Today’s cupping featured 4 coffees: Two from Intelligentsia and one from La Verdad Coffee roasted two different ways. La Verdad Coffee is a project by Rich Westerfield of Aldo Coffee in Pittsburgh, and he gave us a couple test batches he wanted us to try out. Thanks Rich!

Coffee #1: La Verdad Guatemala Trapachitos. lighter roast.

Fragrance: pencil shavings, chocolate x4, peanuts, butter, blackberry, burgundy, nougat
Aroma: mint, grapefruit, semisweet chocolate, more wine
Break: wine, peanuts, chocolate, butter, chocolate, reese’s pieces
Brightness: red apple, brightest on table
Flavor: black tea, spice, cherry, sour apple, chocolate x4, floral, strawberry
Body: medium
Aftertaste: sparkly, sweet x2, tart

Coffee #2: Intelligentsia Finca de Santuario, Colombia (not available online – buy at Third Rail Coffee and at other places).

Fragrance: honey suckle, lavender, buttery/floral, orange zest, chocolate x2
Aroma: milky caramel, chocolate orange, hazelnut, nutty
Break: vegetal, mossy, floral, chocolate
Brightness: Bright
Flavor: chocolate, caramel, lavender, herb, blueberry, earthy, chocolate, juicy, apricot
Body: heavy
Aftertaste: clean, dry, smooth

Coffee #3: Intelligentsia Cruz del Sur Peru (not available online. More info here.

Fragrance: chocolate, spice, floral, walnut, cherry, wheat, hazelnut, chamomile
Aroma: nutty x3, cherry
Break: jute, grassy
Brightness: lower, cantaloupe
Flavor: spicy, cardamom, vanilla extract, peanut brittle, grassy
Body: light
Aftertaste: lingering

Coffee #4: La Verdad Guatemala Trapachitos. Darker Roast.

Fragrance: smoky, cinnamon, milky way, sweet
Aroma: dark chocolate, sweet, tanniny
Break: Swiss Miss w/ Marshmallows
Brightness: Lowest on Table
Flavor: brown, cinnamon, bitter, dark walnuts, pineapple, chalky, dry chocolate
Body: heaviest on table
Aftertaste: mouth coating, sticky