My relationship with natural coffees has been love and hate. For a long time I couldn't get enough of them, then the world of anaerobic and co-ferments came and everything was too boozy or fake for me. I think producers like Rodin have learned to do both traditional natural coffees and anaerobic well and can leave co-ferms with someone else.
This coffee has me firmly back in the natural camp. It has the fruit character you'd expect, but it never overwhelms. It's restrained in the best way. Soft ube sweetness, the delicate body of a white tea, and this warm brown sugar finish that just sits on your palate. The whole cup seems to work together perfectly...nothing fights for attention. That's Rodin. The guy is meticulous from pick to patio, and you can taste the difference between someone who manages a natural process and someone who just lets it happen. This is the kind of cup that makes you rethink what Guatemala can do outside of the washed tradition his family is already known for. We're proud to have it.
-Matt
