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Kakalove Café

Panama Finca Kalithea Natural Geisha

Blind Assessment: Exceptionally high-toned, delicately fruit-centered, intricately balanced. Mulberry, coconut, sandalwood, dark chocolate, lilac in aroma and cup. Richly sweet in structure with balanced, juicy acidity; delicate but plush, mouth-filling texture. The finish is a gentle reminder of everything the cup offers, in particular mulberry, coconut, and lilac.

Notes: This coffee tied for the second-highest rating in a cupping of coffees of the Geisha/Gesha variety of Arabica for Coffee Review’s September 2019 tasting report. Produced from trees of the rare Ethiopia-derived botanical variety Geisha (also spelled Gesha) at the Kalithea Estate. With its generally elongated beans and distinctive floral and crisp, often chocolaty cup, the Geisha/Gesha variety continues to distinguish itself as one of the world’s most unique coffees. This is a “natural” or dry-processed version, meaning the beans were dried inside the fruit, encouraging a flavor profile that is sweeter and deeper-toned than the more familiar wet-processed profile. 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: An exquisitely balanced natural-processed Geisha with the deep, sweet complexity the type can offer without a hint of ferment: crisply sweet fruit top and bottom notes, along with rich florals and chocolate tones in the mid-palate, all enhanced by a whisper of sandalwood.