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IN STOCKTanzania Karatu Vohora Family Natural SL-28 2024&nbsp;Flavor Profile: Blueberry, strawberry cheesecake, ripe cantaloupe, and dark chocolateOverview:This is a traditional natural SL-28 cultivar coffee from Karatu, Tanzania, produced by the Vohora family on their farm Finagro, located on the Ngorongoro caldera.&nbsp; The flavor profile is layered and fruit forward with notes of blueberry, strawberry cheesecake, ripe cantaloupe, and dark chocolate.&nbsp;Taste:We were lucky to get our hands on an impressive display of cultivar type and processing method executed by the Vohora family from Tanzania. A family business since the 70’s, they have had the experience and time to hone on processing techniques designed for cultivar type, a lengthy and extensive process. Dedication has paid off, and we are thrilled to showcase their work from this SL-28 cultivar type. &nbsp;We tasted strawberries galore in the form of strawberry cheesecake, jam, shortcake – the works. The fruit is amped up while still being clean. This combination is reminiscent of the pinnacle of gateway naturals of the late aughts, the flavors are enough to make anyone a natural convert. &nbsp;You’ll discover layers of peach, blueberry, cane sugar, ginger, ripe cantaloupe and lemon curd. Obviously fruit forward, it still has a multifaceted quality that keeps you going back for more. &nbsp;My favorite form of this coffee is seeing it on espresso; a fruity cortado is my ideal weekend drink. The flavors translate well to any brewing form. From pour-over, drip, espresso, cold brew or even a fruity dark roast (yum) you’ll have endless options for your menu. &nbsp;<figure id="figure-hcjjs7i3gm3w3kg0v"><img id="hcjjs7i3gm3w3kg0v" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/22HsDWDkXY8Jf29W4WWjrsDDcYKpagkYx5uD1OVJykUBqeOeG7hXICXiQK105BcK.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: undefined% 50%;" data-corners="no-rounded" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined%" data-positionY="50%" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure>Source:&nbsp;Under the watchful guidance of sibling team Neel and Kavita Vohora, the Edelweiss and Finagro farms have begun to blossom from well-managed estate farms, spanning 1000 acres across multiple ridges of the Ngorongoro caldera in northern Tanzania, into an innovative and genre-defying coffee enterprise. I’ve worked with Neel and Kavita, and the coffees from the farms for nearly 15 years and I can definitively say that their most recent harvest is the most exciting I’ve ever tasted. &nbsp; &nbsp;Among the family’s favorite cultivar selections are the SL-28s, coffees descended from some of the earliest Arabica selections made in Africa outside of Ethiopia. Tanzania was among the first colonial coffee cultivated on the continent – Bourbon trees from Réunion were delivered to the Bagomoyo mission as early as 1868. From this expanding population of C. arabica var. Bourbon a selection was made in the early 1930s by a now-extinct British agricultural breeder called Scott Labs. SL-28 is Tanzanian stock, chosen for its drought resilience almost 100 years ago, and it found its home primarily in Kenya (where the lab was based) and earned a reputation with growers for bountiful harvests and large screen sizes and with cuppers as a bastion of cup quality. The Vohora’s SL-28s thrive on the farms as productive trees (if susceptible to diseases like berry fungus), and frequently top the siblings’ cup rankings in their lab.&nbsp;Vohora’s farms continue to innovate in processing methodology as well. Rather than resting on the laurels of tradition, nearly all of their coffee (including the commercial volumes of larger lots) goes through a cherry maceration period prior to processing. For microlots, like this SL-28, the timeframe for whole cherry “pre-fermentation” is determined specifically by cultivar, through a trial-and-error process that’s been honed into precise protocols to bring out the best in each variety. In this case, the SL-28 harvest will macerate in whole cherry on raised beds under protective tarps for a few days prior completing the 2-3 week drying process on raised beds in whole cherry. After this is finished, the dried coffee is stored in GrainPro until it can be milled in Vohora’s facility back in Arusha. &nbsp;Ngorongoro, the world’s largest unbroken caldera, looms over a verdant landscape, the shell of an ancient, ruptured volcano. Inside its walls, a wildlife conservation area cut off from much access to the outside world, is home to hordes of zebra, eland, gazelles, wildebeests, two prides of lions, hyenas, hippopotami, and scores of other local birds and mammals, including a small population of black rhino. The Maasai, among the region’s more visible residents with distinctive red flannel robes and unchanged traditions of nomadism, are frequent visitors, passing through the crater with their goat and cattle herds in tow. The caldera’s wildlife are no strangers to the farms, either. Native forest corridors on the estates allow freedom of movement for the animals as they migrate, but it’s fairly common to find damage to the coffee trees; the most frequent offenders being elephants and water buffalo. &nbsp;The Vohora’s estates are nestled into the caldera’s outer ridges, bordering the park. Since 1971, the Vohoras have owned about 1000 acres of farmland on the southern exterior slopes near the town of Karatu. Neel’s grandfather arrived from India, first working for the British colonists as a farm manager prior to the nation’s independence. Neel’s father, Ajai, heads the export business from nearby Nairobi, and Kavita runs the milling and sampling operations back in Arusha. &nbsp;

