Brazil Fazenda Aurea Serra do Slaitre

In my experience, Brazilian coffees have been a little easy to overlook. The reason for this, of course, is because Brazil produces more coffee than any other country in the world. That being said, coffee remains the second-most traded commodity in the world, and the specialty coffee market in Brazil has been growing quickly in the high plains region of Serra do Salitre. This estate-grown Brazilian Fazenda Aurea is a semi-washed arabica that delivers a milk-chocolate creaminess and lush, velvety textures. This is an exceptionally well-balanced varietal, and I'm very pleased to be roasting it for you.

Small-farm coffees from Brazil are known for their nuttiness and mild acidity. Expect deep roasty flavors that lean towards caramelized sugar and bittersweet chocolate. The first thing that I noticed when the first roast came out of the drum, was that these beans smelled exactly like warm, freshly-baked chocolate brownies. The dry grounds have a distinctly malty aroma. There's also a hint of sweet vanilla pipe tobacco, like walking into a humidor. In the cup, there's the flavor of confectioner's chocolate and the burned sugarcane taste, like the singed sugar crust of a fresh crème brûlée.

 

This cup is smooth and delicious, with notes of almond and caramel that serve to round-out the flavors. This is a delightful brew with a soft and appealing profile, great depth, and controlled flavors that reveal perfect cherry selection and meticulous milling practices.

Java Taman Dadar

From the Kayumas Estate

I can't begin to tell you how important the island of Java is to the history & development of coffee. In fact, this is the origin of specialty coffee as we know it. Up until a century ago, coffees from Java commanded prices up to fifteen times the standard price elsewhere. And your organic Java Taman Dadar, a name which translates to "the flower garden", was grown among the most legendary of all Indonesian coffees. The Dutch, having smuggled live coffee cuttings from Africa, began growing coffee shrubs on the island in the 17th Century, and coffee was exported on a global scale ever since. It's no coincidence that the word itself, java, is synonymous with the dark, caffeinated drink we all love so much..

This is a much more traditional Indonesian coffee than the Java I was serving earlier in the year. This Taman Dadar is a wet-hulled coffee that is tank-fermented before milling, resulting in a round, robust cupping experience. The dry fragrance sets the tone for this cup's character, hinting at white cedar and anise root. This has a bit of unsweetened chocolate in the nose and, once brewed, has the earthy intensity and heavy body one would expect from a volcanic, Indonesian brew. As the cup cools, the earthy, terra-cotta quality sweetens a bit, revealing an undercurrent of fennel spice and fermented blackberries. This is a complex, low-acid coffee with a hugely developed character, a rich history, and a lingering, smokey finish. This, my friends, is Java!

As coffees from Java traveled along trade routes West toward Europe, traditional Java encountered a radically different coffee at the port city of Mocha; although our Ethiopian Guji Natural Sidamo isn't from Yemen, it's flavor profile is very similar. If you blend the Java with the Sidamo, fifty-fifty, you can make your very own Mocha-Java blend. 

Grower Certified Organic, and Rainforest Alliance Certified

Mexico Pluma Real Loxicha Estate

Coffee production in Mexico is deeply traditional, in which the fruit pulp is stripped from the coffee seed and the coffee is washed & sun-dried. Of all the micro-lots I've sampled from south of the border, this Organic Mexican Pluma Real from Loxicha Estate is tremendously satisfying. Sharing a border with the Huehuetenango, Guatemala, coffees from the southern regions of Mexico present a number of similarities. In general, one can expect Mexican coffee to be lighter-bodied and mild-mannered, with subtle sweetness and a stunning bouquet of lively aromas.

The dry grounds have an expected hazelnut aroma, but it's much more dry and spicy than I'd imagined. Adding hot water lifts up smells of baking spices and unrefined sugar; this coffee drinks just like eating a gourmet spiced chocolate. Cinnamon toast, fresh oats, and burned sugar dominate, with that nutty accent on the palate. What I think I love the most is the unexpected difference between the dry fragrance and brewed flavors. There's the aroma of a light-brown toast & fresh-cut hay, but the flavor of unsweetened Mexican chocolate with a dry caramel & molasses finish. This is clean, snappy, easy sipping coffee. Enjoy!

