Impact
Appearance 4.6 / 5
throwback, pre-advertising age wrapper
throwback, pre-advertising age wrapper
Color: | dark brown w/ red doppler in effect |
Surface: | even brick |
Temper: | semi-gloss front; semi-flat back |
Snap: | silencer |
Aroma 7.5 / 10
dark yet light: moderate roast (trace of fired metal) releasing cherry berries (black cherry / blackberry), embedded olive (&, sorry to report, paraffin), surrounded by chocolate marshmallow
Mouthfeel 13.2 / 15
Texture: | Taza’s signature softness though some early clumping & later stage grit that’s more audible than tactile |
Melt: | auto-swoon |
Flavor 37 / 50
Santander-like chocolate marshmallow -> cherry... grows sweeter toward blackberry -> bitters... prepare ground for later developments but 1st, out of nowhere, drastically bifurcates - a blue note, actually 2 notes: blue cheese & blueberry – wild mash-up, amounts to a hand-off passing the baton to a lurching olive expressing citric rum from distilled green pineapple / tart satsuma underscored in vanilla -> finishes thru small stone olive & coffee nut
Quality 15.1 / 20
Quad-split duplex: low bottom notes / high fruits transverse lateral move of unctuous-turned-astringent, calling into question compatibility of these 2 beans (the genetics of Ceylan from Mexico & Costa Rican Matina are closely linked, but flavor profile here suggests the Mexican hybrid possibly has Criollo DNA & the mix clashes).