Roast Review: Sisters Coffee

Earlier this spring my husband, James, and I went on a climbing trip with friends in the high desert of California. Luckily for us, a couple showed up with a stash of their favorite coffee to share with the whole crew (always the hero move, let’s be honest). Out of everything they brought, the one they were most excited about was from Sisters Coffee—a roaster based in Eugene, Oregon, the place they call home. That kind of personal recommendation always sticks with me, and I was excited to reach out to Sisters Coffee as soon as I arrived home from the trip. 

Now, I get to keep spreading the love for Sisters Coffee by sharing with you our experience pairing Sisters Coffee and Wacaco! Enjoy!

Colombia Aponte Honey 

First impressions 

“Ohhh this one seems like it’s going to be sweet and syrupy,” I guessed. We always do our roast reviews “blind,” which makes it more fun and also more tricky because we don’t know what to expect! I thought I might be sensing notes of dark fruit like plum or blackberry while also sensing something a bit light and almost floral.

James took a moment to smell the freshly roasted beans. He guessed that there might be notes of blackberry and honeysuckle and agreed that he could smell something sweet and syrupy might be in the overall body as well. 

We decided to try this one as a coffee and to use the Pipamoka. We ground the beans, heated the water, and made two cups of fresh coffee to enjoy.

Tasting notes

James took a sip and said, “I originally was detecting a darker fruit like blackberry but now I’m actually picking up on something lighter. It still holds the sweet and syrupy mouthfeel that I had expected. It’s really good!”

I shared that on one hand I was getting the taste of something subtle like dried fruit (maybe figs?) but at times it seemed more like a full-bodied sweetness, as well as something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. 

James noted that there was a certain butteryness to the overall flavor profile and that felt exactly right. It was akin to toffee or caramel!

The reveal

Sisters gives this coffee the following description:

Flavor Notes: Apricot, Caramel, Peach
Body: Syrupy

Acidity: Bright

I highly recommend reading more about this coffee and the Inga community of Aponte, and then getting some coffee for you and a friend to enjoy together!

We had so much fun sipping the Colombian coffee from Sisters that we decided to save the espresso blend for the next day. 

Espresso blend

First impressions 

James opened up the espresso blend and quite literally stuck his nose into the top of the bag to smell the beans. After a moment or two he concluded that the beans smelled, “really good,” which had me laughing. He also shared that he could detect notes of cherry and chocolate. 

Personally, the first impression was one that was bright and uplifting. I wondered aloud if there might be tasting notes of a more unusual fruit, like mango or tangerine, and also could notice something a bit nutty and grounding.

We opted to try this espresso using our Picopresso. James measured beans using our Exagram and ground them using the Exagrind, while I heated the water. We took turns making our espressos using the Picopresso, since it’s always a delight to use!

Tasting notes

The smell of the freshly brewed coffee was already quite striking, making us stop and remark on it before we even had a sip

“It’s full-bodied, earthy, electric, unique, and exciting,” I declared once I did take a sip of espresso. 

“I’m getting nuts, like almond, lemon zest, and something a bit sugary,” said James.

It was hard not to drink it all in 30 seconds flat because of how delicious it was. I really wanted to pause and savor the harmony of tasting notes. I loved the balance of acidity and sweetness as well as the nice nutty quality.

The reveal

Sisters Coffee say that this espresso blend has notes of pear, cantalope, maple syrup, caramel, and praline. Best said by them – “With a caramel base and chocolatey notes, these three coffees combine for a delicious espresso base perfect for adding steamed milk.” Next time I’m going to try it with cold oat foam!