Blind Assessment: A pungent musty note reads charitably as dark chocolate in some cups, with a bit of crisp, apple-like complication. In other cups it reads mainly as musty. Best feature is a fullish though slightly rough mouthfeel. The chocolate suggestions fade quickly in a drying finish. We deducted three rating points from the raw score for the uneven cups and the musty suggestions.

Notes: This arabica coffee has been treated to reduce acids and the acidy sensation that may create gastric discomfort in some people. The procedure, which involves steaming the beans to remove the outer, waxy layer, is applied to the coffee in its green state, before roasting. In the case of this coffee, the reduction of acids may have been reinforced by a relatively dark roast. This coffee is available only by Internet or telephone order, and is produced for Hevla by Coffee Legends, Little Rock, Arkansas. Visit www.hevlacoffeeco.com or call 888-838-7318 for more information.

Who Should Drink It: All of the Hevla samples in our 2012 low-acid cupping displayed green coffee taints, though the acidity, as advertised, was low, based both on a sensory reading of the cup and the pH of the finished beverage.