Ethiopia Sidama Naia Bomb Natural Vertical Reserve

Blind Assessment: Sweetly fruit-toned, accessibly fermenty. Raspberry coulis, dark chocolate, hop flowers, wine barrel, pink peppercorn in aroma and cup. Richly bittersweet in structure with a tangy acidity; crisp, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish is all fruit and chocolate enhanced by a quiet sweet ferment.

Notes: This coffee tied for the second-highest rating in a cupping of coffees submitted by North American roasters in business for two or fewer years for Coffee Review’s October 2019 tasting report. Southern Ethiopia coffees like this one are largely produced from distinctive indigenous varieties of Arabica long grown in the region. This is a dry-processed or “natural” version, meaning the beans were dried inside the fruit rather than after the fruit has been removed, as is the case with wet-processed or “washed” coffees. Coffeebar is a radically inclusive Italian café experience based in Truckee, California with locations in Menlo Park, Squaw Valley and Redwood City, as well as a roastery in Reno, Nevada. While it was founded in 2010, Coffeebar only began roasting in-house in 2018. Visit www.coffeebar.com for more information.

The Bottom Line: A natural-processed Ethiopia ideal for those who enjoy a restrained hint of fruit ferment, in this case suggesting a just-emptied wine barrel in a cool cellar.