The Cup

Aradi Sidamo –
Origin: Ethiopia
Producer: None specified
Farm: None specified
Varieties: None specified
Elevation: None specified
Harvest: None specified
Process: None specified
Roaster: Caffe Pronto
Roast Date: None specified
Cup Date: 2/15/10

Catadors: Rebecca, Ilenia, Jeremy, Devlin, Lindsay, Jessica C.

Average Score: None specified

Fragrance:

Strawberry pop tart, Fig Newton, creamy ripened berries, berry yogurt, chocolate, bread, blueberry muffin, blueberry, grainy like berry Cheerios, strawberry

Aroma:

Arugula, Christmas cookies, sugar, berries and cream, candy, figgy, blueberry, pineapple, fresh warm blueberry muffins, cinnamon oatmeal

Break:

Kix cereal, heavy peanut butter, oats

Brightness:

Bright, dulled, yes, high, dull

Flavor:

Tart lemon, taco bell smells, tea, fruity, grapes, Meyer lemon, berries, toast, bread and grains, sweet, interestingly tangy like Tang

Body:

Medium, thin, medium heavy

Aftertaste:
A little nutty, bitter, long and tart, grain

Likes:
Everything, flavors, scents, fruity, nice aroma when ground

Dislikes:
Aftertaste, too grainy, maybe too acidic

Descriptions:
This coffee truly delivers and delights. The fragrance was sweet of strawberry pop tarts and Fig Newtons and nostalgic Christmas sugar cookies. This coffee is bright with the flavor of a tart lemon torte leaving you with a crisp refreshing taste.

Flavors or berries and cream permeate; the dulled brightness and medium body work well in this cup, serving as a warming agent, thus making it approachable. A nutty, semi-bitter aftertaste brings this cup to buoyancy.

Very sweet exciting coffee, chocolate bread, blueberry muffin and candy of all present,  smells of sugary cereal in milk, with hight brightness and a tea like body. YES to this guy.

I love you. Bright acidity and a shower of fruit. Long tart finish highlights of Meyer lemon and grapes; also suggests lavender.

Very sweet smelling, this surprisingly grainy coffee is of fair quality.. not for fancy guests, but certainly something to have and not be ashamed of.

Sweet aroma and taste. Very tangy. Has an acidic taste all the way through to the aftertaste. Really enjoyed the aroma though.

Jay’s Notes:

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe – Organic Fair Trade
Origin: Ethiopia
Producer: unknown
Farm: unknown
Varieties: Ethiopia Heirloom
Elevation: unknown
Harvest: 2008
Process: Natural
Roaster: Cafe Pronto – Annapolis, MD
Roast Date: November 11, 2009
Cup Date: 12/5/2009

Catadors: Jenny (8), Ilenia (8), Rebecca (10), Devlin (9), Stephanie (8), Jeremy (9)
Average Score: 8.69

Fragrances:
Blueberry (x3), peat, sugar coated berries, banana nut pancakes with strawberry syrup, pineapple, apricot,

Aromas:
Carrots (salty), blueberry waffles, blueberry pop tart with icing toasted just right in the toaster, lime, lemongrass, peach, apricot, bread, syrupy figs

Break:
Blueberry lemon syrup

Brightness:
Very bright, dulled, bright (x2), high, tangy lemon

Flavor:
Blueberry, lemons (x3), citrus, maple syrup, honey, pink lemonade, white pears, grape, belgian beers, dried mango, apricot, berry

Body:
Light (x3), mild, medium-light, medium,

Aftertaste:
Blueberry, lemons, chalky, dry, citrusy, sweet tang, tangy, fruity, even, light,

Likes:
All. Flavors, fragrance, generally interesting. Everything! The apricot taste is exotic and consistent.

Dislikes:
Chalky textures. Nothing! Too sweet, not an all-the-time cup.

Descriptions:
Delicious and fruity, this light and bright coffee mixes blueberry with lemons for a tart and sweet taste. An all-day coffee.

An interesting cup packed with aromas of sugar-coated berries and warm waffles. Flavors of citrus fruits and lemon candies skim the tongue with its’ light body. A citrusy aftertaste lingers after the final sip.

This delightful cup of coffee with surprise and impress your friends for afternoon coffee talk. This light bodied cup dances around in your mouth with flavors of maple syrup and honey. The aftertaste of sweet tangy-ness will be memorable on your tongue.

Big fruit flavors that are light on their feet. Exotic mango paired with summer fruits of white grape and pear live hand in hand with aromas of lime and lemongrass. A perfect coffee to show the difference between “coffee” and greatness.

The consistency from start to finish of apricot pleases me. I’m glad that there is finally a blend coffee that smells the same as it tastes. Still, it’s too sweet to have all the time.

