A light, bright breath of acidity shimmers inside an amazing bouquet of sweet jasmine and darker, woodier fragrances. The cup soars in a delicious, reeling dizziness of flowers, then immediately relaxes into spicy shadows. Somehow, all of the range and complexity remains precariously, elegantly in balance.
Classic vanilla-nut aroma and a solid, authoritatively dry cup, bright but not brassy. Not a lot of nuance, but outstanding range and balance.
Tremendous but balanced range and dimension. The acidity is full, deep, sweet, enveloped in the unifying matrix of the cup. Circumspect hints of fruit and flowers emerge in finish and aftertaste. As the coffee cools the slightest hint of ferment reveals itself behind the rich aromatics of the cup.
The famous Yirgacheffe flower tones are brighter and sturdier than usual here: less levitating, more grounded, fresh but rich, accessible, gently acidy. The cup darkens toward cedar and chocolate in the finish, the aftertaste is long and richly floral.
Amazingly, behind the dampening effect of the aggressive dark roast a delicate, exquisite floral sweetness survives among the equally delicate charred, pungent notes. Think of a meadow that survived a forest fire.
Smoky, resiny tones turn the Harrar fruit richly winy. In the finish everything softens and sweetens. The cabernet fruit tones deepen toward chocolate and the smoke tones turn toward fresh tobacco.
Pungent Sumatra tones wrap around the Ethiopian flowers and Yemen fruit. The deep, aromatic wood tones modulate to a fruity, cherryish chocolate in the finish. The pungency turned slightly flat as the cup cools, slightly shadowing an intriguing and dramatic cup.
A dark roast that tip-toes past burned to achieve a smooth, integrated bittersweetness, enlivened by a hint of acidity and a touch of fruit.
A pleasant roast-driven pungency balances a sturdy, assertive acidity. Dry and authoritative. Something seems to be flattening nuance, however. Either the five blend components are canceling one another out or the forceful roast has driven out some aromatics. In any event, more sweetness and lift would make a pleasantly hearty Oakhurst morning even rosier.
This coffee opens opulently, with a complex, enveloping aroma alive with nutty, spicy, bittersweet tones. In the cup the profile is smoky sweet, discreetly brightened by a touch of acidity. As the cup cools, however, the sweetness fades and the smokiness reveals hard, musty undertones. My rating faded too, from a high of 87 to a final landing at 81.
An unusually full body gives the dominating pungency of this extreme dark roast solidity and substance. Some smoky notes and high-toned sweetness survive the rigors of the roast.
Pungent and woody out front, with winy, fruity undertones turned toward dry chocolate by the roast. A hint of flowers in the finish. Marred by an overly aggressive roast: Flat, charred tones verging on creosote sit on an otherwise expansive, complex profile.