October 2012 Tasting Box

Portland, Oregon

What happens when you let a fantastic coffee crop ferment for one day in wooden boxes covered with banana leaves? As the Xeucalvitz Community in Guatemala would tell you, this cleverly improvised mode of fermentation creates a unique variation in sugar content from bean to bean. That complexity further comes to life in the skilled hands of Portland, Oregon’s Coava Coffee Roasters, where each bean in the batch develops differently as it roasts. You’ll taste a refreshingly delicate Guatemalan coffee with a sweet, clean body that is anchored on the low end by tannic black tea and highlighted with a juicy limeade acidity.

We feature truly small-batch, seasonal coffees. So there might not be any left. But that's a good thing! Only big corporate factories have the same stuff all year round.

• Producer

  Xeucalvitz Community

• Origin

  El Quiche, Guatemala

• Varieties

  Bourbon and Typica

• Elevation

  1400-1600 meters above sea level

• Process

  Dry ferment/pulped natural

• Our Notes

  A refreshingly delicate Guatemalan coffee with a sweet, clean body that is anchored on the low end by tannic black tea and highlighted with a juicy limeade acidity.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

In the mid-19th century, Rafael Álverez Lalinde left Colombia, bringing only a few plants and his knowledge, and introduced coffee to El Salvador. Six generations later, his family company, Topéca Coffee, is still revolutionizing the business. Topéca is one of the few companies in the world that controls its coffee beans from the time they are planted to the time they are roasted. This “seed-to-cup” process gives Topéca the ability to ensure great quality in every cup. This luxurious coffee originates from Finca Manzano, a farm on the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano. Flavors of strawberry and balsamic are enveloped in dark chocolate, giving the cup a truffle-like quality.

We feature truly small-batch, seasonal coffees. So there might not be any left. But that's a good thing! Only big corporate factories have the same stuff all year round.

• Producer

  Finca El Manzano

• Origin

  Santa Ana, El Salvador

• Varieties

  Bourbon

• Elevation

  1300-1500 meters above sea level

• Process

  Natural processed

• Our Notes

  This coffee is luxurious, and rich. Flavors of strawberry and balsamic are enveloped in dark chocolate, creating a truffle-like quality.

Bend, Oregon

Scott Witham got his first taste of the roasting business at Seattle’s Torrefazione Italia. When Starbucks acquired Torrefazione in 2003 and offered Scott a roasting job, he had a better idea. He and his wife packed up and moved back home to central Oregon, where they started their very own roasting company; Lone Pine Coffee Roasters. With this Ethiopian brew, you’ll feel as though you are travelling around the world with every sip. Rose and lemongrass aromatics soar over a sweet lychee and white peach acidity, with a honey and assam tea base rounding out this delicate, clean and well-balanced coffee.

We feature truly small-batch, seasonal coffees. So there might not be any left. But that's a good thing! Only big corporate factories have the same stuff all year round.

• Producer

  Teklu Dembel Washing Station, Kochere Cooperative

• Origin

  Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia

• Varieties

  Heirloom Ethiopian

• Elevation

  1800-2000 meters above sea level

• Process

  Washed

• Our Notes

  Incredible rose and lemongrass aromatics soar over a sweet lychee and white peach acidity, with a honey and assam tea base rounding out this delicate, clean and well-balanced coffee.