Alvin's of San Francisco - Blue Mountain Jamaica

Photo courtesy of Alvin's of San Francisco.

16 oz:Medium roast; Medium acidity; Medium body; Clean, fresh and floral aroma, with sweet hints and a caramel finish.

Known as one of the best coffees on the planet, Jamaican Blue Mountain is a fantastic and rare bean that comes from the high mountains in Jamaica. Usually grown at about 5,000 feet Blue Mountain is low in acidity and is roasted medium. It has a nice, medium body with mild and fruity undertones with subtle hints of caramel and spice.

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Victrola Coffee - El Salvador Finca Matalapa - Matalapitas

Photo courtesy Victrola Coffee. 

Facts 
Wet Mill: Beneficio el Paraiso 
Region: La Libertad 
Elevation: 1200-1350m 
Process: Washed 
Varietals: Bourbon/Pacas 
Producer: Vickie Ann Dalton de Diaz 

Tasting Notes 
Fragrance/Aroma: Cinnamon, Hazelnut, Cereal Grains 
Flavor: Hazelnut, chocolate, hints of citrus 
Body: Meduim 
Finish: Cocoa 
Acidity: Mellow 

Victrola’s El Salvador Finca Matalapa is a classic estate coffee. It has a complete independent mill to service the farm; from the tree to washed processing, patio drying, hulling and preparation, and finally to packaging the coffee. All procedures are completed onsite. 

Finca Matalapa is in the Libertad area, not far from the capital of San Salvador, on a west-facing slope ranging from 1200 meters up to 1350 meters. The 120 Hectare estate was founded in the late 1800s by producer Vickie Ann Dalton de Diaz’s great grandmother, Fidelia Lima. Today, Vickie maintains 14 acres of virgin tropical forest and keeps her coffee plants shaded with over forty varieties of larger trees. 

The term ‘Matalapitas’ refers to the small bean size of the lot. Despite its petite size, this coffee brews a pleasing and mellow cup, the sort you want to enjoy every morning. The dry fragrance has a sweetness carrying nuts, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and a very slight citrus. You’ll find caramel and hazelnut in the wet aroma and the cup itself is nutty, mellowing into flavors of cereal grains and cocoa with a slight green pepper in the background.

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Coffee Science Project

Many thanks to the Science Friday crew for this entertaining look at brewing coffee at home.

Beansmith Coffee - Tanzania Peaberry

Photo courtesy of Beansmith Coffee. 

Peaberry is one of those coffee words that everyone knows, but a surprising number of people don't understand. It's pretty simple really. Coffee beans usually come in pairs inside their cherry, but sometimes there's only one bean and it soaks up all the lovely flavor from the cherry for itself and that's a peaberry. 

While peaberries occur naturally, they don't end up all in one lot naturally. The discerning eyes of sorters must spot the smaller, rounder beans and pick them out by hand. The intense extra work for a 100% peaberry lot definitely shows up in the cup. The clean, sweet flavors of this coffee from Tanzania are a direct result of of it being a full-on peaberry lot. Enjoy! (We sure do.)

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Klatch Coffee - El Salvador Las Mercedes Pepinal 1

Photo courtesy of Klatch Coffee. 

Our 2013 crop of Pepinal 1 from Las Mercedes has finally arrived! Las Mercedes never fails to provide us with a complete multidimensional coffee from start to finish. Pepinal 1 conveys a sweet tangerine aroma with caramel and subtle floral notes. The flowers become more pronounced in the cup, offering a bright acidity, round body and a substantial and intense fruity flavor. It's creamy with hints of cherry, plum, peach, honey and chocolate. Lot Pepinal 1 placed 1st in 2006 El Salvador Cup of Excellence auction with a record 94 points. 

What drew Klatch Coffee to Las Mercedes was great coffee, but what we fell in love with was the people, the process, and their passion to make the coffee so great. It begins with hand picking only ripe mature cherries, and then subjecting them to intense screening before depulping to eliminate twigs, leaves and other foreign material. At the wet mill the cherries are received into ceramic tiled ditches, washed with fresh collected rainwater from their own tanks and immediately fed into a pulper, which consists of rotating disks or cylinders, each one fitted with adjustable knives. These are designed to separate the bean from the flesh of the fruit while leaving each bean intact in its parchment envelope. They then dry the coffee on clay patios to ensure even drying. 

