Each month we mail coffee to our subscribers all over the world. This is the video series wherein we will taste and discuss one of the coffees that will be sent to our subscribers that month. The idea is that you can learn about the coffee you are drinking while drinking it.
In this month’s episode of Coffee Subscription Tasting with Friends, I’m joined by Joar Glosvik, husband of our previous colleague, Cori, who was stepping in for Krissa while she was on maternity leave. Joar is an amateur coffee enthusiast who recently competed in the Norwegian Aeropress Championship and, dare I say it, managed to beat one of our baristas! Just goes to show that you don’t need to be a pro to make a great cup of coffee. Now, follow along and watch the video to find out things like:
– which of our coffees came from a coffee forest
– are the coffee cherries from larger coffee trees the same size
– what effect does the honey process have on the taste of our coffees
– what can you do at home to improve your tasting skills
Enjoy.
Filter & Espresso
Echemo Christmas Coffee, Ethiopia 1 bag
Producer: Khalid Shifa
Harvest: December 2018
Origin: Goma, Jimma, Ethiopia
Cultivar: Heirloom from Coche forest
Process: Honey
Flavour notes: Stone fruit, floral honey & mint
This is the third single-farm coffee we bought from Ethiopia in the 2018/19 season. Khalid is mainly growing old cultivars that was planted by his grandfather many years ago. His grandfather selected seeds from wild coffee trees from the the nearby Coche forest and the trees he planted are still producing well today. Although Khalid has also planted some of the new cultivars from the Jimma Agricultural Research Center, the majority of his coffee is still from the old forest wild cultivars. It is amazing to see these old trees as they are so tall that you are literally walking underneath a canopy of coffee trees or “inside a coffee forest”. I believe that these old cultivars are the reason why Khalid’s coffee is very different from the coffees you will find in the nearby areas. It is not the typical “in your face” floral and fruity coffee like you might expect from an Ethiopian coffee. Instead it has a great rich mouthfeel with a sweet honey like flavour with notes of baking spice and mint in the aftertaste. Still you will find a pleasant fruity and floral character, but much more subtle than your typical Ethiopian coffee. A complex, sweet and rich coffee that for me would be a great end to a heavy Christmas dinner yet that is also very interesting to drink on its own.
Los Pirineos Pacamara Honey, El Salvador 2 bags
Producer: Gilberto Baraona
Harvest: February – March 2019
Origin: Tecapa-Chinameca, Usulutan, El Salvador
Cultivar: Pacamara
Process: Honey
Flavour notes: Chocolate & baked stone fruit
Gilberto Baraona is one of the top producers in El Salvador. He has won multiple awards for his Pacamara cultivar which is grown on his farm on top of the Tecapa volcano in Chinameca, El Salvador. This coffee was harvested by hand picking only the fully ripe coffee cherries to ensure maximum sweetness. After picking the cherries were de-pulped and the coffee was put directly on to drying beds under shade. This «honey process» gives it an extra fruity character, but you will still find a lot of the classic chocolate flavours commonly found in El Salvadoran coffees. The Pacamara cultivar is a cross between Margogype, which is a big tree that produces very large coffee beans and cherries, and the dwarf mutation of Bourbon named Pacas, hence the name Pacamara. This cultivar was developed in El Salvador and Gilberto’s farm was one of the trial farms for the development. It can be a challenge to find good Pacamara cultivars as there were several different generations released in the past and not all of them are genetically stable and will vary in quality. Gilberto has been planting Pacamaras that we know taste good and that is why his Pacamara coffees have done so well in the Cup of Excellence. An excellent coffee for a cozy Christmas breakfast or just when you want a really sweet and rich coffee during the cold winter months.
Mexico Lorenzo Perez, Mexico 3 bags
Producer: Lorenzo Perez
Harvest: April – May 2019
Origin: Tenejapa, Chiapas, Mexico
Cultivar: Bourbon & Caturra
Process: Washed
Flavour notes: Cocoa nibs, herbs & red berries
These old Bourbon and Caturra cultivars really shine when grown in the cool climate of Tenejapa in Chiapas, Mexico. In combination with the meticulous picking of fully ripe coffee cherries and long fermentation times, these coffees tastes like a bowl of ripe cherries and red wine with sweet cocoa nib in the finish. These coffees were by far the best I tasted from Mexico when I was searching for coffees to be served at Restaurant Noma’s Mexican pop0up in Tulúm in 2017. Since then we have been able to increase the amount we buy and this year we have bought 7 different lots from 7 different smallholder producers in the area of Tenejapa and San Pedro in Chiapas. This coffee is produced by Lorenzo Perez in cooperation with Jesus Salazar and his team at Cafeólogo in Tenejapa, Chiapas, Mexico.. The coffee trees grow alongside corn, plantain and other food crops under a canopy of shade trees. In combintion with a very cool climate this allows for slower cherry maturation and create denser beans which gives an intense and fruity cup profile. The soils are very rich in organic material and micro organisms and is therefore able to support the plant with nutrients without having to add mineral fertilisers. Jesus Salazar and his team assist the growers in improving the harvesting, processing and drying techniques which is essential in order to get a consistently high quality coffee.
Happy holidays from all of us here,
Tim & Co.