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!

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.

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.

Peru COOPARM Grower Certified Organic

Grown beneath a thick canopy of lush trees, this Grower Certified Organic Peru from COOPARM provides a perfect balance between earthen musk and crisp, bright acidity. The dry fragrance reveals a near-absence of sweetness with a husky, light molasses quality with an unexpected touch of tanned leather, forest herbs, and oak shavings. Once brewed, the aromas give rise to plum and jasmine, a rich burst of bittersweet chocolate, and toasted almonds.

The best organic lots from Peru tend to yield a somewhat "unpolished" coffee experience. The difference, here, is that the earth and clay latent in the roast are beautifully counterbalanced by a rich cup quality. Infused with silt, dry ash, and a decidedly loamy undercurrent, this cup presents a buttery body, unique brightness, unexpected flavor complexity, and wonderful depth.

Received 06/25/2013

Peruvian COOPARM
Grower Certified Organic

Roast Color: Medium-Dark
Prep: Washed
Body: Medium, smooth
Flavor Profile: Balanced, mildly sweet
Cupping Notes: Mild earthen undertones with a silken body.

Guatemala Huehuetenango Finca Huixoc

Simply put, Guatemala is coffee paradise. Complete with rich, volcanic soil, consistent rainfall, humidity, altitude, and temperature variations, this country produces some of the most distinctive specialty coffees in the world. This Guatemalan Huixoc Estate, grown in lush mountains in the Huehuetenango region, is one of these. The Mayan name literally means "water spring," after the multitude of natural springs that feed into the shade-grown coffee trees and provide energy for the farm's mill.

This phenomenal estate-grown heirloom coffee combines a bright, wine-like acidity and a silky mouth-feel with a brush of orange-blossom sweetness, light berries & milk chocolate. The dry fragrance is delicate and nutty, with a strong presence of hazelnut and raw honey. Once brewed, the wet fragrance expands and the wine-tanin quality evolves. This is a very clean cup with the perfect body to carry the subtleties through. It finishes in a delightfully creamy, almost malty flavor. This is pure coffee perfection, Rainforest Alliance Certified, from the very heart of Guatemala. Be warned - this coffee's gonna go fast!

Received 06/18/2013

Guatemala Huehuetenango
Estate-Grown Finca Huixoc
Rainforest Alliance Certified

Roast Color: Dark
Prep: Washed
Body: Medium bodied, silky mouth-feel
Flavor Profile: Bright, wine-like, orange-blossom sweetness, light berries, and milk chocolate Cupping Notes: The dry fragrance is delicate and nutty, with a strong presence of hazelnut and raw honey. Once brewed, the wet fragrance expands and the wine-tanin quality evolves. A very clean cup, the perfect body carries the subtleties through and finishes in a delightfully creamy, almost malty flavor.

Uganda Sipi Falls Bugisu

Have I mentioned I love African coffee? Unusual cup characteristics and old-world milling processes yield bright, snappy naturals and smokey, spice-laden washed varietals. Throughout the the year, we experience the entire range of smooth sweet lingering finishes and brisk forward flavors that African coffees are famous for. Your Uganda Bugisu has proved an exceptionally powerful, solid coffee, tamed by a luxurious graham cracker and honey quality, bathed in bittersweet chocolate.

The over-sized flavors are marvelous when hot with a wild, woodsy and rustic quality hiding underneath. The textures become velvety and luscious as the cup cools, with hints of lemon in the finish. Tending toward a darker roast, the earthy qualities add just the right complexity without overwhelming the cup. With the heat of the summer sun upon us, this is my number one choice for iced coffee.

Received 06/11/2013

Roast Color: Dark
Prep: Washed
Body: Heavy, yet bright
Flavor Profile: Earthy, rustic
Cupping Notes: Heavy bodied with mild earthen undertones and that familiar, citrus-syrupy Central African mouth feel. An ideal choice for iced coffee.

Nicaragua Dipilto Nueva Segovia & Brazilian Fazenda Auerea

Nicaragua Dipilto Nueva Segovia

This coffee is really unusual in its mild, even-handed profile. Most of the specialty coffees from Nicaragua are typically categorized as a "classic" cup possessing a medium body, clean flavors, and extreme balance. Your Nicaraguan Dipilto de Nueva Segovia is a real crowd-pleaser if I ever tasted one, but that doesn't mean it's boring. In fact, it's filled with bright, flavorful nuances that make it incredibly easy to enjoy.

The dry fragrance reminds of a honey-nut cereal with qualities that point toward shaved cedar, toasted nuts, and semi-sweet chocolate with an exuberant proliferation of forest herbs. The wet aroma reminds me of freshly cut white cedar with a peculiar hint of terra-cotta. This cup is exceptionally clean with a crisp acidity and a brusque, malty, salted-caramel sweetness in the aftertaste. It's a restrained cup with an elegant mouth-feel and subtle flavor notes that any coffee-lover should taste.

Received 05/31/2013

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

Brazilian Fazenda Auerea


Specialty coffees from Brazil are becoming harder to find, especially as larger commercial operations expand in the country. Truly unusual heirloom varietals can still be found in Brazil, however, and the Brazilian Fazenda Aurea is an incredible find. If you like a strong, clean cup of coffee with a hint of ripened cherry, then this is exactly what you want.

Discover a beautiful complexity in the dry fragrance of cocoa powder, raw honey and bittersweet chocolate. This coffee favors a darker roast. Add hot water and more sweetness emerges along with hazelnut and a wonderful, classic chocolate taste, allowing for slightest bit of nuanced fruit to reveal itself. This works well for espresso and also makes for a pleasantly strong, well-balanced cup of coffee with an extraordinarily long finish.

Received 06/04/2013

Roast Color: Medium-to-Dark Roast Color
Prep: Wet-Process, Washed-Mild, Sun-Dried
Body: Smooth, Heavy-Bodied
Flavor Profile: Bright, Balanced Acidity, Caramel
Cupping Notes: The dry fragrance is undeniably nutty, with a sweetness aligned with dark berries and forest herbs. This is an unusual lot from South America, yielding a velvety body and flavors that hint at the more dark or robust.