When Excellent Isn’t Good Enough
I’m not a wine guy. It just seems impossible to dedicate so many brain cells to one beverage, coffee, and have anything left over for another. But who can ignore the influence of vinoculture over all other liquid refreshments, hot or cold. All descriptive language about coffee has a root in that of the oenophile. And yet, coffee is not wine, and deserves its own descriptors. It doesn’t taste like wine (although wine notes can be found in 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... ...more and other origins), it cannot be aged like wine (although people keep experimenting with extending green coffee storageGreen coffee is the dried seed from the fruit of a tree. In the past it was shipped in jute or sisal bags, which prevented coffee from becoming... ...more), and I don’t think your wine snob friends would appreciate a brewed wine served in a porcelain mug. But I would like to highlight a couple aspects of the wine buyers’ sensibility that I have always appreciated. For one, they see their purchases as an exploration of their personal sense of taste, calibrated in a sense against their expectations of enjoyment. And secondly, the wine buyer likes to be surprised. In particular, they appreciate the notion that more money does not equal greater quality, or greater taste enjoyment. The later is a critical point; how do you justify what the cost of a wine is, versus the perceived quality? Is a wine, or a coffee, that costs 5x as much going to deliver 5x the enjoyment? And in relation to the taster’s exploration of flavor, and the relation of price to quality, what is the responsibility of the buyer/taster? Okay, “responsibility” is a heavy-handed word here; after all, we are talking about something we enjoy, coffee, not a chore. But I always feel that the best tasters are the ones who are truly “sensory explorers”, people interested in discovering new and unexpected flavors. I am always sheepish about writing that a coffee is savory, brothy, cheesyA coffee that has a kitchy quality, or literally cheese-like flavors in the cup. The second is actually a trade term, when their is a dairy-like sourness in... ...more (yes, it has been used in a review), or reminds me of the 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... ...more in chayote squash. Can you convince a taster that squash in their coffee is a welcome encounter? And yet the more omnivorous, the more open taster will be eternally curious about flavor experiences, if not to find the squash as much to not find the squash, but instead something of their own; green appleAn acid that adds to favorable perceptions of cup quality; malic acid often adds apple-like acidity, and perhaps other taste aspects recalling apples. Malic acid is yet another... ...more? leeks? Who knows what. It’s been said that the best reader is a writer, not because they actually are a writer, but because as they read they interpret. Interpretation is creative; they are in fact creating a new text with their interpretation, they are writing as they read. I think this is doubly true with the interpretation of flavor. What could be more personal, more dependent upon ones own history of taste, and culture, as well as physiological factors? All these variables, (let alone the variables of the thing being tasted!) lead to the widest possible range of interpretations. I was very hesitant to add some cursory flavor notes to our labels on the 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,... ...more bags. I don’t want to tell anyone what they should be experiencing. But then it occurred to me that I wasn’t showing enough faith in our home roaster folks: after all, I have never met a more skeptical and willful bunch. If I write that a coffee has a hint of dried blueberryBlueberry flavors in coffee take different forms. Dried blueberry was something we first encountered in natural Harar coffee from Ethiopia. It seemed to be most potent in fresh... ...more, I will undoubtedly receive customer input that it was blackberryBlackberry flavor in coffee sometimes relates to slightly more developed roast levels.: Blackberry is found as a fragrance, aroma or flavor in some coffees. I find that it... ...more, raspberry, lignon-berry, or no berry at all. That’s the beauty of interpretation. Which leads me back to my point: I too am a skeptic. I resist being told what is “good,” and how much I should enjoy some coffee. I make coffee prove itself to me in the process of blind 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.... ...more, which I do every day. And the joy of this impartial evaluation is that, at any moment, everything that “should be” can get turned on its head. A coffee that is hailed as 90+ points by an international jury and sells for 10x the market can get whipped into place by a pooled lot of export grade coffee (as was the case with ColombiaColombian coffee is highly marketed and widely available in the US. They have been largely successful at equating the name Colombian Coffee with "Good" Coffee. This is half-true.... ...more ExcelsoA Colombian coffee grade referring to screen size of 15-16. In the traditional bulk Arabica business, Excelso is a step below the large bean Supremo grade, which indicates... ...more Lot 13556). And on the flip side, look at our JamaicaJamaica coffee can be excellent mild, lush coffee... sometimes. Like Kona and Puerto Rican coffee, it is soft, mild, clean and well balanced when it is good.: Ah... ...more offerings from last year … not! Why buy an overpriced coffee when they entire crop year tasted like cabbage soup? We have offered some extremely spendy coffees in the past year, the #1 Cup of ExcellenceThe Cup of Excellence is a competition held yearly in many coffee-producing countries, designed to highlight the very best coffees from each origin.: The Cup of Excellence (COE)... ...more GuatemalaGuatemalan coffee is considered a top quality coffee producer in Central America. Due to our proximity to Guatemala, some of the nicest coffees from this origin come to... ...more, the #2 El SalvadorEl Salvador coffee had an undeservingly poor reputation for years, marred mostly by the inability to deliver coffee of high quality in an unstable political climate. Unfortunately, agriculture... ...more, the set of top 3 PanamaPanama coffee ranges from medium quality lower altitude farms to those at 1600 - 1800 meters centered in the area of Boquete in the