Another Coffee Review

||ESPRESSO|| Counter Culture Coffee - El Salvador Finca Mauritania Pulp Natural Espresso

2008-03-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

Coffee: Counter Culture Coffee - Finca Mauritania Pulp Natural Espresso
Price: $10.25/12 oz. + Shipping = $1.15/oz.
Year: 2008
Blend: Single Origin Espresso from Santa Ana, El Salvador
Roast: Slightly darker than they roast this same lot for drip/press coffee - probably just before second crack.
What they say: "An experiment by our roasting department has resulted in one of most delicious single origin espressos we have ever experienced. Roasted to the perfect pitch for espresso, this unique, very limited single origin espresso offers rich, round notes of dark chocolate, molasses, cherry, and licorice above a smooth, creamy body." Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES
Scores - 87, 87, 87, 87, 87

Crema: Quite dark in the cup, with a burnt sugar taste. I found the crema to be on the thin side overall.

Aroma: I found aromas of flowers and anise. I think less of the roast itself comes through in the aroma than in a typical espresso, making for a lighter, sweeter "nose."

Body: I found the body to be light overall, but not sharply bitter. Often times thin body means a poor prognosis for a shot of espresso - not the case here. While thin, the shot still goes down smooth. The sip lingers on the tongue, but more like a windbreaker than the down-blanket characteristic of many espressos.

Milk: I only had soy milk available for this espresso's tenure. The "lattes"were unexciting, but can't you say that about all soy-milk drinks?

Profile & Flavors: One thing to note is that I found myself able to pull this espresso very consistently, with only minor grinder adjustments. The major flavors I tasted were cherries and plums, with a bit of anise. I also tasted dark honey (the chunky, unprocessed stuff). Think about those chocolate covered cherries with the liquor that bursts out, but with less chocolate ... like biting off one end and eating the whole filling ... then tone the intensity down about half. Someone I was sharing this with made a comment that this espresso would be a great way to win over your regular coffee drinkers to the world of espresso. I couldn't agree more. The shots are not as big as traditional espresso blends. The Finca Mauritania is smooth instead of rich, tastes of fruit syrup instead of melted chocolate, and is sweet instead of smokey. If your typical espresso is a port reduction, this is a "coffee consommé," that being a concentration of all the flavors you might expect to find if you brewed this coffee in a press pot.

Pairings: Good dark chocolate is the perfect compliment for this espresso. I thought it might actually make a good breakfast coffee, so I tried it once in the moka pot, and made enough to get a small cup to sit alongside my chocolate chip pancakes. Success.

Buy Again? Again, my overall impression was positive. Compared to SO Costa Rica espresso I tasted earlier, I preferred this one for sure. That being said, I would probably only recommend this in two situations: 1) The SO aficionado, who wants to try any SO espresso worth trying; and 2) The lonely espresso lover looking for a way to slowly sway friends toward espresso drinking.

||ESPRESSO|| Counter Culture Coffee - Twin Cities Express

2008-03-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

Coffee: COUNTER CULTURE COFFEE – TWIN CITIES EXPRESS
Price: $15.50/12oz + Shipping = $1.61/oz
Year: February 2008
Blend: Lem Butler’s custom blend with coffees from Brazil, El Salvador, and Ethiopia
Roast: Full City, no surface oils
What they say: “Counter Culture barista Lem Butler used this custom espresso blend to win his second Southeast Regional Barista Competition in three years. Rich notes of caramel, toasted nuts, and citrus dance atop a smooth body and a sweet, berry-like aftertaste.” Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES:
Scores - 87, 90, 88, 89, 89

Crema: Rich, dark brown crema with a toasted marshmallow flavor. More sweet than bitter

Aroma: Mostly sweet on the nose – almost floral. I also noticed a faint hint of fresh sawdust on the nose.

Body: Excellent body, very rich and smooth. I often consider how viscous an espresso feels in the mouth as a major determinant of body. It isn’t just the pull – some blends give a more syrupy character, and this is an amazing example of just how syrupy and rich an espresso can feel in your mouth. The initial sip is thick and rich, and the body never fades.

Milk: A very nice espresso to blend into milk drinks. I found myself consistently making some very interesting cappuccinos. The coffee flavor was not at all lost in milk, and the resulting
drink was very rich with flavors of cream and dark berries.

Profile & Flavors: Overall, this was a blend that I felt I was pulling fairly consistently by looking at the shots. Upon tasting, however, I found a wide variety in flavors. Some shots were very sweet, with orange and blackberry flavors predominating. Others I found a completely different profile, with brown sugar, butter, and nutty flavors. Yet others were a sort of complex medley that was difficult to define. Though the shots may have tasted different, they had one thing in common: they were all very rich, and all very delicious. I think not quite knowing what to expect out of each shot may very well have made me like this espresso even more. Overall, the most notable characteristic was the thick, rich body. The overall buttery, sugary backbone of the shots reminded me of dark nut brittle that hasn’t quite hardened.

Pairings: Come to think of it, some dark nut brittle would probably have been a great companion, though I cannot confirm this. I did find that the shot tasted great with dark chocolate pieces.

Buy Again? Yes, though I believe this blend was a limited time thing. Mr. Butler, if you come up with another espresso creation, I will certainly give it a go.

||ETHIOPIA|| PT's Coffee - Ethiopia Biloya Selection One

2008-02-03T14:11:00.001-08:00

Coffee: PT's COFFEE - ETHIOPIA BILOYA SELECTION ONE
Price: $23.95/12 oz + Shipping = $2.29/oz
Year: 2007 (December)
Location: Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. This is a special selection lot of dry processed coffee
Roast: Medium-light ... probably toward end of City

What they say: Various roasters have sold this coffee over the last year. Here is Ken David's review of 4 of them, which provides a good idea of what to expect. I tasted the coffee corresponding to this review.

