Sumatra - Mandehling Gr. 1 - 5

Indonesia

I just made the final pot of the Mandeling that I had beans for. This pot had a wonderful body and mouth feel as I ground it quite fine. This finer ground seems to have released a really deep flavor that seemed to be dominated by a hint of spiciness but what really stole the show was the body. The richness of the body made this cup more of a meal than a beverage. Yum, yum.

Harar Horse - 2

Ethiopia

I roasted the Horse to Full-City+ this time and although I enjoyed it I did not pick up on some of the nuanced attributes. I noted a spiciness last time that I did not seem to notice this time around. The only reason for this is the darker roast.

However, when I poured this coffee over ice it was again very enjoyable as the chocolate shined. Because of this I think the best of both worlds is gained with a lighter roast.

Guayata Typica

Colombia

The aroma of this cup smells as a cup of coffee is expected to smell. It smells nostalgic of grandma's house when coffee was still made with a percolator and you awoke to the smell of coffee wafting through the house. There seems to be a lot of smell for such a lightly roasted bean.

There is a dominant nutty flavor, in this cup, that finishes with a nice fruity and spicy note. The flavor is very good but I do not think it is anything more special than a cup of Maxwell House dark roast.

From 1 to 10 I rate this coffee a 2.

Harar - Horse

Ethiopia

I chose this forth coffee simply because of the name "Horse". Whatever it means in the Ethiopian tongue I wanted to see if it tasted like dog food. ;)

This coffee has grown on me as I found it to not have any attribute that leaps out - This indicates that it is a very well balanced coffee. As I worked through a couple of cups I learned that it had a slight spiciness and fruitiness in the initial stage which quickly diminishes into a smoothness that becomes nondescript.

This was a City Roast which sported a wonderful aroma in the ground bean itself but I found the aroma of the brew to be lacking and almost raw in nature. Because of this I am going to try a Full-City Roast and see if the beginning stages of carbonization unlocks some hidden flavors and aroma.

This coffee, roasted City, grew on me. After about 4 cups I found that there was a lingering quality about it. The body did not seem anything special but now I am wondering if it was an attribute of the body that is lingering. This lingering certainly suggest a complexity that I have yet noticed in any of the other coffees. I am eagerly expecting to try this cup again.

From 1 to 10 I rate this coffee a 5.