Happy Holidays!
Today we cupped four great Holiday coffees, all of which cupped well and proved they’d make excellent gifts as well as a welcome sight brewed up on Christmas morning. I typically don’t cup samples from Intelligenstia and Counter Culture Coffee, since both companies regularly cup their coffees at their labs in the city, but I always love to try each of their Holiday coffees from year to year, so here they are:
Ritual Coffee Roasters: Sweet Tooth Piñona
Fragrance: fruity, flowery, blueberry, apricot, woodsy, honey
Aroma: creamy chocolate, blueberry, peanut butter, blood orange
Break: spicy, blueberry, more blood orange
Brightness: high, full, medium
Flavor: green apple, floral, fruity mix, tart, orange
Body: lightest on the table
Aftertaste: mud, swampy, unsalted peanuts, woody, astringent
Intelligentsia: Celebration Blend
Fragrance: woodsy, spice, lemony citrus, banana, plum, chocolate, cranberry, yogurt
Aroma: grape soda, peanuts, spice, orange, nutmeg
Break: bright, fruity, really citrus
Brightness: medium-high
Flavor: salty, floral, caramel, rosemary, apricot, bergamot, black tea with milk
Body: lighter side, thicker than #1
Aftertaste: lingering fruit, smooth, tea-like
Counter Culture: Finca Nueva Armenia
Fragrance: strawberry, musty, nutty, chocolate, bakers chocolate, woodspice
Aroma: mulled wine, resin, buttery, earthy
Break: chocolate covered cherry, bold
Brightness: low
Flavor: chocolate, woodsy, cinnamon and butter,
Body: lower than expected, medium
Aftertaste: bitter, sour, dry
Batdorf & Bronson: Holiday Blend
Fragrance: chocolate, buttery, spice, reeses peanut butter cup, chocolate covered raisins, beefy, molasses, salt
Aroma: spice, butter, cocoa
Break: more spice & cocoa, earthy, vegetal, carrot skins
Brightness: medium,
Flavor: classic coffee, chocolates, dry, buttery, salty, savory
Body: whipping cream, heavy
Aftertaste: bakers chocolate, vanilla bean, coffee