Costa Rica Berlina Honey Microlot

One of the things that I find so wonderful about Costa Rican coffee is it's even-handedness and consistency. This week, however, I've decided to revisit something a little different. From the very same famers I visited a few years ago, your Costa Rican Berlina Honey Micro-Lot is a wild and satisfying experience. This is a lower-yield coffee, extremely rare, dried slowly in direct sunlight. It's a gorgeous roast with a floral, almost hoppy nose, a sweet profile, and a creamier body than anything I've encountered from Central America before.

This micro-lot is unusual because it's an "African Style" (pulped natural) coffee, in which fruit pulp is left to dry on the seed. This coffee is exquisitely balanced, using highly-refined, first-world cultivation methods, but with an old-world spin that yields sweeter flavors reminiscent of a dark cola beverage. Think of something in-between a sassafras root cola and ginger beer, infused with apricot & plum. This possesses a bright acidity and a clean, lingering finish, with pleasurable flavors from beginning to end. There's also a delicate earthiness that's quite unusual for pulped naturals, but it's that touch of ginger and spice that makes this one of the easiest sipping-coffees available.

Ethiopian Sidamo: Guji Natural

Heirloom Coffee From The Ethiopian Highlands

Coffee cultivation began in Africa, and this is an heirloom varietal unlike anything. It's been two years since I've served an Ethiopian Sidamo, and this natural-process coffee has been the recipient of many awards, including the "Taste of the Harvest" competition last season. This cup is lively and buoyant, striking me with its mouth-filling fruit and lemony zest. I've always enjoyed the exuberance of African coffees; few have been so lush & distinctively exotic, with floral notes & a gentle, vivacious acidity.

This coffee is collected from local farmers in the Guji sub-region, at which point they are brought to a central mill for processing. This is a pulped-natural, unwashed coffee. meaning that ripe-red coffee cherries are left on the seed after harvesting, left to dry in the sun on raised screen beds with no washing or fermentation. This is genuine, old-world coffee, with wild fruit aromas and dark chocolate flavors.

This cup is deep, dark, and rich, with a sweetness that's present in the dry grounds and blossoms throughout the entire cupping experience. In the grinder, there are undertones of vanilla & cinnamon, along with the scent of shortbread. The wet aroma is seductive, with what seemed like a chocolate chip cookie or butterscotch brownie. At first this coffee appears very bold, but the perceived sweetness increases as it cools, as does it's body. This is a fantastic coffee!

Bali Blue Krishna

Leading into the holiday season, I was inundated with calls and emails regarding one of the most precious Indonesian coffees we've ever had. Typically, Autumn marks the harvest season for many of the Islands in the Indonesian Archipelago, and that's when Bali Blue Krisha typically finds its way to the shop. It took some extra effort and a lot of time on the phone, but for coffee as exquisite as this, I promise it's worth the wait!

 So what is it that actually makes Bali Blue Krishna so special? There's a solid volcanic earthiness in this cup, reminiscent of the finest, cleaner Indonesian coffees. Beyond the rustic, I genuinely savor the rich syrupy finish, swelling with ripe cherry fruit and sassafras. When drinking this I'm often reminded of a dark liquorish gum drop. Roasted properly, your Bali Blue is the perfect combination of the earthy, viscous brilliance of a classical Sumatra and the bright, fruit-juice subtlety of a pulped-natural, sun-dried Ethiopian Sidamo. This coffee disappears from our shelves very quickly, and I can't recommend it more highly. Good luck!

Bali Blue Krishna
Grower Certified Organic

Roast Color: Dark/Dark
Prep: Wet Processed
Body: Heavy
Flavor Profile: Thick, syrupy
Cupping Notes: Rich, volcanic earthiness in this cup paired with the bright subtlety of a pulped natural.

