May 2012 Tasting Box

Seattle, Washington

In the mountains surrounding Indonesia’s Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world, grow some of the best Sumatran beans we’ve seen in a while. These beans, skillfully roasted by Seattle’s Kuma Coffee, possess the distinctive body and character that comes from a unique Indonesian semi-washing process called “wet-hulling” or “Giling Basah.” Before washing and drying, the farmers let the beans age just a little bit within their hulls, infusing the beans with new layers of flavor. Tasting the coffee, you’ll find that sweet pepper & cherry aromas introduce juicy apricot acidity, deep sweetness, savory flavors of bell peppers and tomatoes, and a lingering black pepper finish.

• Producer

  Smallholder Farmers

• Origin

  Lintong Nihuta, Sumatra, Indonesia

• Varietal

  Ateng, Typica

• Elevation

  1,300 - 1,500 meters above sea level

• Process

  Wet-hulled

• Our Notes

  Sweet pepper & cherry aromas introduce juicy apricot acidity, deep sweetness, savory flavors of bell peppers and tomatoes, and a lingering black pepper finish.

Portland, Oregon

Don Miguel is not your average coffee farmer. In fact, his Colombian farm, Las Margaritas, could almost be mistaken for a botanical garden. On his farm, Miguel experiments with coffee varietals from around the world and the intricate processing methods that accompany them. He has even created a cupping lab right on his farm in order to taste the progress as he experiments. This month, he has provided us with our second ever honey-processed beans, which have been roasted beautifully by Water Avenue Coffee Company from Portland, OR. The result is a sweet and nutty cup accented with orange zest and piquant spice and bound together by a smooth, buttery body.

• Producer

  Las Margaritas

• Origin

  Caicedonia, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

• Varietal

  Red Bourbon

• Elevation

  1,750 meters above sea level

• Process

  Honey Processed

• Our Notes

  A sweet and nutty cup accented with orange zest and piquant spice and bound together by a smooth, buttery body.

Healdsburg, California

The Gebre family-run Moredocofe farm is dedicated to preserving its local Ethiopian environment by carefully culling the best fruit from a combination of wild native trees and farm-grown plants. In fact, their farm is located in the jungles of the Dawa Basin where the coffee trees thrive in the shade of the jungle’s canopy – making it a model of sustainable farming. Flying Goat Coffee, from Healdsburg, CA, discovered these amazing beans and roasted them with enough finesse to merit a Good Food Awards nomination. What you will taste is a new take on a classically balanced, citrusy Ethiopian coffee: black and jasmine tea merge a honey and chamomile sweetness with a sparkling, crisp acidity and finish.

• Producer

  Moredocofe Co-op

• Origin

  Gizu Zone, Oromia, Sidamo, Ethiopia

• Varietal

  Heirloom (Ethiopian)

• Elevation

  1,600 - 2,000 meters above sea level

• Process

  Washed

• Our Notes

  A classically balanced, citrusy Ethiopian with flavors of black and jasmine tea that merge a honey and chamomile sweetness with a sparkling, crisp acidity and finish.