The same care and consideration invested in the coffee is invested into the Las Mercedes community. The Ortiz Family has always been devoted to taking care of those who have helped in their success, by providing clothing, food and health care. In addition, Las Mercedes is constantly making efforts to preserve natural wild life by taking special care of the disposal of by-products from the mill in order to avoid contamination also, in compliance with our certifications, chemicals and pesticides are carefully stored and managed by trained personnel, avoiding intoxication and contamination. In the last years, a great effort has been made in planting native trees to preserve these species. 

Finca Las Mercedes is a beautiful coffee farm with dedicated owners who care for their community, their workers, the environment and, nonetheless, seek to provided specialty coffee. We are proud to offer this limited Direct Trade coffee that is also Rainforest Alliance Certified. As part of our Direct Trade contract, 25 cents of every pound is given back to fund community sports programs and Los Ortiz medical clinic. To read more about Los Ortiz medical clinic please visit cafelasmercedes.com/dispensary.asp. 

REGION: Cerro El Tigre 
VARIETAL: Bourbon 
FARM: Las Mercedes 
ALTITUDE: 1560 M 
FARMER: Ortiz Barriere 
ROAST: Medium Light 
NOTES: 92 points by Coffee Review

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Rusty's Hawaiian Coffee - Ka'u Classic Medium Roast

Photo courtesy of Rusty's Hawaiian Coffee

For us, the Classic Medium Roast is the quintessential Ka'u coffee: bright, yet balanced and elegant, with notes of lime and brown-sugar sweetness. We're not the only ones who like it. 

This coffee scored 92 points in Coffee Review, tying for the top score in a cupping of Hawaiian and Caribbean coffees in March 2010. 

From Coffee Review: "Very sweet, complex coffee. In the aroma molasses, milk chocolate, aromatic wood, sweet tomato. In the cup rich acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel, almost sugary sweetness, with continued notes of molasses, chocolate, and a richly tart tomato. Clean, long finish." 

Our Classic Medium Roast features Typica, the most common coffee variety in Hawaii. When grown in the rich soil and cool climate of the Mauna Loa volcano's southern slope, these beans take on characteristics of the Big Island's Ka'u District. 

Awards and Recognitions: 
92 points in Coffee Review. 
Tied for the top score in a review of Hawaiian and Caribbean coffees, March 2010 

Taste: Brown sugar, with citrus and floral notes 
Roast: Medium 
Varieties and Processing Methods: Typica, washed and sun dried 
Altitude: 1600-2100 feet (500-650 meters)

Coffee's Forgotten Home

Great video from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in the UK discussing the effect of climate change on coffee and what is being done to preserve our favorite beverage.  

Ethiopian Kochere Grade 1 (Natural) - Klatch Coffee

Photo courtesy of Klatch Coffee. 

Ethiopian Kochere Grade.1 (Natural): Yes, a Grade 1 Natural! Hands down, the cleanest and best Ethiopian Natural I have ever tried. The sorting and hand labor prove themselves in the cup. On the nose, we get a combination of flowers and mixed fruit. In the cup, all that and more. The most prominent fruit is strawberry, both a strawberry cream and cobbler. To that we also get rose tea, cascara, blackberry custard, mascarpone cheesecake, and dried apricots. While cupping with a group of coffee enthusiasts, one cupper said it reminded him of our Don Pache Natural Geisha. Now that's something to klatch about. 

Ethiopia Kochere: While traveling in East Africa earlier this year and attending the African Fine Coffee Association in Uganda, the best coffee I cupped from Kenya or Uganda came from Ethiopia. It was here under a tent outside in the rain that I first tasted the best Ethiopian washed I had cupped in years and my first Gr 1 Natural, that's right..... a Gr 1 Natural. The washed was a true traditional but ultra clean washed Yirgacheffe with tons of floral notes. Everything you hope for and rarely find. The Natural on the other had was a mind blower. This is the cleanest Natural I have ever tasted. In asking questions, I found both (the washed and natural) started with only ripe fruit, something we take for granted in some countries but are still educating those in Ethiopia. For this, the farmers (mostly all very small land holders or garden farmers who maybe have one bag of cherry) are paid a premium. Next, the cherry is sorted by hand and processed as either washed or natural. Both receive special preparation of screening, sorting, and even more hand sorting. These are both labor intensive and the proof is in the cup......so clean. 

