Roast review by: Sheila Murray

Photographs by: Linked Ring

We’re gathering together for another Roast Review, and this time we’re reviewing a Colombian specialty coffee roaster called Musa Coffee. You may remember that we reviewed another Colombian coffee roaster called La Mulita one year ago and had an exceptional experience, so we were looking forward to trying out Musa! What captured my attention most about Musa was that the coffee comes from a family-owned estate in La Mesa, Cundinamarca, Colombia. As Musa says, this area is “steeped in history and rich in natural beauty” and the photos and videos on their website made me want to hop on a plane and visit this region myself. 

Castillo is Musa’s flagship coffee, which you can find here. For this roast review, however, they sent us one of their limited-release varieties called Gesha.

Gesha

First Impressions

We invited our friend Riley to join us for this roast review. Riley is someone we met through climbing who appreciates high quality coffee but also outdoor excursions. We knew he would appreciate learning about Musa and trying out the packable Wacao products that ensure delicious coffee no matter what adventure you’re on. 

Little details can really differentiate a coffee roaster and make it a stand-out. For me, before we even smelled the coffee beans, I was amazed by the ingenuity of the coffee bag itself. The back of the bag had a little insert, which told us the name of the coffee, roast level, cupping notes, and even who selected it. We made sure not to look at the cupping notes, as we like to guess before we reveal!

Riley smelled the beans and said he was sensing a sweet and earthy aroma. James agreed and said that he was also getting notes of vanilla. I was the last one to smell the beans and guessed that there could be floral notes as well as a slightly acidic and bright mouthfeel. 

I prepared the Cuppamoka and heated the water while James ground the beans. In the end, we split the brew between the three of us and took a sip together. 

Tasting notes

“Wow it’s delicious,” said Riley. “It’s very light on the tongue, a bit grassy but in a good way, and neutral without being boring.”

James agreed and added that the coffee has a slightly “woody” taste and was unlike anything he had sipped recently. He was pleased by the drinkability and noticed different tasting notes with each sip. 

For me, the coffee reminded me of florals, akin to jasmine tea. It’s not often that you find a coffee with such a light mouthfeel and elegant flavor profile, so I appreciated it!

The reveal

The Gesha coffee is a medium roast with notes of jasmine, lemon grass, and sweet herbs. We can imagine drinking it in the future at midday, while on a climbing trip with friends.