I ran out of coffee about a week ago. I haven’t been able to “time” my coffee subscription arrivals perfectly yet… (I know, I know… #FirstWorldProblems). To hold me over, I chose a random coffee roaster off the shelves of my local market. Canyon Coffee was a roaster I’ve never seen before on the shelves. I chose beans from Ethiopia as a comparison to other Ethiopian sourced beans.

Opening the bag, I’m greeted with a wonderful fruity aroma. It also has this subtle earthy/nutty aroma that reminds me of typical other similar Ethiopia beans. Making my latte, I taste very subtle fruit and nutty flavors. Each sip also leaves a nice smooth chocolate aftertaste. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up making a 2nd cup. For a literally off the shelf brand, Canyon Coffee is a pleasant surprise.

For May, DrinkTrade sent me a bag from Broadsheet Coffee Roasters. These coffee beans are from the Kanzu washing station in Nyamasheke distric in western Rwanda. Apparently these beans are from “Lot 36” which are processed differently from the normal “Kanzu” beans according to the website.

Opening the bag, I’m greated with subtle fruit and floral aromas. Making my latte, I taste very light fruit flavors. Even the coffee flavor is subdued. This reminds me as if I’m drinking something very diluted. Overall, I wasn’t impressed with these beans.

April’s Angels Cup comes from Klatch Coffee. It’s a blend that marks Klatch’s 30 year anniversary. From the description, the bag is a blend of Ethiopian and El Savadoran beans. Opening the bag, I get a powerful floral smell that also has hints of fermentation.

Making my latte, the first sip is amazing. The sweet, fruity, floral and citrus flavors all come out at once. However, after that first sip, the fermentation smell hits and starts to overpower the floral and fruity flavors. It’s amazing how smell can overpower taste. That fermenting smell though grows on you though. I find the smell somewhat pleasant after making lattes a few times.