Las Palomas

George Howell Coffee As a coffee lover, there’s nothing quite like trying a new brew that surprises your taste buds. George Howell Coffee’s Las Palomas is one such coffee that kept my tongue on its toes with its unique flavor profile. While the tasting notes listed tangerine, limeade, and milk chocolate, my experience was partially the opposite of those descriptors. The aroma had milk chocolate notes, but the flavor itself was bursting with bright citrus – tangerine and limeade for sure. I’ve mentioned in the past that most citrus notes taste similar to me, and that was mostly true here as well. Interestingly, this flavor profile is almost identical to one from my previous review, Guadalupe Miramar. The key difference being that the flavor in Las Palomas is “limeade” whereas it was “limes” for Guadalupe Miramar. When it came to tasting, the difference between limeade and lime was noticeable, as I felt I definitely got a slight lime flavor that I felt was absent in the Guadalupe Miramar coffee. One last quirky note about this coffee. I couldn’t help noticing that the smell of the coffee brewing in my french press had a weirdly familiar acidic smell. It honestly reminded me of an Italian red sauce being heated in a pan. Strange, but delicious.If you’re a fan of vibrant, fruity coffees, Las Palomas is definitely one to try. Let’s shift our focus to the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala, where this coffee was born. Nestled in the soaring Cuchumatanes mountains, which extend along the western edge of Guatemala near the Mexican border, this area has been producing exceptional coffee for centuries. The region’s name, from the Nahuatl words “Huehue” meaning ancient and “Tenango” meaning walled place, hints at its rich history and origins as home to the Maya civilization. Huehuetenango’s unique climate and geography create the perfect environment for growing coffee. The region sits at elevations ranging from 4,600 to 6,600 feet above sea level, with a cool, misty climate moderated by the towering mountain ranges. The nutrient-rich volcanic soil provides a fertile foundation. These conditions stress the coffee plants just the right amount, allowing them to develop a beautifully bright acidity and complexity of flavor. Many consider Huehuetenango among the finest coffee-producing regions in the world, with its beans frequently scoring high marks for quality. Las Palomas showcases the signature vivid, fruit-forward profile characteristic of this legendary origin. For coffee connoisseurs, brews from Huehuetenango should be at the top of the must-try list.

Guadalupe Miramar

George Howell Coffee Normally I like to have a few cups before I write a review, but the pourover I had yesterday did not have a bag of beans to go. I had to write these notes down in the coffee shop; and it was another great showing from George Howell.   The Guadalupe Miramar from George Howell Coffee is a stellar example of a Mexican coffee with complex flavor notes. As you taste this light roast, bright citrus notes of tangerine and lime jump out, balanced by undertones of milk chocolate. This helps create an earthy quality that gives the coffee a full-bodied mouthfeel, similar to black tea. This combo makes it an ideal coffee for those seeking a bright yet smooth cup.   Mexican coffee is renowned for its high quality, often exhibiting acidity and depth of flavor. The Guadalupe Miramar hails from Oaxaca, a region celebrated for producing some of the country’s finest beans. The climate and soil of the Oaxaca highlands provide perfect growing conditions for arabica varieties. Mexican coffee farmers have long taken pride in traditional cultivation methods that enhance the character of these lovingly tended crops. This level of care shines through in the Guadalupe Miramar’s distinct profile.

Dota Vienna

George Howell Coffee For my latest coffee review, I decided to try the Dota Vienna roast from renowned roaster George Howell Coffee in Boston. This bean is from the Dota canton of Costa Rica and is roasted in the Viennese style. Right out of the bag, I could smell the rich dark chocolate aroma. The tasting notes promised a “dark chocolate-cherry core” and a “smooth acidity” reminiscent of orange – intriguing flavors from the lush Dota canton in Costa Rica’s Central Valley region. As I sipped my cup, I found the chocolate notes to be prominent, with just a hint of cherry rounding out the flavors. However, I struggled to detect much citrus-acidity at all, let alone the orange notes described. Instead, the mouthfeel leaned more toward a velvety, rounded body without any particularly bright or zippy qualities. For me, it tasted like a nice cozy brew that would be perfect for weekend morning soccer watching. The Dota canton (like a state in the US) is located in the Central Valley, one of Costa Rica’s prime coffee-growing regions known for producing excellent arabica beans. The valley’s high elevation, fertile volcanic soil, and cool temperatures create ideal conditions for cultivating flavorful coffees. By adding some geographical context around where these beans were grown, it helps explain the coffee’s flavor origins. The Viennese roasting style used for these beans may explain the more subdued acidity levels compared to a lighter roast. Viennese or “Vienna” roasts are designed to strike a middle ground between light and dark roasts. The beans are roasted longer and to a deeper color than a standard City roast, but not quite as dark as a French or Italian roast. This longer roasting time allows the sugars to caramelize more, contributing to a richer, sweeter flavor profile with lower acidity. The Vienna style provides a nice balance between bright and deep notes. So if you’re a fan of smooth, chocolatey coffees without too much acidic bite, definitely give the Dota Vienna from George Howell a try. George Howell in general is a great place for you to expand your coffee palette. At the bottom of this post I will include a link to the ‘all coffees’ section of their website. From there, you can use the country filter to explore the globe-spanning regions that George Howell Coffee sources from.  For those learning about coffee, it serves as a great example of how roast levels can drastically impact a bean’s flavor profile. With this Vienna roast, the end result emphasized the smooth and sweet side of the coffee from the chocolate and cherry.     https://georgehowellcoffee.com/collections/all-coffee