This very interesting coffee starts with three very distinct stages of aroma: first the sweet fruit smell of the whole bean; then the flower perfume of the brewed bean; finally, the chocolate-caramel cup.  The flavors are touches of sweet fruit, hinting toward apricot, wrapped with caramel.  There is a combination of woody-nuttiness too (think cedar and hazelnuts) that continues into the finish.  The mouthfeel is smooth with medium-to-big body.  It is a very balanced cup, with light acidity and is the best coffee we have had from Mexico in recent memory.

This superb Indonesian seems to evoke the rainforest. The fragrance begins with clean, semi-sweet and rather earthy notes. In the cup, the body is big with a smooth, syrupy mouthfeel.  The flavors start with a vegetal, earthy woodiness combined with a touch of fruit. The lack of acidity plus a hint of sweetness makes for a very smooth finish. The final reward is unmistakable chocolate.  In fact, as this cools, it is one of the most distinctly chocolate tasting coffees we’ve encountered.

The sweet smells from the cup evoke honey and peaches, and some of that is reflected in the cup as soft floral tones.  The dominant flavors that come through are dark and smoky chocolate notes combined with the more traditional nuttiness. The mouthfeel is smooth with no discernable acidity at all.  The finish starts off with a slight peppery edge in the throat, switching to a dark and earthy, long lasting aftertaste of quintessential coffee.  A very drinkable, not-too-complex decaf.

The first word that jumps to mind is wood.  The aromas are the first clue, starting with a distinct cedary smell combined with fruit, and meaty organics tones. This coffee is very dry, with a contrasting creamy finish.  There is a tiny tinge of tartness which suggests some acidity, but it is very slight and quickly fades to the background against a cocoa-wood combination – think dark chocolate covered walnut, if such a thing were to exist.  There is a smooth, watery mouthfeel with a mild, very long, dry finish that is dusty and powdery.  Another excellent Indonesian.

These are gorgeous beans, so large, even, and smooth, you could make jewelry from them. The coffee smells like dulce de leche, caramel with sweet nuts (marzipan and hazelnuts), mixed with sweet pipe tobacco and a slight saffron dustiness. The cup starts out with a satiny mouthfeel with great body. It is very balanced and elegant with a slight bright-lime acidity.  There is a subtle, consistent, fast fading, clean, smooth finish.  All the right things one expects from a great cup of coffee with no single dominant note.

Call central casting ask for a picture perfect coffee bean and this is what you get.  These are beautiful beans! The smells are sweet and spicy with buttery chocolate, cinnamon and cardamom.  Once you take a sip of this, you know that it is a special coffee –  it is very balanced, rich and smooth with milk chocolate, a touch of malty-musty-almonds and a citrusy-floral note.  What stands out is the magical mango-juice finish: just as the slightly dry acidity passes, out jumps the mango from side-stage, joined by sweet floral tones reminding one of lavender combined with the soapy sweetness of artichoke’s aftertaste.  Not just a looker, this coffee is a talented star with real depth and complexity: a rarity indeed.

The smells from the grind to the cup are perfumy-florals that evoke dandelions, a brown sugar sweetness, cocoa-chocolate and a mix of spices: savory and sweet, including a “red-hots” candy artificial cinnamon tone.  The taste is high and bright, with a dominant citrus acidity similar to a tart plum.  Although the scale is definitely tipped toward the bright, this coffee is actually quite balanced between acidic and silky, although it happens in sequence rather than simultaneously.  The combination dusty cocoa and silky chocolate flavors follow quickly as the cup moves into a subtle, long finish.  This is an exceptionally smooth cup.

