Daterra Reserve and Daterra Peaberry Reserve
We have been carrying the Daterra Pearl Reserve for years now, and it is one of our most popular coffees (and one of my favorites). I have had the good fortune to visit the farm near Patrocinio, Minas Gerais on numerous occasions, meeting with Carlos, Head of Quality Control, and Luis Norberto Pascoal, the owner of Daterra and coffee-lover to the nth degree. (I have drawn the conclusion that no matter how much you think you love coffee, Luis loves it more. The degree to which they take quality control is unparalleled in my source visit experience.)
The Difference Defined
Each year Carlos chooses the top lots of coffee to form the annual Reserve, the best coffee that Daterra has to offer from that harvest. Bean variety and lot location vary from year to year. Screen size 16+ are sorted for the Reserve coffee, and the peaberry is sorted to form what Daterra calls the Pearl Reserve.
Pearl Reserve at Casa Brasil
I initially chose to carry the Pearl Reserve instead of the Reserve because of its more intense aromatics and its more pronounced sharper acidity. It was, I felt, a bolder coffee that made a stronger identity statement. We were (and still are) a new business and I wanted a standout coffee to deliver a remarkable drinking experience. The Pearl Reserve certainly did that, adding to a high-quality coffee portfolio that lead Casa Brasil to be voted one of the Four Best Coffees in Central Texas by the Austin-American Statesman.
I have tasted the Reserve on many occasions over the past few years, comparing different roasters’ efforts with our own Casa Brasil Daterra Pearl Reserve, and have been content with my choice. Admittedly though, I have not sat down to roast both coffees in-house and cup side by side our efforts with both coffees. As we have grown, we now have more outlets for coffees, and I thought it was time to recast a glance at the Reserve to see how the coffee has changed (or perhaps my perceptions – unfortunately we have not saved vacuumed sealed samples of previous year’s lots), how it compares to the Pearl Reserve, and how it might fit into our coffee lineup. On Wednesday Allen and I roasted both coffees. The roast curves were similar, though the Pearl Reserve was slightly darker. Yesterday we cupped side by side. Here are our observations from the cupping
Cupping Results: Fragrance/Aroma
I need to preface this by iterating that the roast was slightly darker for the peaberry, so unfortunately there is a small asterisk next to the results.
Allen: While generally speaking the fragrance for the Reserve could have been considered “nutty,” I thought there was a bouquet matching that of a freshly cracked pecan (Interestingly enough, when we looked for other descriptions today on the internet, Terroir Coffee too had described the Reserve as “Very soft creamy notes of pecan.”) Similarly the Pearl Reserve nicely fits into the “carmelly” [spelling matching the flavor wheel] and most closely resembles honey, though not the “honey” found in Le Nez that is more similar to honey suckle to me than squeeze bottle honey.
Joel: For the Reserve, soft and complex is what came to me on fragrance. Pecan did not jump out at me as it did Allen, more of a sense of nuts + sugar or even piloncillo. For the Pearl Reserve I got a strong maple syrup very similar to Le Nez (and hats off to Le Nez, b/c I never thought that their “maple syrup” smelled exactly like maple syrup, but maybe I just grew up with the cheap stuff). It was spot on here. Even the slight sharpness I get from the maple syrup in Le Nez could be found here. Perhaps a harbinger of acidity to follow in the cup?
Allen: Interestingly, an equal shift occurred on aroma into the enzymatic category. More specifically the Daterra Reserve possessed a more lightly floral aroma not unlike Tea Rose, while the Pearl Reserve had a strong red fruit aroma.
Joel: The intensity on the break for both coffees was amazing – so strong. The Peaberry came through as always, with milk chocolate and red fruit. Allen mentioned tea rose and I think this nicely describes the Reserve, elements of both succulent and floral.
Cupping Results: Taste
Allen – Reserve was slighty more acidic (citric acidity) with solid body for a sample roasted coffee. Body maintained throughout cupping and a pleasant aftertaste. Overall well balanced, though acidity did become the predominant sensation as it cooled. Pearl Reserve had good acidity, but less than the Reserve. Great body and great balance.
Joel – The softness and complexity of the Reserve came through on taste as well, with a very bright and pleasant acidity adding to the cup. I had noticed some peach/stone fruit flavor in previous Daterra Reserves and kept rolling the coffee around looking for it, though to no avail. Instead there was a very nice citric sweetness – a sweet orange that maintained as cup cooled. No astringency whatsoever. Body was a little light next to acidity as cooled. The Pearl Reserve did have more body than the Reserve, though this was probably more a factor of the darker roast. As always, the Pearl gave me chocolate with red fruit/walnut flavor. Aftertaste prolonged, though not as sweet as in previous Pearl Reserve roasts.
Conclusion and Thoughts.
Prior to this cupping, my position was that the Pearl made a stronger identity statement. It’s strong aromatics and sharper acidity made it immediately stand out. This cupping held true on aromatics, but not on acidity and taste in cup. While the somewhat muted acidity in the Pearl compared to the Reserve was more a factor of roast level, the “bold identity” difference that initially led me to choose the Pearl was not as evident. While both coffees are somewhat similar – they are from the same farm- they are different enough to offer simultaneously in the portfolio. Rereading this entry before I hit “publish,” I guess I should emphasize that both coffees are exceptional choices. We are talking about small difference on the upper end of the register. Have you had either of these coffees? I would love to hear your thoughts and how your experience compared to ours.
