Brazil Sertao Carmo de Minas
The dry fragrance has raw cocoa nibs scent, dark honey, with semi-sweet chocolate dominating the darker roast levels, and a hint of savory miso. The wet aroma sweetens up considerably and casts an image of the coffee as caramelly, with vanilla and maple in the lighter roast, with more pungent, roasty bittersweets at Full City level and darker. This is one of the cleaner and sweeter Brazils we have cupped from the higher ranks of Specialty preparation this year. Light roasts have a transparent honey sweetness, hazelnut-toasted almond roast tone, and a pleasantly tea aspect in the finish (green tea/ assam). The darker roast levels we did for espresso shots also cup really well, and make a nice brewed cup. Full City has toasted graham cracker with rich bittersweet chocolate, dark caramelized sugar sweetness, and a tangy, somewhat carbony finish. It still retains much of the sweetness of the lighter roast level though, as the cup cools. This coffee is ideal for either a SO espresso or a very clean blend base under accent coffees of your choice (although I would pick Ethiopias!)
Country: Brazil
Region: Carmo de Minas, Minas Gerais
Grade: 15+
Mark:
Processing: Pulp Natural
Crop: February 2013 Arrival
Appearance: .2 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen
Varietal: Bourbon, Catuai, Mundo Novo
Intensity/Prime Attribute: Mild-Medium intensity / Toasted nut and honey in light roast, bittersweet chocolate and caramelized sugar in darker levels
Roast: This does well with a wide range of roasts, City+ through Full City+. See the review for a description of the related roast flavors.
Compare to:
Dry Fragrance 8.50
Wet Aroma 8.50
Brightness/Acidity 8.20
Flavor/Depth 8.60
Body/Movement 8.8
Finish/Aftertaste 8.50
Sweetness 8.30
Clean Cup 8
Complexity 7.50
Uniformity 8.00
Cupper's Correction 3.00
Total 82