Slightly bitter, slightly chocolatey, no stand-out features or flavors
Amount of grounds:
2 tablespoons per 10 oz of water
Brewing time:
8.5 minutes
Additions:
None
Reusing grounds:
Not tested
Using grounds in food:
Not tested
General Thoughts:
For a long time I thought this was exactly like Crio Bru Venezuelan Medium roast. It turns out there's a slight difference but there's not really anything that makes it stand out.
The Ecuador Light seems to actually have a somewhat accurate description, I think. I'm not exactly sure what "floral" means, but I will say that it lives up to being the lighter sibling to the Choffy Ecuador Dark. There's a little bit of that pungent flavor and scent coming through, but this leans a little more towards the grainy or fruity side. In comparison, the Nicaraguan Medium seems somewhat flat and bitter and a little darker, which makes sense considering that it's a Medium roast compared to the Light roast.
The Nicaraguan Medium may be growing on me, but the Ecuador Light wins this one. I'd be curious to see how it compares against the Choffy Ecuador Dark as well as the Choffy Ivory Coast Medium, as it seems to almost be a mix between the two.
Starting with the Ecuador, I can pick out the kind of sweet pungency and some roast, and a little bit of chocolate. Going over to the Nicaragua, it's darkly pungentt, earthy, bitter, and quite a bit stronger, and going back to the Ecuador, that sweet "ting" really comes out and most of the roast is gone. It's amazing how the flavors can change based on what is paired up. I pretty strongly prefer the Ecuador in this pairing.
I blended the last little bit of each one, and I think this may be the first one I've had where the blend isn't dominated by the Nicaragua. I can pick it out, but I can also pick out a little bit of the sweetness of the Ecuador. It's ok, but Nicaragua almost clashes with the Ecuador a bit.
This is one that I've been waiting for. Before I was doing the side-by-sides, I went through the Ghana Light roast pretty quick. Even though I couldn't taste a whole lot of difference between it and the other varieties at the time, I got the impression that I liked this one the best, and now it's time to put it to the test!
An initial sniff test reveals that the Nicaraguan Medium has that familiar bitter smell, but the Ghana Light is more mellow. Considering that the countries of Ghana and Ivory Coast are neighbors, I wonder if it will be similar to the Ivory Coast Medium roast from Choffy.
For taste, I'd say the Ghana Light comes out fairly light on chocolate flavor, and kind of nutty or grainy or... oh! buttery! My son smelled it and said "It smells like minty chocolate", and my brain tried to put it into that context, and realized it's like a butter mint without the mint. The package says "chocolate and smooth", so it's not far off. It definitely makes the Nicaraguan Medium seem darker and more bitter by comparison.
My conclusion is that my initial suspicions were correct, and I really do like this one more than the other roasts from Crio Bru! And now I know why.
My prediction is that it's maybe slightly more chocolatey but less nutty than the Ivory Coast Medium, but I'll find that out when I put those two side-by-side tomorrow.
The original comparison was done back when my brewing methods were still uneven.
The grainy flavor of the Ghana strikes me as being slightly sweeter, especially in aroma, than Ivory Coast Medium. (which I just compared with Nicaragua today) It's not that same "buttery" flavor that I noted above, but I guess I can see how the aroma struck me as "butter mints". Now that I've tried just about everything else, buttery flavors popping up are different than this. This is more akin to the sweet "ting" that I get from the lighter Ecuador roasts. It's really good.
The Nicaragua, on the other hand, has a pretty strong bitter component to it, but it comes across as more chocolatey. If anything, in comparison to the Ghana, I'd say it comes across as a true "earthy" flavor. Not slightly grainy or anything, but really something closer to just a dark, almost musty, earthy flavor. I like the Ghana quite a bit more than the Nicaragua here in spite of it's general lack of chocolatey flavor.
I blended the last few sips of each one, and like with the Ivory Coast Medium, I can still taste and smell the Nicaragua pretty strongly in there. I think I can just barely make out the sweetness of the Ghana trying to come through, but it's definitely losing the battle. The blend almost has a sour or tart quality to it.
Starting with the Ghana, it has a sweetness to the aroma, and the flavor is a little earthy, maybe a tiny bit roasty, and a little chocolatey. Going over to the Nicaragua, it's strongly pungent and earthy and somewhat bitter. And there's a good amount of chocolate there.
The more that I'm getting into the Nicaragua, the more I'm finding out that it really does have its own distinct flavor and aroma that's quite different from everything else. After all this time, my pallet does seem to be finally growing (do pallets grow?) and I can pick out more of the differences than what I was originally getting. It's funny to me that before I thought that Nicaragua just about had no distinct taste and was pretty much like everything else!
