Sweet Maria's Home Coffee Roasting
2001-2002
Reviews
Sweet Maria's Coffee Cupping Reviews Archive: 2001-2002 Archive M to Z
Main Page: 2001-2002 Archive
2001-2001 Archive A to F
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Burundi
  • Colombia
  • Congo
  • Costa Rica
  • Dominican
  • Ethiopia
  • French Chicory
 2001-2001 Archive G to L
  • Guatemala
  • Hawaii
  • Honduras
  • India
  • Jamaica
  • Java
  • Kenya
 2001-2001 Archive M to Z
    • Mexico
    • Myanmar
    • Nicaragua
    • Panama
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Peru
    • Puerto Rico
    • Saint Helena
    • Salvador (EL)

 

 M to Z
  • Sulawesi
  • Sumatra
  • Tanzania
  • Timor
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Part 2 of M to Z ... Peru through Zambia
(Back to part 1)

Peru
Peru SHG Organic Chanchamayo-FT
Country:
Peru
Grade:
SHG
Region:
Chanchamayo
Mark:
La Florida Co-op, OCIA Organic Cert., Fair Trade Cert.
Processing:
Washed
Crop:
midcrop
2001
Appearance:
1d/300gr
16/17scr
Varietal:
Typica
 
Dry Frag./ Wet Aroma:
83/85
Notes: A complex coffee with a good punch to it too... Perus are very high grown and sometimes I feel the acidity is a bit too high and too removed from the rest of the flavor profile. The acidity can be a bit blunt in some lots. This was the case with something being sold last year as Andes Gold, whatever that means. The Chanchamayo samples last year were okay but this is much more powerful...so here it is, a year later and I have a good stockpile of Peruvian Chanchamayo (pronounced just as it reads). Good acidy component in darker blends too. I use this stuff "in-house" a lot. Really incredible price, and great character; if you like Centrals, try this for sure! Look for smokey flavors that are independent of roast.
Brightness- Liveliness:
85
Body- Movement:
82
Flavor- Depth:
85
Finish- Conclusion:
85
Roast: Full City, or dark in blends.
Score:
85.5
Compare to: Panama, Guatemalan, Costa Rican
Peru Chanchamayo Corona 18+
Country: Peru Grade: SHG Region: Chanchamayo Mark: Corona Royal 18+
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 00/01 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 18+ scr Varietal: Bourbon, Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: A large bean coffee with a great cup at a low price: that’s pretty much a home run formula. The bean screen at 18/64 th's or above, which is how coffee size is measured. Large bean coffees are not necessarily better by any means. But it is going to roast evenly, be free of defective or partial beans, and have consistencey in the cup. And if a large bean coffee does happen to cup very well, then all's well. Chanchamayo is the premier growing region in Peru, but Cuzco (from near Machu Picchu), Puno (from the extreme South) and coffees from the North can be good. Chanchamayo coffees benefit from the most modern wet-mill processing facilities and best transportation routes to port at Callao. This is a medium to full body cup, good bright acidity and medium to long in the aftertaste, a complete package in the cup!
Wet Aroma: 82
Brightness- Liveliness: 86
Body- Movement: 85
Flavor- Depth: 85 Roast: City to Full City: Classic central amercian cup character but not as delicate as others so it can take a heavier roast and retain "origin character".
Finish- Conclusion: 83
Score: 84 Compare to: bolder Centrals
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican Yauco Selecto AA - '02
Country: US; Puerto Rico Grade: AA Region: Yauco Mark: Hacienda Santa Ana
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 01/02 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16/17 scr Varietal: Bourbon, Typica

 

 

 Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: Yauco Selecto is the premium coffee from the small growing regions on the island. Production is limited and the last count I could find was 3500 bags per year …in the scheme of things its not much! Many other price factors bear on this coffee too: since it is produced in the US the price refelects what US consumers should probably be paying for all coffee, if origins enjoyed the protections that we grant our own. There is a long tradition of coffee from Puerto Rico that was destroyed by a combination of hurricane damage and market pressures. In Europe, PR coffees were considered the pinnacle, because they have unparalleled bidy for an island coffee, and ample flavor/complexity. The coffee is air-frieghted in small quantities to the US, so it is basically always fresh from the Yauco Selecto mill. To be frank, I didn't touch this coffee for the last 2 years because the cup was lackluster. A combination of weather factors and storm damage took its toll. But I was happy to find this cup from new crop sample to have the character I remember: first and foremost a creamy, buttery body. It is not a sweet coffee; it is more bittersweet with a pleasant aromatic woodyness and some light spice in the aftertaste. It is pricey, but kicks Jamaican rear, and in that repect its less than half the price!
