Unlock Medusa’s Madness With the Fellow Clara French Press
The Black Rifle Coffee Company Exclusive Coffee Subscription (ECS) offers a world-class, exclusive coffee experience to a limited number of BRCC customers each month. Each microlot features a unique, high-demand, exotic coffee roast hand-selected by CEO Evan Hafer and the BRCC Coffee Development team.
This month’s ECS is microlot No. 33 — Medusa’s Madness. And the legend of this unique Rwandan roast is too good not to share.
It’s been said that long ago, the hero Perseus killed the legendary monster Medusa and took her head, then he flew off with the trophy with the help of Hermes’ winged sandals. While Perseus dashed across the sky, tiny droplets of Medusa’s blood rained down over the ranges of the Abakundakawa region of what is now known as Rwanda.
These droplets became immersed in the ancient magic of this dense and mysterious jungle, sprouting cursed coffee beans that possessed the dark powers of ancient Greek gods. Local tribes managed to protect the beans from outsiders until they ran into an American Special Forces unit on a mission in Africa thousands of years later.
Photo by Kelly Getzelman/BRCC Blog.
These operators were heavily undercaffeinated and decided these beans would give them the boost they needed to get shit done. The tribal chief warned the men not to touch the cursed coffee, begging them to think of their safety. The captain of the unit pushed him aside, showed him his trigger finger, and said, “This is my safety, sir,” as he brewed the coffee anyway.
There was an uneasiness among the natives as the men began to brew the coffee, and they fled one by one into the jungle. This unnerved some of the men, who had previously brushed off the idea of a curse. A fruity aroma began to fill the air. The captain poured himself the first cup of coffee, then bravely took the first sip to reassure his men. He was overwhelmed with mandarin orange, honey, and rich caramel taste notes.
Suddenly, the captain began screaming and clawing at his eyes. By drinking the blood of Medusa, he’d unknowingly opened a bridge between Hades and Earth. Medusa then seized the captain’s body, taking on a mortal form once again and turning the entire unit into stone as they looked on in horror.
Image courtesy of Black Rifle Coffee Company.
After spending some time brewing this coffee using the supplied ECS recipe card, we paired Medusa’s Madness with the BRCC x Fellow Clara French Press. The Clara’s unique vacuum-insulated walls maintain the ideal brewing temperature for optimal extraction and keep your coffee hot for your second and third cups, and the enhanced mesh filtration makes them taste as smooth and silt-free as the first.
As a starting point, we recommend a 1:14 coffee-to-water ratio; this is the ratio for the aid lines inside the Clara device.
- Remove the lid.
- Using the ratio aid lines, fill with coarse grounds to the coffee line (60 grams).
- Fill with water (195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit) to the water line (840 grams).
- Stir for 30 seconds using the supplied agitation stick, reaching the Clara’s bottom and sides to break up any clumps. Agitation disperses the coffee grounds for even extraction and balanced flavors.
- Set the enhanced mesh filter right above water level and put the lid back on. Press down slightly (around 1 centimeter) to ensure the blooming coffee is submerged.
- Wait for four minutes.
- Slowly press the filter plunger down to the bottom. Aim for the full press to take about 15 seconds.
- Pour the Medusa’s Madness into your favorite mug. If you don’t want to drink it all at once, the Clara's heat-lock, double-walled vacuum will keep your coffee warm.
- When you’re done, rinse the Clara with warm, soapy water and watch the grinds slide right out, thanks to the easy-clean nonstick coating.
Photo courtesy of Black Rifle Coffee Company.
The French press was a perfect match for this month’s ECS. We were able to easily unlock the rich tasting notes and fruity aroma of this medium roast and maintain the bright acidity that a brewing device like the French press offers its users.
And legend has it that an ancient monster with hella trigger discipline still roams the jungles, seeking revenge, using special warfare tactics to turn her enemies into stone.
The BRCC x Fellow Clara French Press is available now on the official Black Rifle Coffee Company website. When you join the ECS, you’ll get monthly shipments of high-scoring microlot coffees from around the world.
