Roast Review: Vinculo
Roast Review by: Sheila Murray
Photos by: Linked Ring
I’m thrilled to share our experience with Vinculo Coffee Roasters and our trusty Wacaco gear. The word “Vínculo” in Spanish and Portuguese means “to connect” or “to link”—and that’s exactly what this roaster does. They bring coffee drinkers closer to the farmers who grow the beans, creating relationships that benefit everyone involved. What impressed me most is their commitment to giving back: a portion of every sale goes directly to community leaders in the coffee-producing regions. To try Vinculo, you can find their coffee in a number of locations in Tennessee or buy directly from them online!
Mexican Coffee
First impressions
I had the honor of opening up the first bag of Vinculo Coffee. I took a moment to inhale the aroma of the freshly roasted beans and passed the bag to James before revealing my experience. We always do these Roast Reviews as a “blind” taste test, which makes it fun!
James wafted the smell of the beans and took a moment to consider.
“Hmm,” he said, “ I’m definitely sensing chocolate and perhaps some spices. It seems a bit sweet but also quite grounding.
I agreed with that interpretation and added that, for me, the aroma was robust with notes of dark chocolate, marshmallow, and candied nuts. I didn’t note any citrus or acid and felt that the smell leaned more towards maple syrup and red punchy fruit. I was so curious to see how the taste would compare!
It seemed like a perfect roast to pair with the Piccopresso.
We used the Exagrind to grind the beans and the Picopresso to brew. We prepared two crema-topped espressos and each took a sip.
Tasting notes
“Mmm,” I commented, “this is so delicious. It’s much lighter and smoother than I expected. I’m getting notes of milk chocolate and nuts, as well as an overall round mouthfeel.
“I’m getting some hazelnut, chocolate, nutmeg, and fruit,” said James. He said it was one of the best espressos he’d had in a while—balanced, approachable, and likely to please a wide range of palates.
The reveal
Vinculo says this coffee has notes of: guava, cashew butter, apple jelly, and dark fudge. We say that it’s delicious and a staple for your next adventure.
If you decide to make this roast (or any) using your own Picopresso, there is a helpful video here for first-timers.
Ethiopian Coffee
Coffee tasting with others is so fun. If you haven’t tried it at all – or just not in a while – I highly recommend you give it a go. Trying the Ethiopian Coffee with James was especially delightful because we both had such different first impressions. It’s funny how your different senses can tell different stories! Here’s our experience:
First impressions
James smelled the coffee first and guessed that it had a certain nuttiness like pecan or walnuts. He then passed the bag to me.
“Oh wow, for me it’s very bright,” I said, taken aback. “There’s something very juicy and fruity. It’s like pink lemonade!”
“Pink lemonade?” James asked, equally surprised.
“Yes, I’m getting lemonade and maybe some grapefruit. But it’s subtle, so I think we’ll need to just make it and see what happens.” With that, I started to heat the water and prepare the Cuppamoka.
The ritual of making coffee with the Cuppamoka is one of my favorites. There is something special about watching hot water bloom into freshly ground beans that allows for a certain, calming mindfulness.
I split the coffee between the Cuppamoka and the Octaroma and we each took a sip.
Tasting notes
James lightly blew on his coffee, took a sip, and paused to consider, while I eagerly took a few sips of my own coffee.
“I’m still getting nuts,” James shared, “as well as some blueberry and light fruit.”
I really tasted blueberries—unlike any coffee I’d ever tried before. The blueberry notes were so distinct it actually made me laugh! Beyond that, the cup revealed a few other notes of fruit while maintaining an extremely light body that danced on the front of the tongue.
James added that this coffee was perfect for late summer. It was light, fruity, and dynamic. There was a hint of lemon within the body that only benefitted the overall experience.
The reveal
Vinculo tastes: blueberry jam, cedar, lemon peel, and cinnamon. We imagine this is a wonderful addition to a camping trip or a long weekend getaway.
Parainema - Nicaraguan
First impressions
We were so buzzy after the first two coffees that we had to try the final one - a Nicaraguan light/medium roast - on the following day.
James opened the bag, shook the beans around, and inhaled the aroma. He said that he sensed hints of lemon, chocolate, cherry, and honey.
“It’s quite sweet,” I said, as I tried to pinpoint exactly what was coming through. “I’m also noticing some lemon or citrus and perhaps red berries.”
I imagine that this coffee would be delicious as both a coffee and an espresso but we opted for coffee this time. We ground the beans and vacuum pressure-brewed the coffee using the Pipamoka.
Tasting notes
We took turns taking sips and sharing what we were experiencing. Overall we were impressed with how smooth and light the coffee was compared to what we thought. Both of us had expected something that was more dark and round in profile but it was actually quite floral.
“I’m almost getting a light tea taste,” I shared with James.
“It’s very light on the tongue but I’m sensing honey or grape,” he responded.
We agreed that it was a unique coffee that offered a melody of flavor – every sip gave us more to guess about!
The reveal
The reveal was so interesting – we were aligned in some aspects and other aspects surprised us! This coffee is known to be unique and savory and others do also note its floral mouthfeel. Some find it herbal and others find it bright and balanced. Overall, Vinculo says this coffee has notes of milk chocolate, caramel crema, pear, exotic fruit. This is such a fun coffee that we highly recommend to kickstart your day.