Wet Aroma: 82
Brightness- Liveliness: 83
Body- Movement: 88
Flavor- Depth: 86 Roast: City to Full City. Please take note: I have noted that this coffee takes a little more roast time to reach a Full City roast than other coffees …take that into account, and considering the price I would set the roaster to a high number and manually stop the roast when you hear the first snap of second crack!
  Finish- Conclusion: 86
  Score: 85 Compare to: Island coffee with an attitude: has the mellowness of other island coffees, with more body and excellent bittersweet flavors
Saint Helena
Isle of Saint Helena 
Country:
Saint Helena (British Protectorate)
Grade:
1
Region:
Saint Helena
Mark:
 St. Helena Coffee Company, Coffee Ground Plot
Processing:
Wet-Processed (washed)
Crop:
2002
Appearance:
1d/300gr
16/17 scr
Varietal:
Heirloom Yemen Seedstock: "Green-Tipped Bourbon"
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3
Notes: St Helena is the very small island in the South Central Atlantic where Napoleon was banished to, and died. The island is just 8 miles long and 6 miles wide, but was a small but productive coffee producer owned entirely by the Dutch East India Co. until recently. Because the cost of production was so high and the shipping costs so outrageous (St Helena has only 1 boat, the RMS Saint Helena, servicing the island every every 2 weeks) the farms was left largly abandoned for decades. Only in the past 10 years has the coffee production been revitalized under the care of one David Henry, and the current output is about 4,500 lbs per year. We have the only 2 bags of this coffee in the U.S. from the '01 crop. Compare this to a small Central American estate that can produced 2 containers, or 75,000 lbs per year, and you understand that this is a very rare coffee indeed. And why else is it special? Because the seedstock used to cultivate it is pure heirloom varietal Yemen brought to the island in 1730. Mr. Henry revitalized the production with meticulous care by nursing new seedlings from the aged 100 year old trees. The coffee looks like a wet-processed Sana'ani: a light opal color, small, roundish, flat with a well-defined edge. The coffee is guaranteed by Mr. Henry to be non-certified, but 100% Organic, sustainabley grown. The cup? The acidity is bright, citrus-berry but not sour, the body is medium light, and there is a distinct spicy-pepperiness in the cup. In the finsh there are flavors ranging from cola nut to a pungent creosote and chocolate notes in the darker roasts. The brightness is very roughly similar to an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. It's a clean cup, balanced too when the coffee is allowed to rest 24-36 hours after roasting (recommended), deep. .... Its expensive! ...but for obvious reasons of high production costs. And it is unique ---there is no coffee like it!You can read more about the coffee on our additional Saint Helena Pictures page, and on the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal's cover article on Saint Helena, April '01
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 9.5
Body - Movement (1-5) 4
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 9.5
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 2
add 50 50
Roast: City to Full City. If you like the brightness, keep it lighter. If you are willing to mute the brightness for the sake of complex roast tastes layered with the origin tastes, take it a couple snaps into 2nd crack. This coffee will take a little longer to enter 2nd crack than others. There is lots of character, this coffee will not get obliterated by a little darker roast tastes. I prefer the slightly heavier roast on this coffee. The coffee shows intense roast color, but does not expand as much as you would expect for a specific degree of roast.
Score (Max. 100) 90
Compare to: The Citrusy-berry notes of a Yirgacheffe, the balance of an island (Kona) coffee, the complexity (spice and chocolate) of a Yemeni dry-processed without the ferment or earthiness.
