Blind Assessment: Floral-toned, richly aromatic, chocolaty. Elegantly sweet structure with Meyer lemon-like acidity; full, viscous mouthfeel. Apricot, honey, lavender, baking chocolate, a hint of pipe tobacco in aroma and cup. The inviting finish leads with notes of baking chocolate and apricot, with pipe tobacco resurfacing in the long.

Notes: This coffee tied for the third-highest rating in a cupping of coffees roasted by Black-owned coffee companies for Coffee Review’s August 2020 report. Ka’u is an emerging Hawai’i coffee-growing district centered approximately 30 miles southeast of the famous Kona region. This 100% Ka’u coffee was developed by Lorie Obra of Rusty’s, one of Ka’u’s best-known and most celebrated farms. Produced from trees of the traditional Typica variety and processed by the washed method. Visit www.rustyshawaiian.com or call 808-928-8916 for more information.

The Bottom Line: A classic Typica profile — nuanced, balanced and quietly complex — with notes of stone fruit, chocolate and an intriguing whisper of pipe tobacco.