“City+ to FC+: Full bodied with thick sweetness of brown rice syrup, dried tropical fruit, dark berries, and a black tea finish. SO Espresso.” – Sweet Maria’s
This is a bean that I have tried before, however it was a different roasting method and a different harvest. The previous tasting can be found here (http://www.h1twizard.com/sumatra-toba-batak-peaberry/). I have not had the chance to try a peaberry roast in the Gene Cafe until now, so this warranted a separate post, and since it was a different year, I am sure the tastes were different as well. Overall, the process was pretty much the same for other Gene Cafe roasts, however these beans did take a little longer than expected to reach first crack.
Initial sips did reveal a bright acidity, and a dark sugar sweetness on the finish. As the cup cooled, the acidity decreased, and the sweetness is nicely balanced. The tea like finish is definitely noticeable now, but it does not linger too long. I got more impressions of sweet dark fruit than tropical fruits, but I usually do my tastings sipping from my coffee mug. Aspirating from a spoon, like at a tasting, did reveal hints of brighter fruit flavors, but they were fleeting and I did not get any specific impressions other than a slight tartness that I would associate with some fruit. When done correctly, this is a great way to get the flavor experience, but it can also lead to coughing fits if done incorrectly. Believe me, I know.
Still at a medium temperature, the sweetness is in full swing, but the flavors are still nicely balanced. The sweetness is still very smooth, and it does have fruit overtones, but the finish lingers longer and has a light tartness to it, which kind of makes me think of rhubarb. The tartness also picks up a little more as the cup cools, but it is still well balanced with the syrupy sweetness.
Overall, this is a great first cup of coffee in the morning, it definitely is full bodied, and has a nice sweetness that pairs well with the light fruit flavors. It definitely differs from the last time I sampled these beans, so I am glad I had the chance to get another go at these beans. As for the roasting details, the roast was done in the Gene Cafe roaster, with a heat setting of 460 degrees, for 16.5 minutes. First crack started approximately around 14:30 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.