Hot, Lukewarm, Cool: The Taste Shift or, Contempt for French Roast…
I was recently enjoying a cup of 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 Djampit 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 roasted to a light Vienna stage, definitely some carbonyA roast-related flavor term, referring to burnt flavors from dark roast levels. For some this is a pleasant flavor if residual sweetness is present, but plain carbon flavor... ...more roast flavors there, but not just a cup of charcoal water. Sometimes I think I am just too “anti-French-roast,” that there is something pleasant about those 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... ...more, tarryA dark roast-related flavor of pungent, intense bittering roast flavor, reminiscent of the smell of tar. ...more dark roast flavors (when the roasting is properly done), even though so many coffees start to taste the same at 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 levels. There’s an aspect of coffee enjoyment that I haven’t mentioned, or even paid attention to much. With great coffees, there is a transformation as the cup cools, and flavors that piqued your interest when hot, change, mutate, or disappear as it cools, with new flavors that might have escaped your awareness emerging. In short, I like cold coffee. I like warm coffee. I like the whole “cooling down” process! When I cup coffee (as I write this I just finished my evaluation of 28 Colombian 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 samples) I make many passes around the table at differing temperatures. When it is hot, you have to be careful not to burn yourself (especially if you use stainless steel spoons rather than silver ones), but you need to hit all the cups quickly when they are hot to gather initial perceptions. Then there may be as many as 8 – 10 spins of the 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 table before I start to eliminate certain coffees, separating out the exemplary ones for round 2. But I never, never presume to “know” a coffee after tasting it in the first 2 passes. Too often, an initially stunning cup “falls apart” as it cools, while something that seemed flat initially becomes layered and 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" ...more. People drink coffee hot, so why judge it luke-warm or cool … or why not keep it warm in some way? Well, firstly, people really don’t drink coffee hot. They wait, they sip, they walk, they read the paper, they sip. Secondly, I don’t like to prolong the life of a fresh cup of coffee by any means. When it is fresh, it is fresh. When it is stored (even in a vacuum bottle – which I do use when I go out to the beach in the morning) it is not fresh, and you can taste the difference. Now, slightly-not-fresh cup of fantastic coffee from a vac bottle always tastes good looking out over the ocean! (In the same way backpackers know that Kraft Instant Mac and Cheese can only taste good out on the trail!) Now, I started this trying to claim that I don’t give French Roast a fair chance. And I end this by bashing the dark roasts once again. I realized that day I was enjoying my fresh cup of 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... ...more Java Government Estate Djampit that, as the cup cooled, the flavor really just persisted at the same 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... ...more, with the same flavor qualities. It was roasty, it was 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,... ...more, it was carbony. Fine. 10 minutes later it was roasty, it was pungent, it was carbony. It was alright, but, “C’mon, what more do you have to show for yourself”, I thought. 15 minutes later it was the same, and then I started hating it. Those same, stupid flavors loitering around my mouth, not offering anything new or interesting, not contributing at all: bum flavors! And here I am, back where I started, with that same degree of contempt for French Roast. -Tom
Storing 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
I thought it was high time to revisit a question that we get fairly often – on how to store green coffee and how long it ought to last. Green coffee can be expected to last about one year – based on a six month rotation. We put a lot of work into tracking coffees to be sure that we do not have old, past cropRefers to an older coffee not from the "New Crop" or the "Current Crop". Cuppers will even use it as a general term for baggy, old hay or... ...more coffee lingering in the warehouse. This does make us different from some other green coffee sellers and may mean that we are out of a particular coffee when other folks have it. For example the 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 coffee crop from 04-05 was very small and we ran out earlier in the year than usual, back in May. The next shipping season does not start until November at the earliest. So can you find good Kona in late September? Maybe. But if that coffee is from the previous crop – it may already be near the end of its holding period. Someone will always be willing to sell you Kona coffee any day of the year, regardless of how long they have been holding it. But we would rather run out of a coffee waiting for the next crop than stock coffee that is getting old.
