Review #125: Dua Coffee

Name of Roaster: Dua Coffee

Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Washington, DC

Name of Roast: Flores Wawo Muda

Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Watu Ata, Ata Gai, and Tubu Tana, Indonesia

Price: $12 (10 oz.) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Four Days Aroma: Cutting open the bag, we noted scents of deep chocolate brownie with crisped edges, chocolate rice crisps, baked brioche, and drinking chocolate. The grind offered bright, bittersweet, high grade dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, a touch of baking spices, and bread crust. The pour had notes of pure cane sugar, molasses, light brown sugar, powdered sugar, and a hint of nougat.

Flavor Profile: The coffee arrived with medium body and a mid-palate entry that floats above the tongue and rests in the center of the palate. Viscous, with notes of black peppercorn, high grade dark chocolate, crisp brownie edges, the coffee eventually shows lingering citrus on the tongue. The sides of the tongue get lime and burnt orange peel, while the tip of the tongue catches lemon. The coffee gains body as it cools, solidifying into a more robust, heavy, chocolate-forward cup. The finish is light, belying the weight of the chocolate, and clean, with aromatics of toasted chocolate wafer and a hint of sweetness.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): We stumbled upon this coffee at Dua's first U.S. shop, with their home base residing in Indonesia. We found that the Flores Wawo Muda was a solid entry-level cup for coffee aficionados starting with the transition from big box coffees to specialty cups. The coffee did not offer any surprises, but that's not a bad thing. It mixed well with milk. Additionally, we think it would be an interesting espresso given the chocolate base and finishing sweetness, and may be best suited for that.

Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 7.5. Where to Buy: Dua Coffee