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.

Mayorga African Blend Review

Mayorga Coffee Roasters is a Rockville, MD based coffee roaster. They offer variety of coffees from all the major regions. Like many other local roasters they focus on sourcing directly from the farmer and sustainable practices.

From the roaster:  Full body with hints of cocoa and a bold, stout finish.

Method:  French press, I tried various extraction times but the results were pretty much the same across the board.

Review and tl;dr after the jump...