Mexico Rio Samaria Cunduacán Direct Trade 2024
$ 14.50
Country: Mexico
State: Tabasco.
Municipality: Cunduacán.
Historic region: La Chontalpa.
Type: Trinitario
Certifications: Direct Trade
Harvest Year: 2024
Flavor notes:
The aroma starts off with lovely light chocolate and subtle, sweet blueberry jam. The chocolate is tangy and with touches of raisin and a full creamy mouthfeel that puts me in mind of a milk chocolate. It has a moderate level of acidity and bitterness that compliment a mineral profile that I really like. Rich brown fruit flavor continues to bloom and there is a low loam and a long lasting mouthful finish that rather defies putting words to. It is really interesting how bright and tangy this starts off but ends on these lower slightly nutty (almond butter) deep notes.
I would suggest making slightly sweeter chocolates with this bean. At the 75% we evaluate at the balance is right on the edge. Slightly sweeter and berry and a deeper earthiness start to come through. This is utterly delightful as a milk chocolate.
Alejandro Zamorano Escriche is the head of Revival Cacao. Years ago Alejandro attended my Profile Roasting Seminar and that started a relationship that makes me feel blessed each time we get to interact and when I can offer his beautiful beans.
From Revival Cacao:
RÍO SAMARIA is the name we've given to our newest origin from Cunduacán in Tabasco. Crisscrossed by 4 rivers and 3 lagoons, Samaria not only lends its name to the municipality's largest body of water but also to the freshwater aquifer Samaria-Cunduacán. Revival Cacao leased a fully equipped processing facility in the heartland of one of the most productive cacao growing areas in Mexico. With this enlarged capacity and our year-long expertise in cacao post-harvest processes, we aim to return Tabasco's cacao to its deserved place in the specialty cacao market
Post-harvest: Centrally fermented by Revival Cacao.
Fermentation style: Linear boxes made of mango wood.
Fermentation days: 7 - 9
Drying: Gas artificial drying (1-2 days), solar driers with raised beds and cement patios with mesh nets.
Sorting: Mechanical complemented with hand sorting.
Farm management:
Complementary crops: Banana, plantain, pepper, hibiscus, lime and Heirloom Chiles.
Shade-tree cover %: <40%.
With the really light bitterness and astringency, plus the nut component, you are not going to want to take this to a really high end of roast temperature or you are likely to make the nut bitter. Low to Mid 250s are fine and high 240s are ok. That does NOT mean you have to roast it super delicate though. 2.25-3.0 minutes in the development phase will do great. Just pull the roast when it starts to get sharp and expect it a little earlier than some beans.
In the Behmor 1600 2-2.5 lb for 18-19 minutes is fine. Just watch for the sharp ending.
Profile Drum Roasting: You should approach this roast in the same way I describe the flavor. Quiet but assured. There is a finesse here and you should not quite take that to mean delicate. Really, words are not the best medium for conveying how to roast. The profile I used for this is 11:20/13:30/17:30 @ 256 F.
