Sweet Maria's Home Coffee Roasting
2001-2002
Reviews
Sweet Maria's Coffee Cupping Reviews Archive: 2001-2002 Archive M to Z
Main Page: 2001-2002 Archive
2001-2001 Archive A to F
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Burundi
  • Colombia
  • Congo
  • Costa Rica
  • Dominican
  • Ethiopia
  • French Chicory
 2001-2001 Archive G to L
  • Guatemala
  • Hawaii
  • Honduras
  • India
  • Jamaica
  • Java
  • Kenya
 2001-2001 Archive M to Z
    • Mexico
    • Myanmar
    • Nicaragua
    • Panama
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Peru
    • Puerto Rico
    • Saint Helena
    • Salvador (EL)

 

 M to Z
  • Sulawesi
  • Sumatra
  • Tanzania
  • Timor
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
Mexico
Mexican Oaxaca Pluma -Fino Rojas
Country: Mexico Grade: HG Region: Oaxaca Mark: Fino Rojas
Processing: Wet Process Crop: 2002 Appearance: .5 d/300gr, 16-17 Screen Varietal: Typica, Caturra
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: Fino Rojas is a unique Mexican coffee both for its quality and origin. It is sold under the Fino Rojas name because it is the highest quality coffee offered by an elderly Mexican grower and mill owner who, in defiance of modern coffee practices, only sells his coffee from available lots. In other words, he never makes contracts on coffee yet-to-be-produced or deals in futures ...Much like a consumer who shuns credit for cash. His well-established name allows this. While he sells coffee processed at his mill grown on surrounding farms, the Fino Rojas mark on the bag is coffee grown on his Estate and processed in his mill. We haven't bought this coffee since the 1999 crop year; there have been general quality problems with the Oaxaca Plumas the last 2 years and even the top-rated Fino Rojas was down a notch. And even the early samples from this season were so-so. But this late crop sample was really impressive, with brightness, balance and a little bite too. I especially like this coffee roasted a bit slower, as in the Alpenrost or the Caffe Rosto. It makes a great straight espresso when roasted to a light Vienna and rested 48 hours after the roast.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.5
Body - Movement (1-5) 2.5
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1 Roast: Full City to Vienna: the pungent roast flavors are really nice and the brightness in the cup seems to hang on through the Full City+ stage.
add 50 50 Compare to: Balanced mild coffee, with a bit of pleasant bite. Frankly, its not that unlike some Hawaiian coffees.
Score (Max. 100) 84
Mexican Chiapas Strictly Altura
Country: Mexico Grade: SHG Region: Chiapas Mark: Co-op de Profesor Montana
Processing: Wet processed Crop: 02 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17 Screen Varietal: Typica, Caturra
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.0 Notes: Chiapas is the southern state in Mexico, at the Guatemalan border. The coffees are distinct from the Oaxaca Plumas and Coatepec coffees: they are a little brighter, sweeter, and bear resemblence to the Huehuetenango coffees of Guatemala. Many of the coffees from Chiapas are cooperatively wet-milled and sold. The names of co-ops are quite elaborate: this coffee is "Union de Ejidos Profesor Otilio Montana" and has the environmental mission printed on each bag: "Por la Conservacion de Tierra, La Naturaleza, Y la Cultura." In my memory, this coffee is unique and cups a little more like the coffees of Segovia, Nicaragua. It has a sage-like herbiness in the cup making it have herbal tea qualities. It develops a nice pungency as the roast turns darker, but you lose the delicate bright snap that is in this cup, hinting at the high altitude at which it is grown (Strictly Altura, top grade high grown).
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.0
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 7.5
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.0
Body - Movement (1-5) 3.0
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 7.0
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 2.0 Roast: City roast: You can take it darker to Full City (at second crack) or Vienna (30 seconds into 2nd crack or so), but the brighter notes and delicate flavors disappear.
add 50 50 Compare to: Interesting and unique sage flavors at City roast, mild sweetness, more like Nicaraguan Segovia
Score (Max. 100) 83.5
Mexican SHG Organic/FT Loxicha
Country: Mexico Grade: SHG Region: Loxicha, Oaxaca Mark: San Augustin,
CEPCO Co-op
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: .5 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.0 Notes: It is more difficult to find really good Oaxacan Pluma this year. We were lucky with the El Olivo, but our traditional source (San Pablo Tres Flechas) did not come in at the expected quality. So it was a relief to get the pre-shipment samples of our other best source from the Oaxacan micro-region of Loxicha in San Augustin. This is a co-operatively grown coffee from the Cepco organization, and is Organic and Fair Trade Certified. It is rated as SHG: Strictly High Grown (top grade for altitude). It is a medium-bodied coffee with great milk chocolate and almond flavors. The more roast you expose it to, the more the chocolate flavors turn bittersweet and pungent. A moderate acidity balances out the cup and the finish is attractively aggressive(Full City Roast) and chocolate with a little tangy carbony flavor. It also happens to be great as espresso too ...surprising since this is a wet-processed coffee! As a traditional organic growth, the coffee has a bit less uniformity green with an occasional odd seed, but this will not affect roast quality.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4.0
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 7.0
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.0
Body - Movement (1-5) 3.0
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.0
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1.0 Roast: This coffee has a wide latitude of roasts …its great at City, Full City or Vienna. But the chocolate flavors really develop at Full City, where the coffee has maximum depth and complexity.
add 50 50 Compare to: The best Oaxaca Plumas and Nicaragua from the Matagalpa region.
Score (Max. 100) 84.0
Mexican Oaxaca Pluma - Finca El Olivo
Country: Mexico Grade: HG Region: Oaxaca Mark: El Olivo Farm
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2002 Appearance: .5 d/300gr, 16/17 Screen Varietal: Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: Oaxaca Pluma are the prototypical Mexican coffees in my book, better than the Coatepec coffees to the North. They have great balance, medium-light body, and wonderful flavor from the moderate acidity through to the aftertaste. The El Olivo is a true Pluma estate coffee and this year that in itself is remarkable (we have reports of many coffees sold as Plumas that are not, and from "eye-cupping" some pre-ship samples at a brokers sample room, I must say these so-called Plumas do not have the appearance or quality preparation of a true Oaxacan. We do not expect to stock the Fino Rojas or other San Pablos this year based on these pre-ship samples). The El Olivo coffee is beautifully prepared, almost blue-green in color, with only an occasional abberation. The roast is very even and it accepts a wide lattitude in terms of degree of roast to suit your taste. It has above average acidity for a Mexican coffee. It's both exceptional as a straight roast and as a blend base for light and dark roasts. Great espresso potential too.
Wet Aroma: 82
Brightness- Liveliness: 84
Body- Movement: 82
Flavor- Depth: 86 Roast: City Roast: This coffee has great balance in the light roasts, but also offers a wide lattitude of great roast results. If you like it darker go ahead and try a Full City or Vienna roast. I have tried this coffee as espresso too and it is excellent.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 83.2 Compare to: Premium Oaxaca Plumas, on par with Fino Rojas when it was in its prime , or the best San Pablo coffees from '00 crop
Mexican Natural Decaf, Cepco Co-op
Country: Mexico Grade: HG Region: Putla - Mixteca Mark: CEPCO
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 00/01 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16-18 Screen Varietal:  
        Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: This new lot of Mexican Natural Decaf originates with a slightly higher quality coffee than the Esmeralda decaf. Cepco is the Mexican farmer cooperative that produces some of our best Mexican coffees, like the excellent San Augustin Loxicha coffee. This coffees has a very distinct, attractive aroma while it roasts and the cup is mild and has a very pleasant nuttiness. It has medium body and a light aftertaste. Because it is nutty and mild, its great as a crowd-pleasing straight roast or as a base for a decaf blend, either for drip coffee or espresso. Cup quality rates a tad better than Esmeralda but it is very much "cut from the same cloth" and I think the difference between them is more academic in terms of character. But I like the fact this is a co-op coffee, is the same price as Esmeralda, decaffeinated in the same place (Cafiver) and it benefits the farmers to a greater degree. Check out our article on decaffeination. ...or some information from Cafiver in Mexico.
Wet Aroma: 81
Brightness- Liveliness: 83
Body- Movement: 84
Flavor- Depth: 84 Roast: This coffee has a very wide lattitude ...roast you your preference: City, Full City, Vienna or French
Finish- Conclusion: 81
Score: 82.5 Compare to: Mild, balanced Mexican Oaxaca coffees
Mexican Organic/ FT Chiapas SWP Decaf
Country: Mexico Grade: Altura EP Region: Chiapas Mark: Organic, Fair Trade Certified
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 00/01 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16 screen Varietal: Bourbon, Caturra
  Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: I realize many customers want to buy only the Swiss Water Process decafs but these present a special challenge to a cupper. The SWP process really takes its toll on the cup quality of the coffee and it is entirely probable to send a very good coffee to the decaffeinator, and end up with swill, So when I find a nice SWP decaf, I buy! That was the case with this Organic, Fair Trade certified one. It has a nice light body and a sweet, simple cup character with that nice slightly floral acidity you find in good coffee from Chiapas. I am not promising fireworks in this cup! But if you want to enjoy a mild, light-bodied decaf with nice balance and flavor, this might be a welcome respit from the Ethiopian Harars and Kenya Estate coffees of the world...
Wet Aroma: 80
Brightness- Liveliness: 82
Body- Movement: 80
Flavor- Depth: 84 Roast: A lighter City roast preserves the brightness in the cup. See our notes on roasting decafs, especially the dark-colored Swiss Water ones!
Finish- Conclusion: 81
Score: 82.2 Compare to: Nice, simple sweet Central American coffee!
Mexican HG San Pablo -Becafisa
 