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New Guinea Sigri Estate Peaberry

For some silly reason, Papua New Guinea coffees are routinely lumped together with other Indonesian coffees, but this varietal is distinct in almost every way. The New Guinea Sigri Estate Peaberry was initially established in the early 1950's with plant trimmings from East Africa. All plantings are exclusively Arabica, concentrating on Arusha and Typica varieties, making for a truly worthy single-origin coffee. These beans are hand-picked, sun-dried, and tank fermented, making for a fruit-forward coffee with a wonderful and intense concentration of flavors.

The dry fragrance delivers beautiful polished notes of raw honey and bittersweet chocolate with just the slightest hint of dark fruit. What really stands out is that, along with its unique character, this cup preserves a mouth-feel akin to a Sumatra or Java. There's blackberry in the cup that mingles with rich, compelling chocolate. There's a wild and rustic note that reminds me of chewing unrefined, hand-pounded cacao, accented by an array of spices, from cinnamon and nutmeg to ginger. This is another astonishing peaberry with a gorgeous, clean finish. Enjoy!

Received 10/01/2013

Papua New Guinea
Sigri Estate Peaberry

Roast Color: Medium-Dark
Prep: Wet-Hulled, Sun-Dried
Body: Heavy-Bodied, Creamy Texture
Flavor Profile: Subtle Earthiness, Dark Caramel, Cinnamon Bark
Cupping Notes: In this smooth, deep cup, expect a heavy, dark caramel quality in the sweet end, with the kind of body typical of most Indonesian varietals. This is a wet-processed coffee, washing away the extreme earthiness associated with Sumatras. This is a clean, balanced coffee with just a hint of those rustic qualities celebrated in Indonesian coffee.

Kenya Mtaro Estate Peaberry

Kenya is a country whose preeminent coffee origins are rarely matched. Well-run mills and efficient trade routes all contribute to an exquisite cup of coffee. Your Kenyan Mtaro Estate Peaberry is a delicate brew, with a kind of dry caramel and spice quality, and aromas that almost remind me of fresh kettle corn. This is a refreshing East-African gem, a perfect roast to welcome the fall season.

Impeccable quality control reveals a dry fragrance laced with burned sugarcane and vanilla. Once brewed, the aromatics open up into a tart, robust character, like a well-rounded Shiraz. The delicate sweetness of this cup is supported by a medium body with a bright, clean acidity that's highly unusual for an African varietal. The dark caramel and golden raisin fades into a candied-apple finish as the cup cools down. This is a lively, complex coffee you have to taste to believe!

Kenya Mtaro Estate Peaberry

Roast Color: Dark
Prep: Washed, Euro-prep
Body: Syrupy, heavy-bodied
Flavor Profile: Subdued sweetness, cardamom, cinnamon, and anise root
Cupping Notes: The grind reveals a dry fragrance laced with burned sugarcane and vanilla. The wet aroma is delightfully tart, developing a distinctly spicy bouquet of cardamom, cinnamon, and anise root. The delicate sweetness, with the faintest hint of burned caramel and golden raisin, fades into a somewhat rindy finish as it cools.

Honduras Beneficio Santa Rosa Organic

Honduras has all the necessary ingredients for the perfect cup of coffee. Rich soils, tall mountains, and a generous climate result in balanced acidity and heightened sweetness. Having struggled with its reputation as an unreliable region, Honduras Beneficio Santa Rosa has worked hard to increase standards, promote sustainability, and has improved the overall processing infrastructure. And this year, Fair Trade USA has awarded Beneficio Santa Rosa the "Presidential Award For Exporters." This bright, slightly-candied varietal is simply breathtaking!


This is a simple, clean cup of coffee with a distinct perfume of hazelnut in the dry aromatics. It also has a lively praline sweetness that comes out even more once it's brewed, along with a hint of vanilla-bean. Over-all, this is a mild cup with a light, silky body that is well-matched with it's crisp, snappy character. Expect fruity apple flavors with a hint of nutmeg and a nutty quality from start to finish. It's delicious.
 
