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94

Big Shoulders Coffee

Kenya Kirinyaga

Roaster Location: Chicago, Illinois
Coffee Origin: Kirinyaga District, south-central Kenya
Roast Level: Light
Agtron: 65/91
Est. Price: $15.00/12 ounces
Review Date: March 2018
Aroma: 9
Acidity/Structure: 9
Body: 9
Flavor: 9
Aftertaste: 8

Blind Assessment

Intricately layered, deeply and sweetly pungent. Roasted cacao nib, lemon zest, lilac, candied ginger, frankincense in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with bright, juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The complex finish sustains all of the flavor notes from the cup, sweet flowers in particular.

Notes

This coffee tied for the top rating in a cupping of Value Coffees for Coffee Review‘s March 2018 tasting report. Produced from trees of the admired SL-28 and SL-34 varieties of Arabica. Despite grower discontent, contested government coffee policy and urban encroachment on prime coffee lands, the famed Kenya coffee auction system and its participating cooperatives continue to produce some of the world’s most elegant and distinctive coffees. Big Shoulders Coffee is a Chicago artisan roaster that emphasizes a fresh-roasted, no-nonsense approach to fine coffee. Visit www.bigshoulderscoffee.com or call 312-888-3042 for more information.

Bottom Line

A complex, richly layered, juicy-sweet Kenya cup.

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This review originally appeared in the March, 2018 tasting report: Value Coffees: Searching for the Exceptional at Everyday Prices

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