Review #18: Cafe Tilawa

Name of Roaster: Cafe Tilawa Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): El Dos de Tilaran, Costa Rica

Name of Roast: Cafe Tilawa Medium Roast

Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Tilaran, Abangares, & Monteverde, Costa Rica Price: $8.00 (250g/8.8oz) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Twelve Days Aroma: Opening the bag revealed the scents of toffee, honey, light roast, and cocoa powder. A warmer scent appeared on the grind, with notes of berry, milk chocolate, honey, and spiced cocoa. On the pour, we noted a further honeyed sweetness, along with the scent of caramelizing sugar.

Flavor Profile: This light-bodied coffee had a middle entry, with cocoa pervading at the start. An acidity ran out ahead of the soft dark chocolate flavor, coating the tongue. The coffee stops about mid-tongue and stays there, with a slightly bitter flavor hanging above the undercurrent of acidity. A brightness shows on the sides of the mouth, with lighter caramel nots showing. The acidity remains on the sides of the tongue. The coffee had a pleasant, balanced aftertaste, with a hint of citrus.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): We found this coffee to be a solid morning cup that is meant to be paired with a breakfast item, as it doesn't have the bombast or complexity of a cup that stands on its own, and the acidity could be tempered with the proper pairing of a food item. Also, we note that this coffee is made by small and medium producers, and it is certified fair trade and sustainable. The bag prominently notes these facts, so we wanted to ensure that we pass along the information to our readers. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 7.2. Where to Buy: From our research, you can only buy this coffee in whole bean form while in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica. We picked it up while on our way to Arenal Volcano. However, it may be possible to get it shipped via dialogue through this contact form. Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!