I am incredibly proud to be roasting and serving this coffee. It has won a number of prestigious awards, the most notable of which is an award for "The Best Honduran Exporter of 2013." Beneficio Santa Rosa is something special. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Received 09/17/2013

Honduras Santa Rosa Co-op
Bio Latina Certified Organic

Roast Color: Medium
Prep: Washed
Body: Medium, velvety
Flavor Profile: Bright, perfectly balanced
Cupping Notes: If you like a crisp, traditional washed varietal with the slightest hint of ripened cherry, then this carefully cultivated mountaintop coffee is what you want.

Bolivian Organic Peaberry from CENEPROC

I've never had a season that brought so many distinctive, high-quality coffees into the shop. Last week we roasted a most unusual Nicaraguan coffee, and now we're heading a little farther South, to the Yungas Mountains for another peaberry! Your Bolivian Organic Peaberry from CENEPROC is a smooth, candied cup that delivers velvety textures and sweet, clean flavors. Known as caracols (literally "snails") because of the shape of the seed, these delicious coffee beans are insanely rare.

I have never sampled coffee like this. There is no smooth ascension to taste in this cup. Rather than a nuanced progression of flavor, what you get with this peaberry is an instantaneous, intense coffee experience. The dry aroma hints at forest herbs and oriental tea leaves. But, once brewed, a sweetness creeps out of the grounds, giving way to Swedish coffee candy, caramel, and a distinct cut of burned, caramelized sugar. Beneath the crema are hints of cedar shavings & toasted almonds. Combining dark chocolate and sugarcane with a roof-of-the-mouth, zesty acidity, this is genuinely mouth-watering coffee.

Received 09/10/2013

Bolivia Organic Peaberry

Roast Color: Medium to Dark
Prep: Washed
Body: Heavy
Flavor Profile: Nutty, bold, sassafras and ginger root
Cupping Notes: Sweet, smooth, and creamy. Reminds me of old-fashioned coffee hard candy with that delightful, lingering sweetness.

Nicaragua Caracolito Peaberry

This is an insanely special coffee, and I can't even begin to emphasize enough how incredibly rare peaberry coffees are. Representing 3% of all the coffee harvested in the world, the bulk of all peaberry varietals come from Eastern Africa (Tanzania & Kenya) and Papua New Guinea. Your Nicaraguan Peaberry is, arguably, the most unusual coffee I've ever roasted. The flavors are as smooth and delicious as the coffee is rare, filled with bright, flavorful nuances. This caramel dream is easy to love.

The dry fragrance presents a smoky vanilla quality, with apricot and dark stone-fruits. The sweet notes here are unusually pronounced, reminding me of honey-nut cereal. The wet aroma reminds me of freshly cut white cedar and, once brewed, the front end proves incredibly floral with a crisp acidity. Expect a brusque, malty, salted-caramel sweetness in the aftertaste. With an elegant mouth-feel and subtle, creamy flavors, I can't imagine anybody not loving this coffee. I only have a limited number of bags, so expect this delicious brew to disappear quick!

Received 09/03/2013

Nicaragua Caracolito Peaberry

Roast Color: Medium/Dark
Prep: Washed, Euro-prep
Body: Medium, Buttery Body
Flavor Profile: Balanced with a crisp sweetness
Cupping Notes: Exceptionally clean with a bright acidity and a brusque, malty, salted-caramel sweetness in the aftertaste. A restrained cup with an elegant mouth-feel and subtle flavor notes.

Indian Mysore Nuggets from the Arabide Estate

Some coffees are solid, middle-of-the-road, predictable. Other coffees, however, defy expectation. I hadn't roasted this rarity in over a year, and it vanished quickly. The reason is incredibly simple: your estate-grown Indian Mysore Nuggets is an impeccably balanced varietal, with a wonderful expression of several complimentary qualities. These seeds, cultivated in the exhausted gold fields of Mysore Province, are driven by monsoon wind & rain, pumping the beans with moisture that smooth-out their flavor. If you haven't had this coffee, now is definitely the time.