El Salvador
El Salvador Cup of Excellence- San Francisco Farm
Country: El Salvador Grade: SHB -Strictly Hard Bean Region: Buenos Aires, Chalchuapa Mark: 2003 COE Auction Lot #9, Finca San Francisco
Chops: 09/060/63
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2003 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: 100% Bourbon
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.8 Notes: While this coffee ranked #9 in the Cup of Excellence competition for El Salvador, it was my personal #1. It is 100% traditional Bourbon arabica cultivar, and is exclusively sun-dried on patios. It comes from an altitude of 4900 f eet, the San Francisco farm owned by Juan Francisco Rodríguez, 4th generation of a coffee growing family. Sr. Rodriguez was a founding member of the wet-mill co-op, along with 27 other small farms, called the Cuzcachapa cooperative. At his farm, some 80 workers are employed for harvest time and 6 people are permanently working on the coffee field through the cooperative effort. The coop helps the community in the maintenance of roads and providing economic support to surrounding communities complementing their bills for water supply. The cup is floral in the aromatics, both before and during brewing. This follows through on the first sip, when I often get a very floral burst, like brilliant hop flowers. When roasted to a lighter City stage, the coffee needs to rest a couple days to bring some equilibrium to the top end of the taste profile: this is bright coffee! This cup is complex, everything I look for in a high grown Central. With ample acidity, you can roast this a bit darker and get really amazing, tingly ripe-sweet orange notes in the cup. This overlays a complex, black tea flavor that persists through the finish at this slightly darker roast stage -very nice!
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.8
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 9.2
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.7
Body - Movement (1-5) 3.3
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 9
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0 Roast: This coffee resists the roast a bit and may need a little more time in the roast to hit the degree-of-roast you are targeting. It's very bright in the lighter City stage, and I had the most complex cups when it was true Full City, meaning that just a couple snaps of 2nd crack occurred and the roast was stopped.
add 50 50 Compare to: Bright, flavorful, complex Centrals … intensifying more as it cools. It truly compares only to Bourbon varietal Salvadors.
Score (Max. 100) 87.8
Sulawesi
Sulawesi "Aged Kalossi" Toraja
Country: Indonesia: Sulawesi Grade: One Region: Sulawesi: Torajaland Mark: POI Aged Kalossi
Chops: 155/340/44
Processing: Semi-washed: Aged Crop: 1999 Appearance: .5 d/300gr, 16-18 Screen Varietal: Sumatra
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.0 Notes: We finally found a lot of true Aged Sulawesi coffee, held back from the 1999 crop in Toraja to properly aged the cup. Aged coffees are rare only in that it costs the producer a lot of money to hold back a crop from the market, and to properly age it. Aged coffees need to be regularly rotated in the warehouse to make sure all bags age evenly and that a consistent moisture content is maintained. Aging coffee at origin means that the coffee will not dry out (if properly rotated in stock. Then the coffee has to be broken out of bags, mixed, and is then either re-bagged for shipment, or re-bagged and aged more. The aging process lowers the brightness (acidity) in the cup, increases the pungency, and (arguably) increases the body. The result is a bass-toned cup with oaky smokiness in the cup, and a thick mouthfeel. Compared to other aged Indonesians we have stocked, our regular customers might remember the Aged Sumatra Pwanu from 2 years ago: a cleaner, less aggressive cup than the Old Brown Java. This is like the Pwani: chocolatey, with pleasant, soft aged smokey character but without a hard edge in the cup. The aftertaste is lighter than other aged coffees, which have a tendency to stay with you for ... well ... a day or two! In scoring, I am compelled to add a +1 cuppers correction because the score punishes the coffee for low acidity, which is exactly what people who select this coffee will want!
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.0
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 7.0
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 9.0
Body - Movement (1-5) 4.0
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.0
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1.0 Roast: You can roast this anywhere from Full City to French to Flaming charcoal. If you roast it to a lighter city roast you need to rest it a few days to let body develop in the cup and mellow the more astringent roast taste. Resting 48 hours for all roasts of this cup is recommended.
add 50 50 Compare to: A bass-note cup with extremely low brightness, lots of depth and body, and a smokey aged character.
Score (Max. 100) 85.0
Sulawesi Sulotco Farm -Old Toraja
Country: Sulawesi Grade: One Region: Torajaland Mark: Sulotco, "Old Toraja"
Processing: Fully Wet Process, Aged Crop: 1999 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16-17 Screen Varietal: Sumatra Varietal
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 4 Notes: Let's start with what I know about this coffee: it’s a really unusual aged cup. It is 3 years old and has very potent aged aroma during roasting and in the cup … yet it retains brightness. This is quite different from the cup character of other aged coffees that become low-acid, deep and smokey. Well, actually this coffee is indeed deep, full-bodied and full of that aged taste. Yet the appearance is quite different from our aged Sumatras ... it is a pale green, not orange-brown. It is from the respected Sulotco farms, the only Sulawesi processor I know that uses a fully-wet method a la Central America. And lastly, this coffee sold out quickly from the stocks of the venerable Erna Knutsen ... and she just managed to find 5 more bags for us that were misplaced in her inventory. But I keep asking myself, was this coffee purposefully aged or is it "old stock". Well, either way the cup character is certainly unique among aged coffees, the provenance is good, and the cup is as mystifying and interesting as ever...