Going back to the Ghana, it really comes across as a lot sweeter after drinking the Nicaragua. In fact, there's almost a coconut flavor to it! Weird. Also, I don't know that the roast is really coming through anymore. Either way, I strongly prefer the Ghana over the Nicaragua.
I blended the last couple of sips of each, and while the Nicaragua is somewhat muted, it still comes through fairly strongly and completely obliterates the Ghana.
This was my first side-by-side comparison, and I was a bit dismayed to find that they still tasted so close that I couldn't tell them apart outside of the brewing method. But I did start getting an inkling that I preferred the french press method due to the lower sediment and grit in the cup.
Basically they just kind of taste like an unsweetened and mildly bitter dark chocolate, but it's somewhat thin.
Now that I have a better tea infuser and can brew more on par with the french press, I wanted to see if I can spot a difference between these two.
Taking an initial sniff of the dry grounds, the Venezuelan smelled slightly more like the Ecuador Light roast with that slightly pungent or sour smell, where the Nicaraguan just smelled more "plain" dark chocolate. Taking a sniff while they're cooling, the Nicaraguan still has that bitter dark chocolate smell, but the Venezuelan smells less dark but still a tiny bit of that pungent or sour smell.
As for taste, the Nicaraguan is slightly more bitter, and the Venezuelan is slightly less bitter and a little more mild, but the slight pungency to the scent doesn't seem to make it into the flavor. Or does it? Actually, it might a tiny bit, but I'm not sure that it's in a good way like the Ecuador roasts. It's really hard to tell.
These two are still really close, but they're not identical like I originally thought. I think I would have to go with the Nicaraguan over the Venezuelan for preference.
It's been a while since I've had Uber Dark because that was one of the first ones where I completed the side-by-sides a long time ago. I was curious if my outlook on it has changed since I've been away for so long... but nope, it's still super roasty with not much else going on. I thought for a moment I picked up on the sweet pungency of the lighter Ecuador roasts in there, but when I tried it again, it was gone. The Nicaragua next to it is reminding me a lot of Chocolate Alchemy's Big O: sour, bready, with hints of fermentation, and just a bit of chocolate. Hmmm. Drinking them black like this, I think I have to call it a tie. I don't want to drink either one long term this way.
Adding vanilla almond milk to both and starting with the Nicaragua, it goes super chocolatey and is really good this way. It's pretty much just a straight up no frills chocolate flavor. The Uber Dark also gets a much stronger chocolatey taste, but with the roast still lingering in the background, it also brings out a little bit of that sharp sweetness of the Ecuador roasts that I thought I picked up for a moment earlier. Both roasts go from "no way" to "yes please!" so fast it almost gives me whiplash. It's really hard to pick a favorite, but I think that with the hint of the bready flavor still in the background of the Nicaragua, I prefer the hints of roasty flavors in the Uber Dark.
The Ocumare starts off with a little bit of bitterness and a decent amount of chocolate flavor. The Nicaragua, in comparison, has that strong fermented and bready component that really sticks out like a sore thumb. Going back to the Ocumare, the bitterness mostly disappears and I'm mostly left with just a light chocolatey flavor. Drinking them black, the Ocumare wins.
Adding vanilla almond milk to both, the Ocumare goes very chocolatey and comes out tasting really good. The Nicaragua gets tamed a little bit, has a slightly stronger chocolate flavor, but still has a pretty strong fermented or bready flavor to it. Going back to the Ocumare after, the chocolate flavor isn't as strong, but it's still pretty good, and wins this round, too
The Mexico is starting off quite a bit on the tart side, especially in the aroma. It's not too strong in the flavor at the moment, though. There's also a little bitterness and a bit of chocolate there. The Nicaragua is coming across as strongly fermented this time. It's not bready at all, and is somewhat bitter and a little sour, but yeah, that fermentation is through the roof this time around. It almost reminds me of a beer or cider this time around. Wow. That is a new one. Going back to the Mexico, now it's much more tart but also somewhat earthy. This whole thing is just weird. I don't think I can say that I prefer one over the other, and I'm really not a fan of either in this pairing. I'm calling it a tie.
