McNulty's in the Village introduced me to this bean this summer. I was surprised how good it was. When I visited Bali many years ago, no coffee was grown there at that time to inform me. And frankly, I was suspicious of the bit too cute marketing in the name. Was it done to compensate for a mediocre product? My suspicions were entirely unfounded. We love this coffee! It is one of those beans that is satisfying just to smell as an open bag of beans. But unlike other beans we enjoy this way, we let this one linger longer, often a lot longer. It can be embarrassing to find oneself doing this to excess. You have been warned.
Do not be impressed when any company labels this bean as special because it is "Organic". By Indonesian law, all Bali Blue Moon is organic. It is quite distinct in flavor from neighboring islands' Java and Sumatra coffee, although they too rank highly to me. Thankfully, this was also delivered very fresh and full of flavor.
Unlike my disappointment with another coffee retailed by this same company, the Bali Blue Moon roast was done exactly as disclosed, a medium roast. I like a wide variety of coffees but really do insist that I receive the roast that is advertised. Roasting is not an arbitrary process. Each bean will have a roast that is best in order to deliver the things you love about that particular coffee. As customers, it is a matter of trust that we get what we expect and that is based upon what is described. In theory, any coffee's roast should be easily disclosed by looking at the prominently displayed roast meter. It provides dual indicators: color patches from light to dark and an obvious meter indicator's selection. In case you missed these, the coffee beans are also photographed. Three indicators in total, graphic illustration, the moving hand of a meter, and photograph make it easy to understand what the roast looks like before you buy. At least that is how it is supposed to work. Read my review of their Panama Boquete to see what can happen when the company fails to follow its own roast color ratings. Thankfully, this was not the case with its Bali Blue Moon beans. It matters. For example, there is a faint, underlying, almost spicy flavor to Balinese coffee that would be lost if it was under or over roasted. Should another company decide to significantly under or over roast these beans, that is fine too because you could easily avoid buying it as long as those three indicators accurately informed you what was inside the bag. If you are going to sell coffee online you better not fool your customers by mislabeling the roast. There are no such surprises when you walk into physical stores and can see the actual beans.
I do not have any criticisms of this Bali Blue Moon coffee. You will know already if you tend to only drink the darkest roasts. If that is true, I would not recommend that you buy 5 pounds of a medium roast -- even of this exceptional quality -- coffee. Find a place to sample it first just to try it out before buying such a large amount.
If you enjoy what my wife and I love about this coffee, note that the price here for this large bag is very attractive at $40. It is offered here at half the price we have spent elsewhere for this bean. Highly recommended.
Made with materials harvested from responsibly managed forests.
As certified by
Rainforest Alliance
Rainforest Alliance
Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization working to create a better future for people and nature. By choosing Rainforest Alliance certified products, you help support farmers to follow more sustainable, climate-smart farming practices that protect natural resources and the environment by using land, water, and energy more carefully. These practices also safeguard carbon-storing forests and help farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change, which ultimately improves their livelihoods.
