Review #21: Dogwood Coffee Co.

Name of Roaster: Dogwood Coffee Co. Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Minneapolis, MN

Name of Roast: Luis Joaquin Lovo Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Dipilto, Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua Price: $18 (12 oz) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): AeroPress Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): 25 days Aroma: Opening the bag, we noted rich chocolate brownie with hints of smoke, nutmeg, and molasses. The coffee's scent was brighter on the grind, with honey, graham cracker, bittersweet chocolate, and toasted marshmallow catching our nose. On the pour, dark chocolate prevailed.

Flavor Profile: The coffee began with a high entry and clung to the roof of the mouth as it slowly made its way back, dropping to hit the tongue halfway down. The front end of the coffee hit us with smoke, toasted marshmallow, baking spices, and melted dark chocolate. Honeyed, soft, viscous acidity coats the tongue and floats along the sides. A warm, bittersweet chocolate note followed, hitting mid-mouth and lightly hovering over a long finish. Additionally, we noted a faint berry underneath the honeyed coating on the tongue. Aromatics of the roast remain long after the sip, with no bitterness. We'd categorize this coffee as medium-bodied and quite balanced.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This was a truly pleasurable cup. Despite this being a higher-end cup of coffee evincing a depth and breadth of flavor, the coffee was quaffable and not overbearing. This is a coffee that can be enjoyed on its own, but also lends itself to a variety of pairings. The Lovo was the first coffee we've tried from Dogwood, and if the quality we encountered here is the standard, we look forward to trying more of their coffees in the future. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 8.5. Where to Buy: Dogwood Coffee Co. Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!