Welcome the the wayback window of Sweet Maria’s green coffee bean reviews! Want to read green coffee reviews from 2003?
This is how we used to publish our review archives, and just for the heck of it, we like to keep our old stuff online … you know, the dustbin of history and all that. Likely none of the links work or the images show up. But old web sites are like other old things: stuff breaks. So here it is, our Coffee Review Archive:
| 2003-2004 Sweet Maria’s Coffee CuppingCupping is a method of tasting coffee by steeping grounds in separate cups for discrete amounts of ground coffee, to reveal good flavors and defects to their fullest.... Reviews Archive: T – Z |
| TanzaniaIn terms of the Tanzania coffee character, it belongs to the Central/East African family of washed (wet-processed) coffees, bright (acidy), and mostly aggressively flavorful of which Kenya is... |
| Tanzanian AA Songea Flatbean | ||||||
| Country: | Tanzania | Grade: | AA | Region: | Southern – Songea/Ruvuma | Mark: Milimani |
| ProcessingThe removal of the cherry and parchment from the coffee seed.: Coffee is either wet-processed (also called washed or wet-milled) or dry-processed (also called wild, natural or natural...: | Wet-processed | Crop: | Feb 2004 Arrival | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 18 Screen | Varietal: not known |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.4 | Notes: It’s good to have a little background information on Tanzanian coffees; A good Tanzanian coffee from the North can be a treat, but many lots that arrive in the U.S. never had a chance. The Northern coffees are grown near KenyaKenya is the East African powerhouse of the coffee world. Both in the cup, and the way they run their trade, everything is topnotch.: Kenya is the East... (Mt. Kilimanjaro) and bear that out in the cup: more acidityAcidity is a positive flavor attribute in coffee, also referred to as brightness or liveliness. It adds a brilliance to the cup, whereas low acid coffees can seem..., lighter bodyAssociated with and sensed by mouthfeel, body is sense of weight and thickness of the brew, caused by the percentage of soluble solids in the cup, including all.... But the Southern district coffees from the mountains of the northeast rim of Lake Malawi are full bodied, have milder acidity, and extremely long in the aftertasteAftertaste refers to lingering residual sensations in the mouth after coffee has swallowed. It might be distinguished from "finish" which is the final sensations of the coffee while.... The problem with Tanzanian PeaberryA peaberry is a green coffee "bean" that has a rounded form: Coffee is the dried seed from the fruit of a flowering tree - each fruit having... has less to do with where it is from and the original cup quality it possesses. Poor cup character is the result of poor transporation routes to port, and while at port the shipping container that is delayed from leaving the country can bake the coffee in the humid, blistering sun …not good. So even a good Tanzanian coffee can go bad en route. The result are harsh, baggyThe flavor of coffee that has been stored for too long, it has absorbed the flavor of whatever it has been stored in. : Coffees that are held... flavors in the cup. This flatbean coffee shows none of that, and is a sweet coffee without much of the characteristic East African hideyA rustic smell or flavor of animal hides, similar to leathery.: This descriptor is somewhat reminiscent of the smell of animal hides, similar to leathery. It is not... character. What amazed me is I cupped this with a table of 17 Auction Lot Kenyas (the powerhouse E. African coffee) and it was my favorite. What struck me was this very aromatic Dutch cocoa quality in the cup, which really came out alongside some very citrusyQualities in coffee that are reminiscent of a citrus fruit; orange, lemon, grapefruit, kumquat, etc.: Qualities in coffee that are reminiscent of a citrus fruit; orange, lemon, grapefruit,..., acidic Kenyas. It has vanillaVanilla notes in coffee are often related to caramelization notes, as butter and vanilla can be found in flavors and aromatics of roast reactions from reducing of sugars. hints, moderate brightnessA euphemistic term we use often to describe acidity in coffee. A bright coffee has more high, acidic notes. : A euphemistic term to describe acidity in coffee.... and a lighter body than last years crop. There are floralFloral notes in coffee exemplify the connection between taste and smell. Describing the taste of a specific flower is near impossible...we always default to “it tastes like it... (rose) armoas as it cools to, and the chocolateA general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of chocolate. But what type? Usually described with more specifics.: Chocolate is a broad, general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of... -vanilla quality remains lively and soft (not bittersweetBittersweet is from the language of chocolate, and describes the co-presence of positive bittering compounds balanced by sweetness. It is directly related to caramelization, but has inputs from... or harsh). | ||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.6 | |||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.5 | |||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 9.0 | |||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.0 | |||||
| FinishSimilar to aftertaste, but it refers to the impression as the coffee leaves the palate. Aftertaste is the sensations gathered after the coffee has left the mouth. We... – Aftertaste (1-10) | 9.0 | |||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0.0 | Roast: City to Full City or more- develops intense pungency at Vienna roastVienna roast occurs at the beginning of second crack. The Vienna stage is where you begin to find origin character eclipsed by roast character.: Vienna roast occurs at.... I prefer it at City + where it is a sweeter and more nuanced cup, but can definitely take a dark roast. | ||||
| add 50 | 50 | Compare to: A more delicate and subtle Kenya. | ||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 87.0 | IntensityWe have a simple scale to rate intensity in our coffee reviews, from Mild to Bold. Low intensity does not mean low quality!: We have a simple scale.../Prime Attribute: Mild to Medium / clean and lively cup | ||||
| Tanzanian Southern PeaberryThe Spanish-language term for Peaberry is the same for "snail". See Peaberry for more information on the single bean fruit of the coffee tree. A peaberry is the... -New 2003 Crop! | |||||||
| Country: | Tanzania | Grade: | PB- Peaberry | Region: | Ruvuma -South -Songea | Mark: | Lot 3974 |
| Processing: | Wet-processed | Crop: | 2003 | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 17 Screen | Varietal: | Nyara TypicaA coffee cultivar; a cross between Typica and Bourbon, originally grown in Brazil: Mundo Novo is a commercial coffee cultivar; a natural hybrid between "Sumatra" and Red Bourbon,... |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.5 | Notes: It’s good to have a little background information on Tanzanian coffees; A good Tanzanian coffee from the North can be a treat, but many lots that arrive in the U.S. never had a chance. The Northern coffees are grown near Kenya (Mt. Kilimanjaro) and bear that out in the cup: more acidity, lighter body. But the Southern district coffees from the mountains of the northeast rim of Lake Malawi are full bodied, have milder acidity, and extremely long in the aftertaste. The problem with Tanzanian Peaberry has less to do with where it is from and the original cup quality it possesses. Poor cup character is the result of poor transporation routes to port, and while at port the shipping container that is delayed from leaving the country can bake the coffee in the humid, blistering sun …not good. So even a good Tanzanian coffee can go bad en route. The result are harsh, baggy flavors in the cup. The Ruvumas show none of that, and this Peaberry has a great combination of strong character with balanceSuggests a harmony and proportion of qualities, and implies mildness since no one quality dominates.: Balance is both an obvious and slippery taste term. It implies a harmony.... It has more body than the Northern peaberry, lighter acidity, a twist of East Africa wildness (part hidey, part rooty), and a long aftertaste. This 2003 lot we have now is the best Tanzanian coffee I have ever cupped! It is a deep, complexThe co-presence of many aroma and flavor attributes, with multiple layers. A general impression of a coffee, similar to judgments such as "balanced" or "structured" array of flavors with an apricot brandy fruitiness and almond oil finish, which turns to a sweet jasmineA very positive and intensely floral quality in coffee, usually with a strong aromatic component, reminiscent of jasmine flower or tea. There are many forms of jasmine; the... as the cup cools. |  |
