“City+: Intense rustic sweetness and complex flavors with thick body. Forest floor/green herb, aromatic wood, apple, and rice syrup.” -Sweet Marias
Initial sips revealed some sweetness, however the woody, grassy flavor is what initially grabbed my attention. The body feels juicy, but does have a weight to it. I did get a little acidity as well, but it was very light, but overall the cup is balanced.
Still at a medium temperature, the sweetness has increased, but the body definitely feels thicker, with a woody note that I can’t place. There are still hints of grass/herb, but they are just lingering in the finish. I tend not to like grassy, herb like flavors in my coffee, however this wasn’t overwhelming, and the sweetness does come through to help offset it. The sweetness is smooth, and it does have a syrup like undertone, but it does not linger, and the finish doesn’t have a syrupy quality, despite the lingering flavors. As the cup cooled down, the herb/grass flavors are still evident, and the woody note is less intense, but the flavors are still well balanced with the sweetness, which did have hints of apple.
Overall, this is a good first cup of coffee in the morning, but the complex flavors and strong herb and wood notes can be a little much for a first cup. As for the roasting details, the roast was done in the Gene Cafe roaster, with a heat setting of 460 degrees, for 15.0 minutes. First crack started approximately around 13:30 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.