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.

The Bottom Line: A complex, richly layered, juicy-sweet Kenya cup.