This is one of those times where I'm pretty sure that whichever one I add vanilla almond milk to first is going to be the winner, so I'm just adding it to both this time around. From doing that, the aromas are both pretty chocolaty, but the Mexico one smells a little more like milk chocolate whereas the Nicaragua is a little more like dark chocolate. Sipping the Mexico first, its flavor pretty much matches the aroma: a tiny bit of tartness, but a lighter and sweeter chocolate flavor. I'm wondering if I should have sampled the Nicaragua first because now after drinking the Mexico, I'm still picking up a some of the fermentation flavor. It's milder and there is more chocolate to it, but I think if I had tried it first, the chocolate flavor would have been even stronger. But it really does remind me more of dark chocolate overall. The Mexico is continuing to retain a bit of the tartness, but keep its more "milk chocolate" flavor. I actually like them both quite a bit, but I wouldn't call them favorites. That, and they're really close preference wise. Honestly, I think it's another tie.
Wow, a tie for both! I didn't see that coming. This one was full of surprises, and that's why I love doing these comparisons, even after all this time.
This was the second side-by-side test I ever did, and it was the first one where I actually tasted a difference! The Double Chocolate actually tasted slightly sweeter and more like chocolate, and it smelled way more like chocolate. In fact, it kind of hit me that considering that all of this is technically chocolate to begin with, there may be something strange afoot. I found that the Double Chocolate has "chocolate flavor and vanilla flavor" added, whereas the other varieties don't have extra added flavors. So that means that this is more akin to a flavored coffee, such as vanilla or maple or one of the other varieties that my wife likes to get.
It's good to know, but considering that the Double Chocolate is $3 more for a 10oz bag, I'm not sure if it's worth the price.
It's been a long time since I've had the Nicaragua roast, and it's more bitter than I remember, but it's decently chocolatey. It does remind me a good bit of dark chocolate. Drinking the double chocolate next to it, the double chocolate comes across as almost sweet and very chocolatey, closer to milk chocolate, in a way. Going back to the Nicaragua after the DC, the bitterness is definitely more pronounced, but it's still decently chocolatey and quite good. In the end, I prefer the double chocolate over the Nicaragua quite a bit, although it still seems weird to me that it has added chocolate flavor. It almost feels unfair putting it next to any of the non-flavored roasts.
It was hard to decide what to pair up with the Mocha Flavored roast. On on hand, it's a light roast, so it seems like it should be compared against another light roast. On the other hand, the "taste of coffee" makes me think it should be compared against a darker roast. I decided to go somewhat middle-of-the-road with the Nicaraguan Medium roast.
Smelling it while it's cooling, the Mocha seems to have a slightly smoky smell to it, but also a little sweet. The Nicaraguan compares with having the familiar dark chocolate smell leaning into the bitter side. When tasting, the flavors mostly mirror that. The flavor of the Mocha seems to come across as a cross between the Vanilla Light roast with a slight "cereal" quality to it, and it's paired with... well... a hint of cigarette smoke. But it's not bad! It's just where my brain goes with the flavor, looking for something familiar.
According to the Crio Bru website, the Mocha is "pure ground cacao with natural coffee flavor so you can enjoy the delicious taste of Mocha without any actual coffee or coffee ingredients." (emphasis mine) I'm not sure how that works. To me, kind of like my initial brush with the Vanilla Light roast where the flavor comes across as being artificial, but they say it's natural.
I think pairing it against the Nicaraguan roast for the first test was a good decision, but now I definitely need to try it against a darker and smokier roast like Volta Dark or Uber Dark. Overall, I think I do like the Mocha better than the Nicaraguan roast upon first drinking it, but over the next couple of hours, I found myself burping the Mocha flavor quite a bit. That could be a problem.
I made sure to let the water sit for about 30 seconds before pouring today. Also, since we now have our second round of Crio Bru samples, and Em felt "meh" about the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan medium roasts, it means I have those to use as baselines for new varieties.
I'm a little disappointed in the Vanilla Light roast. The smell reminds me of a vanilla flavored breakfast cereal, kind of like Vanilla Chex. I tastes like the vanilla flavoring is some imitation chemical rather than anything about the real deal, but the packaging says "Natural Vanilla Flavor". When drinking it, I barely get the vanilla flavor. I know I kind of harp on this, but the whole "not being a coffee drinker" thing, I wonder how this compares to vanilla flavored coffee. When Em eventually tries it, I'll have to have her let me know.
But for now, I have to say other than the "notes of Vanilla Chex", it really doesn't taste much different than the Nicaraguan Medium roast.
While this one doesn't contribute to the rankings because of the flavor-added nature of the Vanilla roast, the first comparison was still muddied by inconsistent brewing methods.