Without doubt, this is the best Indian coffee I've ever had. The aromatics form a compelling and intricate tapestry. The dry fragrance has a clean, nutty quality, with a subtle whisper of white cedar and cinnamon. When brewed, there's a fruited element to the cup that reminds me of baked granny smith apples, crisp & clean tasting. It's snappy, with an exceptional brightness to the acidity. The body is thick, finishing with complex sweetness and a touch of rustic cedar. There is the slightest amount of woody, campfire flavor in the aftertaste reminiscent of burned marshmallows. This is an exciting experience for the professional cupper and the casual taster alike!

Received 08/27/2013

India Mysore Nuggets Arabide Estate
Rainforest Alliance Certified

Roast Color: Dark
Prep: Washed
Body: Deep, heavy
Flavor Profile: Crisp and bright, thick and syrupy
Cupping Notes: The body of this coffee is thick with a fruited element to the cup that reminds me of baked granny smith apples. It finishes with complex sweetness and a rustic hint of cedar.

Tanzania Ruvuma Peaberry

It's my job to find the most unusual, expressive, and tasty small-farm coffees. When something exciting comes along, I love to play with the coffee, experimenting with different roasts in order to discover how best to unlock the flavors. Your Tanzanian Peaberry is definitely one of the most popular coffees I've ever served, and it's back in the shop, just waiting for you!

This peaberry varietal is incredibly unique, presenting a zingy, bright character with a pleasant, velvety texture. The cup is sweet, with a husky, light molasses quality. The wet aroma presents a crisp, zesty acidity with delicate hints of orange blossom, cherry, and floral-toned sweetness. What makes this a wonderful brew is the touch of rustic exuberance in the finish, enough to remind you where the coffee is from. As the cup cools down, the perceived body increases, making this a wonderfully luxurious coffee. What I love most, though, is the slightest hint of wine-berry and apple, which I expect is why this particular coffee is so incredibly popular.

Received 08/20/2013

Tanzania Ruvuma Peaberry

Roast Color: "Full City" Dark Roast Color
Prep: Washed, sun-dried
Body: Medium, velvety
Flavor Profile: Bright, effervescent, lively and crisp
Cupping Notes: The dry fragrance has a subtle sweetness with a husky, light molasses quality. Once brewed, the wet aroma introduces elements of orange blossom and berries.

Colombian Volcan de Tolima

I love roasting coffee from Colombia. The flavor subtlety intrigues me. The third Colombian coffee varietal I've cupped this year, your Colombian Volcan de Tolima aligns with the nutty flavors and great body I expect from a Colombian coffee. A silky mouth-feel and hints of fruit make this rich, volcanic crop exceptional.

Along with cleanliness, the sweetness of this coffee indicates perfect cherry selection. Careful picking and quality processing allow the exceptional flavors of brown sugar and raw honey perfume the cup. This slightly darker roast is heavier, almost like a stout, with the slightest presence of dark stone fruits. This is a brew that appeals to fans of subtlety. I hope you enjoy the artwork of Tolima. Cheers!

Received 08/13/2013

Colombian Volcan de Tolima

Roast Color: Medium/Dark
Prep: Washed
Body: Light-Medium
Flavor Profile: Sweet, clean
Cupping Notes: Along with absolute cleanliness, the sweetness of this coffee indicates proper cherry selection. Enjoy the brown sugar and raw honey that perfume the aromatics of this estate grown Colombian Volcan de Tolima coffee.

Burundi Sogestal Kirundo Estate

This Burundi Kirundo Estate shares very few similarities with most other African coffees. The most notable difference is the faint touch of earthen root akin to sweetened sassafrass, and white cedar. This distinctly dry and herbal cup boasts a wonderful collection of spicy undertones. Located in the Cogno Watershed, sharing borders with Tanzania and Rwanda, coffees from Burundi travel a great distance to milling stations. Fermentation occurs during transit adding a pleasant touch of musk.

This coffee has a much softer edge than I would have predicted. Inhale the exotic and deeply enjoyable aroma of toasted walnuts in the dry fragrance. Rich, volcanic ash and modern lowland agriculture has produced considerable depth in this brew. Discover dark stone fruits like plum and apricot, and a fine hint of black liquorish. The heavy body pushes forward a touch of bourbon which lingers in an elegant, long finish.

