“City to Full City: Spiced apple cider, candied citrus peel, white grapefruit, mandarin, with a distinct black tea flavor that complements the acidity.” -Sweet Marias
The initial sips are interesting, It is not overly sweet, and has a definite black tea finish. There is little acidity to start, but there are definitely citrus notes, and I got the grapefruit right away, with a pithy acidity. The mouthfeel is light bodied. The finish lingers with the black tea note, which is strong and takes awhile to fade. I like black teas, so this is a good thing for me.
Still at a medium temperature, the fruit notes are more noticeable, adding a little sweetness. There are hints of spice, but the black tea flavors are front and center and somewhat overpowering the sweetness. The acidity comes in the finish, and it has a slight peel zest to it rather than the initial pith sourness, but it does not linger too long. After the acidity, the finish also has some spice and citrus notes, but the black tea notes still linger.
I liked the black tea flavors in this roast, but it was a little dominant. The fruit notes and sweetness were light. The acidity was balanced with the tea notes, providing some contrast, with the grapefruit being the first to appear, and the zest and mandarin as it cooled. This is a good first cup, if you enjoy black teas, and don’t want something too sweet or acidic. I enjoyed this roast, but it might not be my first cup in the morning. It could be a good afternoon cup. As for the roasting details, the roast was done in the Gene Cafe roaster, with a heat setting of 460 degrees, for 15 minutes. First crack started approximately around 13:50 minutes and continued for about 1.5 minutes. Cooling was done in the Gene, down to 215 degrees, and then removed and cooled in a colander until room temperature.