Pairing info:
- Kush Cups Single Origin Guatemala Los Santos (Medium Roast – Elevation: 1700m)
- Ember Valley: Purple Churro (Cinnamon Horchata x Apples and Bananas)
Coffee and weed are a power couple that has captured people’s attention for generations. They are the Jay-Z & Beyonce of the stoner morning routine. This time, they’re bringing something extra to the party thanks to a little nano-infusion and some sweet spice.
The Tannins
Kush Cups is a company that infuses roasted coffee with Cannabis using a proprietary formula to create around 5mg of THC in every eight ounces of joe. They have a blended dark roast and a single-origin medium roast available in ground half pounds, or Keurig cups for on-the-go. The flavor on these coffees smokes what you might pick up at a corporate roastery, and with a low dose in each cup, you won’t worry about serving it with a nice fat joint.
Our pairing for this issue highlights their single origin Los Santos, which uses beans from a region in Guatemala just above Antigua – considered by some to produce the most extraordinary coffees in the country. The smell is rich dark chocolate with something fruity and earthy behind it. Full-bodied and heavy on the sides of the mouth, a lemon peel bitterness rests at the front of the tongue as you sip. These beans have a delicious, smokey flavor that gets compared to Assam tea. Alone, Kush Cups has created an experience that wows even your coffee-snob friends and provides a nice buzz when you brew a whole or half pot.
The Terpenes
There is nothing like a bakery-fresh treat with your coffee, so why not pair this with something special Ember Valley has been putting the icing on? This Shasta County brand works overtime in the flavor department, striving to represent both the classics and the new across its three different flower lines. Over the last year, we’ve watched them cracking the code and dialing in on this conqueror from Compound Genetics’ Apples & Bananas line.
Purple Churro mixes Cinnamon Horchata with A&B to make a strain that’s fruity … but also hits your nose like a sniff from the spice rack. Not as outwardly purple as that name would have you assume, this is one of those ube cream-filled churros with hefty nugs that carry a different color and a whiff of sweetness inside. As we mentioned before, flavor is an important factor for Ember Valley – and it feels like they sacrificed some color to pull out a lot of the subtle and spicy earthiness from the plant – helping your nose identify the cinnamon and vanilla notes that play through the smell as you break it down.
The Pairing
The fruity taste of the weed works well with the dark chocolate notes from the coffee. The sweetness in the flower plays with the citrusy bitterness of the beans to extend that flavor note – calmly and effortlessly threading the needle and transitioning into that full-bodied chocolatey taste. But, what makes this a perfect partner to pitch the ole hippie speedball is how this strain keeps your senses sharp but muscles relaxed. As the caffeine kicks in (instead of a jittery feeling), you get a powerful sharpness of mind that can cut you if you aren’t careful – so give your hands something to do before your brain starts racing.
Web & Social: kushcups.com | ember-valley.com | @kushcups | @ember_valley
