Review #144: Pure Bean

Name of Roaster: Pure Bean

Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Rapid City, SD

Name of Roast: Mexico Chiapas

Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Oaxaca, Mexico Price: $14.99 (12 oz.) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Twenty-three days Aroma: Opening the bag, we noted dry baked chocolate cake, crisp brownie edge, brownie batter, deep mocha, high grade warm drinking chocolate, and a touch of tree bark. Baking spices, kindling, toasted pecan, and cocoa powder appeared after the grind. Caramel, molasses, and dark brown sugar showed on the pour.

Flavor Profile: The sip arrived with a low-to-mid-palate entry, with notes of black tea that wash across the tongue, followed by a toasted pecan and almond that float up to the roof. Notes of cocoa powder, cinnamon, and peppercorn, as well as a hint of baked apples and a dollop of chocolate mousse on the back of the tongue, finish the sip. Front of tongue gets a touch of orange marmalade, and the sides get a hint of lemon and cinnamon. Clean finish, with black tea and toasted pecan aromatics.

Overall Impression (What did you think of it?): Subtle, slightly delicate, and altogether unassuming, this coffee paired with well with apple butter donuts, but less so with fresh berries. Pure Bean is a celebrated coffee house in South Dakota, so we recommend stopping in if you are in the Rapid City area. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 7.4 Where to Buy: Pure Bean