A coffee review.
Colombia Estrella Del Sur, Batdorf and Bronson, $12 / 1lb.
My “budget” pick this time around, but there’s absolutely nothing budget about the taste. If I didn’t know the price, I would have guessed this one was in the $20s range.
In fact, this coffee had a very similar profile to the Opus mentioned above. I cupped the two sorta blind myself (I ground both coffees into containers that had the names written underneath and spun the containers around on the counter while not looking, so I could mix up which one was which without knowing), and felt the taste range across the two were very similar, even though one was from Brasil, the other from Colombia.
In the cup, the taste note that stood out for me, especially as the coffee cooled was a vanilla taste that the Opus had less of. Along with the vanilla was everything from Batdorf’s cupping notes on the coffee – almonds (seems to be a theme this month!), dried fruit tastes (think a nice muffin with dark fruits inside), and a definite floral nose that really completes the taste.
Just a great coffee, and in my opinion a complete steal at $12 a pound.
Mark has certified as a Canadian, USA, and World Barista Championship Judge in both sensory and technical fields, as well as working as an instructor in coffee and espresso training. He started CoffeeGeek in 2001.
