Ethiopia Dry Process Hambela Buku

We had a lot of fun tasting this dry process lot, with surprising twists as we moved from smelling the fragrance to tasting the brewed coffee. From the grinds, our initial impression was to expect fruits with more of a rustic edge (which we like!), but what we tasted was much more aromatic and clean. The grinds released notes of dried stone fruits, lemon rind, Tej honey wine, and a hint of banana bread with cinnamon. The sweetness in the wet aroma develops quite a bit of intensity to it, amber honey, potent maple, and brown sugars, with fruit notes of plum wine, and dried date. Brewing the coffee, I was taken aback by the perfumed aroma, and floral overlay that I tasted. It's not that we don't come across this type of dry process, but I was expecting  more rustic intensity, and was pleasantly surprised by the shift in flavors. There's a very nice honeysuckle flower note that plays off aromatic fresh fruits, like honeydew melon, ripe strawberry, and mango. City roasts leave room for bright hints of citrus to shine through, giving this natural an impressive acidic impression, and add to the relatively clean cup character. As it cools, there's a note of fresh rue herb in the nose, often a signature of Guji coffee, and one that we enjoy! Winey notes do crop up as it cools, but are never boozy or over the top. I noted "cranberry wine", with balance between sweetness and tartness. My City+ roast began to outline darker roast-toned accents, but the focus was still very much on fragrant fruit and berry flavors.