Does this means that you ought not to be hoarding coffee? Probably. Even if you really love a coffee and get 100 pounds of it, by the time you could drink all 100 pounds, the flavor would have changed. So just like we have a strategy for buying green coffee – homeroasters ought to as well. It is best to drink coffees that are recent arrivals. That way you can sample the production of coffee as it comes in throughout the year. (Though for folks like me who do not like a particular 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 – like Sumatran – there might be some parts of the tour that you might want to skip.) Bright and low grown coffees like
Konas will tend to store less well than denser beans and coffees that are earthier to begin with. The best way to store coffee long term (for more than a month) is to transfer it to a paper or cotton bag (something that will breathe) and keep in a cool dark place away from excessive moisture and insects. Very few insects will actually feed on the dry processed coffee, but they can live in the burlap or cotton if it gets moist. Some folks say that vacuum packagingSealing coffee in an airtight container, with the air removed via vacuum. Green coffee and roasted coffee can both be vacuum packed to extend shelf life. In our... ...more and storing in a cool dark place or the freezer does extend the life of the green coffee. Most prominent among these advocates is probably George Howell, who has been in 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... ...more for a long time, and has experimented with deep freezing coffee (at -40 degrees F) to preserve the freshness of the coffee flavorThe overall impression in the mouth, including the origin character as well as tastes that come from the roast.: This is the overall impression in the mouth, including... ...more. He has claimed great results and now deep freezes all his coffee for his restaurant/café Terroir. There are other folks who think that vacuum packaging or freezing coffee is nuts. Tom did a test on some vacuum packed 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 La Minita that yielded interesting results http://www.sweetmarias.com/CostaRicaLaMinitaCupping.html Tom basically think it is best to stick with recent crop coffee – so that you do not have a need for long term storageGreen coffee can be stored much longer than roasted coffee: Roasted coffee starts to lose its aromatics in 10 days after roasting. Green coffee can be stored months... ...more. I realize that this requires quite a shift in how people regard coffee – less of a staple like flour or sugar – and more of a crop like peaches or a product like milk. More Information is posted on this page – http://sweetmarias.com/greenstorage.html but I thought I would go over some of the basics here as well. -Maria
Holiday Time
Like most retail businesses, we get a lot busier around the holidays – so place holiday orders early. The last day to place orders for Christmas is December 14th …for regular UPS ground delivery anywhere in the US, that is. After that use express shipping or head to the mall. As in the past – we will be closing a few days before the holiday on December 22nd, and stay closed until January 2nd, for our one big vacation of the year. -Maria
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Sweet Maria’s Coffee
1115 21st Street, Oakland CA 94607
web: www.sweetmarias.com
email: [email protected]
Sweet Maria’s Green Coffee Offering List
November 16, 2005 – check the web page for the latest list
Central American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Costa Rica Dota Tarrazu -Coopedota $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Costa Rica Tres Rios -La Magnolia $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Costa Rica La Candelilla “Miel” $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $81.62
Costa Rica La Minita Tarrazu $6.80 $12.92 $30.26 $108.80
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 $5.85 $11.12 $25.45 $90.09
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 Cup of Exc. – El Pacamaral $7.75 $14.73 $33.71 $119.35
El Salvador Monte Leon “Miel” $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
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 Acatenango Cooperative $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Guatemala Antigua 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 “Especial” $6.00 $11.40 $26.10 $92.40
Guatemala 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 Coban -El Tirol $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Guatemala Huehuetenango -El Injerto $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Guatemala Huehuetenango -La Maravilla $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
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 Cup of Exc -El Mirador $5.40 $10.26 $$23.49 $83.16
Honduras Cup of Exc -Nueve Posas $5.40 $10.26 $$23.49 $83.16
Honduras Fabio Caballero $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
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 Chiapas -Udepom Co-op $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Mexico Organic Oaxaca -Finca El Olivo $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
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 Cup of Exc. -La Esperanza $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Nicaragua Cup of Exc. -La Pinauete $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Nicaragua MaragogypeMaragogype is a mutation of Typica coffee and was discovered in Brazil. The Maragogype is a large plant with big leaves, low production and very large fruits (and... ...more Peaberry $6.10 $11.59 $26.54 $93.94
Nicaragua Matagalpa Maragogype $5.70 $10.83 $24.80 $87.78
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 Carmen Estate $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
