My name came up for our Staff Picks selection this time around, and I had fun re-tasting these coffees, each quite different!
To be honest, I approached my selections a bit randomly! Why? Because I have already selected the coffees we are selling so they are already all my favorites! But also, I like a broad range of coffees. I don’t want them all to taste the same. I just want them to have something unique about them, some character! (Sure, there are two Peru’s, but they present quite differently!).
It’s a bit funny that 2 of the 4 I chose are not “extreme” coffees though, but really approachable “crowd-pleasers.” But they also have unique characteristics as well.
One of the outliers here is the EthiopiaEthiopia is the birthplace of coffee: it is in the forests of the Kaffa region that coffee arabica grew wild. Coffee is "Bun" or "Buna" in Ethiopia, so Coffee Bean is quite possibly a poor More, one of the most uniquely intense wet-process selections from the “birthplace of 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 taxonomic species name of the genus responsible More coffee” that we have had this year. Keramo is really high altitude coffee from the greater Bensa area, and it shows in the cup. It’s a huge contrast from the other 3 selections.
The other is the 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 with the green bean inside. Later it More Parainema varietyHibrido de Timor abbreviated HdT is the interspecies hybrid of C. Arabica and C. Canephora (Robusta) that was found in Timor Leste in the 1940s. It has been the bases of plant breeding for disease More from Honduras
Honduran 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. All it's neighbors have sophisticated coffee production: More. It’s one of those coffees where I really feel the flavor of the coffee cultivar
USDA 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 widely planted is called USDA (sounds like More comes through in the cup, even with heavier dry process fruitiness. Lighter roasts showed lively tea notes that lent an aromatic, delicate aspect to the heavier 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 Apricots from Sun Maid at the supermarket, More dried fruit flavors.
Here are my full notes on the coffees in this tasting, and the last column are our combined notes from when we launched these coffees on the site.
Name | Code | Dry Frag. | Aromatics | Score | My taste notes | Our SM general notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Honduras Dry Process Sabillon Parainema | 7106 | The dry fragrance![]() | Bittersweetness seems subdued at this level, and rustic dark fruit notes come on strong. | 87.5 | I feel like the variety (parainema) really speaks in this cup. Fruit flavors show slight rustic side tempered by honey sweetness, and interesting 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. More zest that hits on green tea and Sencha. The weight of this coffee, 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 tactile sensation in the mouth used in More is impressive. | Aromatic cup, notes of rustic dried fruits like slab apricot and blueberry![]() ![]() |
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 Peru ... you can get it anywhere 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 have more local Organic Certification than the More FTOFTO is shorthand for a coffee that is certified as both Fair Trade and Organic. More Lonya Grande | 7133 | Really nice sweetness in my light roast, less intense fruit but very refined and clean. | Wow, much more fruit than expected, and light brown sugar![]() | 87 | This Peru seems very fresh and dynamic, while also being a really accessible crowd-pleaser 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 of our spider graph charts in each More too. I get some dried fruit flavors, but also fruited acidity![]() | Light roasts yield nicely integrated acidity, brown sugar cookie, cinnamon stick/bark, and darker roasts have bean-to-bar quality chocolate![]() |
Peru FTO San Jose de Lourdes | 7134 | Chocolate-covered nut, sweetness augmented by slight savory, like a caramel![]() | Blondie bar, intensely sweet, chocolate pistachio spread, and a mild spice note. | 87 | Weighty liquid, an apple-like acidity lends to mouthfeel. 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 other roast reactions, as well as bittering More 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 and proportion of qualities, and perhaps a More when hot, but opens up to flavor notes of brown sugar, Sharfenberger type dark chocolate bar, and baked apple![]() | Really nice roast flavors, sugar-backed cocoa, robust chocolate bittersweets with roast development, hints of apple![]() |
Ethiopia Sidama Keramo | 7081 | Sweet citrus and floral![]() | this combines citrus, honey and a bit of rue, that unique sweet-aromatic herb, called tenedam in ethiopia | 92 | Next to other “easy drinking” coffees, Keramo sure tastes exotic. But it’s the kind of outsider flavors I can drink all the time. Floral, citrus, berry, fresh green rue. It’s all in there. The honey sweetness brings it together. Wow | Truly a showstopper when roasted light, Keramo’s transparent sweetness helps to reinforce the more delicate top notes like jasmine![]() ![]() ![]() |
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2 Responses
My HotTop burned out and, since we will be moving to a condo soon, replacing it is problematic at best. So I am now a dedicated Roasted Coffee Subscription addict.
Therefore, I would love to see this level of notes (in Tom’s blog) for the coffees that are destined for us oldies but goodies on the Roasted lists.
There is only one other product type that can rival (but not equal) Tom’s notes and choices – and that is wine. But in my old age I need to decrease wine intake and drink more coffee – lol.
Oh no on the Hot Top! I’m sorry to hear it gave up the ghost. I hope it at least lived a long, fruitful life. Sounds like your ability to create smoke may be limited with the new neighbor situation….unless, perhaps you share?! Just a thought 😉
Thanks for the suggestion on improving our roasted subscription information. We used to send out a half sheet of paper with some more extensive notes on roast, flavors, etc, but nixed it in the service of saving paper. Maybe it’s time to revive some of the old format online? Hmmmm…
Tom and I were discussing this earlier today after reading your message and are hoping that we can manage to at least publish roast notes and photos of the roast level online for the bi-weekly selection. I can see how that would be useful to have as a reference for subscription members, and also give those interested in joining the program a preview of what they can expect.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and for becoming a subscription member!
Best,
Dan Wood