 
Country:
Mexico
Grade:
HG Altura
Region:
Oaxaca Pluma, San Pablo
Mark:
Becafisa
Processing:
Washed
Crop:
2001
Appearance:
1 d/300gr
17/18 scr
Varietal:
Typica
Dry Frag./ Wet Aroma:
82/82
Notes: The San Pablo sold under the Becafisa Tres Flechas (trans. Three Arrows) mark is a really great Mexican coffee for straight roasts, blending, and espresso blend base (for a sweet, clean espresso). This coffee is a beautiful bluish green in color, hinting at freshness, good picking / preparation, and a good moisture content. Ukers All About Coffee talks about fine Mexican coffees with a beautiful jade color and a white stripe down the center. This always confused me, and I thought it was another Ukers anachronysm, but this coffee DOES have a distinct stripe of very white chaff. It is a really great cup and as a lark we conducted a bling cupping with 3 Jamaica Blue Mountain samples and the Tres Flechas. This was a totally blind cupping with Jovan and I: we both picked the Mexican as the best cup! Nice chocolate notes, spice, and for a Mexican quite a lot of brightness ...acidity. With the right roast, it rocks. BTW San Pablo is a town, Tres Flechas is an exporter's mark.
Brightness- Liveliness:
84
Body- Movement:
82
Flavor- Depth:
83
Finish- Conclusion:
84
Roast: City to Full City ...dont burn this stuff! A tad into 2nd OK. Or its great as a blend base in Continental or French roast degrees of roast.
Score:
82.8
Compare to: good Mexican, very good Mexican!
Mexican Washed Robusta
Country: Mexico Grade: - Region: Coatepec Mark: -
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: '02 Appearance: 1 d/300gr, 17 Screen Varietal: Coffea Canefora
        Dry Fragrance: n/a

Notes: This is a premium Robusta that is on par with the best washed robusta from India or Indonesia. I say that only based on my experience: I can't tell the difference between 12.5% of this in my espresso blend and 12.5% of that. It is extremely well prepared and has almost no chaff. There is but 1 defect per 300 gram sample.

Remember, we offer Robusta only for use in espresso! I do not recommend ever using robusta in filter coffee (it also has at least double the caffeine as coffea arabica) ...and I barely recommend it for espresso. I prefer most of my espresso without robusta. But I do find that 10-15% of this added the to our Espresso Monkey Blend adds that certain bite to the cup.

