2018-05-28 — Ethiopia Gera Jimma Nano Challa Coop

Roast Date: 28 May 2018
Roast Level: C+
Duration: 12m36s
First Crack @ 10m3s
Rating: ★★★☆☆
1.2lb → 1.019lb; 15% Weight Loss

Sweet Maria’s

Nano Challa has a honey sweet smell in lightest roasts (City), stone fruit and tea suggestions, and sugary sweetness that finds it’s apex when adding hot water. Brown sugar and toffee smells are focused in the wet aroma, a candy sweetness that reminds me of torrone (minus the nuts), and the break releases a light accent of pearl jasmine tea, giving way to more weighty fruited smells that have elements of fruit cobbler. Brewed, Nano Challa produces a lightly fruited cup at City and City+ roast levels, with refined sweetness, and pristine finish. The underlying flavor is reminiscent of white honey, which is mildly fruited in flavor, and an aromatic note of ginger chew candies. Lighter roasts have a mild citrus note like orange juice, pulp and all, along with subtle Earl Grey and Jasmine accents. Darker fruit tones are built up at deeper roast levels, along with a Ricola-like dark herbal aspect, and the finish is marked by pleasant bittering qualities of cacao and dried orange peel. A mild citrus-like acdity serves as a focal point too, especially in the lighter roasts, adding a mouthcleansing affect to the finish. This years’ Nano Challa has a dense mouthfeel, especially in middle to dark roasting, making for a nice choice for espresso blend accent coffee.

Roast Notes

It was pretty cold out, so took a while to get the beans going.

Cupping

Acidity: Very mild acidity.

Sweetness: Similarly mild sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Tastes dry, like the stuff between walnuts.

Flavor: I can taste some of the bitter chocolate, but not sure about the orage or ginger tastes.

Finish: Some kind of caramel chew flavor in the finish.

Balance: I’ll have to give this one some time; don’t love immediately but maybe I will later.