White Horse Coffee & Tea Company
Africa & Arabia
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This is where coffee started – Ethiopia and Yemen. Legend has it that a goatherd named Kaldi stumbled onto some of his goats dancing around a bush with dark green leaves and bright red berries. The goats were energized after eating the berries. Kaldi tried some of these berries and he quickly learned the goat dance. Since the time of its discovery, coffee has been monopolized and ferociously guarded in Arabia, smuggled by monks to India, spirited away to Java by the Dutch, and now the whole world has a thing for coffee. Africa and Arabian coffees tend to be hearty, complex, and fruity (especially if naturally processed).
ETHIOPIA
HARAR HORSE SPECIAL: This is
probably one of the best Harars that you can taste. The flavor is complex and
invigorating. It is almost like drinking a fine Cognac. Gentle, but distinctive, fruity
overtones enhance its character. It is medium to full in body and has a lively vibrancy.
This is a rare find.
ETHIOPIA NATURAL SIDAMO: Sidamo is a province in southeastern Ethiopia. Natural Sidamo is hand picked and sun dried, as it was hundreds of years ago. The beans are then removed from the dried fruit with a millstone. The labor involved in the production of this coffee is intensive. Because of its dry processing, this coffee has a pleasant fruitiness on the nose and complexity in the cup. It is full bodied, well balanced, well rounded, and with lingering flavor. It has moderate acidity. We use Ethiopian in many of our blends to add complexity and body.
ETHIOPIA WASHED SIDAMO: Unlike the natural Sidamo, which is complex, rich and fruity, the washed Sidamo is refined and slightly floral. It has a pleasant vibrancy and the finish is incredibly clean. It has light to medium body. This makes an outstanding after dinner coffee and rivals the washed Yirgacheffe this year.
ETHIOPIA WASHED YIRGACHEFFE: Yirgacheffe is considered to be the most celebrated of Ethiopian wet-processed coffees. We have obtained a wonderful Yirgacheffe from our broker/importer, Royal Coffee. This coffee was added to Kenneth Davids' Coffee Review's "Highest Rated" list - reserved for coffees that are "complex, balanced, and distinctive." Kenneth David's cupping board described this Yirgacheffe as "powered by flowers and spice in the aroma that carried into the cup with charm, depth and vivacity."
KENYA
ESTATE: Kenya is bordered by Somalia,
Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. It is east of Lake Victoria. As depicted in
many of Joy Adamson's paintings (see picture link above from the Nairobi Museum of the
National Museums of Kenya), the people of Kenya are of great cultural diversity and of
spirit. This spirit transcends the land. Kenya's economy rests on tourism and the
production of valued agricultural crops, such as coffee and tea. Traditionally, Kenya has
been highly regarded for its outstanding coffee, which was further popularized by the
plantations in Karen Blixen's book Out of Africa. The coffee growers in Kenya are highly
skilled and educated in the art of coffee production. The best Kenyas tend to come
from farm-specific auction lots. Our Estate coffee lives up to the Kenya tradition of
outstanding quality. It has a lively acidity, clean finish, moderate complexity and body,
and mild wineyness with citrusy overtones.
KENYA PEABERRY: This rare find produces an incredible cup of coffee. Similar in flavor to our Zimbabwe Peaberry, but with citrusy overtones and brighter vibrancy. It is rich and has great depth of character with a pleasant lingering finish. This is fantastic in a French Press.
TANZANIA
RUVUMA PEABERRY: Tanzania is an East
African country bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, by Mozambique on the
south, by Zaire, Burundi, and Rwanda to the west, and by the Indian Ocean to the east. It
is a country deep in history and geographic variation. Fossils found at the Olduvai Gorge
by Dr. Leakey date back almost two million years. Trade was established with India, China
and southwest Asia by 900 AD. Tanzania fell under colonial domination by Portugal,
Germany, and then Britain for several centuries until independence was gained in 1964
(including its union with Zanzibar at the same time). Geographically, Tanzania claims
Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti National Park, the Selous Game Reserve (reportedly the
largest in Africa with over 50,000 elephants), a lush coastal strip, and the emerald isle of Zanzibar. Ruvuma is the southernmost region in Tanzania
and includes Lake Nyasa at its western edge. Coffee from this region is from several small
family-owned farms which are worked by hand. Peaberries are carefully sorted out from the
rest of the beans and are favored by many coffee enthusiasts. The Ruvuma peaberry has a
unique nose - brandy-like overtones predominate with spice-like scents in the mix. The
coffee is rich in oils which caress your tongue and the flavor carries for a nice period
of time. Eventhough this coffee is vibrant and robust, the finish is gentle and clean.
UGANDA
BUGISU: Uganda is nestled between the Congo and Kenya on
the north side of Lake Victoria. Uganda is often overlooked as a producer of gourmet
coffee. Much of Uganda coffee is robusta and is used in mass-produced commercial coffees.
From the western slopes of Mount Elgon, however, comes an outstanding arabica coffee known
as Bugisu. I am very glad that I was persuaded to try this incredible bean. In my cupping
of Uganda Bugisu, I find it to have a pleasant rich softness that envelops the tongue like
a blanket. The acidity is delicate and the complexity is moderate. It also has spice
undertones. Uganda is also very nice in espresso blends.
YEMEN ARABIAN MOCCA SANANI: The region of Sanaa is in northern Yemen. Mocca
(Mocha) is the ancient, but no longer active, port where coffee was exported from Yemen to
the rest of the world. Because Yemen coffee had undertones of chocolate, Mocha became a
term to describe the chocolate characteristic of the beverage. Now, people often equate
Mocha with coffee mixed with milk and chocolate. For us, Mocca (Mocha) is a place, not a
flavor. The coffee is processed in the traditional natural dry method. It is very fruity
with a notable essence of blueberry on the nose. The size of bean varies, which means that
the roast of each individual bean varies. This adds to the complexity in the cup. This
mocca has a delicacy to it, yet is is rich with a lively vibrancy.
*
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe is located in
Southern Africa and is bordered by Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, and South Africa.
Previously a British colony and formerly known as Rhodesia, Zimbabwe has a rich and
troubled history. It gained full independence in 1980, but, for 15 years prior, it
had suffered under economic sanctions. The subsequent ongoing recovery is happening
via the Zimbabwean spirit and resourcefulness. Part of this recovery has been
through the production of coffee. Zimbabwe has gained prestige for its excellent
coffee. Click on the above links (pictures) to learn more about Zimbabwe.
ZIMBABWE PINNACLE AAA: This is the Pinnacle of coffee achievement in Zimbabwe. The highest grade and largest bean is signified with the AAA rating. This coffee is exquisite. It is rich and creamy with chocolate overtones. It also has a soft, lingering finish which makes you beg for a second cup. Our importer quickly sold out of this bean and our supplies are limited.
*Photo by Marcel Stoessel
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Send e-mail to David MacDonald at info@whitehorsecoffee.com or fpdmacd@ix.netcom.com with questions or comments about this web site.
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Last modified: September 20, 2005All images and contents of this website and associated webpages are copyright protected. Website design and maintenance by David MacDonald. Special Thanks to Leonard Young of Hula Moon Glass for his technical assistance and friendship.