Wet Aroma: n/a
Brightness- Liveliness: n/a
Body- Movement: n/a
Flavor- Depth: n/a Roast: For espresso blends: roast to your personal preference.
Finish- Conclusion: n/a
Score: n/a Compare to: Premium washed Robusta
Mexican Organic Chiapas -La Alianza
Country: Mexico Grade: Altura EP Region: Chiapas Mark: La Alianza
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: .25 d/300gr, 17 Screen Varietal: Bourbon, Caturra, Mundo Nuevo
        Dry Fragrance: 85 Notes: I love having a good Chiapas in stock; the coffees from this extreme-Southern region of Mexico are so distinct from the excellent Oaxaca Pluma, or the not so excellent Veracruz or Coatepec (we have rarely carried coffees from Coatepec, never from Vercruz). Chiapas are brighter, sweeter, and are more similar to the excellent Huehuetenango coffees from Guatemala ...the region just across the border to the South. It is very light-bodied, and not long in the aftertaste, but there is always some unique aromatic to the cup. In this case, we have found the La Alianza Organic to have a unique combination of sweetly floral-fruity (apricot) acidity and clove. You may lose these delicate flavors with a heavy roast, so keep it light (City, just before 2nd crack starts) and you will see the flavors pass from sweet to bittersweet, from floral to clove.
Wet Aroma: 83
Brightness- Liveliness: 86
Body- Movement: 78
Flavor- Depth: 85 Roast: Keep this at City roast if you want to get the best sense of floral/clove flavors in the cup
Finish- Conclusion: 82
Score: 83.2 Compare to: More like the Huehuetenangos than like other Mexican coffees, yet it is still distinct from any of the Guatemalans. But in general It is a mild, light-bodied, delicate cup.
Mexican Organic Chiapas -Finca Las Chiapas
Country: Mexico Grade: HG Region: Chiapas Mark: Las Chiapas Farm
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 00/01 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16 screen Varietal: Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 78 Notes: I like to think I can tell a lot about a coffee from all the steps before cupping it: looking at the green seeds, roast aromas, tasting a few beans after roasting …none of these are part of the cupping procedure. And often I do get a good sense of what to expect in the cup. The Las Chiapas was unimpressive, good preparation but very small seeds. Eating a couple beans it really tasted baked (even though the roast process in a HW Precision was fine). Even the dry aroma and wet fragrance was flat. So the flavors that emerged in the cup were a real shocker. It's intense for a Mexican coffee. Yes, the body is light like other Mexican coffees, but it has excellent deep flavors (piney, resinous, spicy), a real pungency, and a long aftertaste. Nothing keeps coffee interesting like a good suprise...
Wet Aroma: 78
Brightness- Liveliness: 82
Body- Movement: 84
Flavor- Depth: 86 Roast: Full City: Wide latitude of roast I particularily liked how the deeper roast flavors a few snaps into the second crack underscored the origin flavors.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 82.2 Compare to: Non-fuity Central Americans, pungent spicy Colombians.
Mexican Organic Oaxaca -Putla/Mixteca
Country: Mexico Grade: HG Region: Oaxaca Mark: CEPCO, Organic Certified
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 00/01 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17/18 screen Varietal: Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 78 Notes: The strength of the Oaxacan coffees is their moderate acidity and nice nutty and bittersweet roast tastes. In general I prefer the Oaxacans to the Coatepecs or other northern regions (the Chiapas is all the way to the south and really bears little resemblance to the other Mexican coffees. We chose this same coffee last year in blind cupping because of the very attractive roast flavors ...meaning the flavors that develop at different degrees of roast. With this coffee there's a nice nutty flavor at the City roast stage and a nice bittersweet chocolaty flavor developing at Full City/ Vienna. And there is just a little acidity there to balance out the cup in the lighter roast stages. We use it as part of an Organic French Roast blend we do, because it has very attractive carbony flavors in the deepest stages of the roast.
Wet Aroma: 81
Brightness- Liveliness: 83
Body- Movement: 82
Flavor- Depth: 86 Roast: City has great nutty flavors, Full City or darker develops nice bittersweet roast tastes.
Finish- Conclusion: 84
Score: 82.3 Compare to: Other great Oaxacans; light-bodied, nutty
Misc. & Blends
African Highland WP Decaf Blend
Country: Kenya, Ethiopia Grades: AA Auction Lot, 2 Regions: Aberdare, Yirgacheffe Mark: Auction Lot, MAO
Chops: 5004
Processing: Wet-processed, then decaf by Water Process Crop: 2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 scr Varietal: Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: Bright, light bodied, full of character and "snap". I am not talking describing a person although a few come to mind. The new Water Process method used to decaffeinated this coffee leaves an astounding amount of cup character. I always felt that the SWP decaf was weakest when applied to bright, acidic high-toned coffees. They cupped like water flavored with cardboard. So this blend here is, to me, the ultimate triumph of our new Water Process decaf source (from Mexico, although the DO use the same method essentially as official SWP coffee -which is processed in Canada actually). It is an "indirect contact", non-chemical process that is truly a water filtration process. The other factor is that other decafs sometimes don't originate with the best green coffees. This is a true Auction Lot Kenya blended 50-50 with one of the best Ethiopian Yirgacheffe lots from this season. As I mentioned, it is a coffee that is lighter in body, bright (striking the front of the palate and tongue in the center-front and front-sides), and very fruity. Although the scores are already very high for a decaf, I objectively felt the cup rates higher than a combined 86 so there is a "Cupper's Correction" of 2.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 9
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8
Body - Movement (1-5) 3
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8 Roast: While this coffee becomes sharply pungent in darker roasts, I really enjoy its bright, fruity character too much to roast it that way. I keep it light, stopping the roast at Full City, right at the verge of 2nd crack but not into it.
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 2 Compare to: Bright, light-bodied coffees like the fruity Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. If you like our Ethiopian MC decaf you will probably enjoy this too...
add 50 50
Score (Max. 100) 87
Myanmar (Burma)
Myanmar (Burma) Rubyland
Country:
Myanmar
Grade:
1
Region:
 "Rubyland"
Mark:
Thayetkone
Estate
Processing:
Dry-Processed
Crop:
2000
Appearance:
2d/300gr
Varietal:
Dry Frag./ Wet Aroma:
80 /78
Notes: You'll think you received a premium dry-processed Brazil when you see the Myanmar Arabica for the first time. It really looks like a dry-processed Cerrado. This is a new coffee on the market in the US, and a "borderline" specialty coffee in some respects. While the cup has tons of body, almost oily!, there's an aggressive tarry taste that seems laced with garlic. It's somewhat Indonesian in the body and earthiness, but mostly an herbaceous Brazil. It has positive qualities, possibly taints, but I thought it would be fun to share his coffee with you folks. Commercial roasters are starting to use this as a dark roast blending base or body enhancer, and it has DEFINITE espresso possibilities. It's very amusing to see an "estate" name on the bag! I assume somebody went to an SCAA conference and heard that "estate" coffees sell for more money...
Brightness- Liveliness:
78
Body- Movement:
88
Flavor- Depth:
77
Finish- Conclusion:
76
Roast: I like it best at "an aggressive Full City Roast" or darker. Its great with cream. Its weird.
Score:
79.5
Compare to: Brazils
Nicaragua
Nicaragua Matagalpa-Jinotega: Carlos Fonseca
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: Matagalpa- Jinotega Mark: Cecocafen Co-op,
"Carlos Fonseca"
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Arabica Typica, some Bourbon
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.2 Notes: Matagalpa and Jinotega are (along with Segovia) the premier growing regions for SHG -Strictly High Grown- Nicaragua coffees. Matagalpa and Jinotega are side-by-side and most coffees have adjacent farms in each region. But the combined name of the two regions makes for such a long name that I can't fit it all on our list! Anyway, this coffee is a very attractive cup, a little short in the aftertaste and a little lighter in body than some of the coffees from these regions we have had, but try this cup and you'll know why it jumped out at us on the cupping table! This coffee is from a coop Cecocafen, and some tricky person there managed to name this particularly excellent lot (cooperatively harvested from the small farms of coop members) after the founder of the revolutionary FSLN: Carlos Fonseca! The interplay between the lightly fruited brightness (faintly orange with a twist of rind) in the cup and the baker's chocolate roast taste are exquisite. There is a cinnamony aroma and flavor that pervade from start to finish, and a bittersweet pungent flavor in the aftertaste that rounds out the cup. It is this alternating sweet, bittersweet and pungent flavors that make it a really neat cup! (PS.: I have given this cup a rather large 2 point cuppers correction: it is unfairly penalized for its medium-light body and aftertaste, and is a much better cup than an 83.7!)
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3.0
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.2
