“City+: Honey and caramel sweetness, apple, green grape, kumquat fruit notes, pulpy orange and bittersweet cocoa at darker levels.”
Cupping results: Initial taste was cocoa, and a slight green apple tartness, but the aftertaste has a nice sweetness which tended more to the caramel side. As it cools, the acidity increased, but there is a nice pulpy citrus flavor as well, maybe even a little zest. The roast most likely progressed closer to Full City, as the darker cocoa notes have also blossomed in the aftertaste. As the cup continues to cool, it has balanced more, less tart, which is balanced by the lingering cocoa aftertaste.
Overall, I think this first roast might have gotten closer to Full City than the targeted City+ roast. The roast was done in a Whirley Pop, with a low flame (gas stove), and was preheated to approximately 176 degrees celsius before the beans were added. After the temperature stabilized at 109 degrees celsius, it took approximately 9.5 minutes for the beans to reach first crack, which lasted 1 minute, and allowed for a much more even roast. After first crack ended, the roast was allowed to progress for another 40 seconds before the beans were pulled. They were cooled with a strainer, agitated over an air fan to ensure they did not coast very much after being removed from heat. They reached room temperature within 3 minutes.
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Overall, this is a light bodied cup, but it definitely has a complexity to it. The bright acidity cools down and is balanced nicely with the cocoa notes. I can see this as a first cup, waking the taste buds with its bright, juicy flavors.