Review #105: Cooperative Coffee Roasters

Name of Roaster: Cooperative Coffee Roasters

Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Asheville, North Carolina

Name of Roast: Levity Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium

Origin of Beans: Nicaragua, Uganda, Colombia Price: $15 (12 oz.) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Seven Days Aroma: Tearing open the bag, we were greeted with rich chocolate brownie batter, red berry compote, molasses, and ganache. The coffee brightens after the grind, with raspberry and strawberry showing, along with nutmeg, cinnamon, and light brown sugar, all over a cocoa nib base. On the pour, brown sugar, caramel, and refined white cane sugar are noted.

Flavor Profile: The sip arrives with a mid-palate entry, juicy and vibrant, with notes of raspberry, strawberry, blood orange, plum, gala apple, milk chocolate, lower-grade dark chocolate, and cocoa powder showing. The sides of the tongue pick up lime and orange, which fade softly into the melange of flavors. As it cools, creamsicle shows, along with more pronounced aforementioned fruit. Cooling further results in a more emphatic chocolate base. The end of the sip is clean and weighted heavier than the entry, with cocoa powder and slight acidity on the finish.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This is a delightful blend that we would recommend to anyone looking to push their boundaries into slightly more adventurous territory from the casual Colombian roast. Notably, this coffee showed exceptionally well when mixed with milk, although it was delicious black, as well. We opted to go full-on autumn with our pairing this week, as we sampled the coffee with toast and apple butter, apple slices, blueberries, and sweet granola. The coffee went well with each, making it one of our highest reviewed blends.

Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 8.2. Where to Buy: Cooperative Coffee Roasters

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