Kenya Nyeri Gatugi AB

We found City+ and even Full City roast levels to be well suited for this lot of AB Gatugi. Our lighter roast tests had a slight paper aspect that seemed to fall away with just a little more roast development. But that's not the only reason to take this coffee into darker territory. It also shows pleasant dark fruit flavors and balanced bittersweetness, aspects that were absent at a lighter City roast level. The fragrance gave off hints of rustic dried stone fruit with pleasantly bittering cocoa roast tones behind it. The wet aroma draws out black currant jam, stewed plums, with a complex cacao note. The cup boasted juicy body, and bittersweetness was a prominent feature, leading the way into fruit flavor notes, and a long finish. Notes of black plum, tamarind sauce and tangy fruit skins come through, and the mouthfeel had some pithy bittering that brought up lime zest for me. I gave my Full City roast a run through the espresso machine, not something I normally recommend for the typical light and bright Kenyan coffee. Gatugi is not puckeringly bright, but instead distills down flavors of saucy chocolate notes and dark fruits into a very complex espresso. Not recommended for milk drinks, but one to enjoy on its own.