The coffee equivalent of a big, full-bodied Cabernet, Empire is as bold as the famous Corsican empire-builder that inspired the label. While this coffee is what is known in North America as a French roast, it's much darker than a traditional French coffee. The coffee is roasted to the point that the beans reach a deep, dark brown color and aromatic oils coat the surface of the beans. Roasting beyond the second crack to develop this color brings out bittersweet, smoky notes in the beans and mutes the brighter, winy notes. All the coffees used in our Empire blend were selected to contribute to its full body and dark cocoa flavors. These beans are hand-picked from high-altitude Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in Latin America. To highlight the robust character of Empire, we suggest using a French Press as the ideal brew method, though it works well in an auto-drip brewer for larger groups.