Man I really love this coffee! Freshly roasted on 3 May 2012, just over a week ago, I had it for the first time this morning.
When I first cracked open the vacuum sealed bag, the aroma was rich and heady, yet delicate, and I thought: "hello?" Then faithful Miss Silvia made me a cup (that reminds me, it's time to give her a bit of a back flush) and the liquor that slowly and gently eased out of her fonts was thick, rich and a warm chocolate colour, swirling in the cup with fresh, flavoursome oils from the coffee beans.
And then I took my first sip and said "hello!" (think Cat Empire). This is amazingly good. The nose is all rich cocoa powder - the kind of stuff that smells so sweet and good that you are compelled to just spoon the powder straight into your mouth. The taste is a complex mix of more sweet, thick cocoa with loads of crisp citrusy goodness - the perfect thing to wake you up in the morning - and underlaid by soft caramel to put a smile on your face.
So what is it? Brought to you courtesy of Sergio Reyes, a renowned El Salvadorian coffee farmer who has previously been a Cup of Excellence and Presidential Award winner. His farm is located in the Alotepec-Metapan mountain range in El Salvador.
Go buy yourself a bag from Ristretto or the Howard Street cafe before it's all gone!