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

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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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.

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.