Roast review by: Sheila Murray

Photos by: Linked Ring

We’re talking about Dito Coffee today, a project by Madcap Coffee and a “creative way to reach a broader audience, buy deeper from our partners, expand on what is delicious, and have fun doing it." Seeing this project instantly sparked our curiosity and we were thrilled to take the opportunity to experience Dito and share our findings with you. 

We tried three different products: Spark, Weekend, and Afterhours. Let’s kick things off with Spark!

Spark

First impressions

James opened the bag of beans, carefully turning the label with the cupping notes away from himself so we could guess what we sensed. 

“Mmm,” he said thoughtfully, “Smells very fruity, like blueberry or cherry!”

James shook the bag of beans and held it out for me to smell.

“Oh I really like how bright and juicy and ripe it is,” I said. “At the same time it’s quite light. I’m getting so many layers I can’t wait to taste it!”

We decided to brew Spark as an espresso using our Picopresso. I ground the beans using the Exagrind, James heated the water, and we made two crema-topped espressos to enjoy.

Tasting notes

I instantly fell in love with the light, bright, and awakening smell of the freshly brewed espressos before I even tasted it. Once I tasted it, I admired the round body that was equal parts sweet and acidic. I guessed that there might be notes of blueberry, lemon and cacao nibs. It was so easy to sip that it was gone too soon! 

James took a sip of his own espresso, then another sip, and finally shared his thoughts, “I’m getting berry! Could be raspberry, strawberry, or blueberry.” 

We agreed that it was incredibly smooth and we could easily imagine sipping this every day, especially in the summer!

The reveal

Said best by Dito, “This electric blend of Central and South American coffees has notes of cherry and sweet milk chocolate, ideal for igniting your morning.”

Weekend 

First impressions

We loved the first impression of Dito Spark, so we couldn't help ourselves and dove right into Weekend. We received a tip that Weekend is perfect as a brewed coffee, so we pulled out our trusty Cuppamoka and heated up more water.

I opened the bag of beans, shook the bag around, and inhaled the fresh aroma. The smell was sweet, warm, and grounding. It seemed a bit brighter than Spark and I could sense sweet syrup like honey or caramel.

James said that the aroma had notes of melon, cherry, or grape. It was subtle but alluring and slightly sweet. 

We ground the beans, releasing more of the mouthwatering smell, and started to prepare our individual coffees.

Tasting notes

“Oh this is so light and drinkable,” I said. “I could imagine drinking this all day long and sharing it with friends. It’s such a crowd pleaser!”

James caught notes of cacao and caramel but said it was also quite light on the tongue. He guessed there might also be notes of melon or grape. 

We agreed that it was very easy to drink, while having a slightly syrupy mouthfeel that was quite satisfying. It’s a coffee we’ll surely be taking along with us on our next group adventure!

The reveal

Weekend is a blend of South American coffees that is described as easy drinking, rich, and caramel.

Afterhours (decaf)

First impressions

We asked our friend Riley to be part of this next tasting before we all went rock climbing together. 

I ceremoniously opened the bag of coffee beans and presented it to Riley and James to smell. Riles commented on the bold and rich aroma and James said that it reminded him of roasted nuts, chocolate, and cedar.

For some reason, the aroma made me think of buttered popcorn and it was overall very grounding. We don’t often get the opportunity to taste decaf, so I was really looking forward to this experience.

We decided to take out our Prestina and prepare three servings of freshly-brewed coffees. 

Tasting notes

“Wow, this is delicious,” said James. “I’m getting a lot of milk chocolate as well as hints of nuttiness.”

I was impressed with how smooth the brew was as sometimes I’ve found decaf coffee to taste a bit burnt and harsh. After Hours was smooth, round, chocolatey, and sweet.

Riley was the last to share his take and said that he noted hazelnut, mahogany, and earthiness. He appreciated how front-loaded the flavor was with a smooth and light mouthfeel at the end. 

Overall we all agreed this was one of the best decaf coffees we had ever tasted and it was the perfect thing to sip before our afternoon climbing session!

The reveal

This dark roast is described as “molasses, silky, sweet” and we agree that it is a pantry-staple for afternoon sipping or serving friends after a group dinner.