Review #20: Cafe Britt

Name of Roaster: Cafe Britt Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Heredia, Costa Rica

Name of Roast: Tarrazu Montecielo Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Tarrazu, Costa Rica Price: $12.50 (340g/12oz) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Sixteen Days Aroma: Opening the bag, we noted rich brownie batter and milk chocolate ganache with a hint of bright cocoa powder. Dark brown sugar, hazelnut, and baking spices appeared on the grind, while caramelizing sugar and honey showed on the pour.

Flavor Profile: This coffee had a mid-level entry with medium-to-full body. It slowly moved from the front to back of the tongue, lingering on the mid-to back portion of the tongue. Balanced, rich, lush flavor of pure chocolate overwhelmed on the entry, with a hint of black pepper, nutmeg, blood orange, and almond showing on the back end. A slight syrup appeared halfway through the sip that coated the middle to back of the tongue. Some acidity was also noted on the sides of the tongue that faded quickly. Lovely aromatics of spiced chocolate and a touch of almond persist.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): In a word, this coffee was smooth. The Tarrazu is one of the most well-balanced cups we’ve tasted since we started the site. The coffee is not overly complex, hitting only a couple of notes, but it is eminently enjoyable, likely would be a delicious espresso and French press given its rich chocolate notes, and is a great everyday cup. This is a coffee we would use to break someone into specialty coffees, as it elevates while not pushing the taster too far from their comfort zone. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 8.0 Where to Buy: Cafe Britt and various Cafe Britt shops across Costa Rica. Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!