Coffee has been known for as long as we can remember as the concoction that wakes you up and keeps you energised for the rest of the day. It is commonly assumed that drinking too much of it could get you a bit too active; enough to keep you awake the entire night. Most coffee lovers decline a cup after the sun sets, to avoid the caffeine high. Enter Tapaswini Purnesh, who gives coffee addicts four blends of coffee, each for different hours of the day with their own twist.
Blaze, the morning blend, is a nutty, bitter cocoa-infused decoction which Tapaswini says pairs well with a slice of cheddar cheese. Matinee, a pick-me-up for the afternoon, with its mildly fruity, bitter flavour goes extremely well with a piece of cherry dark-chocolate. A piece of spiced, poached pear would perfectly compliment Sundowner, with its subtle milk chocolate flavour, meant for a relaxed evening after a long day. The last and most surprising blend, Afterhours, which Tapaswini pairs with a slice of moist salted caramel cheesecake and spiced, poached pear, has hints of spice and citrus which is meant to calm the nerves before bed. Each blend has a preferred process of brewing: South Indian filter for Blaze and Sundowner, French press for Matinee and Aero press for Afterhours.
On the thought process that went into creating the blends, Tapaswini, the wizard behind the concept, explains, “This product is aimed towards the newer generation of coffee drinkers – consumers who aren't connoisseurs. These blends are cued for different hours of the day. The goal is to make it easy to choose from the different blends of gourmet coffee.” Tapaswini of Classic groups belongs to the fifth generation of coffee agriculturists hailing from Chikmagalur and has taken the reins of the company’s coffee-related endeavours. The group recently launched their new gourmet coffee blends, through which they look to upgrade the mundane coffee experience from just drinking it to overall appreciation of the magic potion.
It took over a period of nine months to create the blends. “The point was to give consumers a lot of choices. With this product they can choose a blend on the basis of flavour, time or brewing method. In India we’re used to pairing our coffee with biscuits or other savoury dishes. With this new brand we want to acquaint people to different pairings with their coffee,” the Le Cordon Bleu graduate points out.
All the way from Bababudangiri, the birthplace of coffee in India, these coffee beans are roasted and ground to perfection. D M Purnesh, the founder and managing director of Classic groups, says: “A lot of care is taken to ensure that the beans are perfectly roasted. Over roasting makes it too bitter. Not enough roast tends to make the aroma weak.”