Review #138: Republik Coffee Bar

Name of Roaster: Republik Coffee Bar

Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): McLean, VA

Name of Roast: Helix

Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Light Origin of Beans: Costa Rica; Tanzania; Papua New Guinea Price: $15 (12 oz.) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Six days Aroma: Opening the bag, we noted dark chocolate, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, rich brownie batter, and warm cocoa. The grind offered a soft scent of Oreo cookie crumb, chocolate brownie, and molten chocolate cake. On the pour, warm light brown sugar, a touch of toffee, and fresh gingersnap showed.

Flavor Profile: The sip arrived with a mid-palate entry, slightly viscous, and remained mid-palate all the way through the sip. Staying on the front half of the tongue, the coffee enveloped it in notes of toffee, caramel, raw cane sugar, burnt orange peel, and cinnamon. The sides of the tongue catch the aforementioned peel and brown sugar, while the tip of the tongue receives some delicate, milky notes. Light bodied and clean, unassuming finish.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): Our rating below reflects our sentiment that this coffee is fine, but that we would hesitate to buy given the premium price. It is by no means bad, however, and we'd recommend giving it a shot if you happen to be in the area. We believe this coffee is best when paired, as we did with a chocolate chip scone. Also, the link below is to their Yelp page, and the website link they have listed on their Yelp page appears to be incorrect. We recommend just stopping in at the physical location to purchase.

Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 7.2.

Where to Buy: Republik Coffee Bar