Our staff takes turns sharing their favorite coffees from our current offerings list
Hello. I’m Byron, Sweet Maria’s marketing manager. I tend to our social media accounts, put together emailers, shoot photos and help out with behind-the-scenes website adjustments. I’ve been with Sweet Maria’s since 2010 and since then have developed a deep appreciation for how coffee can have such a universe of flavors.
Fun fact: I have a coffee plant (I can’t call it a shrub) grown from a seed that Tom brought back from 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... a few years ago. It’s been through a lot and looks like it’s dying in the photo. Sad, huh? I’m probably the worst plant dad and am totally undeserving of it’s companionship, but I’m working on it and my plant is actually healthier than it was a while ago. Two summers ago, it was down to one leaf and since then has fought hard to recover. It’s resilience and ability to fight back against my negligence has inspired me to take better care of it.
I love exciting, bright, bracing coffees. I’ll always order them at a cafe if I have a choice but when it comes to daily drinking, I prefer to roast/drink coffees with mellowA general primary-to-secondary post gustatory flavor characterization, often called "rich" or alternately "smooth" Coffee that has been hanging out in the warehouse, but not really helping out with..., chocolateA general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of chocolate. But what type? Usually described with more specifics.: Chocolate is a broad, general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of..., 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... and nuttyNutty is a broad flavor term, reminiscent of nuts ... but what kind exactly?: Nutty is a broad flavor term, reminiscent of nuts. It is tied intrinsically to... notes that could be considered boring or basic in comparison to our more attention grabbing offerings.
I roasted all of my picks with a very old BehmorA popular electric drum roaster designed for home use, with variable batch sizes (from 1/4 pound to 1 pound) and a smoke-reduction system. It has been modified and... modded with an upgrade panel, allowing me to use manual mode. All my selections were brewed with an even older AeropressA portable coffee brewer that makes a unique dense brew, somewhat similar to an Americano.: The Aeropress looks like a giant syringe: coffee grounds are in the bottom,... and sipped from a mug that’s probably older than the Aeropress. By the way, if you want all these coffee in a convenient bundle, order our Staff Picks Sample Set.
Brazil Dry Process Cerrado Enivaldo
This 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... is mellow and will be great for folks searching for a blend base or a coffee without the drama of too many top notes. I tasted hazelnut, walnut and pecan along with graham cracker and dusty cocoa powder notes in the finishSimilar to aftertaste, but it refers to the impression as the coffee leaves the palate. Aftertaste is the sensations gathered after the coffee has left the mouth. We....
Colombia Organic Hacienda La Pradera
I screwed up and roasted this one darker than what I was shooting for and it still came out really good. I ended up with toasty, burntBurnt flavors in coffee are the result of over-roasting, fast roasting, or roasting in a high-heat environment. This often occurs when the initial roaster temperature when the green... sugar and chocolate notes. There were hints of caramel 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... and cooked fruit in there too.
This is a good coffee to roast for your “I just want it to taste like coffee” friends. It has a nice chocolate breakfast cereal flavor along with brown sugarBrown sugar is a type of sweetness found in coffee ...a sweetness characterized by a hint of molasses, yet quite refined as well. Since Brown sugar of the.... Stay with me here but you know when the edges of a cinnamon roll’s filling get toasted and crispy? Well I’m pretty sure I tasted that flavor too.
Guatemala Organic Aldea San Juan
This 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... reminded me of those dark chocolate bars with fruit flavors that I hated as a kid but have grown to like as an adult. Look out for serious high percent dark chocolate notes complete with the high percent bitterness. It has a medium 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..., some OJ 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... and smells like cherryEither a flavor in the coffee, or referring to the fruit of the coffee tree, which somewhat resembles a red cherry.: Either a flavor in the coffee, or... cola.
One Response
Thanks for the recommendation of the Timor Leste Lekisala. I just tried it today at Full City+ as an espresso and it was excellent. Right now I am trying it at City+ish out of the Clever Dripper and enjoying it this way as well. These staff picks, along with the samplers I got with my initial order have been super helpful, in that I have gotten to try coffees I probably would have overlooked if I were picking them all based on the cupping notes and graphs. This one is an excellent example of that, as is the Burundi Kazoza N’Ikawa Coop Lot 2 that came in my sampler. Both have been wonderful surprises and have now opened my eyes to coffees from those respective origins!