PENNSYLVANIA
Review
This coffee begins with a delicate and sweet aroma and flavor notes of rhubarb-strawberry jam but there’s a surprise here and it’s a herbal piquancy that seems both familiar and strange. Familiar because it is distinct note of garden pea and strange because it is so unexpected. It is also beautiful and works harmoniously with other flavors that emerge as the coffee begins to cool: cocoa powder and almond extract. All of this is supported by a rich grilled-marshmallow sweetness in a silky-lightly syrupy body that is so well-composed it can only be called refined. The team at Passenger is exemplary and this is just one of many unique profiles that they offer.
COFFEE NAME La Tortuga
ORIGIN Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
PRODUCER Asociación de Cafetaleros de Santa Cruz
VARIETY Typica, Bourbon, Caturra
PROCESS Wet Process
Altitude (masl) 200-450
Roaster notes: So how is it that this coffee, which was grown at a mere 250 meters above sea level, is so enjoyable in the cup? The answer to that question lies with the Humboldt Current, a low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America. Despite the low elevations and proximity to the equator, daytime temperatures rarely exceed 82°F, while evening temperatures routinely hit 53°F. This diurnal swing correlates to elevations from 1,400 to 1,800 masl in a country such as Colombia - ideal elevations for producing top quality specialty coffee.