Review #50: Dogwood Coffee Co.

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

Name of Roast: Bear Hug Espresso Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Dark Origin of Beans: Peru, Costa Rica, Brazil Price: $16 Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): AeroPress Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Twenty-eight days Aroma: Cutting open the bag, one notes rich chocolate, baking spice, and brownie batter. On the grind, the aroma softens, with a lighter note of chocolate cake as the primary note; baking spice persists. On the pour, light brown sugar dominates, with caramelizing sugar underneath.

Flavor Profile: This coffee had a high entry, clinging to the roof of the mouth before falling at the back of the tongue. The flavor largely sits on the roof and in the front half of the mouth, with a noticeable acidity washing across the tongue. Warm dark chocolate, roasted cashew, and the aforementioned acidity (possibly clementine) are picked up on the center of the tongue, while more acidity is picked up on the sides of the tongue, with flavors of white grape and red berry juice. Faint tinges of dark chocolate run beneath the acidity, but not enough to create any sort of bitterness.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This espresso was much more delicate than we expected and as compared to many espresso roasts we have tried. We sampled this first via AeroPress, then Chemex, and we admit that the amount of acidity involved makes it an intriguing cup when using a pour over method. We recommend that this coffee be paired with a breakfast item so as not to overwhelm you with acidity. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 7.1 Where to Buy: Dogwood Coffee Co. Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!