Starting out with the vanilla, it doesn't quite have that same "vanilla chex" flavor it once seemed to have, and it doesn't come across as an imitation chemical anymore. Now it's just a pretty decent vanilla flavor with some chocolate in the aroma. Next to it, the Nicaragua comes across as pretty strongly bitter and fairly dark, but more chocolatey for sure. Going back to the vanilla after, I can pick up more on why I thought that it tasted like vanilla chex, but it's not exactly like I remembered it. Overall, I prefer the vanilla over the Nicaragua, and as a counterpoint to my original comparison, they don't taste anything alike!
I blended the very last sip of each because I've generally found that the Nicaragua tends to stick out in the blends, and I'm really curious how it does against a flavored roast. I can kind of make out the vanilla, but the Nicaragua is still pretty strong in this. That's really interesting! I wonder what makes the Nicaragua so much stronger than the other roasts. When I get to some of the really strong roasts, like Choffy's Ecuador French, I'm going to have to blend and see what happens there. The Ecuador is really strong on its own, but it tends to "blend out" and fade away in most blends.
I've been a little nervous to try the Choffy Ecuador varieties because Sam said that it really is the most coffee like from his experience. But I figured today was the day to start low!
Given my unfortunate sipping experience with Intermission 1, I was afraid I really was going to hate it. The Nicaraguan Medium has that familiar kind of bitter dark chocolate taste, but not much else, while the Ecuador Dark Roast definitely tastes different. It's labeled as "Chocolatey and Robust". I can definitely pick out the "more coffee like" tones in it, although I'd hesitate to really say it's truly anything like coffee. I'm not 100% sure how to describe it, but when smelling or tasting it, it has a "sharper" or more pungent smell to it. I would even almost describe it as "sour", but definitely in a good way. I think it's more organic smelling and tasting about it versus the Nicaraguan Medium roast, but not in the trendy "organic" marketing speak.
With the exception of the Ivory Coast Dark roast, I think this may be one of my more favorite dark roasts so far.
Like with the Crio Bru's Uber Dark, by the time I got here to test it against Nicaragua, it's been a long time since I've had it. It's bitter, pungent, smoky, and just a hint of chocolate. It's just not fun to drink black. Sipping the Nicaragua after the Ecuador, I'm almost knocked on my rear with how bready and fermented it tastes in comparison. What's really surprising to me is that going back to the Ecuador, it's really affected by the Nicaragua, and along with the darkness and pungency, I'm also getting a strong hit of that sharp sweetness that shows up in the lighter versions of it. Even thought I'm not a fan of it in this form, the Ecuador wins the comparison.
Like with the Uber Dark vs Nicaragua, I jumped right into adding vanilla almond milk to both at the same time. The Ecuador is heavily tamed by it, and the chocolate flavor comes out a bit, but that sharp sweetness also stands out. It's decent like this, but still not a favorite. The Nicaragua still has pretty strong bready and fermented flavors, and they're particularly strong in the aroma still, but the chocolatey flavor also comes way out to the front. Going back to the Ecuador immediately after, that sharp sweetness is right out in center stage, and it's gone from "decent" to "pretty good". There's still a hint of roast in it, but otherwise it reminds me a lot of the lighter Ecuador roasts. I thought at first the Ecuador was the winner again, but the more I go back and forth, the more I appreciate the "true chocolatey" flavor of the Nicaragua. I think this part may be a tie.
(tested with a 50/50 blend of Nicaragua and Venezuela Medium roasts.)
I didn't have enough of either Crio Bru variety on their own to make a single serving, so I combined them since they taste the same anyway. Also, this is my first case of writing the review while I'm actively drinking the cocoa.
Upon opening the bag of the Choffy Ivory Coast Medium, I took a little sniff and it didn't have any of the "this might be coffee" smell to it that everything else has. Even the other medium roasts (Volta, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan) had that smell a bit. This one smelled... I don't know. Cleaner? I almost want to say "like wheat", but I think my brain is being influenced by the description on the front of the bag, which says, "light chocolate flavor with subtle grainy notes (great for non-coffee drinkers)".
The Choffy description is... quite on point! It's not bitter, or at least not as much as the Crio Bru, which still is only mildly bitter, but it is definitely a light chocolate flavor that tastes subtly like grain. Again, there are probably past descriptions I've seen of coffee or cocoa somewhere, but I'd almost describe it as even "slightly fruity", or maybe even woody, as if I can taste the tree it came from. I don't know. There's something else, too, but I can't quite pick it out. It's weird, but it's good.
I like it, and I like it better than the Crio Bru medium roasts. So far, if I were to pick a big bag to drink for a long haul, it may be this one.