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.5
Body - Movement (1-5) 2.8
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.0
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 2.0 Roast:a City roast stopped near 2nd crack, but with no indication at all that it reached 2nd crack is great.
add 50 50.0 Compare to: Lighter in body than other Nicaraguans and than Colombians too, but a great interplay of flavors like the best of either of these two countries.
Score (Max. 100) 85.7
Nicaragua SHG Nueva Esperanza
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: Matagalpa Mark: Nueva Esperanza
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: mid-2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17/18+ Screen Varietal: Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 84 Notes: There have been quite a few nice Nicaragua samples coming down the pipe this year. The Cup Of Excellence auction has focused more attention on this origin,. which like Panama is greatly under-rated in relation to its cup quality, and overall potential to produce great coffee. But the best Nicaraguan samples I received were not from the auction lots, they were from other single-farm sources. This Nueva Esperanza is one (and the Carlos Fonesca we will have later is another). Of the two, the Nueva Esperanza is the bolder cup, with distinctive rooty/aromatic woody roast notes emerging at the lighter end of the spectrum (City/Full City) and turning into great pungency a little lighter in the roast. The suprise is the slightly sweet acidic brightness that balances out the cup, making it a true "complete" single-origin cupping experience rather than a "blender" status that Nicaraguans used to be relegated to (and some lower grown HG ones still are only that, a blender). And at this price this is truly an incredible cup for the money!
Wet Aroma: 84
Brightness- Liveliness: 86
Body- Movement: 87
Flavor- Depth: 87 Roast: As stated above, this coffee has a huge great character and can be roasted to a wide degree of roasts ...it's great at medium (City) roast, Full City and even toward Vienna --a bit into 2nd crack. But the chocolate roast taste and peak complexity is at Full City, just a couple snaps into 2nd crack.
Finish- Conclusion: 86
Score: 85.4 Compare to: Excellent Colombians, but with more aggressive roast flavors, balanced and full of character
Nicaragua SHG Angelina Estate
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: Matagalpa Mark: Angelina Estate
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: Late 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 82 Notes: We offer this coffee both as a straight roast and as a blend base for French Roast, or the lighter Vienna roast. This is a nice cup that typifies the Matagalpa character: body, medium to low acidity, and nice chocolate/nutty flavors. Overall the cup is fairly soft and mild since good SHG (Strictly High Grown) Nicaraguan coffees are not going to have the sharp, bright notes you would find with the highest altitude coffees from other Central American origins.Much of the cup character is going to be determined by the roast level that you chose ...and one benefit of this coffee is that it can take a wide lattitude of roasts. In the lighter roast it has a pleasant aromatic woodiness, bordering on hazelnut notes. It also has a soft chocolate flavor; milk chocolate. As you roast it darker it devlops more pungent and focused bittersweet/chocolate notes. And roasted to an aggressive Full City Stage or Vienna, it is an outstanding single-origin espresso. I'm not going to make claims to bowl-you-down cup quality on the Angelina. Its simply a nice cup and a great high-quality blend base for the darker roasts
Wet Aroma: 83
Brightness- Liveliness: 80
Body- Movement: 85
Flavor- Depth: 83 Roast: Wide lattitude of roasts, and can be used as single-origin espresso too. See notes above.
Finish- Conclusion: 82
Score: 82.5 Compare to: Matagalpas are lower-acid Centrals, and bear some resemblence to the best Oaxacas of Mexico.
Nicaragua SHG Matagalpa -Eugenio Lopez
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: Matagalpa Mark: Eugenio Lopez
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: .25 d/300gr, 17 Screen Varietal: Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 83 Notes: We have 2 fine Nicaraguan coffees now, that represent the 2 major growing regions and cup profiles: Segovia and Matagalpa. This is an excellent cup that typifies the Matagalpa character: body, medium to low acidity, and nice chocolate/nutty flavors. Overall the cup is fairly soft and mild since good SHG (Strictly High Grown) Nicaraguan coffees are not going to have the sharp, bright notes you would find with the highest altitude coffees from other Central American origins.Much of the cup character is going to be determined by the roast level that you chose ...and one benefit of this coffee is that it can take a wide lattitude of roasts. In the lighter roast it has a pleasant aromatic woodiness, bordering on hazelnut notes. It also has a soft chocolate flavor; milk chocolate. As you roast it darker it devlops more pungent and focused bittersweet/chocolate notes. And roasted to an aggressive Full City Stage or Vienna, it is an outstanding single-origin espresso.Our broker source for this coffee had just visited the farm this past Winter and was extremely impressed with the beautiful, clean wet-mill on the farm, and general beauty of the farm and pride of the farmers who own it. The farm has no specific name! So we are calling it by the owners name, Eugenio Lopez ...and it seems somehow very appropriate to do so...
Wet Aroma: 84
Brightness- Liveliness: 81
Body- Movement: 88
Flavor- Depth: 84 Roast:Wide lattitude of roasts, and can be used as single-origin espresso too. See notes above.
Finish- Conclusion: 83
Score: 83.8 Compare to: Matagalpas are lower-acid Centrals, and bear some resemblence to the best Oaxacas of Mexico.
Nicaragua SHG Segovia -Canta Gallo Co-op
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHB Region: Segovia Mark: Canta Gallo Co-op
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17/18 Screen Varietal: Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 83 Notes: The Segovia from Nicaragua bears some resemblence to the Mexican Oaxaca Pluma, more so than it resembles the Nicaraguan Jinotega-Matagalpa coffees. It is interestingly soft, and intense: the acidity is moderate, it is full-bodied, and is quite mild at first. The first flavors you might get are a soft milk-choclate roast taste, which fades into a really interesting aromatic woodyness (not at all like the woody flavor defect that reveals a coffee is past crop, or possibly improperly stored.) It finishes rather mild but then seems to hang around a bit with a pungent slightly carbony aftertaste ...very nice! And as you continue to sip this coffee the aftertaste seems to accumulate. I always wwaonder of this quality is directly related to the heavy body of a coffee: if it has more "Soluble Solids" which make you sense a thickness in the cup, it might also follow that these solids would be retained on the palate and give a long, slowly-diminshing aftertaste, or even a sort of phantom "return" of flavor. Nonetheless, this is a great coffee, and the pungency lead me to try an unorthodox espresso test with it: 100% Canta Gallo Espresso! Try it, its remarkable!
Wet Aroma: 83
Brightness- Liveliness: 84
Body- Movement: 87
Flavor- Depth: 87 Roast: City to Full City. The coffee has darker roast characteristics even in the lighter roasts. Very interesting as espresso too, although you should expect a little less crema since its wet-processed coffee.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 84.8 Compare to: Mexican Oaxaca Pluma!
Nicaragua SHG -La Illusion
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHB Region: Matagalpa Mark: La Illusion
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17/18+ Screen Varietal: Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 84 Notes: This year's crop of La Illusion is simply outstanding, one of the most attractive cups in terms of balance: simply great "house coffee!" This is a large but unassuming bean, very well prepared. But a lot of Nicaraguans have looked good this year and been dull or just too simple in the cup. What amazes me with the La Illusion is that it is the most complete cup: acidity, fruitiness, nuttyness, pungency, chocolate and that incredible body that persists through almost any roast you throw at it. I did a "roast cupping" at 4 degrees of roast on this coffee. Yes, it had more origin character -fruit- in the lighter City roast. But what amazed me is that every roast sample was good ...no, great! This coffee is a winner and that's no "Illusion" (I just had to write that...)
Wet Aroma: 84
Brightness- Liveliness: 86
Body- Movement: 88
Flavor- Depth: 87 Roast: As stated above, this coffee has a huge altitude. it's great at medium (City) roast, Full City and even toward Vienna --a bit into 2nd crack. But the chocolate roast taste and peak complexity is at Full City, just a couple snaps into 2nd crack.
Finish- Conclusion: 86
Score: 85.8 Compare to: Excellent Colombians, balanced and full of character!
Nicaragua SHG Matagalpa -Selva Negra Estate
Country: Nicaragua Grade: SHG Region: Matagalpa Mark: Selva Negra Estate
