Luz Helena Salazar
This is a nice coffee, although it may not appeal to everyone. It reminds me of a Foundry coffee I had a few years back that listed Cherry Balsam as a tasting note—another interesting but slightly divisive offering.
The aroma of the beans is fruity and herbal, with a clear hint of star anise once brewed. The first few sips leave a noticeable bitterness on the finish, which feels a little over the top. As it cools, the cup becomes more complex and full‑bodied, while the star‑anise character stays present throughout, especially on the finish and in the aftertaste. It’s a familiar flavour for us, given how often star anise appears in Indian cooking and in chai.
The acidity, sweetness and the slightly tart finish sit comfortably together, and there’s something about the overall profile that brings gin to mind. Some might even call it a kind of medicinal sweetness.
For filter, I brewed on the Boy, the Switch and the Clever. Waterfall papers were used for most brews, with Filtropia and SwissGold in the Clever. All brews were at 12% with a 400‑micron Kruve sift.
Like the Finca Matilde, the filter averages 4.2 out of 5 so far, which matches my broader ~7.5/9 average over 200 brews.
I always ask my wife for her thoughts when I open a new bag. She scored this one 3.5/5, mainly because of the slightly bitter finish.
I’ll be pulling an espresso for myself and a flat white for her tomorrow. I’ll post how it goes.
