Description
Garry’s coffee special features three of our more interesting coffees. Higher acidity, interesting processing, this bundle is leaning towards more exotic coffee tones.
*Bundles change over time. You will get the listed coffees at the time of order. *
A pound each of:
Burundi Premium Ngozi – Gihere Natural
Gihere Central Washing station receives coffee from over 1600 small-holder producers in the Ngozi region of Burundi. The average farmer in this region only has approximately 250 trees, which is extremely small. They are picking their ripe coffee by hand here. This washing station was established in 1984 and features adequate soaking and floating tank for optimal coffee processing and has over 200 drying tables. As a result, they can process nearly 20,000 bags of coffee in total here. As a result of this washing station being established in the 80s, many small-holder farmers have gained access to capital investments, education, and infrastructure to produce exceptional coffees and improve their livelihoods. After coffee has dried, it it transported to the capital city of Gitega for dry milling and export.
Tasting Notes: A very fun & tasty African natural. To see it shine, keep it in the light to medium roast range, although it’s a tasty cup from light to dark. Light roasts themselves have a stronger lemony floral tone right upfront. For an African it would not be considered high acidity but will be clearly noticeable in the taste. Behind the brighter floral notes lies a nice semi-sweet stone-fruit tone, similar to cascara or to some, strawberry’ish. The fruit and floral will quickly fade into a more robust chocolate note with some traditional spice notes kicking in mostly in the aftertaste. Medium roasts will mute the floral/fruity tones to just a hint over-top of the more robust chocolate & spice darker tones. Still exotic due to the processing but promotes more traditional Burundi like tones the darker you roast. Dark roasts themselves retain a much sweeter edge than the washed processed Burundi and one can see just a touch of fruitiness as the cup cools.
Roasting Notes: Even roasting for a natural but does have some decent chaff on the beans. A slight reduction in batch size will help keep it an easy to roast coffee. Clean cup from light to dark, a fun bean to try different roast levels with. Good to let it setup a bit longer at either light or dark roasts, will produce a much smoother more defined cup.
Guatemalan Premium Santa Rosa – Blue Ayarza – Natural Processed
A wonderful new crop natural processed bean. These beans do have a slight fruitiness to them but it would be considered very mild for a natural processed. A good choice for any coffee fan.
The region of Ayarza is a special one, landmarked by the drastic landscape and cold blue water from the Laguna de Ayarza and Laguna Azul. The lake was formed by two massive volcanos that collapsed and formed a large crater. The legends surrounding this lake are numerous like te one that says the bottom has never been found. There is a large white rock that resembles a petrified woman who didn’t follow the orders of Jesus. In short, there are simply too many good stories about Ayarza to do it justice!
This natural was created by our buddies over at Covoya Coffee, who runs a couple mills throughout Guatemala. They purchase prime cherry from the local small holders and have the processing expertise to create wonderful high rated lots consistently. Producing a quality natural is no easy task. Four years ago they started by renting a wet mill at 1,500 meters on a RFA certified farm. The quality coming from the washed coffee was much better than they expected. So they moved onto producing top grade naturals. Natural coffees under the Blue Ayarza name, mark the best cherries from small holders in the region delivered to their mill, often in their own pickup trucks.
Tasting Notes: A solid cup from light to dark, but for most drinking, a medium roast will be the way to go. Sweet with just a pinch of citric upfront, medium bodied, good mouthfeel, just a pinch of fruitiness and ends with a nice malty undertone. Lighter roast get a bit brighter and slightly more fruity but can risk a little grassy, medium roasts present great balance to the flavors and was very easy drinking, darker roasts retain a lot of sweetness and hefty malty tones, but will get pretty roasty/smoky.
If drinking for drip or pour-over, light to medium roasts are where to go. If using for blending, espresso or cold brew, medium to dark roasts can produce some really tasty results.
Roasting Notes: A bit higher chaff bean but even roasting for a natural, great prep all in all. Error a little lighter than darker on this bean, just a little development past first crack makes a real tasty treat. A short setup works well with this bean, pops the fruit notes right out but if a little too sharp, set it aside for a couple days before drinking.
Nicaraguan RFA Selva Negra – Honey Processed
The honey processing on these beans is very close to the washed processed – very clean honey processing and not a super fruity cup. It does leave it with a hint more sweetness and a lot more body with decently stronger dark tones.
One of the most sustainable farms in the world! A wonderful direct relationship coffee. Nicaraguan Selva Negra coffee is cultivated in the most ecologically sustainable and socially responsible way possible. Learn more by reading our Selva Negra Grower Profile.
Selva Negra’s history is in many ways the history of the coffee in Nicaragua altogether. In the 1880’s the Nicaraguan government invited young German immigrants to come and settle in Nicaragua in order to promote coffee growing in the northern highlands. Many accepted the offer, thus forming the main coffee plantations of the country; some estates bear names of their motherlands. Selva Negra means Black Forest, and the coffee estate is called La Hammonia, Latin for Hamburg. Located approximately 4,000 ft. above sea level, La Hammonia has been producing fine old style Arabica coffee for over 100 years. Eddy Kühl & Mausi Kühl-Hayn, the farm’s proprietors are descendants of two of these original German immigrants – Alberto Vogl and Klaus Kühl.
Selva Negra Estate Coffee is grown at a high altitude in a shaded environment. This allows the bean to have a slow development cycle which instills an intense and fulfilling flavor to each bean. The coffee is not only 100% Arabica, but more importantly it is mostly Bourbon and Typica strains (which produce higher quality beans than other varieties of coffee trees). The region of Matagalpa, Nicaragua is mountainous with excellent volcanic soil producing exceptional beans. Finally, the coffee is prepared using an environmentally friendly washing process, which gives the coffee still one more unique quality enhancing aspect.
Tasting Notes:
A nice medium to dark roast more potent Nicaraguan offering. Medium to full bodied with just a little hint of acidity. Strong Medium roasts were our favorite with thicker more complex malty tones, a sweet edge, hints of herbal spice and almost no acidity, a good daily drinker being very smooth. Just a touch of a fruit tone as the cup cools. Darker roasts produce a similar cup but turn it semi-sweet with complimenting smoky tones, not quite as smooth but has the heft many darker roast fans will love.
Roasting Notes:
Medium to low chaff and even roasting, shoot for right around 2nd crack to start, one can go a little lighter or darker depending on personal taste. Would give it a 48 hour setup to smooth out the cup.
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