Review #123: Chocolate Q

Name of Roaster: Chocolate Q

Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Name of Roast: Café Grãos

Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: N/A

Price: N/A (could not verify) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Thirty-Four Days Aroma: The canister contained a gold foil bag that held the beans, and upon tearing it open, we noted crisp townie edges, chocolate wafer, rich chocolate ganache, dark berry compote, dates, and a touch of sea salt. The coffee was brighter on the grind, with dark chocolate dust, cocoa nib, Ritz cracker, cinnamon, and light raspberry on the nose. On the pour, dark brown sugar, molasses, rich toffee, drinking chocolate, roasted hazelnut, and caramel showed.

Flavor Profile: The coffee arrived with a mid-palate entry and a soft approach, reminiscent of a warm, velvety chocolate blanket. It washes over the tongue while hanging on the front half fo the roof of the mouth. Primary flavors of soft ganache, velvety chocolate cake, raspberry coulis, and muddled pear are complemented by green apple, lemon, and tangerine on the tip of the tongue, as well as creamy orange, guava and mango on the sides. Warm, bright fruit flavors remain on the tongue and pervade the aromatics on the finish.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This is an all-day sipper we'd wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who happens to find their way to these beans. Exquisite and refined, it's the strongest and most nuanced representation of a Brazilian coffee we have sampled thus far in our reviews. Feel free to pair this with a savory or a sweet breakfast item, or enjoy it on its own. We'd also be remiss if we failed to note that the coffee comes in a beautiful cylindrical canister packaging.

Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 8.5. Where to Buy: Chocolate Q