Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Adorsi

Blind Assessment: Sweet, heavy, musky and perfumy. Elderflowers, fresh cilantro, strawberry-flavored yogurt, lime, musk in aroma and cup. Intensely sweet in structure but balanced by a distinctly crisp, bitter edge. Light, satiny mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a sweet though drying finish.

Notes: This coffee tied for third-highest rating in a cupping of coffees produced using reduced oxygen (“Anaerobic”) processing methods for Coffee Review’s November 2019 tasting report. Anaerobic processing in this case means the coffee, in its whole fruit, was sealed inside limited-oxygen tanks to encourage production of lactic acids that contribute to this sample’s very original cup profile. This coffee won the 2019 Taste of Harvest green coffee competition sponsored by the African Fine Coffee Association. Small Eyes Café is a small, family-owned coffee shop in Yilan, Taiwan, specializing in artisanally roasted specialty coffee and homemade desserts. Visit https://www.facebook.com/Smalleyescafe for more information.

The Bottom Line: Drink it for its originality and paradox: Sweet, musky and perfumy yet crisp and bracingly brisk.