Review #81: Rare Bird Coffee Roasters

Name of Roaster: Rare Bird Coffee Roasters

Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Falls Church, VA

Name of Roast: Los Haipes Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Huila, Colombia Price: $16 (12 oz.) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Twelve Days Aroma: Cutting open the bag, we noted rich chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, warm mixed berry compote, and mid-grade dark chocolate cocoa nibs. The grind revealed baking spices, along with warm brownies batter and a hint of graham. On the pour, dark and light brown sugar, along with light nougat, appeared.

Flavor Profile: This coffee has a light-to-medium entry high on the palate, light-bodied and fruit forward, and the profile mainly is found on the front half of the tongue. Notes of nectarine, soft raspberry, blood orange, cranberry, guava, and fruit punch showed, while the sides of the tongue picked up lime zest, and the tip of the tongue caught bright orange. An undercurrent of dark chocolate shows up on the back of the tongue on the finish. Aromatics mirror the fruit melange, fading into dark chocolate cake, with a slightly dry finish.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This was a pleasantly surprising cup of coffee, with delicious, juicy, fruit-forward notes that stood up when paired with a sweet (raspberry cake with buttercream frosting) and savory (sage pork breakfast sausage). The coffee showed extremely well when mixed with milk. This coffee came recommended to us by the barista at Rare Bird's cafe, stating it was her personal favorite, and we appreciated their pointing us to this exceptional coffee. This is a cup that stands up on its own or in pairings, and we recommend giving it a try if you can.

Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 8.4. Where to Buy: Rare Bird Coffee Roasters Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!