Characteristics: Smooth, creamy blueberry/strawberry nuances, floral notes, clean milk chocolate finish. Elevation: 1800-2000 meters Dried on raised beds, triple hand sorted (ripe cherry, dry pods, processed beans). The Grade 3 aspect is simply removing more defects thru hand sorting than they do normally hence producing a cleaner, better cup. Description: A nice, classic Sidamo from Ethiopia features sweet and fruity aromatics with hints of wood, lemongrass reminiscent of pixie sticks. In the cup this coffee is lively and bright with notes of apricot and cocoa with a heavy body and a clean, crisp finish. The majority of coffee in the world is wet-processed, meaning the fruit is stripped off the bean, the mucilage is removed and the fruitless seed dries in the sun. In natural coffees however, the whole coffee cherry gets put directly out in the sun and dries around the seed. This can either add an unparalleled level of complexity and uniqueness to the bean - or it can destroy it if not properly handled. Oftentimes there is a "dirty" flavor hiding behind dry processed coffees. But if you get one that's done right (like this one), you are blown away by an incredible "perfumed" aroma and flavor in the cup. This "perfumed"characteristic fills the entire nasal cavity and lingers - you definitely take notice. One needs to be careful with this though. The aroma is so unique that it can be distracting and hide some off-flavors in the cup. Full City to French Roast was where the flavors converged. At this roast, the cup is so remarkably sweet, it might even become cloying for some; it is a dessert coffee for sure. If we call your standard dry-process coffees "natural", this might be referred to as "neo-natural". It's a 90+ coffee easily for anyone who loves this flavor profile.
