Americas
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Coffee from the Americas tends to be light to medium in body, straightforward in flavor, medium complexity, and fairly bright with respect to its acidity.
BRAZIL CERRADO: Brazil is the major
coffee producing country in the world, and there are many fine arabicas grown in Brazil.
The Cerrado region of Brazil is known for its production of fine coffee. Brazilian coffee
is popular in Italy and is commonly used as a base in espresso blends. In my cupping
experience, it has light body, mild sweetness, light to medium acidity, and a clean
finish. This makes a wonderful evening coffee. Also consider adding Cerrado to your custom
blends.
COLOMBIA SUPREMO HUILA: Huila is the most
southeasterly of all the coffee growing regions in Colombia. The year-round
distribution of rainfall and ambient temperatures allow the farmers to cultivate coffee up
to 1900 meters (6300 feet) above sea level. John Cossette, of Royal Coffee, feels
that the high altitude creates the trademark Huila acidity, while the greenhouse-like
conditions provide for frequent flowering periods throughout the year. Cossette states
that the real key to the greatness of the coffees from Huila are the thousands of small
farmers cultivating coffee on less than seven acres of land per farm. Such small farms are
typically tended entirely by the family, giving the plants more thorough attention.
Huila coffee is also more ecologically sound than much of the coffee from the more
industrial growing regions of Medellin, Armenia, and Manzinales, where larger farms use
outside labor and employ chemicals to deal with insect problems. In Huila,
biological control methods are used -- the release of parasitic wasps, for example –
as is simple manual farm clean-up and close observation. Huila has a medium body, medium
acid, good balance, and it has a richness often found in many of the Indonesian coffees.
It also has soft floral notes in the nose and a clean finish. This is a very aromatic
coffee.
COSTA RICA TARRAZU: In my cupping, I
found this coffee to have a creaminess that is hard to describe. As Kenneth Davids writes:
"Costa Rican is a classically complete coffee; it has everything and lacks
nothing." It is very pleasurable to the palette. It has a medium body, is well
rounded and well balanced. It has a light to medium acidity. Tarrazu is one of the four
most famous coffee districts in Costa Rica. It is grown at high altitudes and is a very
hard bean. This coffee blends well with others. It can handle a dark roast without losing
its character and is a favorite in traditional French and Italian roast blends.
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EL SALVADOR ORGANIC RAINFOREST ALLIANCE: This is a beautiful coffee from a beautiful country. Often overlooked for
coffee from neighboring better known coffee producers, El Salvador has been slowly coming
up in the ranks of specialty origin coffees. This is a classic Central American and
strictly high grown. It has pronounced vibrancy with medium body and complexity. It is
very similar to a nice Guat.
GUATEMALA ANTIGUA: From the central highlands of Guatemala, Guatemala
Antigua and is a classic coffee that is well known to many coffee enthusiasts. Antigua is
the old capital of Guatemala and is rich in culture and history. It has medium body, medium complexity, and is well balanced with a clean finish.
Guatemalan is a major ingredient in many blends and is traditionally used in
espresso.
MEXICO PLUMA ALTURA TRES OROS: Oaxaca is one of my favorite spots to travel.
It is a beautiful region in Mexico, with a rich heritage of Zapotec, Mixtec, and other
native cultures. Its elevation is around 5000 feet and is well known in Mexico for
producing premium quality hard bean Arabica coffee. Pluma Altura is one of the most
renowned classifications of coffee in Mexico. It has rich, inviting nose. The body is
light to medium, the acidity is lively, and the complexity is moderate. It also has
a mild nuttiness similar to that of our Panamanian.
PANAMA BOQUETE: Panamanian
coffee is gaining prestige and acceptance as a premium coffee producer. It is distinct with a smoky character and a nutty flavor. It has a medium
body, moderate acid, and lively overtones. The nose is sweet and somewhat floral. This is
a must-try coffee and very reminiscent of a fine Kona.
PERU APROCASI: My first taste of Peruvian coffee was in the 1980's at a small
coffee house on College Avenue in Berkeley. It was rich and satisfying - somewhat like an
Indonesian, but with added vibrancy. Since that time, it has not been easy to find premium
coffee from Peru - until recently. Coffee from Peru has been slowly building its
reputation for quality and consistency. It has also increased its production of coffee to
record levels during these past few years.
*Photos by Stephen Weiss (click links on photos)
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