Crowd-pleasing in the middle roasts, a backdrop of bittersweetness contrasts sweet caramel notes, creamy body, and apple-like acidic impression. City+ to Full City+. Good for espresso.

We had very nice results in the City+ - Full City roast range, where a backdrop of bittersweet notes contrasts sweet caramel notes, and a pleasantly brisk acidic impression. This bittersweetness and body bode well for dark roasts too, though we haven't taken it beyond Full City ourselves. The fragrance has a scent of dark cocoa and brown sugar, while the wet aroma draws out hints of chocolate-caramel and spice. The cup has well balanced flavors, a sweetness that shows nice clarity, caramel, barley malt, with low toned chocolate flavors that are more intense in the darker levels. City+ roasts had a flavor profile of caramel apple, creamy sweet, with a touch of bright fruit. The hint of bittersweet cocoa gains momentum as the coffee cools, and leaves an impression of dark drinking cocoa in the aftertaste. Full City had many of the same elements, but inverse intensity. A sharper bittersweet tone is sensed up front, dark cacao bar, acidity a bit dulled, and a caramelized sugar dimension in the finish.

Made up from coffees of several different farmers in El Paraíso, Huabal District, this 15 bag regional blend represents the coffees of a few of the small holders in this region. Altitude averages around 1750 meters and cultivars grown are typically Caturra, with some Typica and Bourbon mixed in. This is a fully washed coffee, wet processed by the farmers, who then deliver their coffee in dry parchment (the green bean with the thin parchment layer still intact) to a warehouse in Cajamarca where it is graded and purchased. The group who set up this buying operation are working to register all the farmers they buy from in order to help isolate different quality tiers, but also be able to issue the initial payments and any quality premiums themselves, something that was lacking when they were buying through more traditional avenues. It doesn't help that the roads leading to Huabal and within the district are much more rustic than some of their neighbors, limiting access to farmers in this region.