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| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.5 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.5 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 9.0 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.0 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 9.0 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0.0 | Roast: Full City or more- develops intense pungency at Vienna roast. Remenber that Peaberry tends to roast faster than corresponding “flat bean” coffee. It’s easy to overroast the peaberry -not a bad thing since the cup turns attractively pungentRefers to an aggressive, intense aroma or flavor, often related to spices (pepper) or roast tastes. Pungent foods are often called "spicy", meaning a sharp or biting character,.... But you will miss out on some of the flavors I describe above. | |||||
| add 50 | 50 | Compare to: Kenya Peaberry we had last year, more character than current ZimbabweZimbabwe, formerly known as lower Rhodesia until independence in 1980, has produced great coffee since production was introduced in the 1960s. Like Zambian coffees, these coffees are often... samples | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 87.0 | ||||||
| Tanzanian Southern Peaberry | |||||||
| Country: | Tanzania | Grade: | PB- Peaberry | Region: | Ruvuma -South -Songea | Mark: | – |
| Processing: | Wet-processed | Crop: | 01/’02 | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 17 Screen | Varietal: | Nyara Typica |
| Dry FragranceIn the cupping procedure for tasting and scoring coffee, this is the smell of the dry, ground coffee before hot water is added. The term fragrance is used...: | 83 | Notes: It’s good to have a little background information on Tanzanian coffees; A good Tanzanian coffee from the North can be a treat, but many lots that arrive in the U.S. never had a chance. The Northern coffees are grown near Kenya (Mt. Kilimanjaro) and bear that out in the cup: more acidity, lighter body. But the Southern district coffees from the mountains of the northeast rim of Lake Malawi are full bodied, have milder acidity, and extremely long in the aftertaste. The problem with Tanzanian Peaberry has less to do with where it is from and the original cup quality it possesses. Poor cup character is the result of poor transporation routes to port, and while at port the shipping container that is delayed from leaving the country can bake the coffee in the humid, blistering sun …not good. So even a good Tanzanian coffee can go bad en route. The result are harsh, baggy flavors in the cup. The Ruvumas show none of that, and this Peaberry has a great combination of strong character with balance. It has more body than the Northern peaberry, lighter acidity, a twist of East Africa wildness (part hidey, part rooty), and a long aftertaste. | |||||
| Wet AromaIn cupping, wet aroma refers to the smell of wet coffee grinds, after hot water is added. It can involve smelling the "crust" (floating coffee grounds) on the...: | 84 | ||||||
| Brightness- LivelinessAnother euphemistic term to describe acidity in coffee. A lively coffee has more high, acidic notes. Not to be confused with the brighter roast flavors of light roast...: | 85 | ||||||
| Body- Movement: | 87 | ||||||
| Flavor- Depth: | 85 | Roast: Full City or more- develops intense pungency at Vienna roast. Remenber that Peaberry tends to roast faster than corresponding “flat bean” coffee | |||||
| Finish- Conclusion: | 85 | ||||||
| Score: | 84.8 | Compare to: ZambiaFrom the country formerly known as upper Rhodesia in a country now named for the Zambezi River, Zambian coffees range from Kenya-like brightness to subtle, balanced coffee with..., Zimbabwe or Kenya Peaberry we had last year. | |||||
| Tanzanian AAA Ruvuma ’02 | |||||||
| Country: | Tanzania | Grade: | AAA | Region: | Ruvuma (Southern Tanzania – Songea) | Mark: | None |
| Processing: | Wet-processed | Crop: | 02 | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 18+ screen | Varietal: | Nyara Typica |
| Dry Fragrance: | 85 | Notes: New 2002 crop Ruvuma has come in very nice, and I cupped them against all the available Zambian and Zimbabwe samples (including the disappointing -average cup of the Zimbabwe Pinnacle.) The Ruvuma AAA beat them all hands down, and it is also a little less wild than its mate, the Southern Peaberry. We received samples of coffees from the north and south of the country this year and the character to be very different. I think they are both uniquely outstanding. The Northern coffees are grown near Kenya and bear that out in the cup: more acidity, lighter body. But the Southern district coffees from Ruvuma are full bodied, have milder acidity, and extremely long in the aftertaste. It is milder in a way, not a powerhouse … but an extgremely seductive cup! The aromatics are great, and theres just a bit of that East African wildness, found in good Zimbabwe, to keep things interesting. The preparationPreparation refers to the dry-milling steps of preparing coffee for export: hulling, grading, classifying, sorting.: Preparation refers to the dry-milling steps of preparing coffee for export: hulling, grading,... is excellent and this is a larger screen (size) seed. It has a very attractive aromaAroma refers to sensations perceived by the olfactory bulb and conveyed to the brain; whether through the nose or "retro-nasally": The aromatics of a coffee greatly influence its...; sweet and laced with spice. In the immediate aftertaste there is a turpeny – pineyA slightly resinous pine sap flavor, unusual but attractive in some cases. flavor that is both unique and very attractive. To maximize the above qualities you will need to stay out of the second crackAfter First Crack, a roast reaction around 440 to 450 degrees that is distinguished by a snapping sound. Second Crack is the second audible clue the roaster-operator receives... in roasting; a true City roastCity roast is what we define as the earliest palatable stage that the roast process can be stopped and result in good quality coffee. City roast occurs roughly... is what you want. But it also develops a very attractive, aromatic, sharply pungent roast tasteThe set of flavors that result from the degree-of-roast.: Roast Taste is a term we started to distinguish it from "Origin Flavor". We use the "roast taste" term... in a darker roast. | |||||
| Wet Aroma: | 85 | ||||||
| Brightness- Liveliness: | 84 | ||||||
| Body- Movement: | 87 | ||||||
| Flavor- Depth: | 87 | Roast: City: See note above about dark roast qualities | |||||
| Finish- Conclusion: | 84 | ||||||
| Score: | 85.8 | Compare to: Lighter-acidity Kenyas, but more balance than their northern friends. | |||||
| TimorTimor-Leste (East Timor) is a tiny island between Australia and Sulawesi, annexed by Indonesia and liberated in a referendum several years ago. Small scale coffee farming was jump-started... |
| Timor OrganicGrown without the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, etc.: Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming techniques, typically without the use of artificial fertilizers. Some farms.../Fair Trade Maubesse | |||||||
| Country: | East Timor | Grade: | 1 | Region: | Maubesse | Mark: | SKAL/FT certified co-op |