Chirqui district near the... ...more competition coffees. And with each I promised that these were excellent coffees, but not 5x as good as all others. The Sweet Maria’s offering sheet represents an immense amount of work, to offer a carefully chosen collection of coffees that represent the 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... ...more character” of the land on which they are grown. But I invite your skepticism, I invite you to consider that a $15/lb. coffee might not be as much to your liking as a $4.50/lb. selection. I invite you to find that perhaps, for you, 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... ...more is a coffee wasteland, or that Kenyas (sadly) bite your palate in the wrong way. I invite you to explore our offerings, to use the reviews as a resource, and to discover your own taste in coffee. And may we all share this enjoyment and avoid the exclusiveness of the so-called “wine snobs,” because, after all, coffee is (thankfully) not wine! So indeed, “excellent” may not be good enough, because what attains the highest rank according to someone else’s taste, or even in some empirical scoring method such as I use, might not be exactly what you are looking for in the cup. And only you can define what that is. I hope the Sweet Maria’s web site, all the reviews I have written, the articles on roasting, and the vast array of green coffee offered, is a help, not a hindrance, as you seek a bit of coffee enjoyment. –Tom
It Could Be Worse…
How does the word “Nesco” strike you? Not that appealing, eh? Well, that is the new name for the Zach and Dani’s roaster, so I actually consider it a step up. The later is now out of the home roasting business, and the name has reverted to the company who actually manufactured the machine: Nesco. I updated the reviews, and have tested the new machine, despite all indications that it is the identical model as the Z&D. I have noticed a couple minutes shorter roast times, a good thing because the old Z&D risked baking coffee, not roasting it. Actually, I have been impressed with the model, which really does eliminate the bulk of the roast smoke using its catalytic converter. And I was able to attain good dark roasts, and excellent, full-body 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... ...more roasts with the new Nesco. So I have edited the review to be a bit less dour, even though the name could
till use some improvement.
Sweet Maria’s Coffee
1115 21st Street, Oakland CA 94607
web: www.sweetmarias.com
email: [email protected]
Sweet Maria’s Green Coffee Offering List
as of January 17, 2007 – check the web page for the latest list
Central American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
Costa RicaCosta Rican coffee is typically very clean, sweet, with lots of floral accents. hey are prized for their high notes: bright citrus or berry-like flavors in the acidity,... ...more Dota Tarrazu Hermosa $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Costa Rica SM Select 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... ...more $5.75 $10.93 $25.01 $47.73 $88.55
El Salvador Cup of Excellence #2 -Los Planes $21.90 1 lb limit
El Salvador- The Juan Francisco Project $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
Guatemala “Blue Quetzal” BourbonA 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,... ...more $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
Guatemala Fraijanes – FincaSpanish 101: Finca is the Spanish word for farm. Sometimes the term Hacienda is used to imply an Estate, which would mean the farm has its own wet-mill.... ...more Agua Tibia $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Guatemala Huehue -Finca La Providencia $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Guatemala Quiche – La Perla 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... ...more $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Guatemala FTOFTO is shorthand for a coffee that is certified as both Fair Trade and Organic. ...more Quiche – Maya Ixil $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
HondurasHonduran coffee was absent from the top ranks of the Specialty market, but that has changed. It has all the environmental factors on its side: soil, altitude, climate.... ...more PacamaraAs the name implies, Pacamara is a large bean cultivar, a cross between Pacas and Maragogype with unique flavor properties. This variant originated in El Salvador in 1958,... ...more – Santa Marta Estate $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
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... ...more 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... ...more Nayarit Terruno $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
NicaraguaNicaraguan coffees from the Segovia, Jinotega, Ocotal and Matagalpa regions are nice balanced cups. They often possess interesting cup character along with body and balance, outperforming many other... ...more Matagalpa -Pacamara 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... ...more $6.10 $11.59 $26.54 $50.63 $93.94
Nicaragua Limoncillo Estate Var. 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... ...more $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Nicaragua FTO Lozahoren (Dipilto) $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Panama HaciendaHacienda is used to imply an Estate that has a full processing facility (wet mill): Sometimes the term Hacienda is used to imply an Estate, which would mean... ...more La Esmeralda GeshaGesha is a long-bean Ethiopia selection with unique cup character. Gesha is the name of the town in Western Ethiopia where the original samples were collected. Spelling it... ...more $15.70 Limit 1 lb
Panama Boquete – Maunier Estate $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Panama Organic Los Lajones $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
South American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
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... ...more FazendaFazenda is the Portuguese word for farm, hence it is the term used in Brazil. Fazenda is not a coffee-specific term. ...more Boa Sorte Natural Bourbon $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
Brazil Fazenda Brauna Flatbean $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Brazil Screen-Dried Moreninha Formosa $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Brazil Cachoeira da Grama -Yellow Bourbon $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
