Tasting Notes: Mango, Lemon, Lavender
Item information
Adola Samii
Item information
Guji, Ethiopia
Description
Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom
Processing: Washed
Origin: Guji, Ethiopia
Producers: Aferara Small-holders
Altitude: 2100m
The Adola wet mill is a large coffee processing station nestled among dramatic foothills and lush forests. "Adola" is an Oromifa word that means "place of gold mining," - alluding to the area's history. We'd like to think the name still fits, now referring to the incredible quality of coffees coming out of the mill. Local smallholders bring small amounts of heirloom coffee cherry to the mill where the cherries are graded, sorted, and processed according to their quality. Adola has over 300 drying beds, which they use to maintain lot separation and trial new processes. The majority of their output is washed coffee like this one, and you can tell it's their specialty from the first sip.
Adola Samii is a delightful and refreshing washed coffee, with impressive clarity of flavor in the cup. We love the tropical mango note that contributes a juicy sweetness - and a subtle lemon note that lends a bit of citrus taste without any tartness. The sweetness isn't overbearing thanks to a smooth lavender note helps round out the edges of the profile. This is the kind of coffee that's perfect for getting up early, brewing a cup, and savoring a slow start to the day. If there's such a thing a "coffee gold," we'd say this is a strong contender. Enjoy!
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5.0 out of 5
Delicious
I'm still not great at tasting specific notes. I definitely get some sweetness, citrus, and floral elements though. But forget about all the fancy stuff for a second. This just tastes great.
Tristan Davolt
Westminster
Member Since
October '18
5.0 out of 5
Accessible, Balanced and Flavorful
This Adola Samii is an easy coffee to like, and it has a deeper flavor than I expected from a lightly roasted washed coffee. Currently, my favorite coffee is a natural El Inierto, which has a very distinctive flavor that I always imagine would make most people think they had eaten a strawberry covered in Huehuetenango clay. The Adola Samii is wa-a-a-ay more accessible than that, and I suspect that even your average coffee drinker would call it a really tasty (albeit, strong) cup o' joe. Tasting notes are more or less lost on me, but I'll go along with the mango and lavender to describe the aroma coming off the cup.
Mark Zamierowski
West Lafayette
Member Since
December '18
4.5 out of 5
Bold and smooth
The Adola Samii has a very light, fresh citrus profile while still carrying a bold body. This coffee has a great, smooth finish to make for a great all-around cup of brew.
Michael Wallar
San Angelo
Member Since
February '19
5.0 out of 5
Very smooth coffee
This has the brightness without tasting acidic. Very smooth.
Douglas G Phillips
Bartonville
Member Since
April '18
5.0 out of 5
Delicious!
This coffee is fantastic! It's perfectly balanced, flavorful, and has a wonderful aroma. Even my non-coffee drinking wife was interested! 10/10 would drink again!
Jitters Mitchell
Winston-Salem
Member Since
December '18
Best Coffee I've Ever Had
Seems like every time I think I've received the best coffee, moustache exceeds my expectations. This is a magnificent cup and should be consumed slowly and with great respect.
Alex Groves
Steamboat Springs
Member Since
November '18
5.0 out of 5
Great Way To Start Your Day
Just tried my Adola Samii this morning and was pleasantly surprised by the citrus, smooth and fruity flavor. I thoroughly enjoyed several cups and look forward to having more tomorrow morning. I highly recommend this coffee. Thanks!
Paul Carll
Leesburg
Member Since
June '18
4.0 out of 5
Wonderful Ethiopian
This Adola Samii coffee is delicious, with a slight lemony taste, but very rounded. My wife raved about the taste. It's one of my favorites in all my years of membership.
On 02/19/19 BJ said
Hey Randall, love hearing feedback like this from a long-time member. We think it's a pretty special coffee and it's great to hear others do too!
Randall LaLonde
Millcreek
Member Since
July '15
5.0 out of 5
I love it!
Exceptionally smooth and sweet espressos from this roast. No bitterness or acidity at all. Love it!
On 02/19/19 BJ said
Hey Alan, Great to hear! We haven't run this one through an espresso machine yet - have any tips for dosing/extraction?
On 02/19/19 Alan Chen said
My boiler temp is set at 203F (quickmill vetrano 2B with PID) and the double-shot extraction was 25-30 seconds and it came out blond the entire pull. Tasty!
Alan Chen
Averill Park
Member Since
October '14
3.5 out of 5
Wonderful Coffee has a great floral note and smells amazing
I really liked this coffee, its one of the only coffees I would drink black. It's light, floral, and has a very nice aftertaste. One thing I really noticed was the lavender scent it put out when I brewed it. In all its a very nice coffee for first thing in the morning. I would recommend it and would like to drink it again!
On 03/01/19 BJ said
Hey Thomas - glad you liked this one! I'm a big fan of the lavender smell as well - just brewed some myself this morning.
Thomas Shepard
Indianapolis
Member Since
February '19
3.5 out of 5
Really very good
One way to highlight excellent coffee is to mix in mediocre with the same brewing method. This coffee was up again "Four J's Single Estate" which we got at the grocery store which I point out to be fair to the J's since I"m sure it's a rougher experience for the coffee. I brewed the J's with the same pulsed pour-over method that I always do, and it was fine. The Adola Samii was amazing.
Erik Hons
Austin
Member Since
April '17
5.0 out of 5
My favorite so far
I was astounded with how sweet the coffee smelled when I first brewed it, and with the first sip I was hooked. I could taste the fruity notes, and it makes for such a pleasant cup of coffee! It's very smooth and simply YUMMY. I'm going to be sad when I finish up these beans.
Karen Cheng
Cary
Member Since
January '19
5.0 out of 5
Love this
Really well balanced, smooth. Love the bright notes.
Benjamin Schilling
Parker
Member Since
March '17
5.0 out of 5
One of my all-time Faves
Superb in every way - complex, robust, intriguing, textural, and sublime. A coffee to drink when you can properly pay attention to the subtleties inherent in its character.
Ethan R
Sausalito
Member Since
October '15
On 02/19/19 BJ said
Hey Alex, Glad you liked this one! Sean was just at Adola and was really impressed by the care and intention the people there put into coffee - it's cool to see the same happening state-side while brewing. :)