The Roasterie
Mexican Altura (Chiapas)
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Origin: Sierra Madre Mountains, southeastern Chiapas State, Mexico
Roast: Medium
Est. Price:
Review Date: November 2005
Agtron: 50/64
Aroma: 8
Acidity: 8
Body: 8
Flavor: 8
Aftertaste: 7
Blind Assessment:
Mild, pleasingly sweet fermented fruit notes complicate aroma and cup and read as chocolate, red wine, cedary cherries, perhaps with a hint of sweet herb. The acidity is low-toned and balanced, the mouthfeel roundly smooth. The finish is clean but slightly thin.
Notes:
Altura is a grading term applied to Mexico coffees that are high-grown; here it is used by the Roasterie to label a Mexico coffee produced by small holders in the Sierra Madre region of Chiapas, one of the regions ravaged by Hurricane Stan in late 2005. The Roasterie is a leading, quality-oriented specialty roaster that emphasizes its commitment to “air roasting,” a technology utilizing a column of hot air rather than the conventional turning drum to agitate the roasting beans. Visit
Who Should Drink It: Those who enjoy the sweet, giddily wine-like flavor of slightly fermented fruit.
This review originally appeared in the November, 2005 tasting report: Still Tastes Good: Guatemala and Chiapas
