#whatsCTpulling : Daniel Miju Ethiopia Gedeo from Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters
Sweet Bloom prides this natural processed Ethiopian coffee to not have any of the really pumped up fruit flavors that some naturals may get, and instead keeping the coffee "clean" with more clarity. Sweet Bloom lists the aromatics of berry cordial and floral, a winey acidity, and sugar cane sweetness. I would say these flavors proved mostly true, particularly when brewing, there was a big berry bouquet, and plenty of sugary, yellow fruit like sweetness with pleasant acidity. I want to say I got some apricot or nectarine notes as well.
I found the best cups to be brewed on the Hario V60 at: 1 : 16.5 ratio using 204*F water, and a total brew time of about 2:45 for a 20 gram dose.
Espresso shots were a bit trickier, as going too cool or too fast was resulting in unbalanced, under extracted shots, but too long was quickly becoming muddled and bitter. I typically love natural process Ethiopians as espresso, but maybe it's because the flavors of a fleshy yellow fruit are not my favorite in general. It had an apricot like quality to it that was tough to tame. Increasing the yield also didn't help as the shots tended to get a bit thin and weak. Ultimately, I found the best balance at 18 grams in to 38 grams out in 28 seconds at 203*F, with the understanding that maybe this coffee is best brewed, or at least not in line with my tastes.
It did however, work well in milk drinks, presenting sort of a berries in milk chocolate type cup. I had a number of capps with it that I really enjoyed. This Daniel Miju Ethiopia is available for $18 for a 12 ounce bag, with free shipping over $50 here.