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2000 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17/18 scr Varietal: Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 86 Notes: Matagalpas are known for their excellent depth and pungent flavors. Selva Negra is one of the most respected Estates from the region, both for their environmentally sustainable farming methods and for the excellent cup. Like any Estate-level coffees, the coffee does vary from year to year and this is the best Selva Negra I have had for the past 2 seasons. It has excellent chocolate flavor, that has hints of aromatic wood to it, and spiceyness. The acidity is in balance with the other flavors and reveals itself as the cup cools. Multiple coexistent flavors like this are the benchmark of good complexity, flavors that alternate as you try to get a sense of them. Its what every cupper appreciates; an interesting sensory problem! And its what makes the Selva Negra great... This coffee is Shade Grown on one of the most beautiful coffee estates in Nicaragua, where coffee trees are interplanted with native forest. I have met the farm owner and have deep respect for the Selva Negra operation... this is ecologically aware coffee farming without the eco-certification, but with all the good sense.
Wet Aroma: 86
Brightness- Liveliness: 85
Body- Movement: 85
Flavor- Depth: 87 Roast: City, Full City OK too but this coffee has fully developed its body at a real medium roast and you loose some complexity if you let it enter 2nd crack.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 85.7 Compare to: Particular Colombians such as Tolima district, and other great Matagalpa region Nicaraguas: flavorful, complex, clean coffees…
Panama
Panama SHB Boquete -La Berlina Estate
Country: Panama Grade: SHB Region: Boquete Mark: La Berlina
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16/18scr Varietal: Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: The great cup from this La Berlina was a surprise, even after visiting the farm last year and seeing the incredibly old 18 foot tall Typica trees. I had cupped it in the past, and while I found it always to be a nice clean cup it was always outdone by such coffees as the Lerida estate coffee from Boquete. But Lerida has replanted with new hybrids and the cup shows it. Berlina is 100% traditional Typica cultivar. It has remarkable brightness, complexity and depth for a clean Central American cup, easily as good or better than the best lots of Lerida I have had. Panama is basically an under-rated coffee in total, always playing second fiddle to the big name Costa Ricans and Guatemalans. But when you put this Berlina cup up against many of the Tarrazus from Costa Rica, it rates higher. The coffee is expertly prepared, fairly large bean size for Panama of the longer Typica, the old arabica cultivars. The cup really shimmers: bright citrus passes quickly to spice and sharp lively chocolate flavors. The aftertastes is moderate and thoroughly enjoyable. Just outstanding, hence and overall cupper's correction of +2 to communicate the attractiveness of this cup.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 9
Body - Movement (1-5) 3
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8 Roast: City, through first crack and not yet to second. You will lose some complexity in this coffee in a darker roast, so I would keep it from going into second crack at all.
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 2 Compare to: Other high-grown Centrals that have complexity: Guats & Costa Rican Tarrazus.
add 50 50
Score (Max. 100) 86
Panama Boquete -Finca Maunier
Country: Panama Grade: SHB, EP Region: Boquete, Vocancito Mark: Maunier Estate
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Typica, Bourbon, Caturra
 Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: Monsieur Gilbert Maunier was the French founder of Finca Maunier, but after the farm reached maturity he decided to move to Costa Rica and he sold the Finca to another Boqueteño that eventually sold it to Mr. Plinio Ruiz. With his expertise he developed a biodiverse coffee plantation keeping the original shade trees and planting separated lots for each of the three varieties. The original Finca philosophy remains the same. The first coffee roasting machine that Mr. Ruiz acquired belonged to Mr. Maunier. The farm is all above 1500 meters, and all the processing takes place in the Casa Ruiz facility in the town of Boquete. The coffee was awarded the 2nd place in the 2002 Panama Auction and 8th last year, but this is not the auction lot coffee here. The coffee is blended from cultivars as such: Typica 40%, Bourbon 15%, Caturra 45%. What the Maunier had over the competing lots was depth and complexity. It has lower acidity than the other winning coffees, but a great mild fruity-winey character, excellent body compared to the other auction samples, and hints of spice. The roast taste is sweet and a bit butterscotch. Cupping it next to the la Minita of Costa Rica, I find them very much on par.
At Finca Maunier, 2001
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8
Body - Movement (1-5) 3
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1 Roast: Preserve the fruitiness and complexity by roasting to City stage and don't let this coffee get into the second crack much.
add 50 50 Compare to: The best Centrals, especially the great years of Costa Rican Tarrazu coffees back in the '80s.
Score (Max. 100) 84
Panama Auction Winner -Mama Cata Estate
Country: Panama Grade: SHB Region: Boquete Mark: Mama Cata Estate, 2002 Panama Auction 1st Place
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17/18scr Varietal: Typica
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: I visited the farm that was right across the narrow dirt lane from Mama Cata. That was the well-known Finca Lerida, winner of the 2001 Panama Auction (we bought that winning lot last year too). They both share some of the highest altitude of Boquete coffees, above the Finca La Berlina (a 100% Typica farm) and Maunier. There was a striking difference between the two farms. Lerida seems to be replanting their land with higher yield arabica cultivar, Caturra. But Mama Cata appears to be planted entirely with the tall, rangy Typica cultivar. While it yields less than more modern hybrids, old "traditional" cultivar trees last longer, and there is the notion that a plant that is not stressed by the overproduction of fruit (coffee cherry) will produce better cup quality in the fewer cherry it yields. Folks like me traveling to coffee lands are often proven wrong, and cup really good coffees produced by newer cultivars, but we always want to cup the Typica (and Bourbon) varietals first. Anyway, I was part of the panel that picked the Mama Cata (in totally blind cupping from 28 finalist lots) and the cup character I remember down in Panama impresses me each time I enjoy this coffee here at home. It doesn't knock the socks off - it charms them off. The aromatics are attractive and sweet. The roast develops a pungency that cups like an Antigua from Guatemala, mildly alkaloid/chocolaty, but is offset by a black cherry fruitiness.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 9
Body - Movement (1-5) 4
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8 Roast: The Mama Cata is one of the Centrals that takes a wide latitude of roasts, and band that spans the City to Vienna spectrum. I enjoy the mildly sharp tang that develops this roast about 10 seconds into 2nd crack.
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1 Compare to: Reminiscent of last years winner, Finca Lerida … not surprising since they across the road from eachother!
add 50 50
Score (Max. 100) 87
Panama Finca Hartmann "Songbird"
Country: Panama Grade: SHB Region: Volcan Baru, Chirqui Mark: Hartmann Farm
Processing: Wet process, sun-dried Crop: 02 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16-17 Screen Varietal: Typica, Caturra
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3.0 Notes: This coffee from the Northeast mountain state of Chirqui has a beautiful dark green-blue appearance (fresh, new crop), with a delicate light-bodied cup that will win over your friends and relatives to the merits of home roasting. Very pleasant clean sweet taste with a unique cedar aromatic woodiness in the finish. This hints that this is Sr. Hartmann's special lot of coffee that he dries in a special wooden Bodega next to the patios on the farm. The humidity and native hardwoods give the coffee a characteristic flavor -very subtle but unmistakable. It's not a super complex coffee overall, just real fine and delicate. To get a full sense of this acidity, taste it hot and taste it cool too. In fact, my first sip of it is always a little disappointing based on the wonderful aromatics you get when grinding it. But a lot of bright coffees are this way. As it cools the bright notes that make it so special are fleshed out, and you will fall in love with this coffee by the time you reach the last sip. The Volcan Chirqui is right at the Costa Rican border so it is not a wonder that the coffee cups like a bright, delicate Costa Rican. For more information on the Hartmann farm, see our review of the 2002 Panama Cupping Competition. The Hartmann land is a model of sustainable farming and bird-friendly, shade grown agriculture with much of the farm preserved as forest ... in a bitter irony it does not qualify as certified bird-friendly because of very limited use of nitrogen fertilizer!
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4.0
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 7.0
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 7.0
Body - Movement (1-5) 2.0
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8.0
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 2.0 Roast: I prefer this at a light City roast to accentuate the moderate acidity and that unique woody note in the aftertaste.
add 50 50 Compare to: Light-bodied delicate coffees, similar to Coast Ricans from the southern areas of La Amistad, the Boquete coffees of Panama, and also similar to some of the Chiapas coffees from the south of Mexico.
Score (Max. 100) 83.0
Panama Boquete -Finca Maunier
Country: Panama Grade: SHB, EP Region: Boquete, Vocancito Mark: Maunier Estate
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Typica 40%, Bourbon 15%, Caturra 45%

