We have 2 new Brazils and a Costa Rica that just thinks it’s a Brazil! Of the later, this is current crop pulp natural coffee (called Honey coffee, or Miel in CR) just like Brazil style Pulp coffees, but with more brightness. It’s from a specific farm above the beautiful town of Santa Maria de Dota, Costa Rica Finca Toño Miel. From Brasil we welcome the return of 2 favorites. Brazil Daterra Farms Yellow Bourbon is from one of the most reknown fazendas in Brazil, innovators in all aspects (and even our special lot comes to us in vacuum bags to capture freshness). It’s as elegant as they come. On the other end of the spectrum, fruity and wild Brazil FTO Poço Fundo Coop is a full natural (dry-processed coffee), rustic and funky.
Monthly Archive for February, 2008
I posted a Costa Rica Micro Mill travelogue to the new/temporary Sweet Maria’s image gallery site. I went on a whirlwind tour of Costa Rica small mills, basically a big shopping trip, looking for new contacts and outstanding coffees. I felt like it was a 8 day trip, but it was only 4 … filled with cupping, farm and mill tours, hand shaking, back slapping, flim-flamming. Okay, not much of the later, but I can say for sure that the bar for quality has been raised, and there’s a whole new approach to coffee in Costa Rica that should give hope to those jaded by neutral cup quality from giant container load “Specialty Coffee.” The picture above is new coffee flower buds emerging for next years crop at Las Lajas, an organic farm in Alajuela/Poas area. -Tom
We were squirreling away a Panama lot for that window of time when new crop Centrals are a month or two away, and out selection starts to thin out. That time is now! Panama SHB Las Victorias is a Boquete region coffee, and cups clear and clean like the day it came in. We also have a superb E. Africa new crop arrival … Rwanda Gkongoro Nyarusiza is a mouthful to pronounce, and a superb bright coffee in the cup, with Mandarin orange citrus sweetness, cherry blossom aroma, and great balance. It is pure Bourbon cultivar too. On a totally unrelated note, I got meself one of these fancy new MacPro 8 core super computers, and sure it’s fast, but the keyboard is all amiss. I can’t make question marks, colons, exclamation points … how can I continue to post without my explanation points. All I can do is make … these … senseless … ellipses …
Do you put on one leather glove in order to make an espresso? I don’t. Do you polish the puck clockwise or counter-clockwise? Hmmm. Do you drink coffee with a silver-plated “cupping spoon?” I don’t either. Do you “break the coffee crust” by stirring 3 times to the bottom, or do you go 4 times just on the surface? Does brewed coffee extract or infuse? For how long? Do you argue with your other about whether your morning bowl of fruit loops has a hint of red apple, or green apple? If it’s red, are we talking Fuji, Braeburn, Red Delicious … and do the flavors “knit” well together.? How is the structure of flavors in those Fruit Loops? So 5 or 10 years from now will this look foolish, indulgent, grossly excessive, or will it be part of a ground-breaking new movement of “super-sensory” consumption? Will their be a Guild for everything? A separatist Machiatto Guild wants acknowledgement for their unique skills — they aren’t just your average “Baristi,” after all. How about that Biscotti Guild we were talking about forming? Will the janitors accept their same lousy pay if we pump up their esteem at the annual Mop & Bucket Guild Retreat? Just a few early morning thoughts. -Tom
I just returned from a week in India, my first time there. I edited down from 1350 pictures to a mere 302, and I give you my usual warning … 50% of them are not about coffee. Additionally, it’s all my opinion. I also wrote a little essay about the contrast in India between things delightful and appalling. I also picked up a lot of information in our meetings with the director of the Coffee Board of India, and the Central Coffee Research Station.
But here’s a link to the photos on the temp. site in our new format … or here’s the html link on our site, which loads a bit faster.
Ironically, I ate tons of incredible food and had no queasiness in India, but got totally sick on something in Amsterdam. Okay, maybe it was the raw meat hamburger I ate at the big soccer game I went to. Anyway, I have to get back into this time zone, and will be heading off to cup Costa Ricas in 7 days. -Tom
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