The aroma was curiously flat, the body ordinary, but the acidity splendid: powerful without shrillness, complex, alive with muted wine tones. Smoky hints in the cup turned slightly hard and tobacco-like in the finish, but softened again in the rich aftertaste. .
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We found 626 reviews that match your search for guatemala. Coffees are listed in reverse chronological order by review date. Older reviews may no longer accurately reflect current versions of the same coffee.
Some attractive grace notes teased their way through the balanced, unassuming profile. I read them as herbal in my notes on aroma and chocolate when I got to the cup. Either way they're on the low-toned, pungent side of the taste ledger rather than the high and sweet.
The acidity is pronounced, although more fruity and sweet than dry and brisk. Distinct chocolate tones nuance the fruit. The chocolate turns darkly prune-like in the finish, and lingers sweetly in the aftertaste. An attractive and ingratiating coffee, although the rather heavy body remains curiously inert under all the sweetness.
For most the acidity was the main act here. Some found it pleasantly bright ("nice, winy and sharp," according to one); others complained it was too sharp, throwing off the balance of the coffee, and perhaps astringent in the aftertaste. Supporting virtue: Most found this coffee substantial in body. "An excellent example of a Guatemala," according to one. But judging from the scores, the majority may harbor reservations.
Defects apparently consigned this rather heavy-bodied, low-toned Antigua to the bottom of the cupping-form pile. Some found its low-toned heaviness flat; others, however, liked it. Several called the profile "sweet"; another "solid." One cupper raved: "Great cup. Very good body and flavor." Another puzzled: "Aspects don't gel, even though it has good flavor." Three cuppers detected sour notes, one going so far as to call the coffee "oniony." Three others found it old-tasting or "baggy," which suggests conditioning or storage problems, a plausible hypothesis for a coffee that suggests power but doesn't come through, that seems oddly dulled or muted.
This rich, deeply dimensioned, complex version of the great Guatemala profile happily combines clear, wine-toned acidity with satisfying dark-roast pungency. I even detected a hint of the famous Antigua smokiness smoldering somewhere inside the pungency.