The growing conditions, elevation, and terrior in Yirgecheffe produce a great flavor, the picking and processing provide only the best of them. Most often coffee from Ethiopia is evaluated with Gr 1 being the best. Typically the best washed coffees are Gr 1 or Gr 2. Natural processed coffee does not look as clean as its washed counterpart and used to begin at Gr 3 to Gr 5. Last year some buyers from Japan wanted a cleaner and better natural bean so they convinced our partner in Ethiopia to screen and sort the best natural processed coffee to that of Gr 1 and the result was our Gr 1 Natural Kochere. Call it timing, luck or hard work, we were able to find this special prep and even cup the various lots to get only the best of the best for our customers here at Klatch. Try for yourself and see what the best Gr 1 Kochere has to offer. 

REGION: Yirgacheffe 
VARIETAL: Heirloom 
FARM: District Zonegediyo, District Irgacheffe 
ALTITUDE: 1800-2000 M 
FARMER: Various 
ROAST: Medium 
NOTES: Natural

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Ethiopian Kochere Grade 1 Special Prep (Washed) - Klatch Coffee

Photo courtesy Klatch Coffee. 

Ethiopian Kochere Grade.1 Washed: Super floral with sweet honeysuckle on the nose. In the cup more floral, jasmine, even cascara (dried coffee cherry) plus pomegranate, lemon zest and lime citrus. The best washed processed coffee from Yirgacheffe I have cupped in years! 

Ethiopia Kochere: While traveling in East Africa earlier this year and attending the African Fine Coffee Association in Uganda, the best coffee I cupped from Kenya or Uganda came from Ethiopia. It was here under a tent outside in the rain that I first tasted the best Ethiopian washed I had cupped in years and my first Gr 1 Natural, that's right..... a Gr 1 Natural. The washed was a true traditional but ultra clean washed Yirgacheffe with tons of floral notes. Everything you hope for and rarely find. The Natural on the other had was a mind blower. This is the cleanest Natural I have ever tasted. In asking questions, I found both (the washed and natural) started with only ripe fruit, something we take for granted in some countries but are still educating those in Ethiopia. For this, the farmers (mostly all very small land holders or garden farmers who maybe have one bag of cherry) are paid a premium. Next, the cherry is sorted by hand and processed as either washed or natural. Both receive special preparation of screening, sorting, and even more hand sorting. These are both labor intensive and the proof is in the cup......so clean. 

The growing conditions, elevation, and terrior in Yirgecheffe produce a great flavor, the picking and processing provide only the best of them. Most often coffee from Ethiopia is evaluated with Gr 1 being the best. Typically the best washed coffees are Gr 1 or Gr 2. Natural processed coffee does not look as clean as its washed counterpart and used to begin at Gr 3 to Gr 5. Last year some buyers from Japan wanted a cleaner and better natural bean so they convinced our partner in Ethiopia to screen and sort the best natural processed coffee to that of Gr 1 and the result was our Gr 1 Natural Kochere. Call it timing, luck or hard work, we were able to find this special prep and even cup the various lots to get only the best of the best for our customers here at Klatch. Try for yourself and see what the best Gr 1 Kochere has to offer. 

REGION: Yirgacheffe 
VARIETAL: Heirloom 
FARM: District Zonegediyo, District Irgacheffe 
ALTITUDE: 1800-2000 M 
FARMER: Various 
ROAST: Medium 
NOTES: Washed

Click here to purchase this coffee. 

Colombia Huila Jose Nolvis Rodriguez Finca El Mirador - Victrola Coffee

Photo courtesy Victrola Coffee.

