Out with the new, in with the newer!

April 5, 2015

In relation to other coffee-producing origins, Colombia stands out in that coffee is being harvested practically year-round. Most other origins we buy from tend to have a single harvest lasting a couple of months. This means that after all the coffee’s been picked, there will be nothing fresh to be found for the better part of the year. Not the case in Colombia, where a wide range of micro-climates and close proximity to the equator make for a seemingly steady stream of fresh green.

Two regions in particular that we buy from, Urrao, Antioquia in the north, and Inzá, Cauca in the south, get an incredible amount of annual precipitation. This may make drying coffee outdoors on open patios dicey at best (one of several reasons covered beds are used – “parabolicos”), but it also lends to regular flowering coffee trees and healthy harvests. Both regions have the equivalent of two “main” harvests, and in the case of Urrao, there are several mini-harvests in between.

Relaxing outside Don Pablo’s “parabolico”/raised and covered drying bed; Valle de Pavón, Antioquia

Because of all this, we tend to have Colombia coffee shipments spread out throughout the year, and in some cases close to piggy-back. For example, our most recent container arrived at the end of March, only 3 months after the previous container. Many of the December arrivals from that last container are still listed on our website, and as we move through the remaining stock, will be replaced with coffees from our most recent shipment. Therein lies this blog title’s meaning: out with the new, and in with the newer!

Flowering shrub on a visit to Inzá, Cauca October 2015

Our latest shipments are featuring coffees from Urrao de Antioquia, both La Plata and Timaná de Huila, and Inzá de Cauca, and our December container also promised two cooperative coffees from Planadas de Tolima. We unfortunately don’t quite have a foothold in Tolima at the moment, so these two lots may be the last Planadas coffees we see for a while. We cup-tested both coffees last week and they’re tasting amazing. The remaining stock is dwindling fast, so check out the list below before it’s all gone.

 

Colombia Caicedo – Las Aguacates – Cooked cherry, Welch’s grape juice, and lemon accents sit well within a caramelized sugar matrix. Milk-to-semisweet chocolate, along with tartaric impression in the cup.

Colombia Guintar de Anzá Microlot – Juicy cup, fruited flavors of cooked raspberry and rhubarb, with guava/tropical accents. Ripe fig and plum in deeper roasts. Soft acidity, but with a pleasant tart touch.

Colombia Inzá – Rio Paez – Mouth-cleansing acidity, honey and burned sugar sweetness, fruited top notes like apple and white grape juice. Thick sweetness, developed chocolate at dark levels. Great espresso.

Colombia Inzá Pequeños Granjeros – Sparkling acidity with white peach and grape accents, an underlay honey sweetness. Beauty from light to dark, Full City brings complex layers of cocoa acidity still intact. Good for espresso.

Colombia Inzá Veredas Vecinos – Middle roasts show persistent raw to pectin sugar sweetness, notes of cooked papaya and sweetened yam. Cocoa builds at deeper roasts. Great for espresso.

Colombia Pavón – La Galunga “Ofir” – Complex sugar and fruits define the cup. Welch’s grape, plum and red apple, along with layers of caramelizing sugar sweetness.

Colombia Planadas – Tres Fincas – Persistent bittersweetness of unrefined sugar and Baker’s cocoa accented by apple, walnut, and dry spice. Great ‘core’ coffee character. Good for espresso.

Colombia Tolima Planadas-Ataco – A balanced cup, apple and pear hints, underscored by flavors of burned sugar and smokey cacao nib. Lush body carries German chocolate and walnut flavors in the finish. Good for espresso.

Single Origin Sample Set: Colombia – Available in 4-lb and 8-lb quantities, expect a wide array of flavors from fruited to complex sugar notes, balanced bittersweetness, and a wide range of brightness.

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