Blind Assessment

Very complex espresso in which forceful blend components were allowed full, if rather competitive expression. Co-taster Byron Holcomb (90) read the earthy and mildly musty side of the blend: earth and molasses in the aroma, "musty, cedar - a little confused" in the small cup. Ken (92) on the other hand, read the confusion as complexity and emphasized the Ethiopian elements, particularly the flowers and fruit, which for him gave the cedar and earth tendencies an anise-like liveliness. Both admired the mouthfeel, which Byron described as "the same weight as whole milk: buttery and round without heaviness." Impressive in four parts milk: "deeply, richly and cleanly chocolaty" for Ken; toffee-like for Byron, though his reservation persisted: "still a bit dirty."

Notes

All of the coffees in this blend carry impressive environmental and/or social credentials. The Brazil is a dry-processed or "natural" type from the sustainably impeccable Daterra Farms; the India Jasmina Estate is shade-grown grown using biodynamic principals; and the Ethiopia Dale Special Prep is a cooperative coffee. Barefoot Coffee Roasters itself is an award-winning small-batch roasting company that describes itself as "Making sweet coffee love" in "a happy little cafe and roastery in the heart of Silicon Valley." Visit www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com for more information.

Who Should Drink It

Those who prefer the exotic and dramatic from small cup to big milk.

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