Rwanda Nyamasheke Gatare

Caramel and spice notes were woven in at every stage of the cupping experience leaving an overall impression of a coffee with aromatic sweetness. Partially refined sugars and cream caramels accented the fragrance and aroma, building out a very sweet backdrop for top notes of spice and tea to stand out against. The cup is saccharine sweet, and with a light citrus oil note that plays into the moderate level of acidity sensed in the City roasts. In fact, sweetness and acidity are the first things I note when the cup was hot, though it doesn't take long for more to be revealed. Moving through the cup reveals top notes of caramel cookie, brown sugar, with hints of pear fruit tart, and a shimmer of sweat tea. City+ roasts showed a slightly more developed sweetness, cinnamon rolls laced with brown sugar and raisin, dark cola, cocoa, and some pleasant tea-like tannic bittering in the finish. I wasn't as fond of my Full City roast as brewed coffee, but loved it extracted as espresso. Ristretto shots are so syrupy, with flavors that touch on bittersweet chocolate, malt ball, and a moderate bright note of preserved lemon.