“We are enjoying your coffee. The taste is very clean…the beans are excellent.” – JL

“Just wanted to give you some feedback on the coffee you sent.  We loved it!!  It has a great caramel flavor to it that I love.  I also loved how thick it tasted.  We liked the strength of it and the earthiness.” — BK

“I just wanted to tell you that I started with the Brazil Cerrado.  This is a really good coffee and probably the smoothest coffee I have ever had.  What a treat!” – JR

“We can not thank you enough for opening our eyes to the world of Peregrine Coffee.  Everyone enjoyed the tasting immensely…. Thank you for taking the time to educate us on what good coffee can taste like!” – KF

“I’ve just made some of the Costa Rica Santa Lucia Estate and think it is fantastic: the mellow warmth reminds me of the decaf. I think that I really enjoy trying different kinds of tastes and flavours, but ultimately my favourites are the absolute classic coffees, which are surprisingly hard to find in this era of Starbucks roast-everything-to-death coffee.” –SN

“It tasted like really, really yummy coffee to me.  I loved it — it’s going to be a wonderful addition to my list of gifts for friends and family.  Keep up the good work!” – JP

“And let me tell ya — he made a pot of the decaf this morning, and he was ecstatic.  He said that it tasted like dark chocolate! No bitterness at all.” — CL

“Wow. That is really good coffee.  So smooth.” – MP

“Your 2008 meritage espresso blend has been everything you described and I have really enjoyed it for cappuccini.” – JF

“The coffee is great!” – LT

“I have also really enjoyed last month’s Costa Rican, which is probably my favourite so far. In fact we had people over for dinner a few weeks back, and I made it after dinner and everyone was really raving about it.” – S

“We loved it! Kevin was so informative, and since I drink about 6 gallons of coffee a day, this was a very welcome treat! We’re probably going to be your best customers!” – ML

“WOW!!!!!!  That was, No Doubt, the BEST coffee I have EVER had. Wicked good. Not to mention the best decaf by EVEN triply further.” – AL

“The coffee was delicious!” — AR

“Unusually for me, I am having the second cup black because I am enjoying it so much.” – SN

“We are very happy with our brews.” — C

“I am still singing at how good the Colombian decaf is (ie, the best coffee I had ever had, let alone the best Decaf).” — A

“We are both enjoying the Matalapa. It is so smooth, light, and rich in flavor. ” — RS

“I’m hooked on the Brazil.” — ML

“That Kenya Amukui was something to taste!  So complex and delicious.” — KF

“Serious thank you for such grand coffee…” — AL

“The coffee has been extremely enjoyable. (You guys have excellent customer service, btw).” — DT

“The La Laguna was most excellent!” — BK

“He enjoyed his gift and tells all his gourmet coffee drinking friends about how great the coffee is…It was wonderful — the perfect gift for the man who is impossible to buy for!!!”  – BA

“Wow, that Moki’s Farm rocked!” — A

“Thanks for the espresso….it’s wonderful!” — NK

“Keep the delicious coffee coming!” — CC

“Hi Kevin, had your coffee (Tanzania) this weekend, nice!” — AC

“Your espresso was amazing! — ES

“So tasty! — TR

“Thanks as always for your excellent product and superb service!” — AL

“Your coffee is the sh**!” — JW

“Thanks so much for the special coffee.  Love the tasting notes!” — JG

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Yum!!!” — LJ

“The El Salvador is TERRIFIC!” – JR

“The coffee is, as expected, outstanding!” – SH

“We love your coffee!” – SJ

“Your coffee is unbelievable. The Laguna is amazing.” – MM

“That was the best coffee I’ve ever had.  I could smell it brewing throughout the house.” – SM

“That’s really good coffee.” GL

“Thanks again for such splendid stuff!!” – AL

“Yes, it was excellent!” – RL

“We love your coffee!” – DT

“Just got our order delivered and brewed up some of the Malabar. Delicious!” — CC

We are offering a special Thanksgiving Table holiday pack, 125 grams each of our smooth, balanced Brazilian Cerrado, and our full-flavored chocolatey Colombia Decaf — just right to complement the flavors of pumpkin or apple pie, in the right amount to get you through the social events of Thanksgiving week. Also makes a lovely hostess gift! Order by midnight on Friday, November 21, to guarantee arrival by Thanksgiving. Whole Bean. 250g/8.8oz.

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.