Tasting Notes:
FRENCH PRESS; Score - 95

Fragrance: The dry fragrance out of the grinder is extremely powerful, and the flavor is undeniable - blueberries, blueberries, and more blueberries. Subtle background hints of ginger and pepper

Aroma: A delicious wet aroma that follows through where the dry fragrance left off. I looked forward to cracking the crust every single time I made this coffee, because the aroma was just so unique and pleasing. Blueberries, tropical fruit, and sweet honey predominate. In the background are earthy notes, and a hint of the roast comes through. Even sitting in the cup, the aroma really permeates the whole room.

Body: It feels like a big bodied coffee, which I would describe as almost tannic - like young Bordeaux wines or Cabs. This puckering flavor is separate from the acidity, and really coats the mouth. There is also a nice earthy body in the cup, which mellows a bit as the cup cools.

Acidity: There is no doubting that this is a bright coffee. Very well balanced. A nice, bright, grapefruit-y sensation is the first thing to hit the tongue. This immediately melts into the driving flavors behind the coffee - blueberries, and a wonderful tartness. If the Lord created a fresh blueberry that had the tartness of a cranberry, this is what it would taste like.

Finish: The coffee finishes quite mildly. As the fruit and acid fades, the coffee flavors left in your mouth are very earthy. Sweet spices - like corriander and ginger - reveal themselves. The finish isn’t big, and it isn’t complex. But it is delicious. Simple, sweet, earthy. There is very little lingering aftertaste, but it does leave a tannic sensation in the mouth, and begs for the next sharp sip.

Profile & Flavors: Blueberries. Earth. The flavors were so straightforward, that I think this coffee can be aptly described with those two descriptors. I could use more: honey, corriander, ginger, and tart. But as I said, this coffee was straightforward ... and delicious. Many people get caught up in culinary complexity. Complexity is great. It’s unique. To execute complex flavors requires skill, and when executed properly, can create whole new avenues in flavor. But complexity isn’t everything. The sum total of a complex dish (food, drink, cup of coffee, etc) won’t come together unless the characteristics of its individual ingredients are impeccable. And once that makes sense, it becomes extremely easy to appreciate simplicity ... even to celebrate simplicity. That is exactly what this coffee brings to mind. It is quite simply amazing quality. The tart blueberry flavors exploded in my mouth and nose. I do want to emphasize the tart flavor. First of all, tart does not equal bitter, and bitter does not equal bad. They are two different things in my mind, neither of which is meant to sound better than the other. I found this coffee to be much more tart than bitter, which I can't recall from any coffees I have tried before.

Pairings: A great “drink-alone” coffee - I found myself drinking this coffee by itself in the afternoon as a snack. Paired well with fresh fruit. Paired poorly with cheese.

Buy Again? Without a doubt. This is the highest I have ever rated a coffee, and I will undoubtedly remember it for a long time to come. Again, like some other coffees I have written about, this is a great example of how good coffee can be. For people who consistently drink good coffee, I think this would be a chance to appreciate the difference between great coffee and good coffee. And for the casual, pre-ground, drip coffee drinker, I have been told the difference is “mind boggling.” The price was certainly high, but among the high priced coffee in 2007, I think this had to be one of the winners.

ESPRESSO; Scores - 83, 85, 86, 85

Crema: Thinnish, reddish brown crema. Tastes nutty.

Aroma: Pineapple and tangerine like aromas. Interestingly, as obvious as the blueberries were in the grind and in press pot coffee, I really didn’t find when pulled as espresso.

Body: A medium body, thinner than most traditional espressos. A nice mouthfeel however, with definite earthiness throughout the sip. The tartness apparent in the press pot is also apparent in the shot.

Milk: I only made one big milk drink with this coffee - a cappuccino. As you might guess, it was quite fruity and sweet. A good cappuccino - different if nothing else. I did make a couple macciatos, and a couple espresso con panna drinks. The con panna was my favorite overall way to drink this espresso - richly sweet with an underlying fruity taste. Quite tasty.

Profile & Flavors: Overall, this coffee is not particularly difficult to pull as espresso, and produces a thinnish, yet nicely balanced shot. This is certainly no ground breaking SO espresso, but it is worth pulling and drinking in my opinion. To put it simply, the shots have an earthy background, with a tartly sweet taste at the beginning of the sip. It finishes mildly, but the sweet flavors linger throughout. I think adding high fat milk helps these flavors stay in the mouth longer, and create nice drinks.

Pairings: Works very well by itself. As an espresso con panna, having a fruit scone or muffin on the side was a very nice treat.

||NICARAGUA|| Olympia Coffee Roasting Co - Nicaragua Las Termopilas (CoE #4)

2008-01-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

Coffee: OLYMPIA COFFEE ROASTING CO - NICARAGUA LAS TERMOPILAS
Year: 2007 (December)
Location/Blend: From a farm located in Esteli, a landlocked region in the North of Nicaragua.
Price: $12 for 8oz + Shipping = $1.89/oz
Roast: Full City

What they say: “#1 Nicaraguan COE Organic Coffee. Exceptionally well balanced, floral aroma, sweet acidity flavors of honey, brown sugar, and vanilla with a long pleasing finish.”
Read about it on the CoE website

