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Kakalove Cafe

Natural Sidamo Twakok G1

Blind Assessment: Evaluated as espresso. Richly floral, spice-toned. Lavender, baker’s chocolate, dried strawberry, sandalwood, lemon zest in aroma and small cup. Full, syrupy mouthfeel; dry, fruit-toned finish with hints of sandalwood. In three parts milk, chocolate notes turn toward sweet caramel and the spicy floral and dried berry notes amplify.

Notes: This coffee tied for the second-highest rating in a tasting of natural-processed single-origin espressos for Coffee Review’s August 2018 tasting report. “Twakok” comes from the words “tafac,” which means “sweet” and “kok,” which means “peach.” Southern Ethiopia coffees like this one are largely produced from distinctive traditional Ethiopian varieties of Arabica long grown in the region. Like most southern Ethiopia coffees, this coffee is produced by villagers on small garden plots interplanted with food and other subsistence crops. This is a dry-processed or “natural” version, meaning the beans were dried inside the fruit rather than after the fruit has been removed, as is the case with wet-processed or “washed” coffees. Kakalove Café is a nano-roaster located in the small city of Chia-Yi in Taiwan that strives to procure and roast the finest quality coffee. Visit www.kakalovecafe.com.tw or email kahiyuho@gmail.com for more information.

The Bottom Line: This brisk natural-processed Ethiopia espresso presents a fruit note that’s a dead ringer for dried strawberries (supported by notes of lavender and sandalwood) and is especially attractive in cappuccino-scaled milk.