And Then There Were Three: New Reserve Coffees from Intelligentsia

Yesterday, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, who’s beans we serve with love and extra care, released three reserve coffees that seem quite fabulous. The flavors they leave on my digital palette are expert.

The Black Cat is what Mr. Kyle Glanville (who looks a bit like Sufjan Stevens) served en route to becoming the best barista in the U.S. of A.

Here’s all the info. Links to ordering the beans are at the bottom of the post.

Black Cat, Single Origin Espresso: Anjilanaka, Organic Bolivia

Location: Caranavi

Varietal: Typica, caturra, bourbon

Altitude: 1700 – 1900m

Harvest: Jun – Aug

Flavor: Milk chocolate, cane sugar

Acidity: Bursting tropical fruit candy, pear

Finish: Clean, sweet, orange zest

This espresso is a powerhouse of juicy sweet flavor. Pulled as a short double, your palate is greeted with explosive tropical fruit like kiwis and mangos, which gives way to a buttery body and a lingering, sweet finish. Pulled a little longer and you’ll taste tons of cane sugar while the acidity subsides ever so slightly.

Los Inmortales, El Salvador Micro-Lot: Finca Matalapa*

Region: La Libertad

Varietal: Bourbon, Pacas

Altitude: 1250 m

Harvest: Dec – Mar

Flavor: White grape, apple, floral

Acidity: Citrus, balanced

Finish: Silky, cane sugar

Full of grace and nuance, the Finca Matalapa Micro-Lot introduces itself with delicate floral aromatics. The juicy citrus acidity sits aside notes of sweet apple and white grape as the body glides like silk into a finish of cane sugar and vanilla.

Fazenda do Sertão, Brazil*

Location: Carmo de Minas

Varietal: Bourbon

Altitude: 1200m

Harvest: Jun – Aug

Flavor: Caramel, sweet orange, fudge

Acidity: Balanced, dried mango

Finish: Smooth, buttery, Dutch chocolate

A pulped natural from the Carmo de Minas growing region, this coffee lends itself to an atypical complexity that wins the hearts of washed coffee lovers. The body is smooth and silky as notes of caramel and toffee wash across the palate. The acidity is subtle but worth noting with its Clementine orange juiciness and dried mango fruit tang. Leading into the buttery finish are nuances of cardamom and honey as the end note of Dutch chocolate plays pleasantly on the tongue.

Further:

• Order The Reserves
• Watch Kyle Glanville Live At The United States Barista Championships
• Watch Sufjan Stevens Live At Schubas

~ by The Communiqué on May 17, 2008.