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86

Alpen Sierra Coffee

Aged Sumatra Mandheling

Roaster Location: South Lake Tahoe, California
Coffee Origin: Lake Toba region, northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
Roast Level: Very Dark
Agtron: 29/38
Review Date: December 2003
Aroma: 7
Body: 8
Flavor: 8

Blind Assessment

A big-bodied, massively roasty coffee. Intense musty tones read as rosemary, cardamom perhaps, with a shimmer of chocolate. The intense, monumental character fades a bit as the cup cools.

Notes

Coffees are aged either deliberately or inadvertently. This Sumatra was most likely aged deliberately in Singapore using a procedure whereby coffees are stored in humid port conditions and periodically removed from the bags and raked to prevent mold formation during the two or so years of aging. Alpen Sierra is a quality-oriented, retail/wholesale specialty roaster serving the Lake Tahoe region and beyond. Visit www.alpensierra.com or call 800-531-1405 for more info.

Who Should Drink It

Lovers of those dark-roasted coffees that impose their authority on almost any quantity of milk.

Explore Similar Coffees

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Click here for more information about coffees from Sumatra


This review originally appeared in the December, 2003 tasting report: Fragrance and Weight: Winter Coffees from the Pacific

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