Blind Assessment: Opulent and complete; finely structured yet grandly complex. Lush flowers in front – lavender, lilac, fresh vanilla – supported by ripe pear and tangerine, roasted cacao nib, cinnamon. Balanced, round, resonant acidity. Plush, lively mouthfeel. Flavor rings on in a very long, sweet-toned finish.

Notes: Sidamo (also Sidama) is a coffee-growing region in southern Ethiopia that produces distinctive coffees from traditional varieties of Arabica long grown in the region. Sidamo coffees like this one processed by the wet or washed method (fruit skin and pulp are removed before drying) typically express considerable aromatic complexity and intensity with a particular emphasis on floral notes. This coffee was awarded first-place honors for the East Africa category at the 2014 HarVee awards for retail-roasted renditions of green coffees imported to North America by Sustainable Harvest Specialty Coffee Importers. Blue Bottle Coffee started as the quintessential boutique coffee business: a micro-roasting operation in Oakland housed inside a space about as large as a suburban walk-in closet and a single retail location in San Francisco. In the years since its founding Blue Bottle has attracted a strong following in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, and now operates three roasting locations in Oakland, California, Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles, California, with a fourth pending in Japan. Visit www.bluebottlecoffee.com or call 510-653-3394 for more information.

Who Should Drink It : Anyone who loves coffee. Flawless and complete, yet resonant with aromatic drama and complexity.