JAZ Improv Coffees : Great New Fun

The restless muse that inspires our coffee R&D here at Len's cannot be contained, it can only be supplicated by periodic forays into uncharted ground.

When creating a new coffee blend, we often feel restricted by the normal process of testing and marketing to determine if a coffee will succeed and become a part of our permanent lineup. However, what if we take away that concern? What if we had a line of experimental coffees that explored some challenging (and even heroic*) themes involving first analyzing and categorizing each coffee origin's dominant taste characteristics - is it buttery? Is it caramely? Sweet? Citrusy? What dominant notes can we bring out and enhance with natural extracts to create a uniquely intense culinary experience? And then what if we said that we don't care if these coffees have a "career"?

"Plein air" paintings, sand castles, sidewalk art... none of these are repeatable or even permanent things. They capture an artisanal moment and can be appreciated while they last. That is the essence of JAZ Improv coffees! We also gave them away FREE in the holiday season because to us, they were a celebration of coffee creativity that we wanted to present as a thank you to our wonderful customers.

Our initial offering : JAZ Improv Pirate Series, embodied coffee themes that were Caribbean in origin (Parrot Bay / Butter Me Rum) and the coasts of Madagascar (Long Live Libertalia!) and even Polynesia Amnesia. Drawing from our unparalleled diversity in world coffee species and origins, and seeking new achievements in the blending arts, we had a great time and (we think) made some great coffees.

As of this writing we are working on a 3-coffee theme, JAZ Improv : Traveler Series. These coffees pay homage to culinary treasures from popular world locations and take coffee boldly where it has never gone before. Black Forest Blend captures the mystery of Germany's Der Schwarzwald (Black Forest) with its delightful dark, tart cherry-based desserts. More to come!

We've had many customers ask if they can buy these coffees after their release was over, and we have realized that we should make any remaining stock available to customers at the fun price of only $5 a bag, always... while supplies last on each coffee. So watch for the new JAZ Improv Coffee Page, coming soon, if you are looking for another hit on something that struck your fancy.

We'll keep creating it if you'll keep drinking it!

* You wouldn't believe the time and effort and creativity that goes into a new "themed" coffee. Sometimes we experiment with 20 iterations, testing each out with focus groups!