Review #60: Blueprint Coffee

Name of Roaster: Blueprint Coffee Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): St. Louis, Missouri

Name of Roast: Finca Manzano Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Light/Medium Origin of Beans: Santa Ana, El Salvador Price: $17.50 (12 oz.) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Nineteen Days Aroma: Cutting open the bag, we noted scents of peanut butter, milk chocolate, crisped brownie, and cocoa powder. The grind offered similar scents to begin, with the addition of blueberry that fades into a strong scent of grain reminiscent of cheerios, followed by nutmeg. On the pour, we caught caramelizing white cane sugar, raw unbleached sugar, and a hint of vanilla.

Flavor Profile: The coffee had a light-bodied, mid-palate entry that simultaneously went high and low immediately after the sip. The high portion hugs the roof of the mouth with a cake batter consistency, while the low resembles a juice that sits on the front half of the tongue, coyly rolling above and below. Under the tongue, one finds bright fruits - guava, green apple, and pear, while above, one finds currant and muted orange along with red berry jam. The sides of the tongue pick up lime that melds into the mix. Starting delicate, the flavors expand with bold aromatics of devil's food cake, fig, and baking spice. The coffee also grows fuller in body as it cools.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This was a playful and powerful coffee, delivering waves of flavor across the entirety of the palate and an interplay of precocity and balance we rarely find in our cup. This is a coffee that easily can stand on its own, although it works in a variety of pairings (we tried it with granola, chocolate cake, and multigrain toast). We also want to note that we picked up this coffee at 1215 Wine Bar & Coffee Lab in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, and we thank the kind barista that pointed us to this coffee after declaring it to be her favorite on the menu. As always, we recommend asking a pro when you're questioning which coffee to buy at a shop. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 8.9 Where to Buy: Blueprint Coffee Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!