Sunday, April 25, 2010

Dominican Republic

This coffee is a new addition to the Roastery's lineup (Spring 2010). Coffees from the Dominican Republic are often put in a category with other 'island' coffees - the likes of Hawaii, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Fortunately, it doesn't come with the hefty price tag.

I offer this coffee on the lighter side of a medium roast - wanting to highlight sweeter characteristics. Aromatically, this coffee is sweetly floral and nutty. The body is full and creamy smooth. The cup is syrupy rich with mild acidity and subtle flavor nuances of fruit and nut. The finish is sweetly tangy and lingering.

This coffee is a great alternative to some of the pricier island coffees. Compared to other Latin American coffees, the cup has mild acidity similar to many Brazilian coffees. A great single origin espresso.This selection from Barahona, Dominican Republic is organic and fair trade certified. Produced by women, the coffee is also part of the Cafe Femenino Coffee Project - a social program for women coffee producers.

For additional information, please go to cafefemenino.com. As part of the agreement in selling this coffee, the shop will also be donating a portion of the sales to a local women's crisis organization.

Cheers! -Alli

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Tanzania Peaberry

A recent addition to the Roastery's list of offerings (Spring 2010). Many coffees I have tried from Tanzania have had a sharp acidity that overshadows anything else that may be present in the cup. Happily, this lot is much more complex.

As far as the roast, I left this coffee on the lighter side - my sense is that a darker roast could easily wash out flavor nuances. While there is a good amount of wine-like acidity, or brightness, the cup is balanced by a wondeful citrusy sweetness that develops gradually toward the finish. The finish itself is dry and crisp. Moderate body.

In comparison to other African coffees, this coffee is more subtle than Kenyan coffee and not nearly as fruited as an Ethiopian. It would make a great morning cup or a good selection to transition into African coffees from Latin American coffees. And, if you prefer white wine over red wine - this may be the coffee for you.

What is pearberry? Typically, there are 2 seeds (or coffee beans) that grow inside coffee fruit. Peaberry refers to the small, round, single seed sometimes found inside coffee fruit. As is often the case, this Tanzanian coffee is all peaberries.

This coffee is also part of the Hope Project - a program that has been developed to assist small farmers with improving the quality and value of their coffee through various means.

Cheers!-Alli