"...........one of the first ideas was to revamp our filter blend offerings. Why ? well I think filter blends can be cool, and can be fun, but they get a bad rep. This scared me off........"
About 18 months ago I decided that I wanted to re-invent our blends. One of my first ideas was to revamp our filter blend offerings – but I didn’t go for it straight away.
Why? Well, I think filter blends can be cool, and they can be fun, but they get a bad rep. This scared me off, and did so until we were at the end of our new blends. Even since then it’s caused me some sleepless nights.
So why use a filter blend? The same can be asked of “why make an espresso blend?” We have espresso blends in order to add a more rounded / complex experience to the espresso, and some people will have you believe that you HAVE to blend for great espresso. This is something I have disagreed with for years; single estate espresso can be amazing, but I’ve always said that blends also have their place.
These same people who don’t like single origin espresso are the same people who will argue that filter needs to be single estate, and that filter blends have no place.
Well, everything in coffee has its place and this is our attempt to make an amazing blend that will be complex and challenging in a brewed coffee, but retain integrity in the cup. For me a great filter blend should be sweet, fruity, smooth, and balanced.
So we took some of our favourite filter treats and put them together in this challenging blend. I think it really works and I hope you do too.
50% Colombian Oporapa
30% El Salvador La Ilusion Bourbon
20% Brazil Sau Judas
Like all our blend names there’s a great personal link in here too, this time for me and my wife, and if you watch this week’s In My Mug I’ll be sure to tell you.
You can buy it here
Some rather cool wallpapers here
As always on these things now we have a great video to launch it, I hope you enjoy.
Written on January 27th, 2012 | Posted in New Coffees, Video | 1 Comment »
"......... thought instead of letting off fireworks, I'd start the year with a signal of intent, with a huge huge coffee from Ethiopia........."
So happy 2012, I thought instead of letting off fireworks, I’d start the year with a signal of intent, with a huge huge coffee from Ethiopia
A sun-dried yirgacheffee from the Konga coop in the Yirgacheffee area thats a peaberry and is amazing, heres the write up.
Ethiopia has seen a centralisation of all coffee exports through the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX). It is now virtually impossible to provide accurate information of the precise traceability of coffees as lots are anonymised upon arrival at the Exchange. There are very few ways around this but one way is buying through co-operative unions who can sell direct to buyers.
This is a very special cup. Whilst keen not to over play it, to find a great sun dried natural Yirgacheffee is a feat in its self. Add to that we can find some traceability to it, that makes it very exciting. But then add to that its a peaberry too this becomes super unique. In all my years cupping coffee I have never found all of these things together. But add to that the special cup profile well, I think you will love it.
Coming from the Yirgacheffee Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union that represents a total of 43,784 farmers throughout the Yirgacheffe area. It comes from the Konga coop (that belong to Yirgacheffee Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union) in region of Yirgacheffe. Konga has a total coffee growing area of 1622 hectares and is grown at around 1750-3200 metres altitude (not sure how much coffee is grown up that high but thats what they tell me).
In the cup expect something super special. Its like diving in to a pack of Opal fruits (cant get used to calling them starburst) but in particular the strawberry and the ones. Huge mouthfeel, and bucket loads of funk, boozy while remaining very very clean. A special and rare coffee I am pleased to share with you.
Farm: Cooperative based
Varietal: Heriloom Varietals
Processing: Sun Dried Natural process
Altitude: 1750-3200 mtrs
Owner: Cooperative
Region: Yirgacheffe
Exporter: Yirgacheffee Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union
you can buy it here
Written on January 1st, 2012 | Posted in New Coffees | 3 Comments »
"...........a tiny 80kg lot of the special reserve selection from Ernesto Menendez..............."
And were there. 12 days of blogging, and the final piece of the jigsaw (maybe)
Well were here and this one is a bit special, a Christmas day kind of coffee? A tiny 80kg lot of the special reserve selection from Ernesto Menendez. He hand selects these lots to make sure the very best of his years production is offered under his special reserve brand. We are lucky to have this, we don’t know how much there is out there, but we know not a lot.
In the cup there is the big hit of spice tied with an underlying sweetness, think 100s and 1000s chocolate sweets and a super complex acidty of oranges and peaches.
It is a rare rare rare cup, and something you HAVE to try.
Written on December 15th, 2011 | Posted in New Coffees, News | No Comments »
".........a new coffee a new day, its been a marathon ten days but this is an old favourite coming back for a very short time..........."
I’m struggling with links to these 12 days of christmas so 10 sergios a leaping seems appropriate.
A new coffee a new day, its been a marathon ten days but this is an old favourite coming back for a very short time. Owned by Sergio who has become a good friend (and I hope to get the normal christmas email any day soon) who has made this micro lot “Parcela el Pollo” which I thought was packet of chicken but parcela can also mena small plot/area. The ‘chicken plot’ is situated at the very highest point of the farm which is 1770 metres above sea level. It’s a mix of Bourbon and Catuai varietals, which are hand picked, fully washed and sun dried.
In the cup expect big toffee sweetness and viscosity, paired with brown sugar and a super clean finish. Lovely grape like acidity, tight but complex. A great espresso and lovely filter brewed coffee.
you can buy it here
Written on December 13th, 2011 | Posted in New Coffees, News | No Comments »
"...........today we have a blast from the past, a bit of retro blend in retro packing for one week only........."
So continuing on with the 12 days of Christmas
Today we have a blast from the past, a bit of retro blend in retro packing for one week only. To find out more watch here
Has Bean Premium Espresso Blend consists of Brazil Fazenda Cachoeria for sweetness (33%), Guatemala El Bosque Red Bourbon for acidity (33%), and Celebes Torja Kalosi (33%)for body and mouthfeel.
But to say its an espresso blend that wont be around for long, and you can buy it here
Written on December 11th, 2011 | Posted in New Coffees, News | No Comments »
".........this coffee I think is the foundation we have built has bean on. It was the first time that I truly understood what coffee could be.............."
Day seven of our rather protracted days of christmas and this one gives me great pleasure.
This coffee I think is the foundation we have built has bean on. It was the first time that I truly understood what coffee could be. I made a video while I was on my only visit to the farm where I get all gushy, I don’t think I can watch it back, but you can if you wish to drown in smush
Its great to have this coffee back. but to counteract the serious video, there is one here thats a little more silly from the same farm.
But you can buy it here
The seven swans a swimming in a waterfall title just a play on Cachoeria meaning waterfall in Portuguese
Written on December 10th, 2011 | Posted in New Coffees, News | 1 Comment »
