Sweet Maria's Weblog

Behmor roaster & holiday time

The Behmor 1600 roaster is here and we have posted the review on this page.Â The Behmor will be a greatÂ roaster for a number of people I am sure - but it is not without its limitations.Â Please be sure to check out the review - all 5 pages! Or at least the review summary page. The 2007 holiday rush seems to be on now - ah, the sweet aroma of holiday stress is wafting through the air!Â Please remember that we can fall behind our usual speedy turn around this time of year - usually just the beginning of the week and especially after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. So if we are a bit slower responding to your email, phone message, or shipping your order, please understand that we will get back to you as soon as possible. Holiday schedule: Closed November 22nd andÂ 23rd. Closed December 20th through January 1st We re-open January 2nd, 2008 - Maria

adding coffees, catching a plane

I am off to Yemen (my first time there!), so am up late adding a whole bunch of new arrivals to the list tonight. We have some unusual offerings that diverge from typical processing methods to produce some remarkable lots -Tom

Bali Kintamani Arabica: This is a traditional processed Indonesia coffee, low acidity, thick body, rustic notes ...
Ethiopia Organic Limu (Indonesia-Style) is absolutely non-traditional, a bright coffee (like a wet-process Yirgacheffe) prepared as they do in Sulawesi and Sumatra, resulting in full body with a honey-lemonade brightness. On the flip side....
Sulawesi Toarco Jaya Wet-Process is non-traditional, since most Sulawesi are nearly dry-processed. The result is a brighter, cleaner cup with floral aromatics, and lighter body, yet Indonesia roots come through with pine and other foresty notes.
Mexico Organic Nayarit Terruno: After all these exotic lots, a crisp, balanced cup like this lot can be welcoming!
El Salvador Las Ranas WP Decaf: A pulp-natural process decaf with great body and chocolate notes.
Nicaragua Dipilto WP Decaf: Dipilto coffees are bright, lighter body and laced with fruit and floral aspects.
Papua New Guinea Kimel WP Decaf: The first time we have offered a PNG decaf, and a great lot it is.

massive list of new november arrivals

It's another one of those massive arrivals of new crop lots, so here's the list:

Costa Rica La Horqueta "Top 50": A nuanced, delicate cup from the top 50 meter swath of this Costa Rica Estate

El Salvador Cup of Excellence -Bella Vista: This was the 9th place lot, and my personal #1; dense body, nutty, creamy, and some neat fruited aromatics.

El Salvador Cup of Excellence -Siberia: A very "Bourbon" type cup, balanced, chocolatey, dense body.

Brazil Cerrado Screen-Dried Moreninha Formosa: Arriving Monday, a full body, low-acid and chocolatey cup.

Peru FTO Cuzco -Ccochapampa Coop: Surprisingly complex, with floral-herbal hints, balanced brightness.

Ethiopia FTO Harar -Trabocca Oromia: Rustic Harar coffee with banana and mango fruit notes, good bittersweets.

Ethiopia Organic Yirgacheffe: A late-crop arrival, very fresh cup, with citrusy kumquat, floral notes and winey finish.

Kenya AA Nyeri -Ruarai Coop: Bright but not "twist-your-tongue-off" acidity, with rose-like floral notes and light body.

New Africa Arrivals

We have 2 new African lots. From a newer growing region near Harar, we have Ethiopia Organic Dry-Process Golocha, a fruited, low-acid cup with very thick body! It's a longberry type heirloom cultivar, full natural process, The area is still quite remote, and all coffee is brought to the mill via mule! And a new Main Crop Auction Lot Kenya (with the coincidental name of Oaklands) is very bright, yet sweet in the finish: Kenya Ruiru - Oaklands Estate Peaberry. Oaklands is a fairly large estate, and they submit many lots to the Auction. I have probably cupped about 20 lots this year, and they're always good but not great. This one is different, clean, citrusy bright, with caramel sweetness. Oh, also note that a small amount of Panama Lerida Estate Peaberry arrived, same lot as we had earlier but processed out of parchment recently at the Ruiz mill.

10th Anniversary Party

Hello one and all - Tom and I find it hard to believe but this fall the business is 10 years old! To mark the occasion we are throwing a small bash here at the warehouse. Nothing fancy - we will have some coffees brewed up and home brewed beer, maybe some special give-aways (like t-shirts or coffee), folks can try their hand at the South American coin tossing game called "sapo", and just to make sure that folks who wish to embarrass themselves have a chance to - a karaoke machine! Where: our warehouse located at 1115 21st Street, Oakland CA 94607 When: Friday October 26th, from 3pm to 6pm (or whenever we pull the plug on the karaoke machine) If you think you will stop in, please let us know so we can plan ahead. Please reply to maria@sweetmarias.com - Maria & Tom Malawi Catimor Cultivar