TASTING NOTES
FRENCH PRESS	ESPRESSO
Fragrance: Very disctinctive dry fragrance of toasted white bread. Undertones of lime zest.	Crema:
Aroma: Ever had that Cuban holiday dish, with pork roasted long and slow with oranges and its own juices? That is what the wet aroma brought to mind, sweet yet spicy. Paprika, oranges, and chocolate predominate. Absolutely incredible.	Aroma:
Body: Almost sticky, with a surprisingly heavy body coming through.	Body:
Acidity: A good acidity punch to counteract a surprising body.	Milk:
Finish: Very pleasant lingering finish, with sweet and nutty flavors. There is a bit of a fatty element to the whole mouthfeel. Think of flash fried almonds dusted with powdered sugar. Flavors of oranges, honey, and chocolate are also present. The aftertaste will linger for quite some time if you allow it to. When I did, I noticed the pungency of fresh greens deep into the aftertaste.
Profile & Flavors: This coffee is a beautiful maroon type color in the pour with great layering. The initial flavor reminded me of bread, honey, and nuts. Think honey nut cheerios. As the cup cools, the orange and chocolate flavors come through, with spices in the background. The cup finishes quite boldly, with a fatty mouthfeel, and the finish stays tasty on the tongue for at least a minute or two.	Profile & Flavors: I did not pull this coffee as espresso. There was too little of it, and I was appreciating it too much in the press!
Pairings: This coffee would be a great pair with a hardy breakfast: bacon and eggs or pancakes. Fruits and chocolate, on the other hand, don’t do anything special for the coffee.	Pairings
Score: 90	Score:
Buy Again? Most definitely. The first few cups of this coffee were nice. But after sitting for a couple days, the cups really started to explode with such unique flavors. The wet aroma was incredible, and a sure way to impress someone with how quality coffee can be a real culinary treat.

||ESPRESSO|| Paradise Roasters - Espresso Havana Reserve 2007

2007-12-07T16:00:00.001-08:00

Coffee: PARADISE ROASTERS – ESPRESSO HAVANA RESERVE
Price: $20.95/14oz. + Shipping = $1.75/oz.
Year: 2007 (November)
Blend/Roast: Sumatra Lake Tawar + Panama Esmerelda Special. Roasted quite dark
Paradise says: “Working with our Espresso Havana as a starting point, we set out to create a top shelf and more refined version of this coffee's profile. Our Espresso Havana was designed to pair well with a fine cigar as well as offer the heavy mouthfeel and smoky tobacco-like tastes for those enjoying this blend without the aforementioned cigar. The results were even better than we had hoped for. This espresso pairs marvelously with cigars. It mixes well with milk but truly shines on its own. Intense and perfectly balanced body, acidity, and sweetness provide a wonderful backdrop for the complexity of flavors layered on that invites exploration. Cherry, brandy, tobacco, white pepper, chocolate, orange, and vanilla are all present. Enjoy espresso perfection while it lasts. Only 250 bags available.” Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES
Crema: Relatively thin, medium color, tastes earthy
Aroma: Lovely peppery and smoky aroma
Body: Full bodied, though not syrupy
Milk: Works admirably in milk for a unique cap or macc. I think it gets lost in a latte. A definite dual layered milk drink is made as opposed to a single new flavor. The chocolate and vanilla are still apparent, and make for a quality milk drink. But as the roaster says, it works better left to stand for itself.

Scores: 86, 88, 85, 86, 87

Profile & Flavors: Overall, this is a unique and complex espresso. Consistent flavors throughout: unsweetened chocolate and vanilla, with a smokiness in the aftertaste. Fleeting/changing flavors include: orange zest, tobacco, earth, brown sugar. The design of this espresso in indeed unique, and it comes through in the shots. Pretty finicky to pull overall. Considering the description, I was surprised to find that the tobacco and the smoky elements did not overpower the shot. It was actually a lot sweeter than I expected it to be. Though it is not apparent with each sip, one of the stronger flavors – when it is present - is actually orange zest. The tobacco and smoke are indeed there, but as I said, they seemed to be a basal flavor upon which other layers are added, and the “cigar” qualities rarely come to the forefront. The overall feeling is a bold espresso that has been tamed with sweetness. Almost like adding sugar without actually needing to do so.

Pairing: Given the specific mention of cigars by the roaster, I did indeed try the pairing. Before delving into that experiment, I want to briefly mention a couple pairings. Pieces of dark chocolate were the best compliment to this espresso. A solid combo. Another food to try is caramel popcorn. Pairings that did not go well: citrus fruit, pears, and cheese.
As for cigars: I decided to try both cigars and shisha with this espresso. Of course, choices in cigar are more varied than choice in espresso. I used a Padron 5000, mostly because I have always found these cigars to have a smooth smoke texture that shouldn't overpower espresso. The most predominant flavors I taste in this cigar are chocolate and coffee, which seemed good for this experiment. Of course, the 5000s are also one of my go-to cheap cigars (they cost about $4-5). I also tried smoking some home-made orange shisha in an attempt to pair flavors. On to the coffee itself. I think the underlying bold qualities of the espresso would stand up to most quality cigars, though the potent tobacco used at the end of many cigars is likely too strong for even the boldest of espressos. It was in this case. The flavors worked well with the shisha, likely due to the sweetness and smoother smoke. While the flavors worked in both cases, I am not sure the overall experience does ... at least not as well as the picture on the front of the bag of coffee beans would imply. I think next time I need to try wearing a better hat. But I digress. Espresso enjoyment is best but in terms of minutes. Cigar enjoyment is meant to be in terms of hours. And I am not convinced that a hot espresso will ever pair with cigars. Regardless, I certainly applaud the effort.

Buy Again? Well, considering they only sold 250 bags, this question is likely a moot point. I was excited to see them incorporate some of the Esmeralda into an espresso ... no it wasn't the record breaking auction lot, but it was an interesting blend. Again, it is obvious that Paradise sources their beans well. I enjoyed the experiment, but think I will veer toward their other espresso blends when re-ordering from Paradise.

