21st de Septiembre – Certified Organic, Shade Grown
Origin: Zaragoza, Putla, Oaxaca, Mexico
Producer: 21st de Septiembre Cooperative
Farm: Farms in Buena Vista, Cabeza del Rio, La Lima, el Porvenir, and Zaragoza
Varieties: Pluma Hidalgo, Typica
Elevation: 1150 – 1400 meters
Harvest: January – March 2009
Process: Washed
Roaster: Counter Culture Coffee – Durham, NC
Roast Date: December 1, 2009
Cup Date: 12/4/2009
Catadors: Jenny (5), Ilenia (3), Jeremy (6), Kimmy (5), Rebecca (6), Stephanie (5), Lindsay (2), Val (7)
Average Score: 5.00
Fragrances:
Cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla, earthy, wet mud, shrimp, open seafood market, dried shrimp, pea soup, ham, cherries, fishy, grass, seaweed, salty, sweet, cocoa, salt, dirt, charcoal
Aromas:
Menthol, fruity carpet cleaner powder, lilacs, nuts, coffee, burnt (x2), toasted multi-grain bread, chocolate chip muffin, rich, dark, unspecified, ashy, carbon
Break:
Nuts, oats, cocoa, dirt
Brightness:
Dull (x2), bright, slightly acidic, sharp, not!, low, smokey
Flavor:
Bold, rich, coffee covered espresso beans, woodsy, burnt acorns, burnt wood, ashy, (smoked) raw green vegetables, oats, wheat, grain, hearty, rich, chalky, dark, cocoa – somewhat harsh, burnt all to hell, marlboro, heavy, gross, cigarettes, cowboy, wood smoke
Body:
Full, medium to heavy (x3), medium (x2), light to full, bold,
Aftertaste:
Caramel, burnt acorns, a bit burnt, light eating pine, burnt, gross
Likes:
Nice aftertaste. Aromas. Hmm, curious coffee. It tasted okay. Sea-like, salty (that’s different!). Richness, warmth.
Dislikes:
A little dull for me, even though it’s bold… kind of an odd mix. Flavors. Smell, more burnt flavor coming out as it cools. But I wouldn’t drink it black, I’d add sugar & milk. Not repeatedly drinkable. Second time I tried it, it seemed far stronger than the first. All of it.
Descriptions:
Pleasant, rich roast that combines sweet and dark flavors for a nice balance. Cinnamon mixes with earthy wood that both reveal a smooth caramel aftertaste.
This coffee starts off positively, sweetly fusing aromas of sweet earth and lilac flowers, but quickly disappoints with its’ atrocious burnt wood and burnt acorn flavors. The heavy-medium body has a mild brightness, but only serves to highlight the bitter acorn tones.
Strongly savory and deep aromas, followed by a slightly acidic flavor with an ashy presence and a medium body. A good morning cup.
The curious smell of dried shrimp introduces this complex cup. The light yet filling body has a deep smoked flavor, persisting in raw green vegetables. The lingering aftertaste leaves you trying it again.
This cup of coffee is not like the other cups of coffee you’ve had. The flavors are hearty with wheat, oats and grains. This cup is great everyday with milk & sugar.
A fragrance reminiscent of the sea in its’ fishy, salty and seaweed scents. A basic chocolate chip muffin scent follows. This is a dark bold roast with a chalky consistency.
A really nice, dirty coffee. Dry and rich, scented like cocoa, would be especially nice with a hint of milk to amplify the warmth it has. Something to be drank anytime of day if you like a slightly richer coffee.
Tastes like a dirty old west saloon on fire. Or maybe the ashes from said fire.
Jay’s Notes:
Right before our cupping of this coffee, Allie Caran, barista of Woodberry Kitchen, called to let me know about her tasting of the 21st de Septiembre espresso roast. She loved it and said it was one of the best espressos she’s tasted in a while. Because of her enthusiasm, I was looking forward to seeing how this 21st de Septiembre would perform with our staff.
I should note upfront that the 21st that we cupped and the 21st Allie was using as espresso are two different roasts of the coffee, which means we should expect different results. While I was expecting the results to be different, I was expecting our staff to be a bit more enthusiastic about the 21st.
Sadly, it turns out that our staff found the 21st to be a bit on the burnt and ashy side – something completely unexpected from a mainline coffee from Counter Culture.