Review #69: Ruby Coffee Roasters

Name of Roaster: Ruby Coffee Roasters Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Nelsonville, WI Name of Roast: Kenya Rukira Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium

Origin of Beans: Rukira Factory, Othaya Farmer's Cooperative Society, Nyeri, Kenya Price: $17.75 (12 oz) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Two Days Aroma: Tearing open the bag, the initial aroma is a full, singular note of chocolate brownie cake, followed by a slight scent of mixed red fruit jam; a lingering light scent of blackberry and raspberry juices waft high thereafter. The grind provides a consistent scent, with a touch of cookie crust and a bit more jam showing through. On the pour, one finds lush, fluffed, light brown sugar, raw honey, and cocoa.. Flavor Profile: The coffee has a mid-palate entry with light-to-medium body. The flavor profile splits initially, with a rich cocoa going low on the tongue, while a juice-like quality rises high and moves to the middle-back of the tongue. Notes of fruit punch, mellow green apple, strawberry, and white grape juice show, enveloping the initial low-palate cocoa note and dominating the sip. Sides of the tongue pick up a touch of acidity and a burnt orange peel flavor, melding into the fruity melange. Devils food cake aromatics sail high on the finish, hovering around the roof of the mouth on the back of the tongue. Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This was a highly enjoyable Kenyan. Not your typical "fruit bomb", the fruit-forward notes played well with the cocoa flavors, providing a balanced sip. This coffee evoked the spirit of relaxation and warm summer mornings, providing a brief respite from the frigid winter currently underway where we are in the northern hemisphere. We tried this with soppressata as well as toast with sugar and cinnamon, and it held up to both, so feel free to enjoy this cup with your favorite breakfast item.

One final note: We picked up this bag at a local shop for the price listed above. We noticed during our research that (a) Ruby was selling the coffee for $21 on its site; and (b) the coffee is currently sold out. Needless to say, it always helps to comparison shop if you have the flexibility; sometimes, a shop will have a better price than your local store, while other times it works out that the shop is inexplicably cheaper. Keep your eye out for deals! Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 8.3 Where to Buy: Ruby Coffee Roasters Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!