Pallet Coffee Roasters had topped at least one list I had seen for “Best Vancouver Coffee Roasters,” so I spent the time in between checking out of my Airbnb and checking in at the airport navigating public transit to get myself to Pallet’s one cafe. It was raining and I’m sure I ended up walking into the coffee shop with my duffel bag looking like a drenched cat, but the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming. There were so many fresh coffee options that I couldn’t decide very quickly what I wanted to take home – I knew I had to limit myself to one bag because I already had six in my luggage and I decided seven was a hard limit. No more! I draw the line at seven!
(Of course, I had no way of knowing then that my connection in Seattle would lead to bag #8… so much for my hard limit! #willpower)
Whole bean: Super sweet aromas of chocolate, orange, and white sugar. Wow.
V60: Toasty, almost savory coffee, but also very, very smooth. It had delicate notes of sugar on the finish but it wasn’t what I’d call sweet.
AeroPress: Creamy texture with notes of toasted marshmallow and tangerine.
Chemex: This was sort of a more orangey version of the V60 cup – great toasty sweetness, with a light and lovely balance of chocolate and orange flavors.
French press: Very sugary and heavy on the orange flavor, not so much on the chocolate.
Summary: Believe the hype; if this bag is a typical example of Pallet’s coffee quality, they are an excellent roaster indeed. Every cup was a delight to drink, with the Chemex probably being my favorite of its chocolate/orange balance. However, I wouldn’t turn any of these down!
From the roaster: Orange and cane sugar with a smooth chocolate almond finish.
Pallet Coffee Roasters Guatemala Santa Clara Estate
Review conducted 13 days post-roast.