Blind Assessment: Richly sweet, spice-toned. Mango, clove, lime zest, dark chocolate, fragrant pipe tobacco in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet in structure with bright acidity; lightly creamy mouthfeel. The rich-toned finish leads with notes of lime zest and clove in the short; both mango and pipe tobacco return in the long.

Notes: This exceptional coffee was selected as the No. 22 coffee on Coffee Review’s list of the Top 30 Coffees of 2018. This coffee tied for the second-highest rating in a cupping of coffees roasted by women for Coffee Review‘s April 2018 tasting report. Coffees like this one from the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra are valued for their complex earth and fruit notes that appear to result largely from unorthodox fruit removal and drying practices called “wet-hulling.” Produced in the Lintong region south of Lake Toba, one of the oldest and arguably the most admired of Sumatra growing regions. Flight Coffee (formerly CQ Coffee Roasters) is a coffee-loving, quality-focused roasting company based in Bedford, New Hampshire. Visit www.flightcoffeeco.com or call 603-836-6228 for more information.

The Bottom Line: This paradoxical coffee offers both high tones and low: notes of juicy tropical fruit juxtaposed with rich pipe tobacco.