||COSTA RICA|| Paradise Roasters - El Patio, COE #20

2007-12-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Coffee: PARADISE ROASTERS – COSTA RICA SO ESPRESSO, El PATIO (2007 COE #20)
Price: 12.95/14 oz + Shipping = $1.18/oz
Year: 2007 (November)
Location/Blend: Exact location not specified
Roast: Intentionally taken to a darker roast for the purpose of creating a SO espresso
Flavors to look for: “Rose petals, lime, cashews, dark chocolate, raisins, citrus”
What they say at Paradise Roasters: “A single origin espresso from Costa Rica. This particular lot of coffee is from the 2007 CoE Competition where the coffee took 20th place. It is the "El Patio" … A dynamic, elegant espresso. Bright but not sharp with a delightful nose of rose petals, lime, and cashews. Savory in the cup with a backdrop of dark chocolate and raisin that sparkles with hints of citrus as the cup cools.” Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES
FRENCH PRESS	ESPRESSO
Fragrance: Sweet, floral … overall very bright and invigorating right out of the bag	Crema: Deep brown color, tastes nutty. Relatively thin
Aroma: Like the dry fragrance, but bigger, with added elements of dried fruit. Almost “alcohol-y” like fruit cake.	Aroma: Faint floral and sweet aroma underneath the roast
Body: Smooth from the outset. Bigger in the mouth than you might expect. As the cup cools, the body thickens and is almost buttery.	Body: Light body, but smooth overall.
Acidity: Most of the acid is toward the end of each sip. Herbal, almost piney at times. Overall, the cup has a sweet vinegar acidity	Milk: The nuances of this espresso – which I find to be subtle – are lost in milk combinations … better as a straight shot
Finish: The finish is extremely clean, with sweetness and a certain medicinal quality. Elements of honey and flowers, reminding me of the sweetest, thickest puffs of jasmine shisha.
Profile & Flavors: A very pleasing cup overall, with oils buoyed at the top of the cup until the last sip. With the first sip, my attention was drawn to flavors of dried fruit on the front of the tongue. As I let the coffee coat more of my tongue, milk chocolate flavors and a buttery mouthfeel took over. In broad terms, the finish is very sweet, and the aftertaste lingers for quite some time. The most enjoyable thing about this coffee was certainly this aftertaste, which slowly changes from sweet to medicinal after a minute or so. As the cup cools, the alcohol-like aroma thickens, and flavors of raisins and sweet spices come forth. Think rum soaked fruit cake. Overall, a great cup of coffee to enjoy over sweet breakfast pastries … or maybe a slice of that fruit cake you have been using as a door stop.	Profile & Flavors: Consistently easy to pull. Very nutty throughout, though I pick up walnuts as opposed to the cashews the roaster noticed. There is a definite tart element in the finish, like tart cherries. There is a definite sweetness, and it is actually slightly metallic, like unrefined sugar. Hints of honey and chocolate come out if you let the sip sit in the mouth a bit longer that usual. Overall, the shot is subtly sweet behind an obvious nuttiness A cool sip tastes sharp, but I would hardly call it citrus. In my opinion, drink it while it is hot.
Pairings: Purely coincidentally, I ended up drinking this with warm butter tarts … and the combination was delicious. Citrus fruits did not pair well.	Pairings: Chocolate pairs well. You might think some nuts would work nicely with this nutty espresso, but I found the combo to be underwhelming.
Score: 86	Score: 85, 86, 85, 85, 86
Buy Again? Probably not. I do appreciate this coffee's consistency and its versatility to work nicely both as a SO Espresso and in the press pot. In fact, even though this coffee was roasted for espresso, I enjoyed it better out of the press pot. Paradise Roasters, as well as some others, do sell this El Patio coffee roasted "regularly," which I assume is a lighter roast. I am not sure whether or not this would really be worth trying. The darker roast may indeed have caused some of the lighter flavors to be lost in the press pot. But I am not sure that the unique "fruit cake" elements would have come through at the lighter roast. But these are opinions of taste. Shifting to the bigger picture - I was not surprised by this coffee, either for better or for worse. The quality of the beans comes through, and you know you are drinking a well sourced coffee. Overall, I think it is probably a nice example of this origin - nothing more and nothing less.

||ETHIOPIA|| Counter Culture Coffee - Yirgacheffe v. Harrar

2007-11-10T10:42:00.001-08:00

I think comparing these two coffees is like comparing French wines. You know that you shouldn't compare Bordeauxs to Rhones to Burgundys. They have distinct regions, distinct histories, and distinct flavors. It should be apples to apples, right? I think so ... to an extent. You can't always be so static and structured. It is only in comparing their differences that you figure out that each region is very much worthwhile. And you also discover that no matter how indifferent you try to be, you always develop a favorite.

So I won't fight it with coffee. I am going to compare these two different coffees, from two different regions, with two different histories ... together. And I think my experience was all the richer for doing so. So to lead off, a couple of ridiculous comparisons:
1) If these coffees were French wines, the Yirgacheffe is Champange - fresh, bright, and works great mixed with other drinks. The Harrar is a white Burgundy - fruity, dry, and well balanced.
2) If these coffees were cheese, the Yirgacheffe is sweetned mascarpone - refreshingly sweet in small quantities. The Harrar is mizithra - subtly enjoyable and unique.

YIRGACHEFFE
Coffee: COUNTER CULTURE – ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE
Price: $9.95/12 oz + Shipping = $1.03/oz.
Year: 2007 (March)
Varietal:
Location: Ambessa (southern Ethiopian mountains)
Flavors to look for: Pronounced lemon-blossom-honey flavor, mango, fruit
What they say: “Yirgacheffe just might be the best example of terroir, the “taste of place,” that we seek whenever we search out great coffees. One can taste the potent flowers of the Yirgacheffe bushes in the fragrance of the coffee, and the sweetness of the local honey seems to make its way into the coffee beans themselves. The overall taste of the coffee is so brilliant, is it possible that the sun-drying lets in a little bit of the sun’s brightness? The floral character of this coffee is overwhelming, and brings to mind roses and honeysuckle. The fruity nature and light body of this lot make it the perfect summer coffee

TASTING NOTES
FRENCH PRESS	ESPRESSO
Fragrance: Sweet, floral	Crema: Thin and pale
Aroma: Also floral and fresh	Aroma: Fruity
Body: Fairly light and smooth	Body: Thin
Acidity: Also fairly light, thought acidity seems to be in the drivers seat in the cup.	Milk: Actually makes an interesting milk drink, though I would hardly call it a cap or a latte. The milk becomes the dominant flavor, but it tastes good nevertheless.
Finish: A very fresh overall finish – moist, cool, and enjoyable.
Profile & Flavors: Honey definitely comes through, and it is certainly a light cup. I think this is a nice example of how much different coffees can be from each other. This truly is a very fresh, herbal, sweet coffee. Think of fresh Italian parsley – fresh and lively. And just as parsley truly works best as one element in a larger recipe, I think this coffee may work better in a blend. I do think it would work quite nicely as an iced coffee, and perhaps it is best suited for a hot day like the roaster says, but it doesn't seem suited for a cool March day in Omaha.	Profile & Flavors: I did pull it several times, but couldn’t seem to get much worth reviewing. Sweet elements tried to come through. Of absolutely no consequence: 6 parts vodka + 1 part of this coffee as espresso + 1/2 part simple syrup = a very solid and simple espresso martini.