| Processing: | Wet-processed | Crop: | Late Dec 2003 arrival | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen | Varietal: | SumatraIndonesians are available as a unique wet-hulled or dry-hulled (washed) coffees. Giling Basah is the name for the wet-hulling process in Bahasa language, and will have more body... Typica Varietal |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.2 | Notes: After gaining political independence from IndonesiaUSDA is (obviously) the United States Department of Agriculture. USDA also had coffee plant breeding programs in the past and one variety they distributed to Indonesia and was..., Timor still has a long way to go … it’s a rough place. Many institutions are not self-sufficient and the economy has few bright spots. And coffee is one of them. Timor has 2 major regions producing coffee: Maubesse is higher-altitude terrain than Aifu region. I like them both. Maubesse is a little brighter so most brokers / cuppers prefer it over the Aifu, but if you selectively buy from the best lots the Aifu can be every bit as good. Early in the crop cycle the Aifu cups best, and later on the Maubesse is a little better. And of course that’s why you will see us stock Aifu early in the new cropRefers to fresh shipments of green coffee within the first month or two of the earliest arrivals ... not quite the same as Current Crop, which means the... and the Maubesse later. Quality is definitely up this year, and the beautiful jade-colored green coffeeGreen coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,... is evidence of this. The cooperative mills that are the source for our Organic coffee have invested in new facilities, new wet-milling equipment, and improved standards of receiving and sortingCoffee is sorted by size, density, and color in its preparation for export.: Sorting refers to several steps performed in the preparation of coffee for export. Coffee is... only red, ripe cherryEither a flavor in the coffee, or referring to the fruit of the coffee tree, which somewhat resembles a red cherry.: Either a flavor in the coffee, or.... This is a quintessential crowd-pleasing coffee, what I used to think of in the coffeehouse business as “good house coffee”, a crowd-pleaser …because everyone will enjoy it. It has an initial hint of its Indonesian roots, just a touch of pleasant woody-mushroomy flavor (it’s a good flavor, trust me!), nested in a low-acid cup profile with a thick heavy mouthfeelHow a coffee feels in the mouth or its apparent texture, a tactile sensation : A major component in the flavor profile of a coffee, it is a.... As it cools, hints of cocoa and vanilla emerge in the background. It’s a good solid cup. There were a lot of nice lots to chose from this year, and I cupped them carefully, deciding on this fair tradeFair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability.: Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach... certified lot because of it’s heavier body, and subtle flavors in the aftertaste. | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.3 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 8.5 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.5 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8.5 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0 | Roast: City+City+ roast is an ideal roast level that occurs roughly between 425 and 435 degrees Fahrenheit in many coffee roasters with a responsive bean probe where First Crack... through Full City+: You can roast this to a true City and get a great cup with more top end flavors, but let it rest 2 days or so after roasting. It is good as a dark roast too but lacks distinction. | |||||
| Add 50 | 50 | Compare to: JavaThere are several types of Abyssinia variety coffee, but they are not from Ethiopia but rather Indonesia. Abyssinia 3 = AB3. PJS Cramer, a Dutch plant researcher, introduced this variety...: a full-bodied, clean, low acid cup. | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 85 | Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium / balance | |||||
| Timor WP Decaf | |||||||
| Country: | Timor | Grade: | One | Region: | Maubesse | Mark: | Cooperetive Café Timor |
| Processing: | Wet-processed | Crop: | Feb 2004 arrival | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen | Varietal: | Timor Typica |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.3 | Notes: It’s really an “up” year for Timor Maubesse – the quality is extremely high overall. I cupped quite a few lots and found a couple to be a tad better than the pack, but the difference was almost academic. This was a sister lot of the one we bought for non-decaf stock, although I didn’t have the benefit of cupping it as non-decaf. But I think, judging from the results after the water process decaffeination, that it is an excellent coffee. It used to be that water decafs were generic coffees; you really couldn’t verify that the source coffee was a good cup, or even specialty coffeeSpecialty coffee was a term devised to mean higher levels of green coffee quality than average "industrial coffee" or "commercial coffee". At this point, the term is of... at all! It was possible for large roasters to send their own lots to Swiss Water for decaffeination, but that was impossible for everyone else. Now we know the quality of the coffee before decaffeinating, and can expect much better results after the lot goes through this rather intense process. The cup has a medium body and a great balance between sweetnessSweetness is an important positive quality in fine coffees, and is one of five basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Savory (Umami). In coffee, sweetness is a highly... and bittersweet chocolate notes (at a Full City roastA coffee that has been roasted to the brink of second crack.: A coffee that has been roasted to the brink of second crack. The internal bean temperature... level). When you roast this you will smell a hint of the Indonesian natural coffee character; humid “forest floor” aromas. But the cup has just a pleasant hint of this, enough to add character and depth to the cup, compared to a Semi-washedAn uncertain term to describe a coffee processing technique somewhere between wet-process and dry-process: Semi-washed has been used, most commonly in Brazil, to describe a hybrid coffee process.... Sumatra MandhelingA trade name used for wet-hulled Sumatra coffees. It is an area and a culture group as well (spelled Mandailing often) but there is not as much coffee.... The cup has a suprising good bright end to it, a treble note to balance out the mid range roast flavors than are nuttyNutty is a broad flavor term, reminiscent of nuts ... but what kind exactly?: Nutty is a broad flavor term, reminiscent of nuts. It is tied intrinsically to... at City+ to Full City. This is a cooperatively-grown coffee and was produced organically too, but it loses its certification because the Water Process plant in MexicoMexican coffee originates from South-central to Southern regions of the country. For that reason, coffees from Coatepec and Veracruz are much different from Oaxacan Plumas, which are in... is not yet organic certified. | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.3 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.4 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 8.3 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.3 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8.2 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0 | Roast: City + or darker. | |||||
| add 50 | 50 | Compare to: Java-like cup qualities; clean but with a “forest floor” Indonesian hint in the cup | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 84.8 | Intensity/Prime Attribute: Mild to Medium / Clean and balanced | |||||
| Timor Organic/Fair Trade Maubesse | |||||||
| Country: | East Timor | Grade: | One | Region: | Maubesse | Mark: | OCIA Certified Organic/ Fair Trade |
| Processing: | Wet ProcessWet-processing starts by removing the outer skin of the coffee cherry with a machine called a pulper, then fermenting the remaining fruit (with green bean inside) in water... | Crop: | 2002-2003 | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 17 Screen | Varietal: | Timor |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3 | Notes: This is new crop from the Maubesse region of East Timor, co-op grown, Organic and Fair Trade certified. Timor is a tiny island between AustraliaAustralian coffee bears resemblance in the cup to the soft "Island Coffee" flavor profile. Coffee cultivation began in Australia in 1880 and continued through 1926, but was found... and SulawesiSulawesi coffees are low-acid with great body and that deep, brooding cup profile akin to Sumatra. The coffee is sometimes known as Celebes, which was the Dutch colonial..., unfairly annexed by Indonesia and recently liberated in a referendem. Small scale coffee farming was jump-started several years ago after the political crisis had resulted in untended coffee farms and horrible quality. It’s due to a US AID grant to revitalize the rural economy and give small farmers a cash crop. This coffee support directly the organic growing association and its farmers –not the Indonesian govt. The coffee is pale like a good Java, and cups like one too, with a big body and deep but subtle spice in the flavor. And, unlike Java, theres a pleasant tad of acid to round out the cup too. Really, Timor is a rising star in Indonean coffees with 2 major regions producing coffee … Maubesse is higher-altitude terrain than Aifu region. I like them both. Maubese is a little brighter so most brokers / cuppers prefer it over the Aifu, but if you selectively buy from the best lots the Aifu can be every bit as good. Early in the crop cycle the Aifu cups best, and later on the Maubesse is a little better. And of course that’s why you will see us stock Aifu early in the new crop and the Maubesse later. | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 8 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 4 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0 | Roast: Light, medium, dark …this coffee is very versatile | |||||
