Bourbon vs Pacamara – FIGHT!!!

Episode 38

Coffee: El Salvador Las Delicias Bourbon
Special Notes: Santa Anna Region 100% Bourbon
Cup Profile: Sweet, caramel, creamy and great mouthfeel.

Coffee: El Salvador Las Delicias Pacamara
Special Notes: Santa Ana Region 0% Bourbon (says 100% Bourbon on the packet)
Cup Profile: Sweet, caramel, creamy and great mouthfeel.

Another double header this week, and again proof that varietals have a huge impact on flavour and aroma.  Given that the Special notes of the Pacamara said 100% Bourbon, I’m not sure that too much should be read into the fact that the cup profiles for the 2 coffees is the same, although this is also true of the listings on HasBean, so perhaps it is correct.  I certainly didn’t find them at all similar, and after attempting to drink them side by side last night, I decided that I needed to review them separately, as I just couldn’t get into the Bourbon after the Pacamara.  In particular it smelt very odd, and for a while I wondered if it was tainted, although I did get used to it.  I’m going to do the Bourbon first so that I don’t get the same effect today.

Bourbon

After last nights disappointing cup, I decided to up-dose the Bourbon in the hope that might improve it, but to be honest this just isn’t a great coffee when made in a french press in my opinion.  It does have a good mouthfeel, and it is nice enough, but there is nothing about it that excites me.  I prefer the french press when reviewing coffee since it is a lot easier to get right than espresso,  I don’t want to be reviewing my barista skills after all, but for this coffee I think I will come back to it after trying it as an espresso.

Pacamara

This is much more my cup of tea (coffee?).  It is bright and acidic, without the acidity being overpowering.  There is plenty of creaminess and caramel going on.  After the last few weeks of wild and challenging coffees this is a much more conventional coffee, but it is definitely not a boring one.  Perhaps not as clean and crisp as the yellow bourbon of a couple of weeks ago, but a very nice smooth coffee.

Bourbon Revisited (as espresso)

Having tasted the espresso, I am still not loving this coffee.  It is definitely more suited to espresso, but it is just not pushing my buttons.  I guess this coffee vindicates my decision not to give scores each week.  I am not keen on it, but I don’t feel that makes it a bad coffee.  I guess it is possible to judge a coffee dispassionately, but I am not there yet.