Score: 85	Score: Not rated.
Buy Again? Yes and no (weak answer, I know). It is definitely educational to compare the Harrar and Yirgacheffe – the two dominant coffees from coffee’s original soil. My palate prefers the Harrar to the Yirg … this time. And while I know I prefer other origins for various reasons, I will undoubtedly be doing this same tasting comparison in years to come, if for nothing more than the fun of doing it.

HARRAR
Coffee: COUNTER CULTURE – ETHIOPIA HARRAR
Price: $10.25/12 oz + Shipping = $1.05/oz.
Year: 2007 (March)
Varietal:
Location: Illili Daarartu
Flavors to look for: Fruit, spice, wine
What they say: “Harrar may be the most exotic place I have ever seen. Coffee is grown in the mountains surrounding Harrar, and has been traded there for generations, making its way in the traditional fashions, by camel, wagon and boat, to the ports of Djibouti and Moka for export to Europe and beyod. We’ve just received the most recent shipment of coffee from Ililli Darartu, and once again it is redolent of fruit, spice, and wine. We love it, and we are looking forward to a long, strong relationship with the community of Bedenno.”

TASTING NOTES
FRENCH PRESS	ESPRESSO
Fragrance: Citrusy and sharp	Crema: Easily burnt, thin
Aroma: Similar to its fragrance out of the grinder	Aroma: A little musty and burnt
Body: Medium body, which battles with the acidity	Body: Thin overall
Acidity: I would call it medium acidity as well, which creates a nicely balanced cup.	Milk: Milk seems to drown out the seemingly thin espresso
Finish: A nice, dry, berry hinted finish. Well balanced, and the flavors are subtle on the finish.
Profile & Flavors: The cup is bright and sweet, but definitely has more strength and body than a Yirgacheffe. A nice Harrar all around. Flavors of cherries and berries are obvious, with a hint of chocolate. A spicy, pungent flavor lingers throughout the cup. It isn’t the typical cinnamon or pepper spice, however, more like fresh ginger. Think chocolate covered candied ginger (if you can) … almost surprisingly potent with the initial sip. On the finish, the flavors are muted, but unique.	Profile & Flavors: At least in my machine, this is too easily burnt and too finicky of a pull. The coffee is resultantly thin and completely without the bittersweet flavor that should be present in an espresso. Again, not every coffee is meant for espresso.

Score: 87	Score: Not rated.
Buy Again? I do prefer the Harrar to the Yirg. On it’s own, I would call this Harrar good, but not great. Credit where credit is due, however, as you can never fault a coffee that has the unique flavor profile that this coffee does.

||GUATEMALA|| The Roasterie - Guatemala Huehuetenagno

2007-10-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Coffee: THE ROASTERIE – LIMITED RESERVE GUATEMALAN HUEHUETENANGO HUIXOC ESTATE
Price: $11.27/12oz + Shipping = $1.19/oz
Year: 2007 (October)
Location/Blend: Reserve lot from the Huixoc Estate in Huehuetenango
Roast: Vienna style light roast
Flavors to look for: Cherries and Chocolate
What they say at The Roasterie: "The Huehuetenago region in Northwest Guatemala grows some of the best coffees in Central America. The Roasterie's HueHue is from the Huixoc Estate where the coffee is shade grown on the high slopes of the Sierra Madre in the cool mountain air. The coffee trees are of the Bourbon variety, when ripe the workers select the total ripe cherries and with the use of mountain water and sun drying the results are a world class coffee. Silky sweet in the cup with hints of cherry and chocolate resulted in a 92 rating by CoffeeReview.com." Read about it on their website

*TASTING NOTES*
FRENCH PRESS	ESPRESSO
Fragrance: Sharp citrus, smoky	Crema: Dissipates quickly, nutty taste
Aroma: Dry, deep, nutty	Aroma: Sweet cherries
Body: Mild body, but consistently smooth. Fades quickly	Body: Thin body
Acidity: Strong citrus-like acidity upfront that really opens up the cup. When brewed at lower temperatures, the acidity almost overpowers the cup. Balanced at higher brewing temperatures	Milk: Milk drinks have a chocolate flavor with notes of cherries, the sweetness of milk drowns out the bitter elements of the straight shot
Finish: Finishes with a sweet, tart flavor, like fruit that isn’t quite ripe. Dry, light finish, lacking complexity.
Profile & Flavors: Notably dense in the cup, with a deep color. Keeps a froth for several minutes, though not particularly oily. Acidity, fruity aroma, and nutty flavor predominate the early cup. Think of biting into a firm plum … very crisp and firm up front with strong acidity and sweetness that lingers in the back of the throat. Notably dry. As the cup cools, the acidity almost overwhelms the cup at times. When fully cooled, the coffee calms and takes on a very sugary flavor. At higher brewing temperatures, above 200*, the sugary sweetness combines with smokiness, reminding me of sweet BBQ sauce. Overall, a sharply acidic coffee that is very naturally sweet. More interesting at higher brewing temperatures. Parings: I think this needs to be sipped alongside food that is not acidic, like breakfast pastries, so as to cut down on the repeated acidity with every sip.	Profile & Flavors: Obviously, not every coffee is intended for espresso … this one certainly is not. Offers very little in terms of unique SO flavors. The roaster’s description says to look for cherry flavors. While I did not taste this when brewed in the press, there was a definite cherry element to the espresso. It actually works fairly well in milk drinks. Overall, even the best shots were fairly short, sharp, and thin. Most pulls actually ended up in the sink.
Score: 85	Score: No Rating
Buy Again? No. It very well may be my palate, but even at higher temps, the acidity overwhelmed what seemed to be interesting flavors. Weak as espresso. As a side note, this coffee actually worked fairly well with sugar as Turkish coffee.