Colombia Cup of Exc #3 – El Placer $9.20 $17.48 $40.02 $76.36
Colombia Cup of Exce#12 – El Descanso $8.80 $16.72 $38.28 $73.04
Colombia Cauca Organic -La Esperanza $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Colombia Tolima Planadas – El Jordan $5.70 $10.83 $24.80 $47.31 $87.78
PeruPeruvian coffees have Central American brightness but in a South American coffee flavor package overall. The good organic lots do have more of a "rustic" coffee character.: Organic... ...more Norte Especial $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $39.01 $72.38
African- Arabian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
CongoKivu is the general name for East Congo (Kinshasa), covering a very broad geographical area, and the lake of the same name that divides them. It borders on... ...more Kivu Peaberry $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $37.35 $69.30
EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... ...more FTO 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... ...more Sidamo $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Ethiopia Organic Idido Misty Valley DP $6.20 $11.78 $26.97 $51.46 $95.48
Ethiopia Late Harvest Yirgacheffe $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
RwandaA Bourbon cultivar variant from Rwanda and Burundi. Bourbon coffees are named for the island in the India Ocean where French colonists grew it. Some history from the... ...more Migongo Bourbon $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
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... ...more Mount Meru Nkoanekoli $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $45.65 $84.70
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,... ...more 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... ...more Mattari – Full 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... ...more $7.20 $13.68 $31.32 $59.76
Yemen Mokha Sana’ani $6.40 $12.16 $27.84 $53.12 $98.56
Indonesian- Indian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
India Monsooned MalabarIndian Monsooned coffee refers to a method of aging coffee in India where the unroasted green coffee is exposed to humid monsoon winds. Monsooned coffees are stored in... ...more “Elephant” $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Indonesia FloresFlores is an Indonesian island, and as a coffee bears more resemblance to the coffees of Timor-Leste, New Guinea and Java than to the wet-hulled coffees of Sumatra... ...more Sasandu Dry-Process $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
Java Government Estate Djampit $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
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... ...more -Kimel Peaberry $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
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... ...more Grade One Toraja $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
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... ...more Classic 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... ...more $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Sumatra Blue Lintong $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Sumatra 19+ TP – Lake Tawar $6.00 $11.40 $26.10 $49.80 $92.40
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... ...more FTO Maubesse $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Islands- Blends -Etc. 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
HawaiiThe Kona district on the big island of Hawaii produces the best coffee from this state - clean, sweet and mild. : Ah, Hawaii... what a nice place.... ...more KonaKona coffee comes from farms along the Kona Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii: Kona coffee comes from farms along the Kona Coast on the Big Island... ...more – Kowali Farm Typica $16.60 $31.54 $72.21 $137.78
SM’s Moka Kadir Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
SM’s Espresso Monkey Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
SM’s Classic Italian Espresso Blend $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
SM’s Decaf Espresso Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
SM’s Liquid Amber Espresso Blend $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
SM’s French RoastSugars are heavily caramelized (read as burned) and are degraded; the woody bean structure is carbonizing, the seed continues to expand and loose mass, the body of the... ...more Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
SM’s Puro Scuro Blend $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
SM’s Roasted French ChicoryChicory was a popular coffee substitute and economizer for 2 centuries, back when coffee was more prized, and pure coffee was a luxury. : Chicory was a popular... ...more $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Decafs 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
African Highlands WP Decaf $5.80 $11.02 $25.23 $48.14 $89.32
Brazil Mogiana WP Decaf OUT $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Colombia WP Decaf OUT $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Costa Rica Tres Rios WP Decaf $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
El Salvador PN Las Ranas WP Decaf $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
Ethiopia Natural (DP) Sidamo WP Decaf $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
Guatemala San Marcos WP Decaf $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Indonesian Organic SWPSWP means Swiss Water Process is a patented water filtration decaf method, not a chemical solvent method. The plant is in Vancouver, Canada. ...more Komodo Blend $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
Mexico Organic Chiapas WP Decaf $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
Panama WP Decaf -Panamaria Farm $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $45.65 $84.70
Sumatra Organic Gayoland WP Decaf $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
Premium Robustas 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
IndiaS-795 is a variety based on the " S-Line" coffees of India, and stands for Selection 795, It has a very fine cup, one of the best in... ...more Organic Washed 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... ...more $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $38.18 $70.84
Thumbs Down: Vietnam 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... ...more Gr 1 $1.00 1 lb limit