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.5
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8
Body - Movement (1-5) 5
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 0 Roast: Full City +, Vienna. I roasted this light and find the brightness a bit disturbing at a City roast. But darker it lends great dimension to the typical aged cup profile.
Add 50 50 Compare to: Like aged coffees, but with a top-end brightness to the cup.
Score (Max. 100) 86.5
Sulawesi Rantepao
Island:
Sulawesi
Grade:
1
Region:
Torajaland
Mark:

Rantepao (Monsooned)
Processing:
 Semi-washed, "Monsooned"
 
Crop:
98/99
Appearance:
1d/300gr
19+ scr
Varietal:
- -
Dry Frag./ Wet Aroma:
80/82
Notes: The Rantepao is a weird story. The source swears that the coffee is not Monsooned, that its color/cup are a result of it being left in the coffee cherry for 5 days or so without pulping or drying it out. The "aged in cherry form" is definitely part true; I have looked up the Rantepao references and it was supposedly the coffee that was transported in cherry form by horseback from the farm to the mill... and during that time the coffee seed swelled. But it is also aged for quite a long time: over 4 years! This coffee is rare, and is only handled by the source broker on behalf of another importer... In the past 5 years only 4500 lbs have been produced! I have personally met the sole produced of Rantepao, although I admit there was a bit of a language problem communicating some of the details about the coffee. It looks like Monsooned Malabar, but if you let the coffee rest a day after roasting, you will find much more sweetness and depth than the Malabar. Its for people who like aggressive cups, the Aged and Monsooned ... I think this is one of the finest coffees out there in this vein.
Brightness- Liveliness:
83
Body- Movement:
89
Flavor- Depth:
85
Finish- Conclusion:
87
Roast: Full City. I like this with a darker roast on it.
Score:
84.3
Compare to: Monsooned Malabar with more depth and sweetness. It is harsh if you cup it too soon after roasting, but every day of resting seems to bring out more body, more sweetness, and mellows the hard, aggressive character in the coffee...
Sumatra
Sumatra Triple-Pick -Blue Batak
Country: Sumatra Grade: One Region: Lake Toba, Sumatra Mark: PT Volkopi Blue Batak
Processing: Dry processed Crop: 2002 crop Appearance: .5 d/300gr, 17 Screen Varietal: Sumatra
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.0 Notes: Batak is a ethnic group, a "tribe" that is related to the greater Mandailing group, with a distinct dialect. Actually Batak is a general name for 6 groups with different cultural and linguistic characteristics, but they believe in a descent of a common ancestor. The Batak people live in the north of Sumatra, in the hilly region of Lake Toba. At the beginning of this century the last Batak were placed under the authority of the Netherlands and most of them were christianized: the Batak form the largest protestant community of Asia. Nevertheless many of old pre-christian traditions were preserved. Blue Batak is sourced from small-holder farms in growing areas surrounding the lake. It is a marvelous cup, but much different than the earthy, musty, natural Sumatras. It's a remarkabley clean cup! The aromas are sweet, and after the coffee had rested several days I honestly thought I smelled honeyed ham in the wet aroma! The first sip is not that impressive, especially if you expect a big bang that is typical to Sumatras: earthiness, pungency, etc. But let this cup grow on you a bit and as it cools you will find a refined, sweet, cinnamon-spiced cup with great body and a long sassafras aftertaste.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.5
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.0
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 9.0
Body - Movement (1-5) 4.0
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.0
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1.0 Roast: City to Full City: it really has a wide range of roasts but it needs time to rest to allow the body to develop
add 50 50 Compare to: A very clean Sumatra cup ... if you want musty/earthy, don't get the Blue Batak. If you only drink Centrals and think Sumatras are always dirt-tasting, then try this one!