| add 50 | 50 | Compare to: What a really good Java should taste like … bears some resemblence to Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of the island it shares with the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, part of Indonesia. The two primary areas for... too in its balance, brightness, and clean taste | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 84.0 | ||||||
| UgandaWhile Arabica was introduced at the beginning of the 1900's, Robusta coffee is indigenous to the country, and has been a part of Ugandan life for centuries. The... |
| Uganda Organic Bugisu “Sipi Falls” -Utz Kapeh Certified | |||||||
| Country: | Uganda | Grade: | HB | Region: | Mt. Elgon, Mbale | Mark: | Sipi Falls, Organic + Utz Kapeh |
| Processing: | Wet Process | Crop: | Late April 2004 Arrival | Appearance: | .2 d/300gr, 17-18 screen | Varietal: | not known |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.2 | Notes: Mount Elgon lies in the Eastern reaches of the country, straddling the Uganda/Kenya border. Judging by its enormous base it is thought that Mt Elgon was once the tallest mountain in Africa. The coffee shambas extend up and down the cliff faces, making use of natural water gullies and forest cover to extract moisture from the soil. The Sipi Falls is one of the great natural features of the Elgon region where this coffee originates, with small holder farms between 1,600 and 1,900 meters. It is a steep and difficult terrain to traverse in the rainy seasons; often there are no roads, only dirt tracks which are washed away by the rains. But the Bagisu tribesmen who live on the mountain have become expert coffee farmers and have developed their own transportation methods: Donkeys! It is also woth noting that this is the only certified organic coffee from Uganda at this time, and is also Utz Kapeh certified (this is what we call “fair trade lite.” For more information visit www.utzkapeh.org). This cup is so different from other East African coffees, with a full body lower acidity than neighboring coffee origins. It is also different from the standard Uganda Busigu, with a slightly lighter body and more complexity in the cup flavors. The Sipi Falls Uganda has a remarkable Jasmine Tea quality in the cup that is the dominant cup flavor. There are hints of starfruit (the yellow, Asian fruit), pear and red cherry behind the tea-likeA term used to describe coffees with light, tannic, slighly astringent mouthfeel and tea aromatics. We find it in some Rwandan flavor profiles, among others. flavors, and in a way it has a black tea finish to the cup. (In a later cupping, the light roast had a strawberry flavor). The roast taste is sweeter as the coffee is in your mouth though, turning to and intensified pungent black tea flavor in the long aftertaste, after the coffee is off your palate. This cup has a rusticA general characterization of pleasantly "natural" flavors, less sophisticated and less refined, but appealing. : What is Rustic? This is a general term we came up with... Dried... quality as it cools, and gains intensity too. With this aftertaste I was reminded of a dry-processed Harar without as much brightness. It’s quite a cup! |
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| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.8 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.2 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 9 | ||||||
| Body – Mouthfeel (1-5) | 3 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8.5 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0 | Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium intensity / complex tea and fruit flavors | |||||
| add 50 | 50 | Roast: I had very good roasts at City+ to Full City; it takes a wide range of roasts but all the cupping notes are based on a Full City with no sign of 2nd crackAn audible popping sound heard during roasting. In coffee, one refers to "first crack" and "second crack," which come from two different classes of chemical reactions.: An audible.... | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 85.7 | Compare to: A unique E African coffee and a unique Uganda coffee, with a little less body than other Ugandas but much more interest in the complex cup flavors. | |||||
| Uganda RobustaAteng is a common name for Catimor coffees widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles.: Ateng, with several subtypes, is a common name for Catimor coffees widely... “Esco Farms” 18+ Screen | |||||||
| Country: | Uganda | Grade: | 18+ screen | Region: | Mark: |
Esco Farms |
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| Processing: | Pulped/Wet processed | Crop: | december 2003 | Appearance: | 1 d/300gr, 16-17 Screen | Varietal: | CoffeaThe botanical genus colloquially referred to as the “coffea genus,” which is comprised of over 120 individual species. These are generally opposite-leaved, evergreen shrubs or small understory trees... Canephora -(RobustaRobusta usually refers to Coffea Robusta, responsible for roughly 25% of the world's commercial coffee. Taxonomy of Robusta is debated: some sources use “Robusta” to refer to any...) |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3 | Notes: This is quite simply the most remarkable Robusta coffee I have ever tasted. I really was skeptical when the broker offered it because I have had bad experiences with Uganda Robusta samples, but he promised that this was the first Robusta he had that you could actually brew in a French PressA simple coffee brewer also called a Press Pot: grounds and hot water are added to a carafe, allowed to sit for several minutes, and then a filter... and drink! That’s a mighty claim, and so I awaited arrival of the sample for some 4 weeks since the ship was still “on the water”. What came in was a wet-processed coffee that looked dry-processed with lots of silverskinOn dried green bean coffee, the thin inner-parchment layer that clings to the bean and lines the crease on the flat side. Silverskin becomes chaff and falls off... attached to the outside of the seed. I roasted it aiming for Full City (add time for a Robusta -they take a tad longer to attain the target roast). Upon grinding it I was shocked to sense very sweet caramelly aromatics along with typical Robusta smells. Wet aroma was the same, a mix of usual flavors, (but mind you, none of the truly off “rubber” or “medicinal” bad Robusta smells) with sweetness and maple syrup. And the cup truly was drinkable as a French Press brew! I tried it as 100% espressoA small coffee beverage, about 20 ml, prepared on an espresso machine where pressurized hot water extracted through compressed coffee.: In its most stripped-down, basic form, this is... shot too but found it to be too much. Please be warned, I am NOT recommending this coffee for regular brewing. But as 10-25 percent in an espresso blend it benefits the cremaCrema is a dense foam that floats on top of a shot of espresso. It ranges in color from blond to reddish-brown to black. Blond crema may be..., body and in this rare case, the aromatics of the cup. Since it is cuppable, I have included the numbers to the left. | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 2 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 4 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 6 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 5 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 5 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | -5 | Roast: As 10-25 percent in Espresso blends. Ideally, you post-roast blend Robusta because it roasts differently than arabicaArabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the taxonomic species name of the genus responsible for around 75% of the worlds commercial coffee crop.: Arabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the... coffees in your blend, but it is certainly passable to blend pre-roast and roast arabica and Robusta coffees it all together: in the trade most use the later technique, | |||||
