(03/09/12)
I’m hitting the road a little later today to head out west to Oakland for a week of roasting, 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, coffee sing-alongs, and possible break dancing. This is a really exciting time for Coffee Shrub with the addition of Aleco Chigounis and the potential to do some really exciting things with the coffees that we’re bringing in and offering. It’s very affirming to experience how Shrub has grown and how many roasters have found what we do to be helpful.
Beyond just the concept that shrub is here to help small roasters gain access to interesting coffees, we’ve always said that the coffees that we choose to offer on Shrub are coffees that we want to have a conversation about. We’re working on new ways to help get those conversations going, making it easier and more interactive to post and read comments from us and others about roasting and tasting these coffees, but also by hosting webcasts where we can put panels together to discuss not just SHrub offerings, but roast development and other impacts on quality. Tune in today for a Sweet Maria’s webcast with Tom and Aleco, at 12pm PST where they’ll be discussing 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... ...more among other topics (Burundi offerings up soon on Shrub):http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sweet-marias
We’ve added some fantastic new coffees this week as well:
EcuadorEcuador has everything it takes to grow great coffee. Positioned between Colombia and Peru, the interior mountain ranges have plenty of altitude, weather patterns, and ideal soil for... ...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 Guatenay Microlot
http://coffeeshrub.com/shrub/coffee/ecuador-organic-guatenay-microlot
“There is a hint of tangerine, 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, 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... ...more zest (turning more toward lemon grass as it cools). The 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... ...more is silkyA mouthfeel description indicating a delicate, light, elegant softness and smoothness. Usually refers to a lighter body than terms such as velvety, or creamy. ...more and the 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... ...more fairly light. I think it expresses the 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,... ...more cultivar flavorIn-the-cup coffee flavors (and in extension aromatics) that result from the plant material used to produce the coffee. In general, the Coffea Arabica sub-species does not display strong... ...more well.”
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 Illubabor Baaroo
https://coffeeshrub.com/shrub/coffee/ethiopia-illubabor-baaroo
“Breaking the crustA dance, a beat, an error, an interruption ... or in coffee cupping, the "breaking of the crust" of floating grounds, part of aromatic evaluation: In coffee cupping,... ...more on Barroo shows even more 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 but more in the form of pumpkin pie, dried apricot and clover honeyIn coffee, honey-like sweetness is often found, but we use terms such as refined honey (highly filtered and processed) as opposed to raw honey rustic honey sweetness. This... ...more. The cup profile has a wide range of both fruit and sweetness along with a syrupy mouth feel reminiscent of port wine in terms of flavor and viscosity.”
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 Antigua 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 La Folie
https://coffeeshrub.com/shrub/coffee/guatemala-antigua-finca-la-folie
” Fleshy, plum-like character is most apparent in the up-front flavor profileFlavor Profile implies a graphical impression of a particular coffee, whether it be an artistic portrait or data graph of the perception of flavor compounds. In the case... ...more in both terms of La Folie’s juicy flavor and slightly tannicHaving the bitterness or astringency of Tannins. Tannins are plant polyphenols found across the flora kingdom. The term Tannins refers to the use of wood tannins from oak... ...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... ...more. Warm, baking spice notes like nutmeg highlight the ripe, fruit tones. 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 cacao and milk round out 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... ...more of the coffee. This is 2011 crop but has held up very well in grain pro!”
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 Tumba Cocatu
https://coffeeshrub.com/shrub/coffee/rwanda-tumba-cocatu
” The cup flavor of Cocatu is juicy with the combined 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.... ...more of appleApple-like flavors in coffee can take on many different forms. The more common ones we use relate to malic acid brightness, which can recall different apple types: green... ...more and grape, tartaric and malic. Sweet cacao 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... ...more notes round this out, our favorite Rwandese offering this year.”
Comin’ at ya, Oaktown
