Hits: 60
Bean: Jaen Cajamarca, single origin, Bourbon
Shop: The Coffee Road
Jaen Cajamarca: Background information
Once again I have reviewed a bean from The Coffee Road: Jaen Cajamarca. This bean comes from the North-western part of Peru and is grown in the Cajamarca region. If we zoom in a bit closer we end up at the Tabocanas area near San Igncacio. The farms in this region produce Bourbon, Tipica and Caturra plants. The Jaen is a 100% bourbon bean and was grown at an altitude of 1820 meters. Since the Bourbon plant usually produces beans with a clear crisp acidity and medium body, I cant wait to review this specific bean.
Jaen Cajamarca: Opening the package
Opening the package is always a thing for me. What will I smell, and what do the beans look like? In this case the beans looked lightly roasted and equal in sizes (size does matter you know! haha) I put my nose in the package and inhale softly to experience a sweet tea-like scent. At that point I did not know what was in store for me…
I clean out my grinder and put the first batch in. The scent that comes from the grinded beans is intense yet sweet and pleasant to the nose.
Jaen Cajamarca: The Tasting
I scoop my usual 18 grams of coffee and start brewing. The brew has a nice colour to it and it crawls out of my portafilter. I time 27 seconds and see 30ml of coffee in my cup. Now comes the good part of this review. I inhale once more a several scents hit my nostrils. Sweetness, fruits, tea and even a hint of flowers crawl up my nose. I cannot seem to pinpoint exactly what I smell and so call in some help. I give the cup to my wife and she smells as well. She struggles as well; it is so hard to tell what it is that we are smelling. Eventually we decide on something weird: honey with mango-tea. Amazing, and I have not even tasted it yet.
When I take my first sip, all is as expected. A full mouthfeel and creamy crema fill up my mouth as I let the coffee swirl in my mouth. I can clearly detect the crisp acidity together with a medium body. Maybe medium full even. When I swallow and breathe back into my mouth with my lips closed the honey and mango-tea like flavours come back in force. I am loving this coffee very much!
Jaen Cajamarca: The verdict
The Jaen Cajamarca is a jewel! It might not be a bean that you drink in the early morning to give you a kick-start at the office, but it will make your late-morning and afternoons a lot more pleasant. The crisp acidity and medium body accompany the fruitiness and honey-like flavours very well. Talking about a balanced coffee! I do think that this bean would not go well with a latte since it’s flavours are not that strong. It would not be a waste of the coffee, but I think a darker roast would be better…such as the Caturra Amarilla from this review.