Received 08/06/2013

Burundi Sogestal Kirundo

Roast Color: Medium/Dark
Prep: Washed and kiln-dried
Body: Heavy, Syrupy
Flavor Profile: Old-world, robust coffee
Cupping Notes: There's an exotic and deeply enjoyable aroma of toasted walnuts in the dry fragrance. Volcanic ash and lowland agriculture has produced considerable depth in this brew, with dark fruits, plum, prune, and liquorish.

Papua New Guinea Nebilyer Valley Peaberry

This is some incredibly good coffee. Cultivated in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea, where several small farms are situated up along the hilltops, this gorgeous New Guinea Peaberry from Nebilyer Valley Estate is a sun-dried coffee with a bright, clean body and a dark caramel sweetness that makes it stand out among other Indonesian varietals.

I expected this coffee to be more fruit-forward than it ultimately proved to be. The dry fragrance possesses a saturated plum sweetness with what almost smells like a slight hint of rose pedals. Once brewed, these brisk aromatics are overpowered by salted caramel and cinnamon bark, a genuinely spicy quality accented by a touch of soothing sandalwood. This is bold, to be certain, but with a disarming sweetness that's quite unusual, intense without being overpowering or overly sharp.

Received 07/30/2013

Papua New Guinea
Nebilyer Valley Peaberry

Roast Color: Medium-Dark
Prep: Wet-Hulled, Sun-Dried
Body: Heavy-Bodied, Creamy Texture
Flavor Profile: Subtle Earthiness, Dark Caramel, Cinnamon Bark
Cupping Notes: In this smooth, deep cup, expect a heavy, dark caramel quality in the sweet end, with the kind of body typical of most Indonesian varietals. This is a wet-processed coffee, washing away the extreme earthiness associated with Sumatras. This is a clean, balanced coffee with just a hint of those rustic qualities celebrated in Indonesian coffee.

Costa Rican CoopePalmares Monte Crisol

Over the past few years, I've served a wide variety of coffees from Costa Rica. Coffee cultivation here is a generational affair, and the crop itself is so valuable that locals have come to refer to coffee beans as "grains of gold." Cherished for their calm character and restrained cup quality, the truly beautiful thing about the Costa Rican Monte Crisol from CoopePalmares is the cleanliness and consistency of the beans.

The dry grounds have an aroma of raw sugar and baking spices, with a citrus accent that blossoms when water is introduced. This cup is incredibly mature, with elements of black walnut and a sweet, ebullient acidity that rounds-out the clove, blood-orange, and berry sweetness. This is a soft-spoken, mild, "any-time" coffee with a lovely note of English Breakfast tea. There's also cane sugar and cocoa powder, with a light body that accentuates the gentle nature of this coffee's profile.

This is one of the very few coffee varietals I would prefer to drink as brewed coffee rather than espresso, and it makes one heck of an excellent iced coffee during these warm summer months. Enjoy!

Costa Rican CoopePalmares Monte Crisol Micro Lot

Received 07/23/2013

Roast Color: Medium
Prep: Washed and kiln-dried
Body: Light-Medium
Flavor Profile: Bright, substantial milk chocolate sweetness, caramelized sugar and toasted almonds
Cupping Notes: The dry fragrance is exceptionally mellow with a milk chocolate quality, alongside a faint, almost indiscernible hint of sassafras and spice. Once brewed, the bright and snappy cup reveals the washed, sorted, first-world coffee that it is.

India Mysore Nuggets Arabide Estate

Some coffees are common, others exceptional, some easy to come by, others quite rare. The last time I roasted this hugely popular coffee from India was a year ago. Your estate-grown Indian Mysore Nuggets is impeccably balanced, a wonderful expression of several complimentary qualities. These coffee seeds, cultivated in the exhausted gold fields of Mysore, are exposed to monsoon winds and rain, which pump the beans with moisture and smooth-out their flavor. If you haven't had this coffee, now's the time!

