What a great table today. We had a chance to mix it up a bit with a decaf coffee, taste the new Finca Maurintania again, and taste the new Finca Pashapa Microlot, El Lechero! Let’s get to it…
Fragrance: Smelled like the regular 21st (chocolate, nuts, spices, raisins) except we didn’t smell any vanilla or cinnamon like we usually do. Also, we detected some resiny, medicinal notes.
Aroma: Graham crackers and buttered toast really shine through instead of heady chocolate.
Break: Savory and Resinous
Brightness: Flat and low, not as fruity as the regular
Flavor: We tasted normal flavors we are used to in this coffee (Dark chocolate, raisins, nuts, caramel, chiles), but we also got some cereal box, Wheat-a-Bix, and smokiness.
Body: We thought the body suffered the most. It is still nice and pleasant, but it is thinner and “hollow.”
Aftertaste: This seems to be the least affected by decaffeination. It is still sweet and chocolate just like we’re used to with some cherry and spice. Yum, yum!
Well, we sure are picking on decaf here, but I tell you–This is some really tasty coffee! I think that we lose some of the more subtle notes in the coffee when we take out caffeine, but overall it is some tasty stuff! Why is this decaf so tasty as compared to other decaf coffees you’ve tasted? Well…
1. We buy all the coffee from the 21st of Septiembre we need, then we seperate a certain amount to be sent off for decaffeination. That way we are not using lower quality beans, but the very same ones that go into our regular 21st coffee!
2. The decaffeination process we use is completely natural and doesn’t involve harsh chemical solvents–just plain old water!
3. We roast decaf with just as much care as our regular coffees. It does roast a bit differently (as it is usually less dense), but we still coax out the best stuff we can from the beans.
4. Our attitude toward decaf is that people who drink it are drinking it for the flavor only, not for the buzz from the caffeine, so if it doesn’t taste good, why would they want to drink it?!
The next coffee we tasted was a gem from Finca Pashapa called “El Lechero.” This coffee was on the table a couple of weeks ago, and it was a great coffee with a nice balance and some yummy orange acidity. Today, we got a lot more savory notes from this coffee like green pepper on the nose, some scented woods, herbs, and chocolate. The break was mostly savory and spicy like soy sauce and Korean soup. The acidity was a nice lemon rind with a little green veggies, folks thought it was medium brightness. The flavor continued with the savory trend showing some nice malty, cooked root vegetables, and herbs, but we got some nice fruits like orange and non-descript citrus over the top of it. The body was full like half-nhalf and the atftertaste was soooo smooth and balanced (although no one voted this their favorite coffee, we all agreed this was our favorite thing about it). We also noted that the finish was very clean with some chocolate at the end.
Finally, the taker of all favorite votes today, the Finca Mauritania from Santa Ana, El Salvador. We were as excited as over-caffeinated baristas to taste this coffee again after last year.
Smells like: Jasmine, Lemon Verbena, Vanilla, Chocolate, Fruits, Cherry, Pine Nuts, Yeast, Lemon, Citrus, Cherrywood, Cinnamon, Sickly Sweet Men’s Cologne.
Tastes like: Light Caramel, Milk Chocolate, Limes, Citrus, Cacacha, Juicy, Cherry, Blueberry, Orange
Feels like: Satin, Smooth, Juicy
One sentence: This coffee begins with a heady, perfumed aroma that foreshadows it’s fragrant sweet fruits and and milk chocolate flavor all blanketing the tongue in a smooth and juicy coating that finishes clean and sweet with a deliciousness that makes your mouth water for the next cup.