Tanzania Karatu Vohora Family Natural SL-28

Honduran SHG EP Ocotepeque Washed Processed 2024: In StockChocolaty, Smooth, Nutty, Rich, BalancedProcessing Methods:<ul><li style="list-style-type: none;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: none;"><ul style="list-style-type: square;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: square;"><li>SHG: Strictly High Grown</li><li>EP: European Preparation</li><li>Washed</li></ul></li></ul>Arrival Date:&nbsp; &nbsp;05/13/24Lot #: &nbsp; &nbsp;0113Origin: &nbsp; &nbsp;ocotepequeTasting Notes: &nbsp;Great daily drinking cup medium to dark roasted. This cup is nice and chocolaty, lower acidity and medium bodied. A little sweeter edge to it except for super dark roasts. Besides a chocolaty factor one will get some nuttier characteristics coming through in the cup. We all thought it was at its best right around a full city – smooth and rich without too much of a roasty note with great chocolaty tones.Coming from family-owned farms organized around Café Ventura, located in the community of El Playón within the municipality of San Marcos in the department of Ocotepeque, Honduras. Café Ventura is owned and operated by Lurvin Ventura and his family, who have been cultivating coffee since 1970 and started to export coffee in 2012. In addition to helping small producers to improve quality and export coffee, Café Ventura donated land for the construction of a kindergarten in El Playón and purchased water filters for the local elementary schools. Producers working with Café Ventura also diversify their income growing corn, beans, and vegetables. &nbsp;

Honduran SHG EP Ocotepeque Washed Processed

IN STOCKHonduras Finca Deborah Catuai Washed 2024Tasting Notes: Honey, Milk Chocolate, Caramel, Starfruit, Green AppleCertifications: USDA Organic, Bird FriendlyFarm/Lot Name: Finca DeborahOrigin: Los Planes de Santa Maria de La Paz, HondurasProducer: Cecilia QuanProcess: WashedVarietal: CatuaiAltitude: 1450 M.A.S.L.Harvest: December – MarchCupping Notes: Honey, milk chocolate, caramel, starfruit, green apple.About This Coffee: A young mother, entrepreneur, and third generation coffee farmer, Cecilia originally trained to be a pharmacist in Honduras and spent time in the States learning English. She felt her faith call her to go into the family business of producing coffee. In the five years of managing her coffee farm, she has mastered the honey process which gives her coffee a distinctive sweet flavor.

Honduras Finca Deborah Catuai Washed

IN STOCKHonduras Anaerobic Washed 2024Tasting Notes: Melon, Starfruit, Chocolate, Light SpiceOrigin: HondurasRegion: La Union, Lempira, HondurasProcess: Anaerobic WashedAltitude: 1,400 M.A.S.L.Cupping Notes: Honduras washed anaerobic coffee is coffee that has been processed without oxygen, or anaerobically. This processing method results in a flavorful cup with notes of melon, starfruit, hints of chocolate and light spice making a clean and crisp, well-rounded coffee, with a hint of acidity and lingering sweetness.