 

 Dry Fragrance: 86

Notes: Monsieur Gilbert Maunier was the French founder of Finca Maunier, but after the farm reached maturity he decided to move to Costa Rica and he sold the Finca to another Boquete�o that eventually sold it to Mr. Plinio Ruiz. With his expertise he developed a biodiverse coffee plantation keeping the original shade trees and planting separated lots for each of the three varieties. The original Finca philosophy remains the same. The first coffee roasting machine that Mr. Ruiz acquired belonged to Mr. Maunier. The farm is all above 1500 meters, and all the processing takes place in the Casa Ruiz facility in the town of Boquete. The coffee was awarded the 8th place in the 2001 Panama Cup of Excellence, but I chose it as my #2 coffee of all the samples, surpassed only by the Lerida. And in fact it might be the #1 coffee for those who want to avoid the citrusy acidity of the Lerida. What the Maunier had over the competing lots was depth and complexity. It has lower acidity than the other 8 winning coffees, but a great fruity-winey character, excellent body, and hints of spice. The roast taste is sweetly butterscotch.

Please note: we offered the actual Auction-lot earlier this year. This is NOT the auction lot, but I was stunned that it cupped JUST LIKE the auction lot! That says a lot for the consistency of the coffee from this farm. In contrast, the Lerida Auction Lot was far superior to any subsequent Lerida offerings.
Wet Aroma: 87
Brightness- Liveliness: 86
Body- Movement: 86
Flavor- Depth: 88 Roast: As with the Lerida, preserve the fruitiness and complexity by roasting to City stage and don't let this coffee get into the second crack much.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 86.3

Compare to: The best Centrals, especially the great years of Costa Rican Tarrazu coffees back in the '80s.
Panama Auction Winner -Finca Lerida
Country: Panama Grade: SHB, EP Region: Boquete Mark: Lerida Estate, #1 in 2001 Panama Auction
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Var.Typica, Caturra

Dry Fragrance: 87 Notes: Lerida Estate is situated in the valley of Boquete in the Northwestern part of Panama. Surrounded by 500 acres of tropical forest on the slopes of the Baru Volcano. It has volcanic soil, an altitude ranging from 1600 to 1700 meters above sea level, adequate rainfall with a sunny and dry harvesting season. The coffee cherries are harvested daily and go through a meticulous wet process in Lerida’s unique processing plant (few farms have their own wet-mill on the Finca). The beans are sun-dried and set to rest for no less than 60 days. The coffee in this lot is the sample submitted to the 2001 Panama Cup of Excellence Auction, where it was awarded the blue ribbon by the international panel of cupper's, and received the highest bid in the auction, paid by Sweet Maria's. It is from batches No.30-36, harvested on January 4-11, 2001. Fermentation took place from 39-48 hours. The sun drying process took an average of 11 days per batch. The cup character is the best coffee from the Lerida farm we have ever tasted, since it represents the "best of the best" the farm offers in the effort to win the #1 spot in the Auction. It is a bright, effervescently acidy coffee with sweet fruity/floral notes. The brightness has hints of fresh citrus and a touch of wineyness that rounds out the flavor in the finish. It is remarkable while on the palate, but light in body and medium in the aftertaste, as is characteristic of Panamanian coffee. The quality of this cup, in terms of high notes and complexity, surely ranks it as a Gran Cru of Central American coffee.
Wet Aroma: 87
Brightness- Liveliness: 92
Body- Movement: 84
Flavor- Depth: 89 Roast: To preserve the fruitiness and complexity, don't let this coffee get into the second crack much. A City roast is best, and a Full City with a few snaps of second crack will tone down some of the citrusy flavors and allow a black cherry flavor to emerge, with some light bittersweet caramelly notes.
Finish- Conclusion: 87
Score: 87.7

Compare to: The best Centrals, especially the great years of Costa Rican Tarrazu coffees back in the '80s.

