Review #33: Equator Coffees & Teas

Name of Roaster: Equator Coffees & Teas

Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): San Francisco, CA Name of Roast: Peru Cajamarca Fair Trade Organic Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Jaen, Cajamarca, Peru

Price: $16.75 (12oz) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Eleven Days Aroma: Tearing open the bag, we were greeted by scents of chocolate chip cookie, brownie crust, baking spices, rich, deep chocolate, soft cherry, raspberry, and fig. On the grind, lighter spices showed alongside subtle cherry and strawberry. On the pour, the dominant notes were dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Flavor Profile: The coffee had a high-to-medium entry on the palate and was medium-to-light bodied in weight. Slightly viscous at the outset, the coffee made its way back across tongue slowly. Further sips brought the coffee into clarity: it is light, soft and subdued, with undercurrents of thick date and fig. A top note of mid-grade dark chocolate persists and coats the roof of the mouth for lasting aromatics. The sides of the tongue pick up sharper notes of the fruit, but the sharpness fades quickly back into the melding flavors. Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This coffee is unlike any we have reviewed so far, and likely a true expression of its terroir. It’s an easy coffee for quiet mornings where you don’t want an overpowering flavor, but a coffee that rises with you. That stated, it’s subdued nature was surprising and the coffee commands a pairing, as it is only meant to play a supporting role. We recommend a cinnamon-focused item so as to draw out some brightness from the coffee.

Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 6.9 Where to Buy: Equator Coffees & Teas Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!