Honduras Anaerobic Washed

LIMITED STOCKYemen Mocca HawariFlavor Profile: Fruity, Chocolately, Bananna, Red Fruit, Bakers ChocolateOrigin: Al Qafr, Ibb, YemenLot #:&nbsp; 2609Processing Method:&nbsp; Full natural and dried on rooftopsBeen a long time since we offered a Yemen coffee – we love them incredibly but with the political battles and atrocities taking place we avoided them. Recently we have gotten into some good discussions with coffee folks and the recent thinking is, good to support these Yemen farmers regardless of what is politically happening in the country. Yemen does aggregate farming, small holders – they do not have traditional farms like we normally see. Traceability is hard on these coffees but we are good buddies with Bob and Max at Royal Coffee and the Yemeni Importer has been good friends with Bob and Max for a long time. As vetted as we could get.Part of what makes Yemen coffee so cool is shared with Ethiopia – these places are the original habitat for coffee, tons of undocumented strains and wild plants incorporate these beans (partly why they roast uneven). Be prepared for some flavors unique to Ethiopia and Yemen.Yemen is perhaps the most historic coffee growing region in the world, second only to Ethiopia, with a lineage spanning more than 2,000 years. Coffee production continues today with many of the same traditions dating back to the 15th century, like drying coffee naturally in the cherry on the rooftops of houses perched on the edges of steep mountain ridges.Organized for export by a company called Pearl of Tehama. Through the collaboration small producers have learned processing techniques to ensure consistency in their coffee. Pearl of Tehama is also providing localized receiving warehouses to ease the burden of transporting coffee and ensure safe storage. Pearl of Tehama is currently helping producers organize formally because recognized producer associations can solicit international assistance for need infrastructure improvements like roads, schools and water systems.Tasting Notes: Classic Yemen coffee – slight fruitiness and rustic chocolate. Yemen coffees are the rare cup where you can occasionally see a “banana” like fruit tone – don’t worry though, its a little bit of a reach for banana, its not like eating a banana or banana flavored coffee, although with developed tongue, most can pick it up. Red fruit and bakers chocolate are the dominate tones – fruit is accentuated with lighter roasts, chocolaty with darker roasts. A lovely super complex old world natural.

Yemen Mocca Hawari

In the world of specialty coffee, the journey from bean to cup is a meticulous process that demands attention to detail and a deep understanding of the complexities involved. One of the critical yet often overlooked aspects of this journey is the off-gassing process that occurs after coffee beans are roasted to perfection. This process, while seemingly simple, plays a crucial role in determining the quality and flavor profile of the final brew.The roasting process is where the magic begins. As green coffee beans are subjected to heat, they undergo a series of chemical reactions that transform them into the aromatic and flavorful beans we love. One of these reactions is the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, which is trapped inside the beans during roasting. This trapped gas is what causes the beans to "bloom" or expand when they come into contact with water during brewing.Immediately after roasting, coffee beans undergo a rapid release of CO2 known as degassing. This initial degassing phase is crucial, as the excess CO2 can negatively impact the brewing process, leading to uneven extraction and off flavors in the cup. During this time, the beans also undergo significant changes in flavor and aroma as volatile compounds develop and evolve.However, the story doesn't end there. While the initial degassing occurs rapidly, the off-gassing process continues over a more extended period. This secondary off-gassing phase is where the true magic happens. As the beans rest and off-gas, they undergo subtle changes that enhance their flavor profile and aroma.The duration of this resting period varies depending on several factors, including the roast level and bean origin. In general, most coffee experts recommend waiting at least 24 to 48 hours after roasting before brewing. This allows the beans to degas fully and reach their peak flavor potential. For espresso, some recommend waiting up to a week to allow for a more stable extraction and balanced flavor profile.During this resting period, the beans should be stored properly to maintain their freshness. Storing coffee in an airtight container or bag with a one-way valve is ideal, as it allows CO2 to escape while preventing oxygen from entering. Oxygen is one of coffee's worst enemies, as it can lead to oxidation and flavor degradation.The off-gassing process is a crucial step in the journey of a coffee bean. It is a testament to the complexity and beauty of specialty coffee, requiring patience and precision to achieve the perfect brew. So next time you're tempted to brew immediately after roasting, remember the art of patience and allow your coffee beans to off-gas fully before enjoying that perfect cup.