Icarus Launch
If you don't know the story, Icarus and his father, Daedalus, crafted wings of wax and feathers to escape evil King Minos (pronounced "Meanie" in Greek, I've heard). Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, but Icarus was enraptured at the freedom of flight and flew too close to the sun. Tragically, the wings melted and Icarus fell into the sea and drowned.
This story really impacted my imagination as a kid both inclining me to generally obey my father and with an initial fear of flying. Not only do I really enjoy the arch of the story, which my Greek Grandmother told me as a young child, but I think it is a timeless story bigger than sons disobeying their fathers. It’s a story of getting too big for your britches as well. While it’s too easy to pick on people who’ve had a coming up in life followed by a dramatic fall, it is a warning to everyone with natural ambitions to be rooted and stay truly humble.
On to the coffee, Icarus has been a big surprise for me over the last month. This high-flying coffee is grown on the Harley Estate in Mysore in Southern India. The flavor profile has big notes of cherry, cocoa and oak, and I get hints of grapefruit towards finish. I think the oak is the pleasantly dominant flavor here, and it delivers a feeling of savory comfort. (It’s a really good match with an everything bagel and cream cheese.) As my mother said, “It’s melt in your mouth delicious.”