Post test update: I've read on various websites that the cocoa grounds can be eaten and used in recipes, so every so often I'd take a taste of the grounds after brewing. Usually it's what I would expect: kind of burnt tasting chocolate. But in the case of the Ivory Coast Medium roast, they completely lacked that burnt flavor and I probably could have mixed them in with some cereal to eat, or even just eaten them straight from the french press with a spoon. They were kind of chocolatey and kind of nutty in flavor. Quite good, really!
The original comparison was done back when I thought the Venezuela and Nicaragua roasts tasted exactly the same, so they were blended and compared to Ivory Coast. I've already redone the comparison once to separate out Venezuela against Ivory Coast. Also, the first one was done back before I had my brewing methods evened out.
So, pretty much as I found with the previous comparison, the Ivory Coast is lighter with a grainy flavor, and not much chocolate. It's good, but it's no longer at the top of my list of long-haul drinks. The Nicaragua, on the other hand, is more chocolatey and more bitter, especially in the aroma. It has a little bit of a pungency to it, but it's a different one than what is in the Ecuador roasts. The Ecuadors can seem almost sweet if that flavor hits the right way, but this is a darker pungency (not darker in roast, though!) that has a decent amount of bitterness around it. So far, I think the Nicaragua is about the closest I've had to drinking a cup of "dark chocolate". It's good, and I think considering that the Ivory Coast just has no real chocolate flavor next to it, I'd go with the Nicaragua as the winner here.
I also have to say that something about the Nicaragua has kind of a nostalgic flavor to me. I think it may be one of the varieties that came across in its truest form compared to a lot of other roasts, even back when my brewing methods weren't great. So the flavor and aroma remind me very much of those early days of comparing, and the flavor and aroma is very much like what I thought all of them were like at the time.
I blended the last little bit of each mug, and the aroma and flavor of the Nicaragua are still pretty strong in the mix. I'm a little surprised since usually things flatten out so much. Yeah, there was pretty much no sign of the Ivory Coast in there at all.
Starting with the Nicaragua, it's back to the usual lightly bitter and fairly chocolatey flavors. It also has a little bit of that sourness in the background, but it's not too bad today. (After the Volta and Ivory Coast french roast comparisons yesterday, I was worried it was going to be gross like it was yesterday.) The Ivory Coast is pretty earthy in comparison, and not really chocolatey at all. It kind of just reminds me of a dusty and dry wheat field today. Going back to the Nicaragua, it's even more bitter and is starting to get that fermented and sour bready flavor again. I'm kind of starting to wonder if this is going to be one like Anakin or Choffy Ecuador French where it's primarily drinkable only after I add vanilla almond milk to it. I might test that later today when I compare against the Volta Dark. But if that's the case, I really need to be reworking my spreadsheet to allow for those additions in terms of ranking. Anyway, in spite of the Ivory Coast not being exciting next to the Nicaragua, I still prefer it.
Nicaragua may be "busted" for me this morning. I just finished comparing against Volta French, and in that comparison, it came across as very sour and bready and almost fermented. I say that because starting with Nicaragua for this one, I'm already picking up on the same things. It's like now that I've become aware of it, it's the only way my brain will perceive it now. It's like the time I got Choffy k-cups for work that had gone bad, and I had to wait a few days after before my Ivory Coast stuff here at home didn't taste the same way. I may have to take a break from Nicaragua for a little while for my brain and tastebuds to reset.
Anyway, after the Nicaragua, the Ivory Coast is very earthy and smoky, and a little chocolatey. I would even almost call it "dusty" in a way, almost as in a dusty old barn. Ok, what is going on today? I mean, it's not bad, it's just that the Nicaragua has things all jacked up. I may have to come back for a rematch later. But at this point, I'd say I prefer to the Ivory Coast.
I blended the last little bit of each, and the end result is still very Nicaragua heavy. I smell the sourness in the aroma, although it doesn't come across as strong in the flavor. I can still pick it out if I try, but the Ivory Coast definitely calmed it down. I'm not sure I'd call it a "good" blend, but it's better than the Nicaragua plain at this point.
I decided to start off with the Nigeria this morning because I know I haven't been a fan of the Nicaragua in the past. The Nigeria is decently chocolaty and a bit nutty in flavor, but there's almost a light smokiness in the aroma. Or maybe it's more of a bitterness? Either way, it's starting off pretty enjoyable. Going over to the Nicaragua, I'm getting a lot of fermentation and breadiness in the aroma, and that's before even taking a sip. The flavor is fairly tart. There's also some chocolate there, but the fermentation and tartness are mostly what I am picking up. I also kind of feel like this may be what some of the different brewing cocoa vendors may refer to as "fruity". It's a bright flavor, but not sharp. Going back to the Nigeria, the nuttiness is stronger, and there's now a pronounced sweetness in both the aroma and the flavor, a little akin to what I pick up in the Ghana roasts sometimes. The Nigeria is the clear winner.
