Blind Assessment:

Deeply rich, sweetly spicy. Butterscotch, pipe tobacco, rhododendron, juniper berry, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Lively, juicy acidity; plush, velvety mouthfeel. The engaging finish is laden with notes of sweet pipe tobacco and butterscotch.

Notes:

This coffee originates from the Toarco (TOraja ARabica COffee) project in the famous Sulawesi coffee growing region of Toraja. The project was developed and financed by Japan’s Key Coffee Company and its Indonesian partners. Until recently Toarco sold its entire production to the Japanese market, making this coffee rare in the United States. Toarco exports both conventionally wet-processed coffee and coffee processed by the Indonesian wet-hulled method; this sample represents the latter. 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: Elegantly exotic and bold. Should appeal to those who enjoy rich, flavor-saturated, deeply nuanced coffees.