About a month ago, my coworkers asked me who my favorite coffee roaster in the country is. After much hemming and hawing (seriously, a solid several minutes of internal deliberation), I gave my vote to Kuma Coffee. They were among the first roasters to make an appearance at the Table, nearly 10 years ago, and they’ve consistently ranked in my favorite coffees of the year every year since, even placing in my Top 3 twice (at numbers 2 and 1).
I figured they were asking me because they wanted to buy some coffee for themselves, but in actuality, they were sneakily trying to figure out what to get me for my birthday (which was a few weeks ago); so you can imagine my surprise when the coffee that I recommended to them was sitting in a gift bag on my desk.
Welcome to the table. Today we’re cupping the Peru El Corazon, from Kuma Coffee in Seattle, Washington. Feel free to pull up a chair.
Kuma Coffee’s first Peruvian offering of the year is an EP grade, strictly hard bean originating from Peru’s Chrinos district in the province of San Ignacio. Located in the north of Peru close to the border of Ecuador, the predominant landscape is mountainous with a contrast of dry areas and wild vegetation. This regional blend consists of the varieties Caturra, Pache, and Bourbon.
THEDETAILS
region: San Ignacio, Peru
farm: N/A
producer: smallholder farmers
association: N/A
elevation: 1600 meters above sea level
varietal: Caturra, Pache, Bourbon
process: fully washed, patio dried
CUPPINGNOTES
The Peru El Corazon is aptly named; immediately upon opening the bag and breathing in its aroma, it’s captured mi corazon. It has an intensely sweet aroma, featuring big scents of chocolate, sugar, and pecan pie.
Taking my first few sips from the cup and I’m transported to a Thanksgiving dinner table, settling in for dessert. This is a sweet coffee—decadently so—with sugary pecan nuttiness and a rich dark chocolate base. The acidity comes in the form of macerated cherries, and the finish is clean and long brown sugar.
*content courtesy of Emily McIntyre, Catalyst Coffee Consulting
What were your thoughts of this one? Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome! Feel free to enter a comment below.
UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL PRODUCTS REVIEWED ARE UNSOLICITED SUBMISSIONS FROM THE PRODUCT MANUFACTURER.
Andrew is a husband, father, dog lover, craft beverage enthusiast, content creator, and niche market Internet celebrity. Formerly of A Table in the Corner of the Cafe and The Pulitzer Project and contributor to Barista Magazine and Mental Floss, he’s been writing on the Internet for years.