At Peregrine Coffee we love to explore. Not only the different regions of the coffee-growing world, but also the variety of coffee species. The high-quality Arabica and the low-quality, weed-like Robusta are most common. Robusta is typically used to “fill the bag,” boost the caffeine content and add bite to cut through milk and create denser crema in espresso. Alone, Robusta typically has a burnt rubber, wet cardboard taste. However, this month, we have a small lot of Panama Guyami Indian Robusta — an extremely high-quality Robusta that has been tended more like a prize plant rather than a weed. This very atypical Robusta has a singular flavor of dark, dark chocolate. The aroma is more complex with some spices, nuts, and cedar-y tones. This leaves a bone-dry mouth feel — the opposite of silky — and the finish has a slight nutty, papery taste. The french press brewing method works very well with this unusual bean.

The quintessential Central American chocolate/citrus combination is present in this cup but with a very well rounded, buttery mouth feel and balance that puts this at the top of the region.  Soft, silky-smooth cocoa and chocolate flavors mingle in perfect harmony with lime peel acidity. The finish moves away from the citrus and into a smoky, dark chocolate underworld.

The Matalapa Estate is 4th generation-owned, by Vickie Ann Dalton de Diaz.  The 2008 El Salvador Matalapa Estate was judged and took #10 in the Cup of Excellence.