Kenya Thika Karatu AB

Karatu's dry fragrance offered a nice preamble to the cup. Fragrance of dark, semi-refined sugars were released from the ground coffee, along with notes of dark fruits that showed a juicy side, and complex baking spices. The wet aroma The wet aroma pulled out a very focused sweetness of unrefined sugars like demerara, and sucanat. I picked out hints of dried currants when breaking the crust, but it was really the sugary sweetness that was most prominent. Karatu is very sweet in the brew too, with tart fruits at City roast level that bring a nice bright impression to the cup. I noted a sweet flavor of cinnamon sauce made with brown sugar in both light roasts we tasted that led to a nice sweet-spiced finish. Tart fruits came through as the coffee cooled, like green grape, and a flavor profile of peaches and cream. Darker fruit notes offered an appealing 'juicy' quality, tangy and vibrant, like pomegranate seeds. I tried Karatu at Full City as well, and found the cup flavors to be a little flat, and dark. Best to stick to a tight City-City+ to bring out the full range of flavors.