Review #61: Heart Coffee Roasters

Name of Roaster: Heart Coffee Roasters Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Portland, Oregon

Name of Roast: Ethiopia Guji Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Uraga, Ethiopia Price: $18 (12 oz.) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Eleven Days Aroma: Cutting open the bag, we caught wafts of crisp chocolate brownie, baked chocolate chip cookie, a hint of raspberry jam, and chocolate icing. The coffee brightened on the grind, with more fruit-forward notes showing (raspberry, blueberry, and cherry) along with a slight peppery note and cocoa powder. When poured, we found caramelizing sugar, light brown sugar, and toffee.

Flavor Profile: The coffee had a medium body and a low entry on the palate, with the flavors rising slowly to the roof of the mouth. The coffee hangs on the front half of the tongue, but the aromatics drift like a fog to the back of the mouth. Flavors of peach, baked cinnamon apple, lychee, and florals flood the palate, balanced and warming while not overwhelming. The coffee is slightly viscous, with a uniform mouthfeel (as compared to coffees where we feel a "split" in profile between high and low on the palate). Acid on the sides of the tongue shows lemon peel and the floral note, quickly folding into the overall profile. Aromatics are of spiced chocolate, florals, and blood orange.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This was a lovely, balanced coffee that belied the current season of autumn and reminded us of spring. The coffee's floral character did not dominate, nor did this Ethiopian coffee show tea-like qualities - a theme we find common in coffees with floral characteristics. This is a cup that one can enjoy alone or with pairings; one that is safe for traditional palates that are amenable to medium roasts (especially when mixed with milk) but provides a touch of experimentation that excites aficionados. We see this coffee has left Heart's online store, so we recommend keeping an eye out for it when it returns after the next harvest. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 8.4 Where to Buy: Heart Coffee Roasters Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!