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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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.

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.