Mountain Mudd's espresso blend is modeled after the espresso that is served in Naples, an ancient city in Southern Italy founded by the Greeks. Naples is known for its many culinary exports, the most famous being pizza, and is recognized as a city with a very strong coffee culture. In fact, the coffee culture is so strong that they have their own coffee maker called the "Napoletana". Naples has a long standing reputation for producing an intense, delicious espresso that is not bitter or over roasted like some of its neighbors further south. We at Mountain Mudd have modeled our espresso in the Neapolitan tradition to produce a flavorful espresso that not only tastes great on its own, but also comes through in today's espresso and milk layered drinks.
Consistency is really the challenge of any serious specialty coffee roaster- seeking the best rather than compromising mediocrity for consistency. Coffee is an agricultural product which changes from crop to crop. The raw coffee will also change throughout the year, trading intensity and aroma for smoothness and body. Our roaster maintains consistency by meticulously selecting the beans purchased and then cupping them routinely after they are roasted.
The Mountain Mudd complex blend is crafted using up to nine different coffees from three different continents, including coffee from Brazil, several Central American countries, and the Far East. The result is a blend that produces an espresso with a great crema, beautiful deep amber color, and sweet aroma. Its predominant flavor characteristic is of dark chocolate but it also has notes of roasted hazelnut, slight smokiness, and sweetness of caramel. These intense flavors are balanced by a rich, viscous body and smooth, long lasting finish. Most of all, this is an espresso that simply tastes delicious and does not challenge you to drink it. Instead, it leaves you eagerly anticipating the experience of your next cup!
Industry Affiliations
Mountain Mudd Espresso is a proud member of the National Coffee Association of USA and the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). These organizations are critical to the sustainability of the farmer, the environment and the community of our coffee supply chain
The National Coffee Association of USA., Inc (NCAA) is the organization which has an educational arm and serves the public as well as its members. It lobbies on behalf of the industry and is the voice of the people. This association represents United States coffee interests in world discussions. Founded in 1911 it was one of the country's earliest trade associations formed.
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is the trade association that sets the industry's standards for growing, roasting, and brewing. Their prime responsibility is to represent their more than 3,000 company members and is concerned with coffee sustainability for the years to come.
Global Responsibility
More than ever we are all interested in going "green". Mountain Mudd's premium coffee beans have always paid homage to the roots of the bean and the people who make it possible. We support the workers and eco-systems that make our coffee possible throughout the process from the field to the cup. Our roaster has had personal relationships with farmers that go back several decades, and has been "fair" with them long before Fair Trade was in vogue.
Currently 97% of our coffee product line is 85% Rainforest Alliance certified and for years has been well above our peers in the industry. Our roasts were at an industry high of 50% when many of them were attempting to "get on board". Our roaster reports that soon all our roasts will be at 100% certification.
Although Rainforest Alliance certification endeavors to provide farmers the same economic incentives as Fair Trade, Organic, and Shade Grown certifications, this certification does not guarantee a minimum price. The goal of the Rainforest Alliance is to integrate productive agriculture, biodiversity conservation and human development. The end result is a concerted global initiative which will reduce the impact on ecosystems around the word. Certification of coffee plots and plantations by the Rainforest Alliance is a stringent assessment of the facilities, the land, the product and the worker's lifestyles. Once certification is achieved, annual inspections are conducted to maintain the certification. The Alliance strives for both "greenness" and sustainability of the land, the product and the multitude of families now thriving in this economy, and encompasses all agriculture, not just coffee.
The Rainforest Alliance approach is to protect ecosystems and communities by transforming land use practices, business practices, and consumer behavior through education. The ultimate goal is finding the balance between environmental, social and economic needs to emphasize sustainability of agriculture and industry. The strength of the Rainforest Alliance is that it is a true third-party certification system whose components are truly transparent, and most importantly voluntary, and global. Rainforest Alliance not only strives to make production of coffee sustainable, but have also done outstanding work in slowing illegal logging and deforestation, and promotion sustainable farming for flowers, banana's, citrus, cocoa, and tea.
Learn more about the Rainforest Alliance at http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/index.cfm.