||ESPRESSO|| The Roasterie - Super Tuscan Espresso

2007-10-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

Coffee: THE ROASTERIE – SUPER TUSCAN ESPRESSO
Price: $9.11/12oz. + Shipping = $1.02/oz.
Year: 2007 (October)
Blend/Roast: Secret Blend; Medium – French roast. The Roasterie air roasts all their coffees.
What they say at The Roasterie: “Super Tuscan Espresso recently received a 90 on CoffeeReview.com. We are proud to say that this is one of the most complex and tasty espressos on the market. Like the famous wine of Tuscany, this top-secret recipe delivers a buttery-sweet, soft and mellow, full-bodied flavor that simply melts in your mouth. Connoisseurs may note hints of cocoa and a unique nuttiness, it peaks six days after roasting. Absolutely perfect for after dinner with sweets or cheese.” Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES
Crema: Thick, rich, pecan colored crema
Aroma: Smokey and caramelly
Body: Medium body with a lingering finish
Milk: Mixes well with milk. I think the sweetness of the steamed milk balances out the bitterness in the espresso very nicely. While this espresso is quite bold as a straight shot, it melts into quite a nuanced cappuccino, with chocolate and fruity flavors present.

Score: 86, 88, 89, 87, 87

Profile & Flavors: Talk about a good description – this espresso truly did peak between 6-8 days for me. The earliest pulls – those being in the first 2-3 days – were quite spicy to my palate. Peppery and bitter on the finish, with a very big flavor upfront that I could not quite specify. Over the next couple days, a definite smoky element emerged. Still spicy, but think toasted white pepper as opposed to black pepper. As the espresso peaked on days 6-8, that enigmatic flavor became more identifiable. I taste dark caramel. There were also hints of sweetness to the pulls. All the pulls had a definite bitter element to them. At first it was a little too much I think – like a shot of Campari. But as the caramel elements began to come through, the shots seemed to balance better. I also noticed that a touch of sugar can benefit this espresso. I typically do not use sugar in my pulls, but the bitterness of the blend along with how well it worked with milk made me try a couple pulls with sugar. Interestingly, fruity elements came forth and combined with the smoky flavors to create a unique shot. Think of grilled fruit. Extending the alchohol metaphor, these pulls reminded me more of Anisette than Campari. The best shot I had was a straight ristretto: smoke, spice, and caramel – in that order. The most unique shot I had was a regular shot with a dash of sugar in it. A completely inconsequential note is the striking red color of the coffee itself. It really almost looked like red food coloring had been added, which I have never seen before.
Parings: I think this espresso would work great after a hefty meal, and it will definitely please all your guests, whether they prefer milk drinks or a straight shot.

Buy Again? Not yet. I like this espresso because it has unique flavors to it, but I would like to sample other espresso blends - even the other blends at The Roasterie before revisiting this.

||ESPRESSO|| Counter Culture Coffee - Espresso Toscano 2007

2007-10-17T10:49:00.001-07:00

Coffee: COUNTER CULTURE – ESPRESSO TOSCANO (CAFFE DULCE)
Price: $10.15/12oz. + Shipping = $1.05/oz.
Year: 2007 (February)
Blend/Roast:

Brazil

Ipanema "Dulce" + Sumatra Lintong + Sumatra Aceh Gayo; A wonderful espresso roasted and blended in the caffe dolce or "sweet coffee" tradition of Central Italy. Sweet and mild, with notes of caramel, hazelnut, and dark chocolate, Toscano has built quite a following of professional Baristas and home espresso enthusiasts alike.
What CC says: “Toscano has been a favorite of ours since then, its sweet dark chocolate and caramel notes are perfect for the cappuccinos and ristrettos we live for. Each year, as new coffee crops arrive, we reformulate Toscano so we are sure to get that special sweetness we prize in this coffee. We've recently reformulated the blend to emphasize the sweet chocolate notes that accompany Toscano's classic butter-caramel sweetness. We love chocolate and caramel in this coffee!” Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES
Crema: Pretty tan-colored crema. Not thick, not thin.
Aroma: Powerful toasted roasted aroma
Body: Thick and syrupy when dialed in
Milk: Strong enough for milk – but use at least full-fat or soy milk, because otherwise it just tastes like you are watering it down.

Score: 90, 87, 87, 89, 88

Profile & Flavors: Toasty, deep, bitter espresso that is quite nice when pulled right. Think dark as opposed to light. On the bitterness, think bitter chocolate as opposed to astringent. I found this espresso fairly easy to pull consistently. Make no mistake, this espresso is quite unique and quite good. Very nice chocolate flavor, and I would specify the caramelized flavors as toasted marshmallows ... very heavily toasted marshmallows. Makes a very solid milk drink, especially a mocha (if you are able to drink such things, which in this case, I am). When condensed into a ristretto, the shot is delicious, and indulgently dense, like drinking pure melted chocolate as opposed to chocolate milk.

