As we promised - two more coffees rolling out into our cafes this week. And both are a part of our "top shelf" line. If you missed our last post on the other current offerings, check it out here. And now- on to the latest…
San Cristobal. Coban, Guatemala
This coffee represents yet another foray into new and exciting relationships for Quills, and a great representation of our “Top Shelf”coffee line. Thrive Coffee Farmers is a new importer on the specialty coffee scene, and they are pushing the envelope in how the market can work for farmers to improve their lives and the quality of the coffee they produce. In this particular Guatemalan coffee- from the small Chiyuc community- they have found a great opportunity to pursue these ends. This community’s entrance into Thrive’s network brings new fertilizers and original approaches to fighting fungus and the growing leaf rust epidemic. Couple that with the fact that their coffee is 100% shade grown in a region with fertile limestone soil and a climate conducive to healthy, continuous, easy growth, and you have an environment ripe for long-term sustainability. This coffee’s mysterious claim of “honey processed” means that it skipped the traditional washing tanks and dried in the fruit mucilage (which looks honey-like) after being de-pulped. This imparts a higher sugar content and a more round, less aggressive yet still vibrant, acidity and body than you would find in its washed counterparts. Please head on over here to learn more about this (honey) process.
The Details:
Farm: A group of small producers in the Chiyuc Community
Region: Coban
Process: Honey Processed
Varietal: Caturra, Bourbon, Typica
Elevation: 1,400-1,470 MASL
We Taste: Butterscotch aromatics give way to brown sugar sweetness, complemented by a white-grape acidity and a silky mouthfeel, all perfectly balanced in the cup.
Kiungu. Embu, Kenya
We couldn’t be more excited to bring you our first ever in-house roasted coffee from Kenya. This country has quite the reputation in specialty coffee. And for good reason. Kenyan coffees are known for their dynamic acidity which contributes to a broad range of sweet, savory and fruity flavor experiences. This coffee - from the Kiungu Factory of Thambana Farmers Cooperative Society in the Embu region - will take your taste buds on a saturated journey across all of those diverse flavor spectrums. As Kenyan coffees so often do, this one will shatter all your expectations of what coffee can and should be. We're pretty confident this makes our Kenyan a worthy recipient of our “Top Shelf” label.
The Details:
Farm: Kiungu Factory (mill) of the Thambana Farmers Cooperative Society
Region: Embu
Process: Kenya-style “double” fermentation
Varietal: SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11
Elevation: 1,650-1,700 MASL
We taste: Initially very much like a washed Yirgacheffe - black tea, floral and notes of lemon. But it quickly gives way to a creamy, dynamic cup with punchy tomato & grapefruit-like acidity, blackberries and a long, sweet finish.
And just when you thought we were finished...
Still more changes coming!
Our quick feature from Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, is around about another week or so. Grab some while you can! We’ve got a great new coffee from Rwanda coming in right behind it so keep your eyes out for more info about that. And don't forget...
Now is your last chance to get your hands on some of our El Eden before it’s gone until next summer!!!