Coffee Cooperatives Review

Thanksgiving Coffee Mayan Harvest Breakfast Blend, Organic Fair Trade
Origin: Huehuetenango growing region, northwestern Guatemala
A rich and vividly fermented fruit dominates. The cherry-toned ferment is overlaid by a cedary roastiness in the aroma. In the cup the ferment deepens toward a dark chocolate and brandied cherry, but also displays a distracting pine or rosemary pungency. Smoothes out toward a cleanly rich chocolate in the short finish, though slightly astringent in the long.
Overall Rating: 87 points

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Heifer Hope Blend
Origin: Lake Atitlan region of west-central Guatemala; northern Sumatra; southern Mexico
Dominated by a sweetly fermented fruit that reads as a rich, brandy-toned, cherryish chocolate. This lush flavor complex is heady in the aroma and sweetly refreshing in the cup. As the coffee cools, however, the ferment reveals a very slight bitter edge.
Overall Rating: 87 points

Stone Cup Roasting Costa Rica SHB, Central Valley Monte Crisol
Origin: West Central Valley growing region, Costa Rica
In the aroma intense aromatic wood notes suggested cedar to Ken, pine to co-cupper Rodger Owen. The sweet spice and low-toned fruit notes fade in a roast-influenced, rather simple cup, balanced but limited. The sweet spice suggestions surfaced again in an admirably long, resonant finish.
Overall Rating: 87 points

Remy Sol Coffee Costa Rica Dota Tarrazu SHB Peaberry
Origin: Tarrazu growing region, Central Costa Rica
The aroma displays a fruit complicated by aromatic wood tones that co-cupper Rodger Owen associated with pine and Ken with cedar. The body is light, the mouthfeel bordering on thin, the flavor delicate and tartly sweet, with sustained aromatic wood notes. Both Ken and Rodger found the finish clean, simple and rather short.
Overall Rating: 84 points

Ancora Coffee Roasters Kenya AA Nyeri Fine Cup
Origin: Kenya
An essay in the difference between acidic and acidy, this commandingly dry coffee does not display a glimmer of sharpness. Tremendous range and complexity in the aroma: dry berry, high-toned cedar, orange, chocolate. The dry berry, orange and chocolate notes carry into the cup with crisp richness and fade into the finish without a hint of astringency.
Overall Rating: 94 points

Flying Goat Coffee Organic Fair-Trade Decaf Mexico
Origin: Pluma growing region, southern Oaxaca State, Mexico
An intense, high-toned coffee with almost African character: distinct orange notes and hints of sweet spice, chocolate and flowers, lavender perhaps, in the aroma. The citrus, chocolate and lavender tones are sharper and simpler in the cup, though still intense. A tingle of astringency persists, not unpleasantly, into the finish.
Overall Rating: 88 points

Thanksgiving Coffee Rwanda Gorilla Blend
Origin: Rwanda, Central Africa
Low-toned fruit (peach?), semi-sweet chocolate and fresh-cut cedar notes in the aroma. The cup is delicate but lush, enlivened by a softly tart acidity and complicated by continued fruit (cherry, peach) and semi-sweet chocolate notes. The finish is simple but sweetly clean.
Overall Rating: 90 points