“City to FC: Bittersweet cocoa, mango, jackfruit, and melon to red berry jam with a long aftertaste. SO espresso.” – Sweet Maria’s
Initial sips were mostly the bittersweet cocoa flavors, along with a narrowly avoided burned tongue. Of course, the flavors usually develop a little more as the cup cools down, and the initial sips were only a few minutes out of the french press, so it was still hot. As the cup cooled down, there is a slight hint of red jam, but the bittersweet is still too strong to get much else. I have no idea what jackfruit tastes like, so I can’t say if there was any in my cup, but I usually do my tastings sipping from my coffee mug. Aspirating from a spoon, like at a tasting, did reveal a slight impression of mango, but it was fleeting. When done correctly, this is a great way to get the flavor experience, but it can also lead to coughing fits if done incorrectly. It nearly happened again this time.
Still at a medium temperature, the red jam is more apparent, and helps balance out the bitterness. There is a nice sweetness, and it does have light melon overtone, but the cocoa definitely hangs around in the finish. As the cup cooled down, the fruit and jam sweetness are evident, but with the bitters it almost has a rhubarb-like taste. The finish is more cocoa like, with the bittersweet nicely balanced against the fruit sweetness.
Overall, this is a great first cup of coffee in the morning, with it’s dark flavors and balanced sweetness. I also learned that a jackfruit can be bigger than my head, however tasting one will have to wait. As for the roasting details, the roast was done in the Gene Cafe roaster, with a heat setting of 460 degrees, for 15.5 minutes. First crack started approximately around 13:00 minutes and continued for about 2.0 minutes. Cooling was done in the Gene, down to 215 degrees, and then removed and cooled in a colander until room temperature.