Nirvana Anaerobic Natural Gesha – Black & White Coffee Roaster

Month after month I have been impressed with the roasters Yonder Coffee pairs up with and the coffees they deliver to my doorstep. They are constantly unique and delicious. Nirvana Anaerobic Natrual Gesha from Black & White Coffee though takes the cake for the most special coffee Yonder has delivered yet.

Nirvana is a geisha coffee from Panama that “went through an anaerobic natural processing technique using a similar technique to Carbonic Maceration, though instead of charging the stainless tank with carbon dioxide, Jamison Savage [the coffee producer] explored the use of a different inert gas, nitrogen resulting in big intensities of aromatics and flavors.”¹ Intense is exactly what this coffee delivered with.

Right from the start, I could tell this was going to be a special coffee. The fragrance and aromas are extremely complex. It was sweet with layering notes of fruit, berries, citrus, floral and various tropical fruit notes that dominated during brewing. The flavor was incredibly delicious with lots of the same elements as the aroma. I tasted notes most prominently of tropical fruit and citrus, but there were so many layered flavors I could list another ten flavor attributes I tasted. The coffee was balanced, yet bright with a light, tea-like body. The fruity sweetness was dominate throughout and lingered long into the finish. I had a limited amount of coffee for this one, so I didn’t explore brew methods as much as I usually do for a review. Once I locked in the v60 and Flower dripper, I stuck with those through the remainder to avoid any wasted brews. It likely would have made a great, complex shot of espresso though.

The Bottom Line

Nirvana is likely one of the most special and delicious coffees I have tried this year. It pushed the limits of what is possible with a coffee in regards to flavor profile and complexity.