Blind Assessment: Rich, sweetly spicy. Black cherry, spice box, tamarind, oak, lantana-like flowers in aroma and cup. Juicy, lively acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. The sweet, resonant finish centers around deep black cherry in the short complicated by spicy oak and sweet-tart tamarind in the long.

Notes: Produced by Jose Francisco Aguilar Sanchez from trees of the Red and Yellow Caturra varieties of Arabica. Processed the black honey method. With all honey processing methods, some sweet pulp or fruit flesh (“honey”) is allowed to adhere to the beans during drying. In the black honey variation, the beans are subjected to a slower drying procedure than is the case with yellow or red honey. This coffee tied for the second-highest rating in a cupping of Costa Rica coffees for Coffee Review‘s October 2016 tasting report. Magnolia Coffee is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based specialty roaster whose motto is “Craft roasted. Truly delicious. Socially conscious.” Magnolia particularly emphasizes community engagement through its Local Beans for Local Good programs.Visit www.magnoliacoffeeco.com or call 704-651-7726 for more information.

The Bottom Line: An original cup: spicy, sweetly tart, balanced.