Facts
Farm:  Mirador
Town:  Alto de los Pinos
Region: Pitalito, Huila
Elevation: 5250 ft
Process: Washed, Sun Dried
Varietals: Caturra
Producer: Jose Nolvis Rodriguez

Tasting Notes
Fragrance/Aroma: Chocolate, molasses, spice
Flavor: cocoa, sour cherry, floral
Body: Medium, Creamy
Finish: Cacao

Pour Over Parameters: Coffee: 17.5g Water: 300g

Roaster's Notes
We are grateful for the opportunity to offer another exceptional micro lot from the Huila department of Colombia.  Producer Jose Nolvis Rodriguez consistently offers high quality, meticulously processed coffee, which earned 7th at the Colombian Cup of Excellence in 2011. 

Coffee from Finca El Mirador is washed processed and sun dried, as is traditional Huila.
However, Mr. Rodriguez employs distinct techniques to ensure high quality, including a pre-wash 12 hours into the 24 hour fermentation period before washing the coffee and a 3 day pre-drying phase  before the coffees are moves to another drying bed where they receive more intense heat.  

In the final stage before coffee is packaged for export, it is put through a sieve so that any small imperfections can be sorted out. The result of this meticulous processing is an exceptionally balanced coffee with a luxurious mouthfeel, cocoa and spice aromatically, with cocoa, cream and slight hints of sour cherry in the cup.

Here is a great video of Sr Rodriguez talking about his experience with COE and what makes his coffee so unique.

Panama Elida Natural - Klatch Coffee

Photo courtesy of Klatch Coffee. 

Klatch welcomes back the Elida Natural! Producer Wilford Lamastus created this lot especially for Klatch Coffee, giving the whole Klatch team and all coffee lovers something to be excited about. The Elida Natural offers pure flavors of light rum with touches of fruit; strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and tones of orange and chocolate. A great body, sweet acidity and well balance. Ken Davids of Coffee Review previously scored Klatch Elida Natural 93 points. 

More than half of this farm is located in the Volcan Baru National Park, a protected ecological reserve and sanctuary for exotic plants, birds and mammals such as the tropical tiger. The Baru volcano is one of the highest volcanoes in Central America and covers 7 different climate zones. The coffee is only grown up to 1,850 meters, the highest elevation to grow coffee in Panama. 

There are several local conditions that set this coffee apart from others. The farm is located at a very high elevation, one of the two highest coffee farms in Panama. It is grown in rich, volcanic soil with a cool climate and a significant amount of fog and mist during the dry season. The coffee trees are surrounded by virgin-native cloudy rain forest, and because of the cool temperatures at night, it takes 2 to 3 years longer than the average coffee tree before these trees begin to produce. The low temperatures also contribute to an extended ripening time by 1 month, creating a more developed coffee bean. 

93 Points scored by Ken Davids from Coffee Review (2012) 

Blind Assessment: Impressively rich, deep, savory-sweet; dark chocolate, dusk flowers, honey, berry in aroma and cup. Comfortably backgrounded acidity; full, almost chewy mouthfeel. Chocolate in particular carries into a long, resonant finish. 
Notes: This is a dry-processed or "natural" coffee, meaning the beans were dried inside the fruit rather than after the fruit has been removed, as is the case with wet-processed or "washed" coffees. The Lamastus family’s Elida Estate averages the highest growing elevations in Panama: 5,500 to 8,200 feet (1,700 to 2,500 meters). 
Who Should Drink It: The style of coffee we used to call “after-dinner” coffee, meaning a rich, full-bodied, deeply complex coffee with acidity pushed to the background. 

REGION: Alto Quiel 
VARIETAL: Catuai 
FARM: Elida Estate 
ALTITUDE: 1750 M 
FARMER: Lamastus Family 
ROAST: Medium Light 
NOTES: 93 Points from Coffee Review (2012)

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Equinox Blend - Coffea Roasterie

Photo courtesy Coffea Roasterie. 

Tasting Notes: Sweet flowers and lime aroma with a juicy, blueberry jam body.

About This Coffee: We really wanted to make a blend that would capture the summer spirit. This combination of Ethiopian coffees really reminds us of a warm summer afternoon. It brings a wonderful combination of fruit, flowers, and delicate acidity. It won't be here long, so grab some now. 

Region(s): Yigacheffe, Ethiopia 
Varietal: Various Heirloom 
Process: Washed and Dry process 
Elevation: 1800-2000 masl

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