South American 1 lb 2 lb 5 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 Carmo Estate Peaberry $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Brazil FazendaFazenda is the Portuguese word for farm, hence it is the term used in Brazil. Fazenda is not a coffee-specific term. ...more Ipanema “Dulce” $4.30 $8.17 $18.71 $66.22
Brazil Fazenda Santa Helena $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Brazil Sul de Minas Yellow BourbonYellow Bourbon is a subtype that has fruit which ripens to a yellow color, found mainly in Brazil where it was first grown. Bourbon coffees are named for... ...more $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
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 Huila – Los Idolos de Bellavista $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Colombia Huila – Oparapa Micro-regionWe use this term to denote a coffee-producing sub-region within a larger coffee area - Micro-Region is more specific coffee-producing zone. For example, if the Country for a... ...more $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
Colombia Cauca FNCThe FNC is the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia, the coffee association of Colombia. They fund CENICAFE research institute, which has an extensive cultivar collection. ...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 $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Colombia Narino del Abuelo $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
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 Organic Norte $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
African- Arabian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
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 Dry-Process Ghimbi $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Ethiopia FTOFTO is shorthand for a coffee that is certified as both Fair Trade and Organic. ...more Harar -Oromia Coop $5.05 $9.60 $21.97 $77.77
Ethiopia Wet-Processed Sidamo $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (MAO) $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
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 AA Auction Lot 293 -Gicherori $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $90.86
Kenya Auc Lot 622 Peaberry $5.80 $11.02 $25.23 $89.32
African- Arabian (continued) 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
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 Gatare Grade A $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
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 Sana’ani $6.40 $12.16 $29.76 $102.40
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... ...more AAA+ Dandoni Estate $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Indonesian- Indian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Indian Monsooned Malabar “Elephant” $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $83.16
Java Private Estate Type: Prince $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Java Government Estate – Djampit $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $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 – Goroka A $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Papua New Guinea -Kimel Plantation $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $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 Toraja Grade One $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
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 Iskandar Triple-Pick $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $81.62
Sumatra Lintong Dry-Process $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $83.16
Sumatra Volkopi Supergrade $5.80 $11.02 $25.23 $89.32
Islands- Blends -Etc. 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
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... ...more Mountain Top Estate XF $10.40 $19.97 $48.36 5 lb limit
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 Blue Mountain -Mavis Bank $19.80 $38.02 $92.07 5 lb limit
SM’s Moka Kadir Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
SM’s 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 Monkey Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
SM’s Classic Italian Espresso Blend $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
SM’s Decaf Espresso Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
SM’s Liquid Amber Espresso Blend $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $81.62
SM’s French Roast Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
SM’s Puro Scuro Blend $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $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 $73.92
Decafs 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Brazil Mogiana WP Decaf $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Colombian WP Decaf $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $72.38
Costa Rica SHB WP Decaf $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $84.70
Ethiopian WP Decaf (Sidamo) $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
Guatemala Huehuetenango WP Decaf $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
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 $90.86
Kenya AA WP Decaf $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $90.86
Mexico Esmeralda Natural Decaf $4.85 $9.22 $21.10 $74.69
Sulawesi Toraja WP Decaf $5.35 $10.17 $23.27 $82.39
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... ...more WP Decaf $5.70 $10.83 $24.80 $87.78
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 Peaberry WP Decaf $5.70 $10.83 $24.80 $87.78
Premium Robustas 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Indian 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 -Devaracadoo Estate $4.40 $8.36 $19.14 $67.76
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
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