Score (Max. 100) 86.5
Sumatra Mandheling Natural Decaf
Country: Indonesia Grade: One Island Region: Sumatra Mark: Coffein Natural Decaf
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16/17scr Varietal: Sumatra
        Dry Fragrance: 86 Notes: I am very excited to have an Indonesian decaf processed by the Ethyl Acetate method. My personal opinion is that the cup quality of this Sumatra surpasses all the Swiss Water Sumatras I have ever stocked. Natural Decafs are a newer 'chemical' process that use a safe fruit-derived type of Ethyl Acetate to extract the caffeine from the green coffee. The Ethyl Acetate process is this case performed in Germany by the decaffeinator Coffein who brands their own process …presumably because they think they do a better job than others. One thing for sure, any decaffeination performed in Germany is done under the strictest regulations in the world ...in terms of environmental impact, plant safety and highest standards for the coffee itself. This cup really retains all the strenghts of the the non-decaf Sumatra cup; great body, nice earthy-woody flavors, low-acidity, long mild aftertaste.
Wet Aroma: 84
Brightness- Liveliness: 79
Body- Movement: 88
Flavor- Depth: 86 Roast: Full City or City. Roast it to your preference. It can be roasted to Vienna or full french if desired: this coffee has a very wide latitude in terms of roast!
Finish- Conclusion: 87
Score: 85.0 Compare to: Sumatra Mandheling, or Sulawesi
Sumatra Lake Tawar Triple-Pick
Country: Sumatra Grade: Grade 1, Triple-Picked Region: Northern Highlands of Medan Mark: Lake Tawar Mandheling
Processing: 100% Sun-dried, Semi-washed process Crop: 2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 18-19 Screen Varietal: Sumatra
        Dry Fragrance: 85 Notes: Lake Tawar is in the North-central highlands of Medan-Aceh. The main town of Takengon is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Tawar, and it is a great base camp for exploring the greater Gayo region. Suprisingly, this coffee is handled and distributed exclusively by Hacienda La Minita, who acts as advisors to the farmers and mill in processing this coffee and preparing of this semi-washed coffee, and in their exacting preparation methods. The result is one of the most beautiful, large-bean Sumatras we have ever stocked and is Triple-handpicked after drying to remove defects. But more important than the appearance of the green coffee is, of course, the cup quality. This is a uniquely spicy cup that has a neat astringency (not acidity), and spicy pungent finish. Of course its the high degree of soluble solids that give a sense of very heavy body, almost creamy in this coffee. The roast taste is sweet though, a bit like butterscotch, the fruitiness alternates between black cherry and black currant for me. The aftertaste is long, and there's a bit of pleasant "wet bark" earthiness to remind you that you are, indeed, enjoying a coffee from Sumatra! I think this 2002 new crop lot is simply awesome, and cupping it agaisnt some Lintong offerings, it blew then away (in fact, I cancelled the Lintong contract after cupping this!)
Wet Aroma: 86
Brightness- Liveliness: 85
Body- Movement: 92
Flavor- Depth: 88 Roast: City to Full City+. I prefer it just before 2nd crack starts, the rested 48 hours before brewing so the body can develop. Can be roasted on either side of 2nd crack though: wide latitude in roast. Remember that Sumatras show a lighter roast color for their specific degree of roast.
Finish- Conclusion: 88
Score: 87.3 Compare to: Premium Sumatras

 

Aged Sumatra Mandheling '98
Country: Sumatra (Aged) Grade: 1 Region: Central Sumatra Mark: AGED Mandheling
Processing: Dry-Processed, Aged Crop: 1998 Appearance: 1 d/300gr, 16/18scr Varietal: Sumatra
        Dry Fragrance: 84 Notes: This is a aged coffee that originated with '98 crop Manheling Grade 1 and was held in Sumatra 3 years for the aging process. Aged coffees are not simply old coffee. You can't just put some green coffee in your basement for 3 years and end up with aged coffee (although its fun to see what you get -other than moldy coffee!) The process has to occur in a controlled environment in the country of origin with apporpriate climate to prevent the coffee from drying out. The bags are turned and rotated in their stacks every so often, and the rebagged before shipping. It costs a lot to hold onto a stock of coffee like this, and the final results can be disasterous! The coffee can be ruined at any point along the way, and result in a total loss. I have cupped terrible Aged coffees that someone is attempting to pass off (with little luck). But this Aged Sumatra is wonderful... It has no acidity, tons of body, and wonderful soft aged flavors: very chocolatey, smokey, spicey, pungent, with a very long wonderful aftertaste. Please note that this is a new lot (as of 7/01) and is more potent that the Pwani lot we had before. We bought this lot because I feel it has a more "aged" quality and more powerful cup, although it is a little less attractive than the Pwani. It has the look of a true aged coffee: yellow orange. We also stock the Aged Java Old Brown which is an even more potent Aged coffee: extremely pungent, smokey, with a very aggressive bite. This coffee is exceptional in espresso blends and not bad as a straight roast espresso ...not bad at all!
