Toca Christmas Blend - The Perfect Roast for Those Winter Mornings - 8/10 Must Have

Aroma

Chocolate

Black Tea

Tasting Notes

Dark Chocolate

Citrus finish

Toca coffee roasters is a family owned roaster based out of Prompton Plains, New Jersey. They state that they aim to source the freshest beans from around the world then roast them in a way that features their peak flavor.

The Christmas Blend is a blended roast of Brazilian and Guatemalan beans in a medium roast vessel. The freshness of the roast cannot be understated, I purchased this bag on December 27th and the roast date stamped on the bag was December 28th! That is, in my opinion, the best perk of small roasters

According to the label, the Christmas blend is chocolate forward with a sweet citrus finish. When I first tasted this blend, boy, was that an understatement. The robust chocolate flavor was immense, almost like a thick dark chocolate hot chocolate with a decent acidity and a very light citrus finish.

I personally brewed these beans through the Spinn coffee maker, the Gina by Goat story drip system and a traditional style Coffee Gator French Press. Since they are a Spinn partner, their recommended brew ratios are preloaded into the system for how Toca intends the Christmas Blend to be brewed. I found that there was a little more acidity when it was brewed through the manual drip system (due to the extra air exposure), and through the French Press it was a little too heavy from the longer steep time. For that reason, I would recommend this brew through a traditional closed drip system like the Spinn system or other Countertop drip system.

I must say that I was shocked with how intense the Chocolate flavor was upon my first sip. The flavor of the beans is quite rich as a result, and for this reason I would save it for those chilly winter mornings, however, I would say this is also its greatest boon. It gives it almost a mocha like quality without the thickness of the added milk. If you were to add the Christmas Blend to your daily routine I would recommend a cold brew system in the hotter months, its bold flavor lends itself to a concentrated cold brew that can handle additives like almond milk or creamer.

Overall, I would recommend the Toca Christmas Blend, it is a smooth body roast, but the richness of the chocolate notes plays tricks on your mind making it feel thicker than it truly is. It is a unique experience, and I would therefore brew this on occasion. Although it does not make it into my daily routine, I would highly recommend that you shortlist this roast when it is available, and keep a bag on the shelf during the colder months.

You can purchase Toca Christmas Blend here Toca Chistmas Blend