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Ivan Solis – Candy Natural – Black & White Roasters

Andrew Pautler

Ivan Solis - Candy Natural – Black & White Roasters

Coffee Details

  • Coffee Name
    Ivan Solis - Candy Natural
  • Roaster
    Black & White Coffee Roasters
  • Roaster Location
    Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Estimated Price
    $20 / 12oz
  • Flavor Notes
    Tart mango, mixed red candies, red sangria
  • Process
    Candy Natural
  • Varieties
    Catuai
  • Country
    Costa Rica
  • Region
    Santa Maria de Dot, Tarrazu
  • Elevation
    1500 - 1900 MASL
  • Producer
    Ivan Solis
  • Roast
    Light medium
  • Review Brew Method
    Flower, Orea
  • Roast Date
    September 23, 2021
  • Review Date
    October 10, 2021

Coffee Scoring

9.1
Aroma
9.5 / 10
Body
9 / 10
Flavor
9.5 / 10
Acidity/Brightness
8.5 / 10
Balance
9 / 10
Sweetness
9.5 / 10
Cleanliness
8.5 / 10
Aftertaste
9 / 10
Complexity
9.5 / 10
Flexibility
9 / 10
Pros
  • Layered fruity profile
  • Complex fruit-toned sweetness

Disclosure: Pull & Pour received coffee samples for this post, however, as always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Honey and naturally processed Costa Rican coffees have become some of my favorites over the past year. The juicy & fruity intensity I’ve found in them has been unparalleled in any other coffee. This Candy Natural from Ivan Solis was a real treat. The candy natural process is a process Ivan created that is an anaerobic fermentation with an added twist of “Mosto,” a bacteria that is added during bacteria to create a more complex and unique flavor profile. Supposedly each one leads to a slightly different result. I haven’t tried any others, but this one was absolutely incredible.

The coffee begins with an intensely fruity and sweet fragrance. The tropical fruit notes were strong and it almost smelled like a bag of candy when I first opened it. The flavor was extraordinary with a fruit-toned profile filled with complex tropical fruit notes. I got notes that reminded me of pineapple, mangos, peach, mixed berries, and figs all mixed together. It had a lovely mouthcoating quality to it with a smooth body. The acidity was steady, but grew throughout each sip. The coffee was incredibly sweet with a complex fruit-toned sweetness that was rich and an extension of the notes I identified in the flavor. The finish lingered with the sweetness and acidity lasting long after every sip.

The Bottom Line

This coffee was a perfect example of what I’ve come to love in Costa Rican coffees as of late. It was intensely sweet with a wonderfully complex flavor profile. I was sad when I brewed my last batch with this one.

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