Wet Aroma: 86
Brightness- Liveliness: 78
Body- Movement: 88
Flavor- Depth: 87 Roast: Full City. I like this roasted a few snaps into second crack, or a tad darker for espresso uses.
Finish- Conclusion: 90
Score: 85.5 Compare to: Low-acid, flavorful coffees, with spicey/smokey flavors and a long aftertaste. Know any?
Sumatra Organic Gayoland -FT
Country: Sumatra Grade: 1 Region: Gayo, Aceh Mark: Gayoland Organic, SKAL Cert Organic, Fair Trade Certified
Processing: Semi-Washed Crop: 00/01 Appearance: 1 d/300gr, 17/18 scr Varietal: Sumatra
     Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: Oh, why do I do this to myself ... stocking both the Gayoland and it's competitor Gayo Mountain is going to lead too tons of hair-splitting questions about the differences between the two. Here is the basic answer: there is little, they are both excellent this year! If you like one, you will like the other. If you like Sumatra, you will like them both. If you aren't sure, start with a Lb. of Mandheling and find out. Okay, that said, there are minor differences here. The Gayoland is from the competing OCIA certified Organic mill in Aceh, West and North of the areas where most Mandheling and Lintong originate. The Gayoland is a slightly larger bean size, making it the better choice for Alpenrost owners. In appearance it has the yellow tinge in it I expect to see in Golden Pwani coffees, but I am not what is derisively called an "eye-cupper" in the trade, and you shouldn't be either. Especially with natural (or in this case semi-natural) coffees, its even more important to look past the appearance of the green coffee and judge it by the cup. The Gayoland is a little more fruity than the Gayo Mountain. The prep is not as uniform, the body just a smidge lighter. I think it has a little more going on in the bright end of the cup, so I roast it just a little lighter. In that way, it balances out with the body better. But the Gayo Mountain has a little more body, and is a more pure Sumatra cup experience in that respect. Minor changes in the roast will make a greater difference in the cup than the extremely fussy little distinctions I am making between these two coffees: the fact is, I bought them both because they were both very good!
Wet Aroma: 83
Brightness- Liveliness: 84
Body- Movement: 87
Flavor- Depth: 86 Roast: City. Full City+. I like this coffee roasted right to the verge of 2nd crack, or a bit lighter or a bit darker to taste. The Mandheling is better for dark roasting though. Its good in dark roast blends too
Finish- Conclusion: 84
Score: 84.3 Compare to: Powerful, natural Indonesians: Mandheling, Gayoland, Earthier Sulawesi
Sumatra Organic Gayo Mountain Gr 1 Swiss Water Process Decaf
Country: Indonesia Grade: 1 Island: Sumatra, Gayo Region Mark: Organic, Gayo Mountain Mill
Processing: Washed --not DP! Crop: '01 arrival Appearance: 2d/300gr Varietal: Sumatra
16/17scr
    Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: This is a very nice Swiss Water Process Decaf, since the Gayo Mountain Sumatra (from the Northwest region of the island) is really special for its body and deep flavors, two features mostly unharmed by the water-process decaffeination. Another great feature is that you an roast this fairly light, quite dark, or anywhere in between. It's is one of the only coffees I will roast french without blending, its body can stand up against aggressive roasts. These are grown on very small organic farms but Gayo Mountain is also the name of the organic-certifed mill. It might interest you too that the Aceh region that includes Gayo has been seeking independence from Indonesia! This is a great constituent for decaf or low-caf espresso blends, or as a blending base for low-caf drip coffee. The blending strategy is to have your decaf provide body and depth (which the Sumatran and Indonesian Komodo do well) and then have your non-decaf coffees add the high, bright notes ...something many decafs cannot do well! (with the exception of MC decafs like the Kenya or Yirgacheffe)
Wet Aroma: 82
Brightness- Liveliness: 83
Body- Movement: 86
Flavor- Depth: 84 Roast: City. Its hard to roast the SWP decafs light enough. The color fools you, looks darker than it tastes.
