Case Coffee - Epiphany House Blend

 

Case Coffee Roasters - Epiphany House Blend

You will never forget the day you have your coffee epiphany. Our house blend is an homage to that fantastic moment. As espresso, it works magic alone or with milk. Brewed up, it is balanced and full-bodied, bursting with chocolate, cashew, and citrus sweetness. Currently, your coffee Epiphany is made up of 40-percent Guatemala Limonar and 60-percent Brazil Serra.

BREWING 
For espresso, we suggest 20g coffee per 30g liquid weight. 199 degrees F. All brewing methods will do the trick.

Now available at www.emerycoffee.com

Passion House Coffee - Guatemala El Limonar

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Klatch Coffee - Guatemala Huehuetenango

Photo courtesy of Klatch Coffee.

Our new Huehuetenango (way-way-tenango) offers bright tropical medley of sweet papaya, lemon and mango on the nose that transcends into a clean apricot and brown sugar, sweet almond and cherry in the cup. 

This coffee comes from El Mirador Finca El Rincon in La Libertad, Huehuehtenango, which is managed by the Molina family. The coffee is grown between 1,550 and 1,700 meters above sea level, and the varietals include Bourbon and Caturra. 

Huehuetenango is a city and a municipality in the highlands of western Guatemala. It is also the capital of the department of Huehuetenango. The municipality's population was over 81,000 people in 2002. The city is located 269 km from Guatemala City, and is the last departmental capital on the Pan-American Highway before reaching the Mexican border at La Mesilla. 


91 POINTS FROM COFFEE REVIEW 

Blind Assessment: Balanced; soft but lively. Honey, night-blooming flowers, black cherry, crisp roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart, lively acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Deep, juicy finish. 

Notes:Produced from trees of the Caturra and the heirloom Bourbon varieties of Arabica. Huehuetenango is a particularly admired Guatemala growing region. 

Who Should Drink It: A fine exemplar of the gently balanced, quietly seductive, Bourbon-influenced style of Guatemala. 

REGION: Huehuetenango 
VARIETAL: Bourbon + Caturra 
FARM: Finca El Rincon 
ALTITUDE: 1200-1800 M 
FARMER: Molina Family 
ROAST: Medium 
NOTES: Micro-Lot, Washed process

Click here to purchase this coffee.

Coffea Roasterie - Guatemala Finca La Esperanza

Photo courtesy of Coffea Roasterie. 

La Esperanza Pacamara comes from farms of the Villaure family, which produces consistent, award winning coffees. This particular lot of pacamara took seventh place in the 2012 Cup of Excellence, proving once again, the dedication of the Villaure family to produce quality coffee. We were lucky enough to receive some La Esperanza in a direct trade. 

This coffee brings a very well rounded body with complex brightness. Aromas of brown sugar and vanilla cut through and a clean, sparkling, raspberry sweetness gives way to a well balanced, silky body. This is a coffee you don't want to miss. 

Region: La Libertad, Huehuetenango, Guatemala 
Varietal: Pacamara 
Process: Fully Washed 
Altitude: 1650 masl

Click here to purchase this coffee.

Coffee Dilemma in Central America

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons/Smartse. 

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Although rust is typically known as a reddish-brown flaky coating that forms on iron and other metals, coffee (or coffee leaves to be more accurate) can also "rust." Coffee leaf rust is so called because it leaves yellow and reddish spots on the foliage that resemble rust. It is an obligate parasitic fungus known scientifically as Hemileia vastatrix. 

Hemileia vastatrix must take energy and nutrients from a live host (coffee) in order to survive and reproduce. The most susceptible variety to the fungus is Coffea arabica, from which all specialty coffee is produced. 

The fungus, also called roya, has spread so widely that Guatemala declared a state of emergency earlier this year. Up to 40 percent of the Guatemalan crop may be lost this season, with Costa Rica losing between 30 to 40 percent. El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua are also in crisis. There are areas where plants have lost so much foliage the farmers will have to remove the dying coffee trees and replant. This will affect production levels for years to come. 

What is it like when roya attacks a coffee tree? When you have a healthy tree the plant will focus on the beans once they start developing. But when roya attacks the plant its attention turns to creating new leaves to replace those being destroyed. As a matter of survival photosynthesis takes priority over the beans and the nutrients they need to mature. Instead of ripe red coffee cherries, you see many green beans that never ripen or, even worse, dry branches and beans because of the anthracnose that accompanies roya. 

Roya is not a new problem. It was first reported in Kenya in 1861. In the mid-to-late 19th century it destroyed more than 90 percent of the coffee crops in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). The resulting collapse of the coffee industry in the area caused farmers started looking for alternate crops such as tea. This is one of the reasons for the popularity of tea in England today. According to the ICO (International Coffee Organization), the current epidemic is the worst since 1976 when it first appeared in Central America. 

The good news is the fungus has not mutated, meaning it is the same fungus that was controlled in the past and that leaves hope for the farmers. Local governments are providing assistance to affected farms with financial aid and fungicides. Among those who are contributing funds and services to the fight are: Fair Trade USA, Starbucks, the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, and many others. 

While the coffee leaf rust fungus is not the end of the ever loving coffee world, it is causing quite a bit of concern, and with good cause. Coffee exports are a significant portion of revenue for these nations. We need continued research into ways to combat leaf rust for it is the farmers who suffer the most. The top echelon coffees are going to be impacted by roya this year more than ever before. There will continue to be excellent high-quality beans to fill your cup, only fewer of them.

For more information click on the following links:
CBC News
Daily Coffee News

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