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.
COLOMBIA SUPREMO MEDELLIN: This recent crop of Medillin is notable - a beautiful coffee. It is mild, but still very flavorful and well balanced with a clean finish. This coffee is perfect for those who are just starting to drink specialty coffee and are moving out of the Yuban, etc. Because of its quality, It is also appreciated by those who have been cupping for awhile.
COLOMBIA SUPREMO POPAYÁN: This is another beautiful bean from Colombia. Popayán is a region of Colombia west of Huila and just north of Ecuador. This coffee cups quite pleasantly - it has a burgundy-like flavor that is somewhat spicey and nutty - very unique. The body is medium to full, and has a nice vibrancy to it.
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.
COSTA RICA CAFÉ ORGANICO MONTES de CRISTO: I have finally found the perfect coffee to go with fine single malt Scotch. I don't know why this combination works so well, but it does. A sip of fine Scotch, then a sip of this fine coffee - what a balance. This coffee is smooth and refined with a very clean finish. It is a step above the classic high grown Costa Rican.
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EL SALVADOR SANTA RITA BOURBON: 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 BELLA CARMONA: 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. From my notes, I found it
to have a light to medium body with a pleasant briskness that reflects its moderate
acidity. 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.
GUATEMALA ATITLAN EL LAGO: Lake Atitlan is west of Guatemala City and Antigua, and it is known for its associated volcanic peaks. El Lago is richer and fuller bodied than our other Guats. The acidity is softer and the finish is clean and pleasant.
GUATEMALA HUEHUETENANGO: Huehuetenango is northwest of Guatemala City. Although not as well known as the Antigua region, Huehuetenango produces high quality and flavorful coffee. Our Huehue has a nice, pleasant floral nose, lively vibrancy and is well balanced. It also has a medium body and moderate complexity.
GUATEMALA FRAIJANES FINCA LA LAGUNA: This estate coffee comes from the Fraijanes region just southeast of Guatemala City. The estate, or "finca", has been in operation since about 1865. It is a meticulously well-kept farm. The coffee is 100% Bourbon varietal of arabica and is shade grown. The finca also has its own wet mill and drying patios. This is a special coffee. The flavor is unlike our other Guats. It has a complex and intriguing nose which draws you into the coffee. The vibrancy is pronounced and the body is well rounded. The finish lingers, leaving you wanting more. We have a limited supply. This could turn out to be your favorite Guat of the year!
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.
NICARAGUA HACIENDA LA ILUSION ESTATE:
Nicaragua is often underrated and overlooked by many specialty coffee drinkers. I was
guilty of this myself. Fortunately, I was introduced to this beautiful coffee. Grown at an
elevation of around 4500 feet, this hard-bean arabica is one that has to be tasted. It
maintains its flavor well in a dark roast and develops a gentle and pleasurable richness.
It has a floral bouquet at first, and the nose caries throughout the cup. Since we roast
in small batches, we only have a few roasted bags on the shelf at a time for our local
customers. Recently, we had an episode where two of our customers were fighting for the
remaining two pounds. It's amazing what coffee will do to people. The folks at Hacienda La
Ilusion are committed to sustainable coffee growing practices.
PANAMA FINCA HARTMANN
SONGBIRD: Panamanian
coffee is gaining prestige and acceptance as a premium coffee producer. Coffee from Finca
Hartmann is 100% shade grown and bird habitat friendly. The Hartmann estate is in western Panama close to the Costa
Rican border. In addition to serving as a coffee plantation Finca Hartmann also serves as
a bird sanctuary, where you can stay and study the various bird species (a bird
watcher’s paradise). The Hartmann family's coffee is highly prized and is well worth
the experience. 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.
PERU CHANCHAMAYO - CORONA EXTRA and LA FLORIDA ORGANIC: My first taste of Peruvian organic 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. On the eastern slopes of the Andes, about 200
miles east of Lima, is the rich Chanchamayo Valley where some of the best Peruvian coffee
is grown. Corona Extra is a large bean coffee with medium body and complexity, pleasant
acidity and finishes cleanly. La Florida Organic is similar to the Corona Extra, but has
more depth of flavor and is more full-bodied.
PERU NORTE ORGANIC: From the rich growing regions of the north comes this powerful and robust Peruvian coffee. The vibrancy is more pronounced than with the La Florida. It has medium body and moderate complexity. Another beautiful organic.
*Photos by Stephen Weiss (click links on photos)
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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.