I decided to add vanilla almond milk only to the Nicaragua to start off. The aroma has a much more pronounced chocolate note to it, and the fermented and bready aroma, while still there, has mostly been relegated to the background. The flavor is overall pretty good, too. Again, a lot of chocolate, with just the smallest hint of tartness and fermentation hiding out in the back. Comparing it to the unaltered Nigeria, the first sip is a close race. That sweet flavor seems a little stronger now. Going back and forth, they're both pretty good like this. I almost want to call it a tie, not so much because the flavors are so close, but because when it comes to longer term drinking, I think I'd like the doctored Nicaragua more than the unaltered Nigeria, but I wouldn't want to have to add the almond milk every time just to drink it. But on pure flavor, I think the Nicaragua wins by a hair.
Adding a tiny splash of almond milk to the Nigeria, the flavor is more chocolaty and nutty. And surprisingly, that sweet flavor is still hanging around! That's unusual. Going back to the Nicaragua, I'm now back to picking up more of the fermentation. The Nigeria is back on top as the winner.
Note: I accidentally poured these when I was supposed to swirl them, meaning they only brewed for about half the time. I thought I may have to redo this one, but I don't think it really affected the end result.
Starting with the Nigeria, there is some of the burnt nut flavor, but this time around it's leaning a little less burnt and more nutty. I don't know that there's much chocolate flavor to be found, though. The Nicaragua smells and tastes tart, fermented, and bready. Again, there's not much of a chocolate flavor here. Overall, I'm a little surprised that neither one is weak considering the messed up brewing time. I think choosing between the two, though, I'd have to go with the Nigeria, because the bready flavor and aroma of the Nicaragua is really off putting to me.
With vanilla almond milk in both and starting this time with the Nicaragua, after the black versions, it's now quite chocolaty with only a hint of the tartness and fermentation. The first sip is really good. Going to the Nigeria, the burnt part of the nut flavor is decently strong still, and there's still not much chocolate flavor here. Meanwhile switching back to the Nicaragua again, it has a little more of the tart and bready flavor, but it's still decently chocolaty. Nicaragua is definitely the winner of this side of things.
The Nigeria just smells and tastes like a burnt nut, and I can't really take it anymore. Woof... and having it next to the Nicaragua just makes the Nicaragua taste very bready and fermented. I mean, I guess I would say I prefer the Nicaragua over the Nigeria, but I really kind of hate both here. *shudders* Blech.
I'm going to give these a try with some vanilla almond milk anyway. The aroma of the Nigeria is better, but under the vanilla, I'm just tasting the burnt nut flavor still. The Nigeria is more chocolaty and much better, but I can still taste the fermented and bready flavor under it, too. But it's not as overbearing as the burnt nut is in the Nigeria, so I definitely like it better.
Looking at where Nigeria French is currently in the score sheet, it's in next to last place, just above Chocolate Alchemy's Big O. Somehow it managed to dip even below Ancillary Darkness by garnering an average score of -3.86 across 7 comparisons. For context, the rating scale goes from 4 (love it) to -4 (hate it). Yeah, I think this may be my last comparison, at least for a while, with the Nigeria French roast. And honestly, with Nigeria Dark being so similar, I don't think I'm going to do that one for a while, either.
With the slight difference now spotted between the Venezuelan and Nicaraguan origins, it's time to separate out the Volta medium from them for good. Oddly enough, these two have never been compared... UNTIL NOW! Dun dun dunnnnn.
The dry grounds smelled nearly identical to both. Once brewed, the Nicaraguan has a smell that's closer to "plain" dark chocolate, even leaning a bit towards bitter, whereas the Volta has that lightly grainy smell to it. The taste pretty much mirrors that. The difference between the two is subtle. Kind of like I found when comparing the Nicaraguan against the Venezuelan directly, it's more identifiable in terms of what is missing rather than what it has going for it. The Volta is a little grainy, and the Nicaraguan just... isn't. It's dark in terms of chocolate, but not in terms of roast. It's not bad, it's just that there's nothing exciting about it. With that extra little bit of flavor, the Volta stands out as one I would like to drink more.