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Panama Boquete -Finca Maunier Auction Lot #8 Winner
Country: Panama Grade: SHB, EP Region: Boquete, Vocancito Mark: Maunier Estate, #8 in Auction
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Typica 40%, Bourbon 15%, Caturra 45%

Dry Fragrance: 86

Notes: Monsieur Gilbert Maunier was the French founder of Finca Maunier, but after the farm reached maturity he decided to move to Costa Rica and he sold the Finca to another Boquete�o that eventually sold it to Mr. Plinio Ruiz. With his expertise he developed a biodiverse coffee plantation keeping the original shade trees and planting separated lots for each of the three varieties. The original Finca philosophy remains the same. The first coffee roasting machine that Mr. Ruiz acquired belonged to Mr. Maunier. The farm is all above 1500 meters, and all the processing takes place in the Casa Ruiz facility in the town of Boquete. The coffee was awarded the 8th place in the 2001 Panama Cup of Excellence, but I chose it as my #2 coffee of all the samples, surpassed only by the Lerida. And in fact it might be the #1 coffee for those who want to avoid the citrusy acidity of the Lerida. What the Maunier had over the competing lots was depth and complexity. It has lower acidity than the other 8 winning coffees, but a great fruity-winey character, excellent body, and hints of spice. The roast taste is sweetly butterscotch.

Wet Aroma: 87
Brightness- Liveliness: 86
Body- Movement: 86
Flavor- Depth: 88 Roast: As with the Lerida, preserve the fruitiness and complexity by roasting to City stage and don't let this coffee get into the second crack much.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 86.3

Compare to: The best Centrals, especially the great years of Costa Rican Tarrazu coffees back in the '80s.

