Blind Assessment:

Immensely rich, intricately composed. Lavender, chocolate truffle, myrrh, sandalwood, pink grapefruit in aroma and cup. Gentle, buoyant acidity; very smooth, syrupy mouthfeel. Lavender and chocolate dominate in a delicate but sustained, flavor-saturated finish.

Notes:

Coffee from trees of the botanical variety Gesha (also Geisha) grown on Price Peterson’s Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama first introduced this extraordinary variety to the world. With its bold, boat-shaped beans and distinctive floral and crisply cacao-toned cup, the Gesha continues one of the world’s most unique coffees, and the Esmeralda versions remain among the most authentic. This is a wet-processed or “washed” version, meaning the fruit skin and pulp were removed from the beans immediately after harvesting and before drying. 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 gorgeous coffee for anyone who can afford it: crisply sweet, lushly floral, with deeply layered nuance. Excessive yet elegant.