Nicaragua starts out bitter and chocolatey as usual. Going over to the Volta, it has more of an earthy quality than I normally notice, and it's not as chocolatey. It makes sense with it being close to where the Ivory Coast varieties grow, but it's still worth noting. Going back to the Nicaragua after really brings out the more bitter, sour, fermented, and bready flavors like other recent comparisons. Even though the Volta feels weak in comparison, I prefer it over the Nicaragua.
Adding vanilla almond milk to the Nicaragua REALLY brings out the chocolatey flavor! And most of the other traits that I'm not fond of either fade to the background or disappear altogether. This is really good! And I prefer it really strongly over the Volta.
Adding almond milk to the Volta also brings out some chocolate. Part of me wants to say that the Nicaragua wins out as a more "pure" chocolate flavor, except that with the fermented and bready flavors still hanging out in there are a little stronger when getting the Volta on the same level with the almond milk. I think these two may be a tie.
Starting with the Volta, it's very dark and smoky with little-to-no chocolate flavor. Going over to the Nicaragua after that, I got a big surprise because it was sour and bready and almost fermented tasting. It reminds me a lot of Chocolate Alchemy's Big O, but with more fermentation and sour notes. The aroma even comes across as sour and fruity, almost like a juice gone bad. If I stay away from the Volta for a while and stick with the Nicaragua, it gets better, but not great. Finally going back to the Volta, it's still very smoky, almost ashy, but drinkable. Woof! This pairing is hard because next to each other, neither one is great, but I think I'd have to go with the Volta here.
(Note: most of this was done based on one comparison, but I felt like I messed up a couple of things, so I did a rematch right away to make sure that what I got in the first match was accurate.)
Starting with the Nicaragua, it comes across as pretty chocolatey, but a bit bitter and with just a tiny bit of a thicker feel than most roasts. Going to the Anakin, it's very smoky and has kind of a sour pungency to it. Going back to the Nicaragua, it gets almost a little nutty in flavor, just mildly tart. These two are pretty neck-and-neck for me, and may actually be a tie for drinking them black. I feel like the Nicaragua really lives up to its description of "dark and chocolatey".
Adding vanilla almond milk to the Anakin, it gets the usual toasty marshmallow flavor, but the Nicaragua next to it still tastes maybe a little more chocolatey, and the tartness comes out a little stronger. I like the Anakin more, as usual.
Adding the almond milk to the Nicaragua, it comes across really strongly as a true chocolate flavor. It's good... really good. But if I go with the lens of what would I like to drink long term, I think the Anakin wins out by juuuuuust a hair. I did not expect it to be this close!
I started off with the Nicaragua because I wasn't sure what Shot in the Dark was going to do to it. The aroma is fairly chocolaty with a hint of bitterness, and the flavor is pretty much the same, but with some added tartness. It's definitely not one of my favorite roasts, but on its own it's not terrible. Shot in the Dark is pretty much just smoke and char after the Nicaragua. It's also bitter, but where the Nicaragua is more like the bitterness associated with dark chocolate, this one is not. It's just pure charred bitterness. Going back to the Nicaragua, the tartness is stronger. That can sometimes go two different ways. Usually it goes in the direction of tasting somewhat fermented, but today I'd definitely say it's more of a fruity sort of tart, like a cherry or a plum. It's definitely the winner here.
Adding vanilla almond milk to both, I started again with the Nicaragua, and I got a nice little surprise of a strong chocolate flavor along with something that is truly a fruity flavor. Interesting! The Shot in the Dark is still very much charred and smoky, but there's some chocolate coming through in the aroma. Not so much in the flavor, though. It's a bit like drinking a yule log. Not a log. I don't have a log, but I mean, you know...if I had a log. Not in the sense you think I said I did. Whew! Good golly. 'Tis the season to be going back to the Nicaragua. It has more of the tart flavor and that fruity flavor is now somewhat missing. Bummer. It's still better than Shot in the Dark, though.
I had a hard time deciding which one to start with this time. It's been a long time since I've had the Nicaragua, and I know when I was finishing up comparing it against everything, it was becoming increasingly unpleasant to drink. My hope is that with the flavor being so far out of memory at the moment, maybe it would be better now. But at the same time, if I still don't like it, I don't want it to affect Shadow's Silhouette right away.
In the end, I decided to start off with Shadow's Silhouette, and it has the familiar brownie-like aroma and decently chocolatey flavor with no hint of the tartness at the moment. Will that change? Find out next! *dramatic zoom* The Nicaragua also has a bit of chocolatey flavor, but the background is different in that there's a bitterness that's hanging around. The aroma is somewhat earthy, but I wouldn't say that earthiness is what comes through in the flavor. Just the chocolate and bitterness. Going back to Shadow's Silhouette, there's a hint of the tartness now, but it's still decently chocolatey with the brownie thing going on. Shadow's Silhouette is the winner.
