A few weeks ago I recently had the amazing opportunity to visit Messenger and their sister bakery, Ibis, during a visit to Kansas City. Their cafe is quite possibly the most beautiful coffee shop I’ve ever seen (read more of my thoughts on their shop here). While there, I picked up a few bags of their coffee and a can of their new cold brew. In this review I’ll be discussing the naturally processed El Salvadorian coffee, Capital Del Mundo.
One of the many things I love about Messenger is that many of their coffees are farm direct (they purchase the coffee directly from the farm) and Capital Del Mundo is no different. They partnered directly with Finca Colomba to purchase this excellent coffee.
It overwhelms from the moment you open the bag. It has a rich, strong, slightly earthy aroma with fruit notes that come to the forefront while brewing. It has a nice berry fruitiness indicative of its natural processing. It has a slightly thicker, heavier mouthfeel than many other naturally processed coffees with a more mild honey sweetness. I found the complexity and flexibility of the coffee most appealing, though. The intertwined flavors include the berry fruit note, but also some cocoa and dried fruit. I tried the coffee in v60, Chemex, AeroPress and espresso and it did well in all of them. The espresso was especially excellent and was a really nice variation for the coffee.
The Bottom Line
This is a solid coffee from an amazing coffee shop and one that is definitely worth a try. If you live in the Kansas City area this is a must-visit shop not only to experience the café, but also to try some of the amazing baked goods from the connected bakery.
