Review #22: Lightning Coffee Roasters

Name of Roaster: Lightning Coffee Roasters Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Lynn, MA

Name of Roast: Burundi Kalico Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Kirundo and Muyinga Provinces, Burundi (Kahawa Link Company, Angele Ciza & Consolata Ndayishimiye) Price: $12 (12 oz) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Seventeen Days

Aroma: Opening the bag, the beans provided scents of chocolate ganache, hazelnut, and a hint of nutmeg. Similar notes appeared on the grind, but lighter on the nose: less ganache, more toasted nut and baking spices. On the pour, the nose receives the roast note, dark honey, and brown sugar.

Flavor Profile: High entry on the sip, with medium body. The coffee slowly drifts across center of tongue from the front to the back of the mouth. Toffee hugs the roof of the mouth, with some dark brown sugar following. Slight peppery notes are present at the back of the mouth. Faint berry (cherry?) makes an appearance after the initial flavors, along with a touch of acidity. Moving the coffee to he sides of the tongue give rise to a more acidic note, but pleasant. Honeyed aromatics finish, with a hint of bitterness. As it cools, the flavor develops into a fuller mouthfeel, and balance is more prevalent. A candied almond note appears, along with chocolate aromatics.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This was an extremely pleasant cup to review. The coffee’s flavors were subtle, with no powerhouse notes, but the flavors melted quite nicely. The coffee had a medium-sized bloom, for those who are into bloom size. We’d likely pair this coffee with a breakfast item, as we imagine the flavors would become more pronounced with a pairing. Additionally, we want to point out that the Kahawa Link Company (Kalico for short) is owned by two women, and serves many small-scale regional farms. We applaud Kalico’s efforts and Lightning Coffee Roasters for supporting them. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 7.4. Where to Buy: Lightning Coffee Roasters Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!