| add 50 | 50 | Compare to: Incomparable among Robustas, in my experience. In fact, this cup reminds me quite distinctly of the notorious Kopi Luwak when brewed in a French press. Not surprising since the Luwak is comprised largely of Robusta from the samples I have tested. It also looks much like the Luwak, which sort of makes me wonder… | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 70 | For Espresso – Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium to Bold / crema, pungency | |||||
| Uganda AA Bugisu ’04 | |||||||
| Country: | Uganda | Grade: | AA | Region: | Bugisu (also called Bugishu) | Mark: | Schluter Exports, Bugisu |
| Processing: | Wet-processed | Crop: | Mar 2004 Arrival | Appearance: | .2 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen | Varietal: | KentsA selection of Typica, originally resistant to Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR). Kents was the first useful CLR-resistant cultivar. It was developed on the Kent estate in Mysore, India...., Typica, ArushaThe name of a cultivar from Tanzania, as well as a general trade name for Tanzania coffees from Mount Meru area. Arusha is also planted on estates in... |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.2 | Notes: Uganda is right next to Kenya (the coffees are very different though), on the equator, has similar altitude and climate. The best coffees are Budadiri and Bugisu and come from the slopes of Mount Elgon in the Northeast along the Kenya border. It is grown in and around Mbale and the name Bugisu is after the people of the region, the Bagisu. These coffees are grown on small coffee farms (called Shambas) interplanted with banana and cassava trees. The coffees are pooled together from these micro-regions at small coffee drying mills. As far as the cup goes it is a deep-toned coffee with syrupy heavy body and great milk-chocolate taste. Light roasts are rooty in character, but most people prefer to take this a bit darker where the cup quality can be quite similar to Java. This year I thought the Organic lots of Bugisu lacked the brightness and light roast cup qualities I got from the non-Organic lot offered here. This really excelled at roasts ranging from a City through a Full City +. There is a moderate brightness, excellent body, fruityIn some coffee taster’s lexicon, “fruity” means the coffee is tainted with fruit, and “fruited” means a coffee is graced by positive fruit notes. We don't exactly see... dark cherry-plum notes, and a undercurrent of Earl Grey tea in the background. I didn’t like the real dark roasts on this coffee, which is what some people use Uganda for (as a Java substitute when Java gets really expensive). Blending with Uganda is great too since it offers body and depth. Try 50-50 Uganda-Harar or Uganda-Yemen. Roast that blend a little darker (not past Vienna though) and try it as espresso: excellent! | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.4 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.1 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 8.6 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.9 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8.3 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0.0 | Roast: City to Full City for drip-infusion, or Vienna for espresso. Best originIn coffee talk, it refers to a coffee-producing region or country; such as, "I was just at origin." Of course "Origin" for most product we use is not... character at City+, Full City + with just a hint of 2nd crack is awesome too: very ripe/dark fruit flavors and dark brown sugarBrown sugar is a type of sweetness found in coffee ...a sweetness characterized by a hint of molasses, yet quite refined as well. Since Brown sugar of the... tastes. Allow roast to rest 48 hours to allow body to develop. | |||||
| add 50 | 50.0 | Compare to: Java, BurundiBurundi coffee bears resemblance to neighboring Rwanda, in both cup character, but also the culture surrounding coffee. Burundi is a small landlocked country at the crossroads of East... …NOT like neighboring Kenya coffees | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 85.2 | Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium to Bold / depth and body | |||||
| Uganda Organic Bugisu | |||||||
| Country: | Uganda | Grade: | A | Region: | Bugisu | Mark: | Certified Organic Bugisu |
| Processing: | Wet-processed | Crop: | mid-late 2003 | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen | Varietal: | Kents, Typica, Arusha |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.0 | Notes: Uganda is right next to Kenya (the coffees are very different though), on the equator, has similar altitude and climate. Why haven’t we been enjoying this incredible coffee in the US for so many years? Trade embargoes is a problem, and a sordid political past. It takes years to rebuild an arabica crop, and this AA is some of the most wonderful coffee I have tasted from Uganda. The best coffees are Budadiri and Bugisu and come from the slopes of Mount Elgon in the Northeast along the Kenya border. They are grown on small coffee farms (called Shambas) interplanted with banana and cassava trees. The coffees are pooled together from these micro-regions at small coffee drying mills. As far as the cup goes it is a deep-toned coffee with syrupy heavy body and great milk-chocolate taste. Light roasts are rooty in character, but most people prefer to take this a bit darker where the cup quality can be quite similar to Java. The body is heavy. There’s a subtle unique wild noteA "wild note" in coffee is a general characterization that connotes something foreign or exotic in a flavor profile, usually somewhat unclean. This can be found in some... in the flavor that I would describe as a little leatheryAromas or flavors reminiscent of leather, a very rustic quality and not necessarily a defect.: This descriptor is somewhat reminiscent of the leather, and is sometimes distinguished as...: I know that doesn’t sound appetizing but it is really quite attractive if you like intense, wild coffees. Blending with Uganda is great too since it offers body and depth. Try 50-50 Uganda-Harar or Uganda-Yemen. Roast that blend a little darker and try it as espresso: excellent! | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.0 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 7.8 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 8.3 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.8 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8.3 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0.0 | Roast: Full City, or dark. Best origin character at Full City, but serious dark roast potential here too. Allow roast to rest 48 hours to allow body to develop. | |||||
| add 50 | 50.0 | Compare to: Java, Burundi …NOT like neighboring Kenya coffees | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 84.1 | ||||||
| Uganda AA Mbale Bugisu | |||||||
| Country: | Uganda | Grade: | AA | Region: | Mbale | Mark: | Mbale Bugisu |
| Processing: | Wet-processed | Crop: | 2003 | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 17-18 Screen | Varietal: | Kents, Typica, Arusha |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.0 | Notes: Uganda is right next to Kenya (the coffees are very different though), on the equator, has similar altitude and climate. Why haven’t we been enjoying this incredible coffee in the US for so many years? Trade embargoes is a problem, and a sordid political past. It takes years to rebuild an arabica crop, and this AA is some of the most wonderful coffee I have tasted from Uganda. The best coffees are Budadiri and Bugisu and come from the slopes of Mount Elgon in the Northeast along the Kenya border. They are grown on small coffee farms (called Shambas) interplanted with banana and cassava trees. The coffees are pooled together from these micro-regions at small coffee drying mills. As far as the cup goes it is a deep-toned coffee with syrupy heavy body and great milk-chocolate taste. Light roasts are rooty in character, but most people prefer to take this a bit darker where the cup quality can be quite similar to Java. The body is heavy. There’s a subtle unique wild note in the flavor that I would describe as a little leathery: I know that doesn’t sound appetizing but it is really quite attractive if you like intense, wild coffees. Blending with Uganda is great too since it offers body and depth. Try 50-50 Uganda-Harar or Uganda-Yemen. Roast that blend a little darker and try it as espresso: excellent! | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 2.8 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 7.8 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 8.1 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 4.0 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8.3 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0.0 | Roast: Full City, or dark. Best origin character at Full City, but serious dark roast potential here too. Allow roast to rest 48 hours to allow body to develop. | |||||
