boiled sweets (I got lemon drops). It has a delicious well-rounded body and the true complexities that African coffees are known to come sparkling through. 

The coffee cools and maintains its complex combination of aromas and tastes by leaving an aftertaste of bell pepper lingering on your palate for a moment.

A delightful coffee experience and a coffee that seemed to keep twisting and turning into new flavours and tastes.

Prepared with a variety of brew methods as always. Aeropress worked best for me, highlighting some of the richer notes.