Blind Assessment:

Lindsey Bolger: “Depending on tolerance for fruitiness with wild tendencies, this coffee will either delight or dismay. Lovely floral aromatics complemented by flourishes of warmed butter, brown sugar and citrus were the first hint that something interesting was going on in the cup. Upon first sip, the coffee displayed overt ferment, the kind that makes your toes curl. Then, after subsequent passes, that overripe fruitiness evolved to the engaging blueberry note so prized in Ethiopia Harrars” (84). Ken also wrestled with ambiguous flavor notes that for him suggested both fermented fruit as well as a hint of mustiness, but he too settled on a positive reading: “sweetly acidy, with lush ferment tones that, as the cup cools, resolve richly and pleasantly to fruity chocolate and brandy” (87).

Notes:

Certified organically grown and Fair-Traded. Although traditionally processed Sumatras like this one are technically wet-processed, a series of peculiarities in how they are processed and dried give them their characteristic low-key richness and idiosyncratic, often unpredictable, flavor notes. Flying Goat Coffee is a boutique retail/wholesale roaster located in the wine country of northern California. Visit www.flyinggoatcoffee.com or call 800-675-3599 for more info.

Who Should Drink It: Lovers of sweet but edgy flavors, valentines without sentimentality.