| add 50 | 50.0 | Compare to: Java, Burundi …NOT like neighboring Kenya coffees | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 83.9 | ||||||
| Vietnam |
| Vietnamese Robusta DP | |||||||
| Country: | Vietnam | Grade: | Whatever | Region: | n/a | Mark: | n/a |
| Processing: | Dry-processed | Crop: | 2003 | Appearance: | cruddy | Varietal: | Coffea Canefora |
| Dry Fragrance: | awful |
Notes: We offer Vietnamese Robusta as an educational experience for our customers and ourselves. This is the coffee that has become the second largest coffee producting nation behind BrazilBrazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra sang, "they grow an awful lot of coffee in Brazil".: Brazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra... in a short course of 8 years, and all this crappy coffee is coming to the U.S. for use in low-grade canned coffee, and freeze-dried or spray-dried usage. You can bet you booty that any type of highly processed coffee beverage made from a powder at your local coffee boutique, such as Mochachino and CaramelCaramel is a desirable form of sweetness found in the flavor and aroma of coffee, and is an extension of roast taste. Extremely light or dark coffees will... Iced Frappelatte are made with Vietnamese Robusta. And all those bizarre “cappuccinoAn espresso-based beverage with steamed silky milk on top, averaging 150-190 ml: Cappuccino is an espresso-based beverage with steamed silky milk on top, averaging 150-190 ml. machines” and truck stops… you guessed it. Institutional coffee suppliers use this for large, low quality office coffee. so give it a try, but we ask you to respect our 1 Lb. Limit, for your safety and for our reputation! |
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| Wet Aroma: | worse | ||||||
| Brightness- Liveliness: | lacking | ||||||
| Body- Movement: | pathetic | ||||||
| Flavor- Depth: | fecal | Roast: Robustas need a lot more roast to force them into the first and second cracks. Cracks are very hard to hear! This is partly due to the low densityThe density of a coffee bean is often taken as a sign of quality, as a more dense bean will roast more with a better dynamic. The density... of the coffee since it is grown practically at sea level altitude. | |||||
| Finish- Conclusion: | appalling | ||||||
| Score: | hellish | Compare to: Dirt clods, cardboard, dung … need I go on. For educational purposes only. (Or perhaps fiendish torture). Don’t tell anyone you got it from us! | |||||
| YemenYemen has a coffee culture like no other place, and perhaps some of what we enjoy in this cup is due to their old style of trade...: Technically,... |
| Yemen MokhaThe Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms of the family of cultivars planted there, and the general trade name.: Mokha Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms... Ismaili | |||||||
| Country: | Yemen | Grade: | n/a | Region: | Ismaili | Mark: | Ismaili Mokha, Sowaid |
| Processing: | Natural Dry Processed | Crop: | April 2008 Arrival | Appearance: | .8 d/300gr, 15-16 Screen | Varietal: | Heirloom Yemen Seedstock |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.3 | Notes: Ismaili is a “fabled” origin. Even in Yemen, in a local market in Sana’a, the spice-tea-qishr-coffee vendor told me his green beans (much of it broken triage coffee, mixed with cardomom pods) was truly special. “It’s Ismaili coffee, ” he said. I didn’t mention that I slept on the floor of a villagers house the night before, in the mind-boggling vertical mountains of Ismaili, a landscape etched in stone with ancient terraces lined with ghat and coffee trees. The fact is, Ismaili has been very disappointing for the last 2 years, and when it was indeed available (and was truly Ismaili at all) it had a flat jute-bag flavor to it, and little else. So when I smelled the arrival sample of this lot, the lightest of 5 roasts I did, and I had that dry-earth smell of plant roots, I wasn’t to excited. But as soon as I added water the whole character of the cup changed, and (while perhaps a bit milder than Ismaili lots of 5 years ago) I felt I was experiencing the balanced spicy, herbalA flavor descriptor in coffee reminiscent of herbs, usually meaning aromatic, savory, leafy dried herbs. Usually, more specific descriptions are given, whether is is a floral herb, or... and rustic tones of real Ismaili. The wet aromatics have clove and allspice with a bit of ginger, while the darker roast (FC+) is very pungent and intense, with suggestions of sarsparilla and aniseAnise seed is highly aromatic and has a flavor similar to fennel and licorice, used to flavor various foods and liquors: Anise is a flowering plant in the.... Later there are some interesting sweet notes that come out, traces of butterscotch (C+) and syrupy plum wine (FC+). Ismaili are not fruity bright Yemens, and this one is true to character. At C+ roast the first flavors to emerge are spices: fresh ginger root, a zest of pepper, anise. At FC+ it’s a different beast: bittersweet pungent notes, dark herbs, chai and “roastaroma tea” notes, licorice, cinnamon stick, clove, black walnut. The body seemed heavy, but I think it is actually deceptively light and perhaps it has to do with the intensity of cup flavors as it cools. The Ismaili makes great Single OriginSingle Origin refers to coffee from one location, in contrast to blended coffee. This term is particularly useful in discussing espresso, since most commercial espressos are made from... (SO) espresso. The cup here is more rooty and earthyEarthy is a flavor term with some ambivalence, used positively in some cases, negatively in others.: Sumatra coffees can have a positive earthy flavor, sometimes described as "wet... than the Sharasi, more pungent and extremely long in afteraste. Note that Yemeni coffees need rest after roasting. They have more aromatics at 12 hours or 24 hours, but really develop at 72+ hours of rest after roasting. This is even more true for espresso. The best espresso I had from Ismaili was a casual experiment; 1/3 of a C+ roast rested for a week (!) and 2/3 of an FC++ roast rested for 36 hours. Fantastic! | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.9 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.3 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 9.3 | ||||||
| Body – Mouthfeel (1-5) | 3.5 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8.9 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 1 | Intensity/Prime Attribute: Bold intensity / Spice notes, brooding bittersweet character. |  |
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| add 50 | 50 | Roast: C+ to F+ … there’s a very different cup character for these two roasts (see review), and I also recommend a 50-50 blend of the two roast levels – very interesting! | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 88.2 | Compare to: Ismaili is a spicey, herbal, earthy, intense cup, not as bright and fruitedIn some coffee taster’s lexicon, “fruity” means the coffee is tainted with fruit, and “fruited” means a coffee is graced by positive fruit notes. We don't exactly see... as some other Yemeni coffees. Highly recommended for SO espressoShort for Single Origin espresso, meaning using one origin specific coffee to make espresso, as opposed to using a blended coffee. | |||||
| Yemen Mokha Mattari – Muslot | |||||||
| Country: | Yemen | Grade: | n/a | Region: | Bani Mattar region | Mark: | Muslot & Sons |