With vanilla almond milk, Shadow's Silhouette is super chocolatey, as usual. The Nicaragua is better and has a stronger chocolate flavor as well, but the bitterness is still coming through. The Shadow's Silhouette is the strong winner here.
I'm starting off with Foglifter first, and it's been a weirdly mixed bag this morning. First I compared it against Ghana Light and it never really got to that tart stage. Then I compared it against Ecuador Light, and even before I had tried the Ecuador, that new cup had a very tart flavor. Now I'm back with a third cup, and this one is back to the one in the Ghana comparison where it's milder, not very tart, and fairly fudgy overall. I have no idea what determines these changes when I'm measuring and brewing them all exactly the same each time. If I knew how to make it without the tartness each time, I would, because that would be awesome.
Anyway, kicking off, Foglifter is nice and fudgy and lacks most of the tartness that I've seen in it before. I've been thinking about the description from Chocolate Alchemy abut having "woody note undertones and hints of smoke", but I never seem to pick those out. But I'll take the strong freshly baked brownie flavor and aroma any day. The Nicaragua next to it is quite bitter and has a flavor that almost reminds me of the way leather smells. If anything, I'd call this one "woody note undertones". Going back to the Foglifter, it's still fairly fudgy and brownie like, but has a tiny bit more tartness to it now. But I still prefer it over the Nicaragua quite a bit.
It was hard to pick which one to add the vanilla almond milk to first, but I decided to go with the Nicaragua since I like it less. With the almond milk, it has a much stronger chocolate flavor, and while the bitterness is mostly gone, I can still pick out those leathery, woody, and almost rubbery flavors. It's definitely much improved. The Foglifter next to it is now much more tart than it was a moment ago. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the bitter flavors in the Nicaragua, the stronger chocolate flavor is good, and it wins out over the tartness in the Foglifter.
With almond milk in Foglifter now, the first sip shows a drastic reduction in the tartness. It's still there lingering in the background, but the fudgy flavor and overall chocolaty flavor are really good at the moment. The Nicaragua is still a little on the bitter side, and its chocolaty flavor is different than that of the Foglifter. Foglifter is definitely more brownie like, but Nicaragua is earthy and slightly more like a dark chocolate bar. Going back to the Foglifter, it's picked up more of the tart flavor again, but it's not nearly as strong, and a good bit of the fudgy flavor comes through. This may actually be a fairly close race due to the properties in each that I don't like rather than the ones I do like, but in the end, I think the fudgy brownie flavor of the Foglifter, along with the tartness not being quite so strong, comes out as the winner for me.
This is my first side-by-side with the Bolivia. I was pretty pleased with it when I had it on its own, so let's see how this plays out.
Overall, the aroma coming from these two as they cool is reminding me a bit of Foglifter. There's a very fudgy and brownie like aroma going on. Getting the aroma of the Bolivia up close, there's a very woody and leathery smell to it, and maybe just a hint of fruity. Taking my first sip, there's some chocolate, and the woody and leathery flavors are definitely there and fairly strong. There's another flavor that's kind of reminding me of something, but I can't quite pick it out. Oh, maybe a little smoky? It's decent right out of the gate. The Nigeria is quite bitter and really does come across as one of those super dark chocolate bars, but it also has almost a musty aroma and flavor to it. It's not bad, but it does make me crinkle my nose a tiny bit. Going back to the Bolivia, it still has the leather and smoke and chocolate, but now it also tastes slightly meaty. But in spite of that, I do prefer it over the Nicaragua.
Giving the Nicaragua a little splash of vanilla almond milk, its flavor is definitely improved. It's gone fairly chocolaty, and the strong bitterness is mostly gone now. The Bolivia next to it is coming across as even more meaty and smoky. The Nicaragua is my definite preference here.
With a little splash of almond milk in the Bolivia, I have to say that I'm surprised that there's not much more of a change. In my initial impression I had said it went into the toasted marshmallow flavor of Anakin but with a bigger chocolate kick. That doesn't seem the be the case at the moment, and it's now just "less meaty". The aroma still has a good bit of the leathery and smoky qualities to it, but the flavor hasn't budged too much. The Nicaragua, on the other hand, is picked back up some of its bitterness, but it's still very chocolaty overall. I think the Nicaragua still wins here.