FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the difference between French and Vienna Roast?

The difference between French and Vienna Roast are minor differences to an untrained drinker. Coffee is coffee, and it may seem like most of what I say is "talked up", but to the trained taster and the experienced cupper or coffee drinker, it becomes apparent that there really is a difference between French and Vienna Roasts.

French Roast is historically and technically the darkest roast you can go without ruining a batch of coffee. However, you will notice that with Kona Coffee, the bean is in such a superior class of coffee that you really don't have to burn the coffee to taste good. Historically, businesses roast their coffee (as in the case of Yuban and Maxwell house, Starbucks) to a French Roast to "hide" the unpleasant nuances in the marginal coffee they are buying. This allows, say for example, a sour note in the green bean to be "burned" out and replaced with a carmelized sugar flavor and the classic "coffee smell" that everyone has come to associate with coffee. Note that Mountain Thunder has a proprietary roasting method where we do not "burn" the coffee. Historically, our French Roast started as a French Roast (~460 degrees F), but now we roast technically to the light end of Dark Roasts. Nevertheless, the label has stayed the same, and we still call it French Roast. This is a result of the Green Kona Coffee bean being so superior, that to burn the coffee takes away from the superior flavor of Kona Beans. These flavors are Chocolate bursts, Cinnamon flares, and Nutty nuances.

Basically, if I were to present to you two little espresso cups, one with French Roast and one With Vienna Roast, you would probably like the French Roast best. This is a result of French Roast being the most popular roast in the world. The Japanese expect it, the Europeans expect it, and Americans are forced to buy it. The French Roast would have the characteristic coffee smell (smell is part of the experience of taste), but you would notice a little bitterness that comes from the higher temperature roast of the bean. The Vienna Roast would not have the characteristic coffee smell, and you might even say it smells "dead" when compared to the French Roast, but you would definitely appreciate the smooth, buttery flavor, with no aftertaste. Vienna Roast is definitely more experimental, but if you are looking for the smoothest flavor, you would probably appreciate it very much. Nevertheless, I will tell you that French Roast is the safest choice, by far. We serve Vienna Roast at our tasting center in Kailua Kona.

2. Why did I not receive a shipping confirmation ?

After you have made a successful order on www.mountainthunder.com, you will be displayed the following information saying that your payment was successful. If you need a copy of your order in invoice form, you can click on the following link -- http://www.mountainthunder.com/your_orders.php.

This information is located in your control panel, by clicking on the link that says "Your Orders (X)" Where X is the amount of orders you have made with us. You can review your one-time orders, as well as your recurring, coffee club orders through this console. Once you are viewing the proper order, you can utilize the print function in your browser to make yourself a copy of your most recent order.

3 . I can no longer log in with my existing password, what should I do ?

This error sometimes occurs, but is very rare. Nevertheless, you should try to retrieve your password using the "I forgot password!" link underneith the login text boxes. If this does not work for you, you can email us at customercare@mountainthunder.com, and we will delete your account, which will allow you to re-login with your most current credentials and personal information.

4. Coffee Club FAQ

Unfortunately, you can not change your order once you have committed to your three order minimum. This includes changing a flavor, roast, type of coffee, or grind-type. If you want to change what you ordered, we will need to cancel your current recurring order and start a new one with the products that you want. Please contact us

• I want to update my credit card information .

This is done online by changing your account information from your control panel.

5
. The Frequently Asked Questions does not answer my question, what should I do ?

You should email customercare@mountainthunder.com with your Name, and telephone number outlining how we can help you best.

Mahalo,

Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation