Finca San Bernardo beans – Guatemala
It’s not often that I’m disappointed with freshly roasted coffee beans from Monmouth.
In fact, this may be the first time.
Having run the beans through an espresso machine and tried two different filter processes, changed the coarseness of the grind, the amount of ground coffee used and the water, the best I can get from this Guatemalan coffee is something akin to freeze-dried Moccona. Disappointing to say the least.
Freshly ground, the coffee carries hints of jam in the aroma but brewed, it tastes very dry, slightly sweet and very woody. Woody may not be the greatest technical term out there. Take a wooden ice-cream stick, leave it in your mouth for a minute then drag it around your mouth. Make sure the stick has plenty of contact with your teeth. For me, I’d rather hear nails on a chalkboard than go through that ice-cream stick sensation.
So I didn’t enjoy this coffee.
Granted, not every coffee is going to be a winner. What truly disappointed me was the high expectations I had. The Finca San Bernardo is a Cup of Excellence award winner. I was so prepared to be blown away by this coffee but alas, it never happened.
For me, this was one of those coffee experiences to forget about, illustrating perhaps how much a palate can vary between people.
A serious 1 out of 5 beans ratings for this one. Avoid.
Not so good.
