Review #39: Labella Lelio Torrefazione Etrusca

Name of Roaster: Labella Lelio Torrefazione Etrusca

Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Volterra, Italy

Name of Roast: Medium Roast Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium-Dark Origin of Beans: Unknown Price: 3.10 € / $3.60 (250g / 8.8 oz) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Seventeen Days Aroma: Opening the bag, we were greeted with scents of the roast note, char, kindling, a slight dark chocolate, and pepper. The grind revealed full, rich chocolate ganache, chocolate cake, and baking spice, along with pepper on the back end. The pour, meanwhile, offered honey, dark brown sugar, and wet slate. Flavor Profile: The first sip was thin-to-medium bodied with a mid-palate entry. The coffee coated the tongue quickly from front to back before returning to the middle of the tongue to reveal its aromatics. The first sip brought primary flavors of the roast note and sharp dark chocolate, with a slight herbaceous quality on the finish alongside pleasant aromatics. The sides of the tongue added a slight bit of acidity hinting of lemon, but that note was overpowered by the primary notes and faded rather quickly. As the coffee cools, it grows richer, with the chocolate becoming more pronounced, the body blossoming into a mid-to-full mouthfeel, and a hint of warm raspberry and strawberry appearing. The aromatics and balance remain pleasant throughout. Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This is an archetypal Italian roast from a local roaster in Volterra that is well executed. We were lucky to obtain a bag of this coffee and are happy to share it with you in the event you end up in Volterra during your travels. This is a coffee best consumed in the summertime due to its light weight. Indeed, the coffee transported us to Lake Como in July, and while it can be taken on its own and has the lightness to hold up to the addition of milk, the coffee would be best paired black with salumi, bread, cheese, or fresh fruit.

Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 7.5 Where to Buy: Labella Lelio, Via Antonio Gramsci, 16, 56048 Volterra PI, Italy. Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!