Ethiopia Sidamo

Blind Assessment: Pungent, chocolate notes enliven the aroma, but in the cup burned tones dominate. The body is decent, but in the aftertaste the carbon prevails completely.

Notes: Pungent, chocolate notes enliven the aroma, but in the cup burned tones dominate. Grade Sidamo washed, Grade 2

Who Should Drink It: People who fondly remember the Normandy-style coffee they enjoyed one fall afternoon on the way from Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel. Which is a romantic way of saying that I suspect that this Ethiopian coffee is too delicate to maintain its character in a roast this dark and severe. But who am I to say: The last time I visited Chez Panisse they served a coffee that makes this one taste underroasted.