Just finished a lighter roast of the Burundi.

For education and enjoyment I cupped it alongside Panther's version - Indigo Reserve - available on Aida's site: https://aidabatlleselection.com/product ... go-reserve

Let me first say how helpful it is to have a roasted version available - against which to compare my efforts and gain further inspiration. My roast level tends to be a bit darker than Panther's version, which made for an even more interesting comparison.

Panther Indigo Reserve: Very sweet and juicy, like biting into a ripe yet tart red apple with notes of golden plum, white grapes, tart strawberry seeds, hint of tamarind sweet sour note. Very light roast yet good depth and complexity. Creamy note is there but more like an Orange Creamsicle bar. Fabulous - I really struggle to drink this slowly and take notes.

My roast: Darker in roast level and flavor profile - dominated by red plums (as opposed to golden plums), strawberries, cream, honey. Soft African type flame grape/red plum Kenya type note. Darker riper fruits but not as juicy as Panther's roast, nor the incredible sweet tart apple juice flavors.

Both roasts were very delicous and compelling, a lovely demonstration of how versatile this coffee is. Even more so when considered against my darker roasts, which have yet another range of flavors. One of those coffees that keeps revealing different flavors with even the slightest variation in roast profile.

This is the perfect coffee on which to develop one's roasting techniques. First off, because it is very forgiving, giving lovely results with even the most mediocre roasting skills (like mine(. Second because its broad range of flavors and versatility allow one to observe the results of even minor roast profile variations. For these two reasons, the Burundi process has been my frequent go to coffee when trying out a new roast profile. As I am in the midst of trying out lighter roasts, I especially appreciate this coffee's incredible versatility -combined with its very forgiving nature.

I would highly recommend getting some the Indigo Reserve - both for comparison and enjoyment. Thank you Aida and Panther Coffee!