Buy Again? Yes, but I want to try Counter Culture’s other espressos first before returning to this one.

||COSTA RICA|| Caribou Coffee - Costa Rica Sombra del Poro

2007-10-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Coffee: CARIBOU COFFEE – COSTA RICA SOMBRA DEL PORO
Price: $11.99/lb = $0.75/oz.
Year: 2007 (May)
Location: Unknown
Roast: 4/10 on Caribou’s Scale. Pretty light, probably around City+
Flavors to look for: Chocolate, cherries, cream.
What Caribou says: “Costa Rica Sombra del poro has flavors of semi-sweet chocolate and black cherries and a bold creamy texture reminiscent of a fine burgundy wine. These beans grow under the beautiful flower-laden branches of poro trees in central

Costa Rica

. Under the “sombra del poro” (shade of the poro) the coffee cherries develop more slowly, allowing the fruity flavors of the bean to intensify.” Read about it on their website

*TASTING NOTES*
FRENCH PRESS	ESPRESSO
Fragrance:	Crema: Very thick, but sour crema
Aroma: Unique aroma, like sweet melted chocolate	Aroma: Sweet aroma
Body: Fairly thin body that gets overpowered by the acidity	Texture: Syrupy texture
Acidity: Sharp acidity that mellows as the cup cools	Milk: Didn’t try
Finish: Finishes just the way it starts, thin and sharp. The complexities you expect from a good cup of coffee just don’t seem to pop out in the finish.
Profile & Flavors: If you drink the coffee quickly, it is a little disappointing. The body is thin and the acidity is biting. But if you let the temperature cool a bit, and try to appreciate the aroma and flavors, it is a pretty nice cup of coffee. The flavors don’t really match the aroma, which is earthy and chocolaty. The flavors are more acidic and citrus-like, but pleasant still. The chocolate the roaster describes is apparent, but the winey qualities are not.	Profile & Flavors: Quite bitter when pulled short. Intentionally letting the pull go longer, 40-50 seconds or so, tastes better. Still perhaps just not meant for espresso
Score: 80	Score: No rating
Buy Again? No. Caribou must have other origins/blends that are better, so give those a try first.

||RWANDA|| Kean Coffee - Rwanda Karaba

2007-10-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

Coffee: KEAN COFFEE - RWANDA KARABA
Price: $0.85/oz
Year: 2007 (July)
Location/Blend: Gikongoro Region, Southern

Rwand

Roast: medium-full
Flavors to look for: cherry, sweet pecans, caramel, dark chocolate
What Kean says: "These rediscovered classy

Rwandas

are the rage with coffee insiders." Read about it on their website

*TASTING NOTES*
FRENCH PRESS	ESPRESSO
Fragrance: Sweet, fresh, bitter out of the grinder	Crema: Pale brown crema, very bitter
Aroma: Blueberries and freshly wet woodchips come to mind	Aroma: Deep, toasted tobacco
Body: Phenomenal body. You feel a coat of coffee blanket your tongue with each sip	Body: Deep body, syrupy texture in the cup
Acidity: An understated acidity becomes more evident as the cup cools	Milk: Handles milk in a macciato, some of the more delicate flavors are lost in a capp
Finish: One of the better finishers I have had in a long time. The finish is quite different from the initial flavor, which adds to the complexity of this coffee.
Profile & Flavors: Very earthy and unique. The most obvious descriptions would include: wet, earthy, spicy, berries. But it is indeed a complex cup with difficult flavors to pinpoint. The earthy flavor is the most predominant, and gives a solid foundation to every sip. Nice fleeting notes of vanilla, berries, and spices play with your tongue. The finish is actually quite sharp and acidic, leaving you wanting that dry earthy taste from the beginning of the next sip.	Profile & Flavors: This Rwanda pulls quite nicely as an espresso. Very syrupy and bitter with the first sip. Can be finicky to pull, and does best at a relatively lower temperature. I enjoyed it best as a macciato with nutmeg on top. Still, it holds its own as a straight shot, with bittersweet chocolate and spice flavors predominating.
Score: 93	Score: 86
Buy Again? Most definitely. An extremely unique origin, and Kean does well with it. One of the most complex cups of coffee I have had in a long time.

||ESPRESSO|| Sweet Maria's Liquid Amber Espresso

2007-10-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

Coffee: SWEET MARIA’S – LIQUID AMBER ESPRESSO
Price: $10.00/16oz. + Shipping = $0.83/oz.
Year: 2007 (April)
Blend/Roast: Secret: Dry-processed+Wet-processed+Monsooned (Arabica and Robusta);A Northern Italian style roast (lighter espresso roast, really a Vienna roast, stopped 30-45 seconds into 2nd crack), highlighting the following characteristics: Bold / Pungency, Power, Aftertaste
They say: “I wanted an espresso blend that was potent, sharp, intense; but without excessive mustiness, fruitiness, or earthy flavors. Extracted in a properly-functioning, clean espresso machine the blend produces a lot of crema, making the mouthfeel very thick and creamy. The sharp pungent bite to the blend is not bitter, and fades into a rich tobaccoy-milk chocolate aftertaste. In the Liquid Amber Blend there are hints of fruit, mushrooms, sweet smoke, caramel, and cream in the extended aftertaste. This blend works extremely well in milk drinks, meaning by that a true cappuccino (6-9 oz.) or machiatto." Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES
Crema: Very thick. Rich, red crema that does not dissipate for several minutes
Aroma: Toasty
Body: Body and viscosity are good, but the coffee is surprisingly thin for what your senses expect.
Milk: Again, it tastes like it would stand up better to milk than it eventually does. Still makes a nice cappuccino

Score: 87, 87, 90, 90, 90

Profile & Flavors: Fresh anise definitely comes through, making this a very unique espresso, that would work marvelously with a splash of anisette for an after-meal espresso. Other obvious flavors are the tobacco and smoke. The coffee is very bold and powerful, as intended – but considering how strong it is and how thick the crema is, the coffee itself seems thin. This is not necessarily a criticism, it just contradicts the senses a little bit. Imagine ordering pasta with a bold red sauce, but the waiter brings you something that looks like pasta primavera. Then you taste it, and it tastes like that bold red sauce – still what you were expecting, but a sensory mismatch nonetheless. The roaster attempts to get a pungent, bold espresso that is not bitter. I think this is exactly the source of the sensory mismatch. Many strong espressos rely on a strong bitter element. This espresso uses something else. The result is a cup that is less syrupy and not as bitter to the tongue. Unique indeed.

