Corvus Coffee Roasters: Banyan Toba (Triple-Picked): Lintong, Sumatra

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Rating: 92/100
Roast: Medium 
Body: Pungent, spicy, mysterious
Acidity: Medium high
Notes: Cinnamon, sorrel, walnuts
Aftertastes: White wine, mushroom, allspice

We really have to hand it to Corvus on this one. Delicately balanced, intensely flavorful, and mysteriously pungent, this roast is hands-down the best Sumatran roast we have reviewed all year. These beans are directly fair-trade sourced from the Banyan Co-Op near Lake Toba in Lintong, a region well known for fantastic growing conditions and diverse crop rotations. The Banyan Co-Op is made up of 1200 local Sumatran farmers and uses wet hull processing, resulting in a flavorful, moist, soft, green pre-roast bean. This preparation method is common in regions such as Sumatra, Rwanda, Sulawesi, and Java, and typically expresses great aromatic complexity and flavor intensity. 

Corvus's Banyan Toba roast induces a mystery in the mouth, a pungent, peppery flavor called umami. Umami, one of the basic five tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salty), is often found in chinese cabbage, leek, and soy. The flavor is manifested in undertones of mushroom, bringing a highly unique flavor to the cup. We also picked up aromas of white grape, aftertastes of black pepper, and undertones of allspice/cinnamon. Acutely complex, this roast is definitely one for the books.