Sorry: 5 Lb Limit per customer...
Panama SHB Boquete -La Berlina Estate
Country: Panama Grade: SHB Region: Boquete Mark: La Berlina
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2000 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16/18scr Varietal: Bourbon, Typica
  Dry Fragrance: 86 Notes: The great cup from this La Berlina was a surprise. I had cupped it in the past, and while I found it always to be a nice clean cup it was always outdone by such coffees as the Lerida estate coffee from Boquete. But this time Berlina was just outstanding. It has remarkable complexity and depth, easily as good or better than the best lots of Lerida I have had. Panama is basically an under-rated coffee, always playing second fiddle to the big name Costa Ricans and Guatemalands. But when you put this Berlina cup up against many of the Tarrazus from Costa Rica, it rates higher. The coffee is expertly prepared, fairly large bean size for Panama with a mixture of the rounder Bourbon varietal and the longer Typica, both old arabica cultivars. The cup really shimmers: bright citrus passes quickly to spice and chocolate flavors. The aftertastes is brief and thoroughly enjoyable. Just outstanding...
  Wet Aroma: 88
  Brightness- Liveliness: 87
  Body- Movement: 84
  Flavor- Depth: 88 Roast: City, throught first crack and not yet to second. You will lose some complexity in this coffee in a darker roast, so I would keep it from going into second crack at all.
  Finish- Conclusion: 87
  Score: 87 Compare to: Other high-grown Centrals that have complexity: Guats & Costa Rican Tarrazus.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea -Kinjibi Estate Peaberry
Country: New Guinea Grade: PB Region: Waghi River Valley Mark: Kinjibi Estate
Processing: Wet Process Crop: Late 2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17 Screen Varietal: Typica, Arusha, Nova Mundo
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: This is a newly arrived coffee grown on the 300 hectare Kinjibi Tribal Plantation, in nearby small plantations and local villagers "coffee gardens". The coffee grown on the plantations are of the Typica (blue mountain), mundo novo, and arusha varieties. The village gardens range in size from 20 to 600 trees, exceptionally small compared to the size of farms in other producing nations. At a high altitude of 5500 to 5700 feet, the arabica coffee they grow is exceptional and of the Typica (blue mountain) and arusha varieties. Kinjibi Plantation has its own processing mill which benefits quality in that the cherry doesn't have to travel great distances from the time it is picked to the beginning of the wet-processing; a very quality-critical part of the process that should occur within 12 hours. Kinjibi is imported by New Guinea Coffee Traders (http://www.newguineatraders.com/) into the US, a small family business focused on this one origin, and this one source, with the express goal of aiding indigenous coffee workers. We found the samples they sent to class right alongside the Kimel Plantation coffee, our favorite wet-process PNG cup for the past 2 years, with some interesting differences. I think the Kimel has more straightforward brightness in the cup, and the Kinjibi is more nuanced with spicy subtle flavors that emerge behind the dominant roast tastes. At these high growing altitudes, the brightness certainly is there, and provides an initial snap to the cup. It's easy to overroast a peaberry like this; they simply have a different thermal quality than flat bean coffee and roast faster. But this coffee produces great cups throughout the City to Full City range, and a nice pungent cup at Vienna roast too.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 3
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8
Body - Movement (1-5) 3.5
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1 Roast: A flexible coffee: City to Full City to Vienna-see above
add 50 50 Compare to: On par with our Kimel Plantation coffee, but with perhaps more subtlety.
Score (Max. 100) 84.5
Papua New Guinea -Purosa Estate
Country: New Guinea Grade: A Region: Eastern Highlands Mark: Purosa Estate
Processing: Wet Process Crop: 2002-2003 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen Varietal: Typicas, Others
Dry Fragrance (1-5) 3 Notes: I stocked the Purosa estate coffee several years ago (you'll have to look at our pre-2000 reviews to find that one) and was really taken by it. It had been rated high in a trans-national cupping review and the comment from that was as follows: "only the two estate coffees from the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, Arona and Purosa, attracted the very highest level of enthusiasm and ratings from the panel, equal to the response provoked by the best coffees from Kenya, Guatemala and Ethiopia." That's high praise and might need some clarification. The Papua New Guinea is a "classic cup" profile, one with clean flavors that are found in Central American coffees without the fermenty-hidey-earthy character of rustic coffees like dry-process Sumatras, Ethiopians and Yemens. So rating PNG vs. Guatemala makes a lot more sense because both share a very, very general cup profile. This cup is sweet, very aromatic, fruited with a touch of coffee cherry and a little vanilla, and so balanced that it is hard to come up with adequate descriptions that don't sound half-hearted : this is pleasant -I mean REALLY pleasant.
Wet Aroma (1-5) 4
Brightness - Acidity (1-10) 8.2
Flavor - Depth (1-10) 8.5
Body - Movement (1-5) 4
Finish - Aftertaste (1-10) 8
Cupper's Correction (1-5) 1 Roast: City or Full City. Roasted darker the Purosa loses too much character so stay on the light side.
add 50 50 Compare to: Deeply balanced "classic" cup with great resonance, somewhat sweet, a great PNG coffee!
Score (Max. 100) 86.7
Papua New Guinea -Kimel Plantation Grade A
Country: Island of Papua New Guinea/ Irian Grade: A Region: Central Valley   Mark: Kimel Plantation
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: Late 2002 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16 screen Varietal: Caturra, Arusha Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 83 Notes: Papua New Guinea occupies the Eastern half of the island it shares with the Indonesian provice of Irian (no organized coffee production originates from Irian) There can be a huge range of cups from Papua New Guinea, and the so-called Plantation coffees represent the cleaner character of the coffee produced on the island... more like a good Central American than part of the Indonesioan profile. The coffee plantations are larger farms that have their own coffee processing wet mills, so they are able to control all the variables of production better than the small farm "coffee gardens." Kimel has great body and balance: buttery mouthfeel, and acidity - flavors in very harmonious balance in the cup. It's a "Classic" cup profile for sure! It makes an excellent vacuum-brewed cup too, and in a French Press we have had great results using the roast recommendation below (blending 2 roasts together).
Wet Aroma: 84
Brightness- Liveliness: 84
Body- Movement: 88
Flavor- Depth: 87 Roast: City (Medium), this is coffee has fine, delicate flavors that get obliterated in darker roasts. But for an interesting cup, try roasting one batch to a light City roast, another to a Full City (a few snaps into second crack) and then blend them together! It brings out interesting dimensions in the cup while keeping with the single-origin roasting tradition.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 86.2 Compare to: Compares more to Central Americans more often than other Indonesians like Sumatra --Although Timor bears resemblence too.
Papua New Guinea -Kimel Estate Grade A
Country: Island of Papua New Guinea/ Irian Grade: A Region: Central Valley   Mark: Kimel Plantation
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 2001 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16 screen Varietal: Caturra, Arusha Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 83 Notes: Papua New Guinea occupies the Eastern half of the island it shares with the Indonesian provice of Irian (no organized coffee production originates from Irian) There can be a huge range of cups from Papua New Guinea, and the so-called Plantation coffees represent the cleaner character of the coffee produced on the island... more like a good Central American than part of the Indonesioan profile. The coffee plantations are larger farms that have their own coffee processing wet mills, so they are able to control all the variables of production better than the small farm "coffee gardens." Kimel has great body and balance: buttery mouthfeel, and acidity - flavors in very harmonious balance in the cup. It's a "Classic" cup profile for sure! It makes an excellent vacuum-brewed cup too, and in a French Press we have had great results using the roast recommendation below (blending 2 roasts together).
Wet Aroma: 84
Brightness- Liveliness: 84
Body- Movement: 88
Flavor- Depth: 87 Roast: City (Medium), this is coffee has fine, delicate flavors that get obliterated in darker roasts. But for an interesting cup, try roasting one batch to a light City roast, another to a Full City (a few snaps into second crack) and then blend them together! It brings out interesting dimensions in the cup while keeping with the single-origin roasting tradition.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 86.2 Compare to: Compares more to Central Americans more often than other Indonesians like Sumatra --Although Timor bears resemblence too.
Papua New Guinea Organic AA
Country: Sumatra Grade: AA Island Region: Papua New Guinea Mark: Organic Certified
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 00/01 Appearance: 1 d/300gr,17/18scr Varietal: Sumatra
        Dry Fragrance: 84 Notes: It has been tough to find a good Papua New Guinea coffee this year. I often think the Organics are superior: they are traditional varietals grown on small farms. Its just a matter of exactly whose small farms they are pooled from, and the overall quality of the crop year. To find a good organic Papua New Guinea there is no method other than cupping every lot you can get your hands on. I went through 5 to find this one. It is the larger AA grade bean size (the Organics tend to be large, I think because they are descended from the Jamaican coffee stock that was used to plant Papua New Guinea originally!) Smallholder farms can be the best IF the co-op that organizes themselves for organic certification maintains high standards and good milling practices. I think that's the case with this lot here, and while there are a few misshapen seeds in here, the cup quality is excellent: good balance and complexity, that slight gamy/tea-like flavor that distinguishes the good PNG Organics.
Wet Aroma: 84
Brightness- Liveliness: 82
Body- Movement: 83
Flavor- Depth: 86 Roast: I prefer a Full City roast on the PNG, just to the verge of Second crack, but not entering it.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 84.0 Compare to: Medium acidity, great balance, good body, interesting midrange flavors.
Papua New Guinea -Mile High Estate Grade A
Country: Island of Papua New Guinea/ Irian Jaya Grade: A Region:   Mark: Mile High Plantation
Processing: Wet-processed Crop: 00/01 Appearance: 0 d/300gr, 16 screen Varietal: Caturra, Arusha Typica
        Dry Fragrance: 81 Notes: Papua New Guinea occupies the western half of the island it shares with the Indonesian provice of Irian Jaya (no organized coffee production originates from Irian Jaya) There can be a huge range of cups from Papua New Guinea, and the so-called Plantation coffees represent the cleaner character of the coffee produced on the island... more like a good Central American than part of the Indonesioan profile. The coffee plantations are larger farms that have their own coffee processing wet mills, so they are able to control all the variables of production better than the small farm "coffee gardens." Mile High platantion has been our favorite of these, and we have picked over the well-known Sigri for the past 2 years running. It makes an excellent vacuum-brewed cup too, and in a French Press we have had great results using the roast recommendation below (blending 2 roasts together).
Wet Aroma: 83
Brightness- Liveliness: 86
Body- Movement: 83
Flavor- Depth: 87 Roast: City (Medium), this is coffee has fine, delicate flavors that get obliterated in darker roasts. But for an interesting cup, try roasting one batch to a light City roast, another to a Full City (a few snaps into second crack) and then blend them together! It brings out interesting dimensions in the cup while keeping with the single-origin roasting tradition.
Finish- Conclusion: 85
Score: 84.2 Compare to: Compares more to Central Americans more often than other Indonesians like Sumatra --Although Timor bears resemblence too.
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2001-2002
Reviews
Sweet Maria's Coffee Cupping Reviews Archive: 2001-2002 Archive M to Z
Main Page: 2001-2002 Archive
2001-2001 Archive A to F
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Burundi
  • Colombia
  • Congo
  • Costa Rica
  • Dominican
  • Ethiopia
  • French Chicory
 2001-2001 Archive G to L
  • Guatemala
  • Hawaii
  • Honduras
  • India
  • Jamaica
  • Java
  • Kenya
 2001-2001 Archive M to Z
    • Mexico
    • Myanmar
    • Nicaragua
    • Panama
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Peru
    • Puerto Rico
    • Saint Helena
    • Salvador (EL)

 

 M to Z
  • Sulawesi
  • Sumatra
  • Tanzania
  • Timor
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe