Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Lemon, Cream

Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Lemon, Cream

Item information

La Peña Blanca

Item information

Cajamarca, Peru

Description

Variety: Catimor

Processing: Washed

Origin: Cajamarca, Peru

Producers: Roxana Rafael

Altitude: 1800m

Farm Size: 80 Hectares, 4 in production

Roxana Rafael's farm La Peña Blanca is in the Cajamarca region of Peru, where she lives with her husband and their young child. They farm 4 hectares of catimor plants that are wet-processed and dried on-site under shaded raised beds. They also grow some cassava and corn to eat, but the majority of their land is preserved as forest, which helps keep the biodiversity of the region up, and provides ample shade for the coffee trees.

We're loving how sweet and bright this coffee is - rich tastes of creamy chocolate and some lemon acidity make for a cup that's equal parts mellow and energetic. It's a tough balance to strike, which is why we get so excited when we find delicious coffees like this to share with the club.

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Reviews

3.5 out of 5

La Pena Blanca

This is another well balanced coffee from Moustache. I enjoyed the immediate citrus pop of the brew, followed by the chocolate bottom. I love it. I usually use a French press grind, but I'm sure any brewing method would make a delicious cup of coffee.

Randall LaLonde

Millcreek

Member Since

July '15

1.0 out of 5

Too Acidic and Blah for Me

It seems I really like El Limonar and Apricossi thus far in my coffee journey. The other three have been too acidic and upset my stomach. This one was too acidic for me too. I noticed the bean is Catimor from Peru. I'll start looking at the bean and country from now on before selecting. I'll be tossing this one too. I will have tossed three small bags thus far totalling $39. I think El Limonar is incredible and Apricossi is a very close second. I can taste the zestiness and fruit if you will in both of these.I didn't taste anything resembling a fruit in La Pena Blanca unless shoe leather or old socks is now considered a fruit. On the positive side it wasn't the worse of the three I didn't like and threw out after only one cup.

On 08/07/20 Kelly Comeaux said

I would suggest that maybe your brewing process is to blame for the extreme acidity. Perhaps increase the amount of water in the ratio to prevent under extraction and balance out the cup!

Steven Gilmer

Huntington Beach

Member Since

June '20

3.5 out of 5

Good if not special

Enjoyable, drinkable, but not one for which I gotta rush for more.

J. Fox

High Point

Member Since

June '14

4.0 out of 5

Surprisingly Sweet

The lemon note is really balanced with an almost stone fruity sweetness making it surprisingly enjoyable! Subtle chocolate really supports the brew.

Kelly Comeaux

LANCASTER

Member Since

October '18

4.5 out of 5

Tasty!

Very well-balanced coffee - sweet, a hint of acid, with a robust underlying chocolatey body. Lacking a bit in complexity, but a wonderful everyday drinking coffee. Very rewarding and doesn't demand too much of your attention.

Ethan R

Sausalito

Member Since

October '15

4.0 out of 5

OK

Great dominant cocoa notes if you’re into that. Only above average complexity.

sterling robertson

Los Angeles

Member Since

May '20

4.0 out of 5

Got it, drank it, good introduction

First delivery and it was very good, light roast, great flavor, great aroma

On 08/13/20 BJ said

Welcome to the club. Glad to hear you enjoyed this one, there's plenty more where that came from! :)

P. Harrington

Chester

Member Since

June '20

3.5 out of 5

Well balanced coffee, but not so distinctive

This is a well balanced cup with lemon like acidity, yet also a more mellow chocolate taste. It worked well as a pour over. Worked alright made as espresso and has quite a bit of acidic punch. I didn't taste too many strong flavors and didn't taste much honey or syrupy characteristics in the body. This would be a very good regular brewed coffee, but if you are looking for something quite different or out there, this may not hit in those areas.

Skylar Venema

Wheaton

Member Since

May '20

5.0 out of 5

Heavenly

I adored this coffee. Real smooth.

Matthew Mitchel

Newton

Member Since

January '20

4.0 out of 5

Average tastes, with some opening brightness

Nothing spectacular about this cup of coffee. I brew using a Breville youbrew by the cup with filtered water, on average boldness and average strength. The resulting cup was...average. There are hints of lemon at the top. All in all a mild bright cup. I'm also used to strong berry flavors so it could taste more acidic to others who are used to a more classic flavor in coffee. I'd call it a good introduction for people looking to up the complexity of their cup without wading into the strange territory of "this is coffee?"

TLeah Summers

Dudley

Member Since

April '19