Review #55: Bar Nine

Name of Roaster: Bar Nine Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Culver City, Los Angeles, CA

Name of Roast: The 9 Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: 80% Bodhi Narino, Caturra / Catuai Varieties, Colombia; 20% Baru Gesha from Ninety Plus, Volcan Panama Price: $18 (12 oz) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Five days Aroma: Opening the bag, one catches the aroma of chocolate brownie, rich milk chocolate, graham cracker, baked cookie crust, and strawberry jam. The grind reveals warm baking spices, pumpkin, orange marmalade, molasses, brown sugar, the aforementioned graham, and cranberry. The pour offers rich dark brown sugar, cinnamon, toasted marshmallow, and hazelnut.

Flavor Profile: The sip had a full-bodied entry that hit mid-palate on the tongue and loomed large in the front of the mouth. The coffee begins rich and viscous, with a thick flavor of dark chocolate that rises high on the palate after the sip. Rich brown sugar hints through the chocolate while a compote of cherry, plum, and blueberry flows underneath. The aromatics begin and remain lush and delicious, heavy on the chocolate, with a subtle earthiness. As the coffee cools, the rich chocolate remains high along the roof of the mouth while the berry loosens to a more juice-like quality. The sides of the tongue pick up orange peel, cherry, and a touch of lime, gracefully blending into the well-rounded flavors of the cup.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This is Bar Nine's flagship blend, and we understand why. It is extremely well-balanced and packed with lush flavors, and it provides wonderful aromatics. This is a cup that we would recommend to be had on its own to enjoy properly. However, if you are going to pair it with a breakfast item, we recommend going savory - when we paired it with a sugary item, the coffee took on an herbaceous quality that took away from the power of the unadulterated cup. Also, for bloom fans, the bloom on this coffee is large and forms a lovely crust. For those in the Culver City area, we recommend stopping by this neighborhood shop and giving it a try. Bar Nine also offers many higher-end coffees and a subscription service. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 8.6. Where to Buy: Bar Nine Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!