Finish- Conclusion: 83 Compare to: Mellower non-decaf washed Sumatran.     
Score: 83.3
Sumatra Lake Tawar Mandheling
Country: Sumatra Grade: Grade 1, Triple-Picked Region: Northern Highlands of Medan Mark: Lake Tawar Mandheling
Processing: 100% Sun-dried, Semi-washed process Crop: 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 18-19 Screen Varietal: Sumatra
        Dry Fragrance: 85 Notes: Lake Tawar is in the North-central highlands of Medan-Aceh. The main town of Takengon is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Tawar, and it is a great base camp for exploring the greater Gayo region. Suprisingly, this coffee is handled and distributed exclusively by Hacienda La Minita, who acts as advisors to the farmers and mill in processing this coffee and preparing of this semi-washed coffee, and in their exacting preparation methods. The result is one of the most beautiful, large-bean Sumatras we have ever stocked and is Triple-handpicked after drying to remove defects. But more important than the appearance of the green coffee is, of course, the cup quality. This is a uniquely spicy cup that has a neat astringency (not acidity), and spicy pungent finish. The roast taste is butterscotch. Of course its the high degree of soluble solids that give a sense of very heavy body, almost creamy in this coffee.
Wet Aroma: 86
Brightness- Liveliness: 85
Body- Movement: 92
Flavor- Depth: 88 Roast: City to Full City+. I prefer it just before 2nd crack starts, the rested 48 hours before brewing so the body can develop. Can be roasted on either side of 2nd crack though: wide latitude in roast. Remember that Sumatras show a lighter roast color for their specific degree of roast.
Finish- Conclusion: 88
Score: 87.3 Compare to: Premium Sumatras
Sumatra Lintong
Country: Sumatra Grade: 1 Region: Lake Toba, Lintong Mark: Lintong
Processing: Semi-dryprocessed Crop: 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17/18 Screen Varietal: Catuai Caturra
        Dry Fragrance: 83 Notes: Oh joy ...this coffee smells so good while roasting, it smells so good green too! I don't mean to wax poetics, but I love all those smells when they converge: sweet tropical flowers, trees honeyed with sap, moist earth. While Lintong is a premium Mandheling, it ironically is not all that attractive in appearance this year. I was a little disappointed with the preparation when I saw it. It does not have the darker, bluer appearance as we sometimes see, hence the name Blue Lintong. Yes, this IS Blue Lintong, but it seemed ironic to me to call it blue when its not, so we'll just call it Lintong for now. Anyway I am not what they call an "eye-cupper" in the trade ...you CANNOT know the cup quality of a coffee by looking at the appearance of the green, and you shouldn't do that either: odd looking coffees sometimes have the best cup! Ans so I put it up against the other excellent Sumatras from this year and I loved it! It's a sweeter, fruitier, brighter Sumatra, as opposed to the earthier tongue-grabbing pruney ones. There's an aromatic woodyness in the lighter roast that is very pleasant, somewhat sandalwood, and a hint of almond oils. Of course it has a full, rich, oily body and great depth. In fact, most of the flavors in a Sumatra are not in the aromatic and volatile chlorogenic acids (Sumatra has low measurable quantities of acids) but in the soluble solids that give a sense of heavy body/mouthfeel, and in the fats/lipids. You sense these flavors in the back of the mouth, in the oily, waxy soluble solids. And it has less loose chaff than other Sumatra Dry-Processed to boot...
Wet Aroma: 84
Brightness- Liveliness: 83
Body- Movement: 90
Flavor- Depth: 87 Roast: Full City+. This years Sumatra crop can be roasted on either side of 2nd crack: wide latitude in roast. Remember that Sumatras show a lighter roast color for their specific degree of roast.
Finish- Conclusion: 86
Score: 85.5 Compare to: Premium Sumatras

Sumatra Organic Gayo Mountain
Country: Sumatra Grade: 1 Region: Gayo, Aceh Mark: Gayo Mountain Organic
Processing: Semi-Washed Crop: 00/01 Appearance: 1 d/300gr, 17 scr Varietal: