Grounds for Victory: How the Contenders Fared

At a recent blind coffee cupping, we discovered that a good brew can sometimes taste "nutty" or even "sweet" and that a sip of joe can bring a nuance of "caramel" to mind. But as is true throughout the world of food and drink, "cardboardy" is never a positive attribute. In the end, we learned that the most famous coffee in the land has some stiff competition.

The cupping was conducted at Murky Coffee in Clarendon by Nicholas Cho, president and head barista; Aaron Ultimo, director of coffee quality; and general manager Katie Carguilo. (Murky has a second location on Capitol Hill.)

The Food section collected whole-bean Central and South American coffees from six companies: five specialty brands and one mass-market ringer. To make a total of seven, Cho added a bag from his own shelf. We asked Ruth Poupon, co-owner of Patisserie Poupon in Georgetown and Baltimore, and Todd Thrasher, general manager and sommelier of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, to help Food section editorial assistant Leigh Lambert gauge the coffees in terms of fragrance/aroma, brightness or perceived acidity, flavor, body and aftertaste.

We didn't rank each coffee but grouped them into three categories: Top Roast, which we liked best; Middle Roast, which we thought were fine; and Bottom Roast, which we liked least. Within each category, they are listed alphabetically.

TOP ROAST:

Caribou

(A national chain based in Minneapolis)

Costa Rica Sombra del Poro (16 ounces for $11.99)

? Sweet and soft, with little acidity and notes of caramel.

Mayorga

(A local roaster based in Rockville)

Panama Hartmann Estate (16 ounces for $11.99 )