Exploratorio de Peru

Yesterday on my way home from a meeting I purchased some new coffee at Trader Joe's. Originally, this grocer's trip grew out of a sheer need for dairy products. But once there, I found myself intrigued to try another varietal.

Today I opened the canister for it. Power off the nose, immediately. I am referring to the shade-grown, organic, fair-trade Peruvian "Cafe Femenino". Initially, I had dryly resigned to the fact that I had just been backhand-insulted by the company for purchasing a "feminine" product. Not so. Apparently, this coffee comes directly from an all-women organization of farmers that ensures quality treatment of those working women, including a living wage. I'm all for it. What I didn't expect further was the smell of the beans. Here are some attributes I sniffed up:

banana tree, spiced lavender, heavy cream, palm bark, dark chocolate, stout, daffodil, kahlua, oyster shell, almond, sand pebble

Naturally, this makes it a clever burst of sensory arrangement. It also makes for a decent purchase, at $6.99 here in L.A. I would recommend it, highly.

-Michael