What hits the nose first when one opens the bag is a gentle sweetness. The second whiff draws in subtle citrus notes, fruit salad, and a meaty-nut. After brewing, it is a coffee fragrance with hints of sweet chocolate. The taste is, in a word, balanced. There is a harmonious triptych of coffee, chocolate and nuts that have been painted with a brush dipped in fruit juice. Smooth and super-balanced, with low acidity and a pleasing sweet fruity finish, this bean accommodates a broad palate.

This is a slightly unusual Kenya. The nose is floral and with a bit of citrus. The familiar grapefruit/blackcurrant combo that is typical of a Kenyan is evoked but what is most prevalent is a bergamot flavor. The dark chocolate backbone is present with a hint of washed out blueberry. The first impact reminds one of an odd Earl Grey tea.

This India Anokhi is a different species of coffee, Liberica, and unlike Arabica and Robusta, rarely finds its way into mainstream markets. This is not your everyday coffee. The green beans immediately tell a story. There is a wild, pronounced fruity smell and visually, they are a mess, with an unexpected variety of shapes and sizes. Out of the roaster and into the grinder is when the 1970’s flashback happens: Boo Berry Cereal — an undeniable artificial blueberry smell. Things progress into the curiously bizarre once brewed, when the aroma emanating from the cup is a combination of funky-organic-sweetness with digested fruits (unfortunately, think baby poo). Once you get over the shock of everything going on with the smell and actually taste it, you realize that it is indeed coffee: sweet, sweet blueberries with a very slight woody/earthy note with a hint of chocolate. The overall impression also brings to mind the inside of a chocolate covered cherry; not the cherry or the chocolate, but the liquid – this coffee is just that sweet. Even with its strong smells and flavors, it is an exceptionally easy cup of coffee to drink since it is so low in acidity and so very smooth with light body. The finish is very long and surprisingly subtle.