Naturally Nirvana

Blind Assessment: Wild aroma, combining a sweet ferment that reads as wood, blueberry and dry grass with a distinct musty/earthy note. Medium to full body, slightly leanish mouthfeel. An unusual combination of sweet and bitter nut flavors, with notes of wood and caramel. The woodiness continues into the long dry finish, with suggestions of baker's chocolate. Given the utterly atypical character of the cup, this coffee could rate anywhere from 50 to, well, 87.

Notes: A wildly unorthodox blend of Mexico Turru?o Nayarita and India Anokhi Liberica, two dry-processed or "natural" coffees, meaning the beans were dried inside the fruit rather than after the fruit is removed, as is the case with wet-processed or "washed" coffees. Note that the India component of the blend is from trees of the very unusual Liberica species and not from the more common Arabica or Robusta species. Badbeard's Microroastery is a Portland, Oregon-based small-batch roaster focused on quality and, apparently, experimentation. Visit www.badbeardscoffee.com or call 503-232-7327 for more information.

Who Should Drink It : Not purists, that's for certain. This is a coffee for adventurers interested in sampling an unusual blend that includes beans from a rare species of coffee. Some who taste it may decide that Liberica ought to stay rare, but others may find interest in its bitter nut character, softened here by pairing with a good Mexico natural.