A classic berry cup. Clear as a bell tones of blueberry on the nose. Syrupy figs in aroma, tangy on the tongue but richer fruits around the mouth. A delicate body make this an excellent snack.

Jay’s Notes:
The Wondo Worka returns! This is the same bag of coffee from the cupping on November 28th. I just had the remainder of the bag sitting around and thought I would toss it into the mix for shits and giggles. It’s nearly a month out of the roaster and I wanted to see how much the coffee had degraded in the week since.

The coffee itself had just been sitting in its’ bag, rolled but unsealed and left out at room temperature in a box sitting on the back counter. I figured that it would have degraded and was utterly surprised that it not only received positive comments from our staff but ended up with the highest average score after two days of cupping twenty-five coffees!

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe – Organic Fair Trade
Origin: Ethiopia
Producer: Ethiopia Heirloom
Farm: unknown
Varieties: unknown
Elevation: unknown
Harvest: 2008
Process: Natural
Roaster: Cafe Pronto – Annapolis, MD
Roast Date: November 11, 2009

Catadors: Jeremy, Ilenia, Lindsay, Kimmy, Rebecca, Stephanie
Liked It: Ilenia, Kimmy
Hated It:

Fragrance/Aroma/Break/Brightness/Flavor/Body/Aftertaste:
raisins, berries, fruit roll-ups, vanilla, blueberry waffles, blueberry syrup, flowery, molasses, dark, very very sweet, lemon rind, black tea, wine, candied fruit, honey, vinegar, citrus peel & pulp, blueberry waffles/syrup, orange, trail mix sweet nut bar, honey orange, blueberry waffles/syrup, sour, medium brightness, light, bright, citrus tomato, spicey, floral, sweet, tangy, tomato juice, blueberry hints, sweeter as it cools, fruity, green apple, med/light body, airy, medium, mild, light, grass, pleasant, faintly sweet tomatoes, crisp apple, slightly acidic.

Descriptions:
A sour, sweet coffee, like the first bite of a green apple. Starts with a shock, but tones of honey, wine and berry are present below. A tea-like mouth feel and a slight acidic finish.

The sweet, dark molasses-rich fragrance of this coffee will seduce you. Its citrus aroma and spirited brightness is wonderfully crisp. This fruity flavor is sure to please with its pleasant fruit flavors. The airy body makes this cup continually delectable and the aftertaste of apples leaves you refreshed.

This unusual cup is all blueberry waffles topped with blueberry syrup, consistently packing those exact flavors throughout from scents to flavors to aftertaste. There is a mild tanginess to its brightness, reminiscent of sweet ripened tomatoes, making this a delightful medium bodied coffee; a perfect crowd pleaser for eccentric guests.

This cup has a slightly sweet aroma of berries, orange and vanilla that blends excellently into a floral flavor. A mild cup, yet full of exotic flavor – sure to be a refreshing experience.

This coffee is an explosion of smells such as raisins, berries, fruit roll-ups and a sweet nut bar. The flavor of this coffee is sweet, acidic and citrus similar to vegetables. This cup of coffee is a light body that would be best paired with a savory dinner of steak and mashed potatoes.

Jay’s Notes:
Several weeks ago, Lindsay mentioned that she was planning to visit the Caffe Pronto roastery in Annapolis and suggested we do a group visit. Since Pronto isn’t one of our primary roasters, not to mention that they are the primary roaster for another Hampden coffee shop, I figured that it would be bad form to ask if we could invade their space en masse. Lindsay said she would still visit on her own.

About a week or so later, I noticed this bag of Pronto’s Wondo Worka sitting on the back counter of The Spro Towson and figured that Lindsay had brought it back from her visit to Annapolis. A couple days later, turns out that Lindsay had never made it down to Pronto, which begs the question: “Where did this bag of coffee come from?”

My only guess is that someone from Pronto dropped it off but I can’t be sure since no one at Towson seems to know where the bag came from. It just miraculously appeared.

To be honest, my experience tasting coffees from Maryland roasters has been less than disappointing and much as I try to like coffees roasted by local roasters, they routinely disappoint.

That said, I’ve known Caffe Pronto owner Vincent Iatesta for a few years now since he’s been involved in the Specialty Coffee Association of America and his baristas have been active in the barista community. Through these channels, I’ve always known that Pronto has pushed quality but I haven’t really been blown away by their coffees.

Until now…

Because the bag was sitting at Towson when we were doing our weekly cuppings, I decided to toss it into the mix not really expecting it to perform much. Quite simply, the Wondo Worka was immense.

When it comes to wines, I enjoy big fruit and oakiness. Give me a bottle of the Chateau de Beaucastel, Seghesio ZInfandel or the Pezzi King Old Vine Zinfandel and I’m loving life – same goes for coffee. Give me an eastern African coffee with big fruit, body and light citrus and I want to suck it down all day long.