| Processing: | Natural Dry ProcessDry process coffee is a method for taking the fruit from the tree to an exportable green bean. The whole intact coffee cherry is dried in the sun... | Crop: | November 2004 Arrival | Appearance: | 2 d/300gr, 15-16 Screen | Varietal: | Yemen Heirloom Arabica |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3 | Notes: What’s a Muslot? It is a well known Yemeni coffee exporter who has delivered some very nice (and, sure, sometimes not-so-nice) lots of Yemeni coffee from Raimi, Sanani and Mattari. We have carried a couple in the past, but not as of late. You have to be choosy with Yemeni coffees because their good qualities can, on a dime, turn to defective flavors. Take earthiness for example; there are good earthy flavors – wet fresh humus – and there is dirt … not good. There is wineyA taste term to describe a wine-like flavor with a similar perceived acidity and fruit, and some level of acetic acid. It is found most commonly in East... fruit (good) and there is fermentAs an aroma or flavor in coffee, ferment is a defect taste, resulting from bad processing or other factors. Ferment is the sour, often vinegar-like, that results from... (not good). So there is a certain threshold that is sometimes corssed by these “exotic” coffees, and Muslot sometimes land on the hither side of that demarcation. Anyway, I heard there was a lot coming in that was extra nice and we decided to reserve some bags ahead of arrival – good thing since it was sold out by the time it hit the port of Oakland! And it indeed cupped quite nice, and was sold out immediately. This lot has some of the good qualities we used to get from the Yemen Raimi (also called Rimy) before the quality of that source tanked. It has an abundance of fruit in the cup, with distinctive winey notes that might be a bit edgy for those who like an insrutibile clean crispUsually used as a modifying flavor term, such as "crisp acidity" : Crisp can have several meanings, since it modifies other flavor terms. Crisp acidity might mean bracing,... white wine but a treat for those who like a Syrah. It has a moderate amount of brightness in the cup that the Raimi lacked, and very good overall balance. And it can take a very wide range of roasts, whith less fruit but more butteryA mouthfeel description indicating thickness and creaminess, and can also be a flavor description.: Buttery is primarily a mouthfeel description indicating thickness and creaminess. It indicates a high... body emerging as you ge to a Vienna stage. Mattari coffees are grown in the Bani Mattar region to the west of the capital city of Sana’aa. They are probably more accurately referred to as Mtari, with Bani Matar meaning the tribe of people (Bani) from Matar, and Matar essentially meaning Rain. These coffees are considered more complex that the Sana’ani coffees, partly due to the higher growing elevation. The seeds are not so small and can be roasted in the Alpenrost or a stovetop cranking popcorn popper, although its certainly not a reason to avoid selecting it. In air roasters, I prefer to rest this coffee 48 hours to bring out body, complexity and balance. The preparation of this Mattari is good but, like all natural dry-process coffees, not perfect … and it produces a lot of chaffChaff is paper-like skin that comes off the coffee in the roasting process. Chaff from roasting is part of the innermost skin (the silverskin) of the coffee fruit... during the roast which is a warning to you drum-roast people. | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.3 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.2 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 9 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.6 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 9 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0 | Intensity/Prime Attribute: Bold intensity / Winey fruit, husky | |||||
| add 50 | 50 | Roast: Full City is preferred to balance roast notes with the winey fruit and spice in the cup. Allow a day or two of restingEither the resting of parchment coffee after drying, or for the home roaster, post-roast resting.: Resting might refer to "reposo", the time after drying the parchment coffee, when... after roast to allow the body to emerge. Yemeni coffees produce a lot of chaff in the roast process, which can affect results in air roasters, and make a mess in drum roasters. | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 86.1 | Compare to: A potent cup with winey fruit, and husky natural flavors… | |||||
| Yemen Mokha Haimi | |||||||
| Country: | Yemen | Grade: | n/a | Region: | Sana’ani, Haimi | Mark: | |
| Processing: | Natural Dry Process | Crop: | 2003 | Appearance: |
1 d/300gr, |
Varietal: | Heirloom Yemeni |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 4 | Notes: The coffee from the hillsides around the capital of Sanai is referred to as Sana’ani, although there are different types and a varietyA botanical variety is a rank in the taxonomic hierarchy below the rank of species and subspecies and above the rank of form (form / variety / subspecies... of cup characters. In general it is fair to say that Sana’ani coffees are lighter-bodied and perhaps fruitier than Raimi, Mattari or Ismaili (Hirazi) coffees. They are a little brighter than the Raimi, which is the other fruited Yemeni cup. While roasting the Haimi, you will notice a very unique aroma that hints at the unique nature of the resulting cup. While it is a little unclear if Haimi is a sub-region of Sanai area or the ethnic group of the people from a subregion that farm the coffee (I believe the later is true, as it is with Raimi or the Saihi type Sana’ani), it is a more sharply focused cup with greater body than other available Sanani (non-specific as to the region) that I cupped it against, but overall a “clean” cup compared to the Raimi. The Haimi starts with anise, caramel, and has a distinct “dried banana” finish to the cup when roasted light and becomes wonderfully pungent and tobaccoy taken a bit darker. I have also experienced an almost Merlot quality to the cup when I come back to it at nearly room temperature. | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 4 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 9 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 9 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 1 | Roast: Yemeni coffees are natural dry-processed by the centuries-old method, usually on the roof of the farmers house in the terraced coffee-treed hillsides. Expect uneven roast colors, and lots of chaff. Do not cull out odd looking seeds since these add the character to the cup that makes it a Yemeni coffee. I prefer this coffee roasted right to second crack, then rested a full 24 hours, or more. Many like Yemeni coffees roasted darker than this, for they produce great pungency (at the cost of fruitiness). | |||||
| add 50 | 50 | Compare to: Dry-processed, natural, wild coffees! It is fruity like the Raimi, but with more clear sharpness in the cup. The cup results are highly variable, from batch to batch, from cup to cup! It’s one of the great things that keeps Yemeni coffees so fascinating. | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 88 | ||||||
| Zambia |
| Zambia AA Lupili -Lupili EstateA "coffee estate" is used to imply a farm that has its own processing facility, a wet-mill. In Spanish this is called an Hacienda. A Finca (farm) does... | |||||||
| Country: | Zambia | Grade: | AA+ | Region: | Northern – Muchinga | Mark: | Lupili Estate |
