February 5, 2014

Shenandoah Joe Ethiopian Sidamo ARDI

Shenandoah Joe Coffee Roasters is a Charlottesville, Virginia based coffee roaster. They offer offer over 25 varieties of specialty/boutique/gourmet coffee. They blend and bag everything to order and by hand.

I had never heard of this roaster before seeing their coffee in my local Whole Foods. They have a pretty established presence in Charlottesville but it seems like they don't have cafes further north than that.

From the roaster: A natural processed coffee with fruit tones of blackberry, citrus sparkle that ranges from lemon to orange. A creamy body, with a nice chocolaty finish.

Method:  French press

Review and tl;dr after the jump...

Appearance (16/20):  The bean is on the darker side but not super glossy like a french roast which isn't surprising given that this bean should be medium-dark roasted. The roast is pretty varied all around from caramel to chocolate shades of brown.

Smell (18/20):  Very strong berry/stone fruit aroma, almost Frankenberry or Boo Berry-like :)

Taste (20/20):  If you are looking for the epitome of a very berry coffee, this would be the one. Up front there is a very strong blueberry like flavor which melts into a puckering sourness that evokes cherries. On the back end there is a very subtle roasty flavor to finish of the coffee nicely.

Mouthfeel (18/20):  Feels heavier on the palette than I'd expect from a medium-dark roast but it plays nicely with the tartness of the coffee.

Overall (19/20): This coffee makes for an excellent first impression from Shenandoah Joe. The flavor is pretty deep and even if you aren't a fan of fruity coffees this should be on your radar.

Score: 91

TL;DR - A very berry coffee that does not disappoint.

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