Buy Again? Yes – but try Sweet Maria’s other espresso blends first.

||ESPRESSO|| Counter Culture Coffee - Espresso Aficionado 2007

2007-10-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Coffee: COUNTER CULTURE COFFEE - ESPRESSO AFICIONADO
Price: $10.00/12oz. + Shipping = $1.13/oz.
Year: 2007 (October)
Blend/Roast:

Blend not known (Brazil

+ Ehtiopia Harrar?); Relatively lightly roasted, Northern Italian style espresso blend and roast. Requires slightly hotter pulling temperatures, near 203*F to extract its full potential sweetness.
CC says: “The Northern Italian espresso is a completely different animal than in the rest of Italy. Relatively lightly roasted; complex, delicate, and composed, many espresso devotees proclaim the Northern Italian style to be the quintessential espresso experience. When the modern espresso machine entered this milieu, the coffee blend of choice naturally reflected the Northern Italian taste: coffee flavors are balanced against one another; the natural sweetness of lightly roasted coffees offset their aromatic complexity and dance above a full-bodied foundation. The final product is a sophisticated and complex, and perfectly suited to the Northern Italiand espresso ristretto and the traditional cappuccino.” Read about it on their website

TASTING NOTES
Crema: Deep reddish brown, easily burnt crema. Thick and substantial crema layer with every cup
Aroma: Sweet and toasty aroma, like toasted marshmallows. Makes you think of s’mores.
Body: Creamy body that lingers in the mouth after each sip. Surprisingly dry overall.
Milk: One of the best milk-handlers I have ever pulled. Sweet syrupy notes come through like chocolate into a delicious latte or cappuccino. Perfect with any milk, from 2% to half and half.

Scores: 88, 97, 90, 88, 95, 90

Profile & Flavors: Semisweet chocolate is the most obvious flavor. Sweetness is apparent throughout, but difficult to assign an exact flavor. I taste dark cherries. This espresso is dry and nutty to the finish. Think of the skin on a hazelnut, naturally dry and almost salty, pulling out the sweetness of the nut. Very complex indeed, but very delicious. Just like they were trying to do, it seems that the Espresso Aficionado captures the quintessential espresso flavors: bitter, sweet, and almost winey when pulled properly. It can be a bit finicky to pull (note the fluctuance in scores), but when hit right, it is an extremely rewarding espresso (see 97!). A great everyday espresso, which earns extra points for its wonderful milk-handling ability.

Buy Again? Definitely. Perfect for everyday shots and for milk drinks. I actually prefer this to their ’07 Toscano (review coming).

||HONDURAS|| Counter Culture Coffee - Finca El Puente

2007-10-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Coffee: COUNTER CULTURE – FINCA EL PUENTE HONDURAS (“PURPLE PRINCESS”)
Price: $10.65/12oz + Shipping = $1.18/oz.
Year: 2007 (October)
Location/Blend: Marcala, Honduras; Blend of 11 microlots from Finca El Puente farm (farmer Marysabel Caballero)
Roast: Full City + roast; oil still evident on dark brown beans
Flavors to look for: Lavendar, Purple fruit, Silky body
What CC says: "Honduras is one of those off the beaten path origins. This coffee does its part to support the truism that spectacular coffees come from spectacular places. The farm itself covers the side of a mountain, and there are a number of little hidden valleys where the coffee is tucked; each has a name, and its own personality. The chemists tell us that great coffees have thousands of aromatic chemicals that give coffee its character, and it’s coffees like this that make me believe it. Every time I grind this coffee, I am surrounded by flowers, fruits, and perfumes. Delicate and complex at the same time. This coffee simply defines elegance, I would choose it if I were serving a princess." Read about it on their website

*MY TASTING NOTES*
FRENCH PRESS	ESPRESSO
Fragrance: Dry sweetness, like raisins, and very floral	Crema: Very light brown creama, thin
Aroma: Very sweet, wet aroma, similar to its dry fragrance, just more moist. Dates, raisins, and dried fruit	Aroma: Sweet, floral, burnt sugar aroma
Body: Very good body, very oily in the cup. Creamy body emerged as the cup cooled	Body: Thin, but lingering
Acidity: Medium acidity doesn’t wax or wane as the cup cools	Milk: Too bitter for milk.
Finish: Beautifully silky body finishes with a more floral/earthy finish
Profile & Flavors: “The Princess” got me through my surgery rotation. Every morning, our team of three med students could look forward to an elegant cup of coffee, while everyone else was stuck drinking the brown water being passed off for coffee in the surgeon’s lounge. We could see the oils floating in the cup, taste the sweet dried fruit with each sip, and enjoy the slightly biting acidity. Figs, raisins, and dates come to mind. Just the thing to wake you up. As the cup cooled, it turned creamy and silky. The sweetness didn’t disappear, but cooled to a more floral tone. Background flavors of vanilla and brown sugar persisted throughout. This is the kind of coffee that needs to be enjoyed over 10-15 minutes, as the flavor profile changes multiple times. I personally think brewing this coffee at a lower temperature, around 196-198, helped bring out some of the more floral and delicate characteristics.	Profile & Flavors: A very bitter cup of espresso. Some different flavors indeed, and an interesting SO pull. Burnt sugar and vanilla predominate, and the bitterness does not have much to balance it.
Score: 92	Score: 82
Buy Again? Most definitely. This coffee has opened my eyes to Hondurans for sure, though I have a feeling this is a somewhat unique coffee. See, for me, this coffee will always remind me of the early mornings and long hours of my surgery rotation. I certainly will always remember the rounds, the patients, the lectures, and the six hours of retracting in the OR. We certainly were the bottom of the totem pole. But when it came to the morning coffee, we were kings, if only for ten minutes. Did it have to be this coffee? Probably not. But it was. And that will keep me buying it for years to come.