Yaucono a gift from Puerto Rico

Yaucono a gift from Puerto Rico is one of the most pleasant surprises that I have enjoyed this year. A coworker gave me a bag, and told me this is the best coffee ever, and he may be right.

I have never tried any coffee from Puerto Rico before, and I have had a strong curiosity about it. You can always get a good feel of the soul of the land by eating and drinking its native offerings, and coffee is no exception. Coffee, and wine, are the bench marks of that distinction, especially single origin coffee.  Yaucono is that bench mark. Once I opened the bag of coffee, I saw visions of exotic lush green places, filtered Caribbean sunlight, and water falls. They have been around for 125 years and is still going on strong. 

Brewing

I was drawn in by the subtle aroma, very soft and gentle. I picked up sents of fine tobacco, some  milk chocolate. Brewing it brought the scent of brown sugar and flowers, what I got in my cup was another delight. I brewed this coffee in a Bodum fine metal pour over screen that did not strip the oils away, and retained all the outstanding flavors. I got a wonderful cup full of fruits, naturally sweet, some nice hints of milk chocolate, and a very subtle earthiness. The acidity in it was perfect, smooth and gentle with a stellar clean finish. No tart, or crisp finish, but a gentle one.

The Body

The body is in the golden zone, nice and gentle without being heavy or muddy. It is not light or juicy but like Goldie Locks, just right. We kept on drinking this coffee and I finished my cup before I finished food pairing. We paired it up with some blueberry pancakes that really enhanced the fruity notes, and we then added dairy to it. The dairy made the milk chocolate stand out a bit more, but it did not over powered the other signature flavor notes. 

My next brewing method was with a paper filter in a Chemex, it did take away the oils and striped down this coffee to its core. The acid became a dominate factor, giving you a tart finish. The subtle taste of milk chocolate also disappeared. So I recommend a French Press or a metal filter so you don’t lose those fine features that I enjoyed before.  

Overall this coffee expanded my horizons greatly, and I am blessed by this gift from a friend.