| Processing: | Wet processed | Crop: | Late, Late 2003 crop | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 18-19 Screen | Varietal: | Tanzanian and Kenya Varietals |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 4.0 | Notes: Zambian coffees recent to the Specialty trade and perhaps yet to emerge from the long shadow cast by the East African powerhouse, Kenya. But like their cousins from Zimbabwe they can be uniquely endowed with both balance, sweetness and interesting wild notes emerging in the aromatics and aftertaste. It takes some searching and patience to find a good single-Estate Zambian though. There were some generic lots in the U.S. last year, peaberry in particular, where off flavors dominated to cup, and there was no sweetness to provide balance. The Lupili has a range of flavors within the cup, and can produce a range of cups: it can take a wide altitude of roasts and produce interesting cup character as a result. Roasted to a lighter City Roast stage (through first crackFirst crack in one of two distinct heat-induced pyrolytic reactions in coffee. It is distinguished by a cracking or popping sound in the coffee, and occurs between 390... completely, stopping before any hint of 2nd Crack) the cup is lively, zested with a bit of tangerine acidity (with a bit of rind), caramelly, and having that distinct East African wild note (sageA flavor hint of sage found in coffee, either leafy sage, dried sage, or sage flower. This could indicate a more rustic cup quality, or even defect flavor.../goldenseal herbiness, a little leathery-?-) emerge in the aftertaste. And on the subject of aftertaste, it is extremely long given the balance of the cup. Candy-malty caramelly roast taste shift to bittersweet tones as you go from a City Roast to a Full City+, a few snaps into 2nd crack. The coffee is excellent in an case and invites your interpretation in terms of “degree of roast”. The drum roasterA roaster with a rotating drum that provides agitation to the beans, while a heating element (typically either electric or gas) provides heat. The metal drum conducts heat... (Alpenrost or the HotTopA home drum roaster with a 9oz capacity, adjustable heat and airflow profiling, and an external cooling tray.: A home drum roaster with a 9oz capacity, adjustable heat...) create nice roasts of this coffee too. Espresso: I made incredible straight roast espresso with this, roasted to a light Vienna and rested 2 days. | |||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 4.0 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.5 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 8.8 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.5 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8.8 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 0.0 | Roast: This can take darker roasts and the wild note in the coffee will turn into a bittersweet pungency, but I like it at the lighter City stage and rested for 24 hours, where the aftertaste comes as a surprise in a balanced and somewhat sweet caramelly cup. But there is more balance and softnessSoft is a term with several meanings in the coffee trade. In Brazil, Soft is a positive flavor term, particular to the Brazil grading system: Soft is the... as the coffee nears 2nd crack. | |||||
| add 50 | 50 | Compare to: Really nice Zimbabwe, in fact this currently has more livliness in the cuo than a Zimbabwe. | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 87.6 | Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium to Bold / balance, wild accent notes | |||||
| Zimbabwe |
| Zimbabwe AA Salimba Estate | ||||||
| Country: | Zimbabwe | Grade: | AA | Region: | Chipinga | Mark: APC Salimba Estate |
| Processing: | Wet processed | Crop: | Late, Late ’03 | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 18 Screen | Varietal: Typica “Blue Mountain”, SL-28Scott Labs selection 28 Kenya cultivar, a preferred type with Bourbon and Mokka heritage. It supposedly is selected from Tanganyika DR cultivar, found by A.D. Trench on a.... Agaaro |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.0 | Notes: The best estate Zimbabwe coffees are prized for their balance in the cup …which might sound like it is mild, but that is not the case. Balanced coffees are a “complete cup.” They have all the desirable qualities. A really good Zimbabwe has moderate acidity, rich flavors, good body and aftertaste. The problem is, there are many coffee lots sold as generic Zimbabwe which theoretically can be good but in reality are often not. (part of this is the difficulty with shipping coffee from this land-locked nation. Coffee steaming in 100 degree weather in a metal shipping container for 6 weeks while waiting for pickup is not good for cup quality!) So simply being a Zimbabwe coffee is by no means enough. That said, there are the uncertain political environment affecting agriculture and commerce now, and so good coffee from Zimbabwe is hard to come by. But we found this Salimba sample, graded for bean size at AA, and with all the good character expected of this origin. The aroma is both sweet and sharp, with a hint of the East African “wild” note in the coffee, in this case it is like an aromatic bark (wood that is, not canine). It develops excellent roast flavors at Full City, and has that smack of East African wildness, just a bit hidey, in the aftertaste. Alternating between slightly sweet-caramelly and bittersweet pungency, your choice of roast between City and Full City will accent different characters in this coffee. The numbers on the Salimba are a bit up from last years crop, with more body and more acidity (a good thing! – like a slight twist of lemonLemon notes, as well as other related citrusy flavors or acidities, are prized in coffee. These usually express themselves as a bright accent in the cup, or aromatic... rind in the cup). If you chose a light roast interpretation, let the coffee rest a little longer before brewing – 24 hours at least. You can also make really interesting straight espresso from the Salimba, although I am sure Mr. Illy will turn in his grave at the suggestion. | ||||
| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.3 | |||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.5 | |||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 8.7 | |||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.5 | |||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 8.2 | |||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 1.0 | Roast: City to Full City: (wide range, depending on your taste). For espresso, go 20 seconds into second crack | ||||
| add 50 | 50 | Compare to: Excellent complexity/depth and a unique origin flavors that shift greatly depending on roast… Very much an East African cup profile… | ||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 86.2 | Intensity/Prime Attribute: Medium / balance and pungency | ||||
| Zimbabwe Salimba AA+ | |||||||
| Country: | Zimbabwe | Grade: | AA+ | Region: | Chipinga | Mark: | Salimba |
| Processing: | Wet processed | Crop: | 02-’03 | Appearance: | 0 d/300gr, 18 Screen | Varietal: | CaturraCatimor is a broad group of cultivars derived from a Hibrido de Timor (HdT) and Caturra cross, highly productive, sometimes with inferior cup flavor. The main issue is..., Agaaro |
| Dry Fragrance (1-5) | 3.0 | Notes: The best estate Zimbabwe coffees are prized for their balance in the cup …which might sound like it is mild, but that is not the case. Balanced coffees are a “complete cup.” They have all the desirable qualities. A really good Zimbabwe has moderate acidity, rich flavors, good body and aftertaste. The problem is, there are many coffee lots sold as generic Zimbabwe which theoretically can be good but in reality are often not. (part of this is the difficulty with shipping coffee from this land-locked nation. Coffee steaming in 100 degree weather in a metal shipping container for 6 weeks while waiting for pickup is not good for cup quality!) So simply being a Zimbabwe coffee is by no means enough. That said, there are the uncertain political environment affecting agriculture and commerce now, and so good coffee from Zimbabwe is hard to come by. But we found this Salimba sample, graded for bean size at AA+, and with all the good character expected of this origin. Theb aroma is both sweet and sharp, with a hint of the East African “wild” note in the coffee, in this case it is like an aromatic bark (wood that is, not canine). It develops excellent roast flavors at Full City, and has that smack of East African wildness, just a bit hidey, in the aftertaste. Alternating between slightly sweet-caramelly and bittersweet pungency, your choice of roast between City and Full City will accent different characters in this coffee. The numbers on the Salimba are a bit down from last years, but as this cup cools the character really emerges. If you chose a light roast interpretation, let the coffee rest a little longer before brewing – 24 hours at least. You can also make interesting straight espresso from the Salimba, although I am sure Mr. Illy will turn in his grave at the suggestion. |  |
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| Wet Aroma (1-5) | 3.5 | ||||||
| Brightness – Acidity (1-10) | 8.0 | ||||||
| Flavor – Depth (1-10) | 8.5 | ||||||
| Body – Movement (1-5) | 3.0 | ||||||
| Finish – Aftertaste (1-10) | 7.5 | ||||||
| Cupper’s Correction (1-5) | 1.0 | Roast: City to Full City: (see review). | |||||
| add 50 | 50 | Compare to: Excellent complexity/depth and a unique origin flavors that shift greatly depending on roast… | |||||
| Score (Max. 100) | 84.5 | ||||||
| Misc. |
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