Roast Review: Catfish Coffee

Blog by: Sheila Murray

We have a very special coffee roaster to introduce you to today from Edmonton, Alberta – Catfish Coffee Roasters! Our friend in Alberta recommended this roaster to us and our experience did not disappoint. 

Catfish is a family business that specializes in roasting delicious, small batch coffee. They are thoughtful about every single part of the process and make sure to look after each and every person in the coffee chain before the coffee arrives in our cups.

 Go make a fresh cup of coffee and enjoy this Roast Review of Catfish Coffee Roasters!

Sunny Side Up 

I am always curious to see how companies leverage branding to give you a sense of who they are before you’ve even tried the product. Let me tell you, it’s hard not to smile when you see this bag and its bright yellow color, as well as the moon and trees on the side of each Catfish bag.

This coffee comes from family-owned farms in the Kintamani highlands on the island province of Bali, Indonesia and Antioquia, Colombia and is grown in volcanic soils. How cool is that?

First impressions

First up was guessing coffee tasting notes just based on smell. 

“Oh! Yum!” said James. He shook around the open bag of beans and smelled the aroma. He said that there were notes of toasted nuts.

I smelled the beans and was overwhelmed by the smell of fruit. I guessed that the coffee would have notes of blueberries. It was so bright that I wondered if there was some lemon or lime in there too.

“I think there’s some cherry,” said James.

“I was going to say cherry too!” I exclaimed. There was something a bit tart about the aroma. We were curious to find how these smells would translate to the taste test.

We took out our trusty Picopresso, scale, and grinder, and we made one espresso each. 

 

Tasting notes

My espresso was ready first and I couldn’t wait for James before I tried it. I took a sip and considered. 

I noted punchy fruit, a nice acid aftertaste, and there was also something sweet and warming. I was drinking it straight and it was so easy to sip without sacrificing flavor.

James doubled down on notes of cherry that he had sensed earlier. He said there was a big fruity punch and sugar and sweet tones.

We agreed that each of the different flavor notes were complementary to each other and that this was a real crowd pleaser! 

The reveal

Catfish says that this coffee has notes of: Citrus, Berries, Naturally sweet. 

Our contact said that this espresso makes a fantastic flat white or americano. Get yours here and try it for yourself!

Perfecto Domingo

This coffee is a classic medium roast from Antioquia, Colombia. We enlisted the help of my friend, Tessa, for the next coffee tasting. Tessa is partial to coffees that are dark and medium roasts, so we thought Perfecto Domingo would be absolutely perfect. 

First impressions

I opened up the coffee bag and shook it around before I passed it to Tessa.

“Hmm,” Tessa considered, “I’m getting something nutty and perhaps some chocolate.”

I agreed on the aroma of nuts and chocolate and added that there was something bright and sugary rounding it out.

James remarked that this coffee’s aroma was wildly different from Sunny Side Up. He guessed that there could be some stone fruit but also agreed about the presence of chocolate and a toasted nut. 

We decided to make Perfecto Domingo as a coffee, and reached for our Pipamoka. Tessa had never seen something like the Pipamoka before, so she was enchanted by its vacuum pressure method.

Tasting notes

Once we each had coffee in hand we clinked our mugs together and took a sip.

Tessa said that she sensed notes of cherry and nut. James agreed and guessed that the nut could be hazelnut or almond.

On the other hand, I noted honey, cacao, and blackberry. The body of the coffee was round and satisfying and there was a certain sweetness that hung on all the way through.

The reveal

Catfish says that this coffee has notes of: Caramel, Milk Chocolate, Slight Nut

We think this is an ideal coffee to take on your next big hike or enjoy after a cold ocean swim. 

Yirg'Onna Love it

This single origin from Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere had the most clever coffee name I’d ever seen! I already loved it. 

First impressions

James opened the bag of beans and inhaled the aroma.

“I’m getting marshmallows, sugar, and honey,” he said. He continued to smell the coffee beans and laughed about how he was getting a new note every time. 

I smelled the beans next and immediately wanted to be able to smell these beans every single day. I noted peaches and something airy and floral. The smell was enchanting. 

Our final guess was notes of dates, rose, lemon zest and jasmin. 

We took out our Nanopresso and made two, crema-topped espressos. The Nanopresso never ceases to amaze in its ability to deliver a high-quality brew.

Tasting notes

We each sipped on our espressos and took a moment to consider what we experienced.

James said he noted fig or dates and hints of plum too. There seemed to be a theme of stone fruit but there were also lighter notes he couldn’t quite place. He was impressed by the subtlety of each tasting note and the complexity of the overall flavor profile. 

I noted something floral and airy. I guessed that there were notes of raspberry but could also see where James arrived at fig and date too!

One thing was certain – this dynamic brew would not last long in our house. It was so delicious!

The reveal

This coffee has notes of: Jasmine, Lemon, Peach, Vanilla.

You could enjoy this coffee as an espresso or a filter/drip/french press coffee. Try it with all of your Wacaco brewers and see what you notice!