Blind Assessment

The pure flavor of the coffee fruit displays with in aroma and cup, a fusion of cherry and lemon sensations with a hint of chocolate developed by the roast. Balanced, resonant acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Ringingly rich finish with continuing hints of fruit and chocolate.

Notes

Specialty coffee pioneer Bill McAlpin's La Minita Estate was in many ways the original estate coffee, a coffee that thirty or so years ago breathtakingly helped raise the bar for green coffee quality and distinction. As this version confirms, it remains a benchmark for purity, balance and classic clarity of cup. This sample consists entirely of peaberries, a kind of bean that results when the coffee fruit develops only a single, oval bean rather than the usual pair of flat-sided beans. Peaberries produce a somewhat different (often better) cup than normal beans from the same crop, from which they may or may not be separated during grading. This coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified, meaning it was produced following sustainable ecological and socio-economic criteria developed by the Sustainable Agricultural Network, a coalition of independent, environment-focused non-governmental organizations. Caribou Coffee is a large (second largest in the U.S. after Starbucks) retail roasting chain based in the upper Middle West whose rather irreverent motto "Life is short. Stay awake for it" belies a serious approach to coffee. Visit www.cariboucoffee.com or call 888-227-4268 for more information.

Who Should Drink It

Purity and clarity without monotony for lovers of the classic American cup.

Explore Similar Coffees

Click here for more reviews from Caribou Coffee