This is the best wet-process Indian coffee I've ever had, without a doubt. The aromatics form a compelling and intricate, sensual tapestry. The dry fragrance has a clean nutty quality, with subtle hints of white cedar and cinnamon shavings. When brewed, there's a fruited element to the cup that reminds me of baked granny smith apples, made crisp and clean with a wonderful brightness. The body of this coffee is thick, finishing with complex sweetness and a rustic hint of cedar. There is the slightest amount of woody, campfire flavor in the aftertaste reminiscent of burned marshmallows. This is an exciting experience for the professional cupper and the casual taster alike. Enjoy!

Received 07/16/2013

India Mysore Nuggets Arabide Estate
Rainforest Alliance Certified

Roast Color: Dark
Prep: Washed
Body: Deep, heavy
Flavor Profile: Crisp and bright, thick and syrupy
Cupping Notes: The body of this coffee is thick with a fruited element to the cup that reminds me of baked granny smith apples. It finishes with complex sweetness and a rustic hint of cedar.

El Salvador Cerro Las Ranas

It's been more than a year, but I'm finally roasting this insanely satisfying bourbon varietal, cultivated along the peaks of the Apaneca Ilamatepec mountain range. Your El Salvador Cerro Las Ranas is in the roasting drum, and I can't wait to share. Honey-processed coffees like this are the most exciting coffees to drink, with an "old world" milling style that allows for unexpected, delicious nuances in your brew. The beans are sorted by hand, stripped of the fruit skin, and sun-dried with the fruit pulp still on the seed. The result is a wilder cup, with apple and berry aromas, milk-chocolate creaminess, and a clean, snappy finish.

The dry grounds put out fragrances of malted milk and hazelnut, along with caramelized sugarcane and mulling spices. Once brewed, softer aromas of red apple and cinnamon emerge. The is an incredibly round, balanced cup of coffee, with a great, heavier-than-expected body that allow for the cocoa and almond flavors to mingle nicely. The flavors are clean and distinct as drip or press coffee, but your Cerro Las Ranas is an intense and wonderful espresso, as well. I love this coffee!

Received 07/09/2013

El Salvador Cerro Las Ranas
Rainforest Alliance Certified

Roast Color: Medium/Dark Roast Color
Prep: Dry-Process, Pulped Natural, Sun-Dried
Body: Smooth, Medium-Bodied
Flavor Profile: Bright, balanced acidity
Cupping Notes: A shop favorite, this honey-processed varietal delivers a rich and sophisticated cup that we've been waiting for for over a year. It begins with a sweet start, followed-up by creamy milk chocolate and cherry flavors, a fully-developed body and a lemony-orange finish.

Papupa New Guinea Korgua Estate Peaberry

Flavor profiles are often assigned by region, but I find there are always those unusual outliers to remind us how unique and varied each seed actually is. Indonesian coffees are typically known for being dark, strong, and earthy. Your Korgua Estate Peaberry from Papua New Guinea is infinitely more round, with a subdued creamy quality to it. Derived from trimmings from the famous Blue Mountain coffee trees of Jamaica, this coffee is a fantastic origin with an exceptional history.

The dry fragrance delivers a polished note of raw honey and bittersweet chocolate with very little sweetness. Once brewed, I've discovered that I'm really enjoying the velvety mouth-feel of this coffee. The wet aroma lifts out a touch of burned cane sugar and forest mushrooms, revealing genuine, old-world flavors, wild and rustic, reminiscent of hand-pounded Mexican cacao, salted caramel, and ginger. I also recommend pouring this over a bed of crushed ice to make the perfect summertime iced coffee. This is some seriously good stuff.

Received 07/02/2013

Papua New Guinea Nebilyer Valley

Roast Color: Medium-Dark
Prep: Wet-Hulled, Sun-Dried
Body: Heavy-Bodied, Creamy Texture
Flavor Profile: Subtle Earthiness, Dark Caramel, Cinnamon Bark
Cupping Notes: In this smooth, deep cup, expect a heavy, dark caramel quality in the sweet end, with the kind of body typical of most Indonesian varietals. This is a wet-processed coffee, washing away the extreme earthiness associated with Sumatras. This is a clean, balanced coffee with just a hint of those rustic qualities celebrated in Indonesian coffee.