Sweet Maria's Small Batch, Craft-Roasted Coffee Selections
A new direction for our roasted coffee offerings! In the time we have offered roasted coffee, our weekly selection became quite popular. The only problem was that it became too popular! Our primary focus is to offer green coffee and home roasters. With our subscription service in particular, we were becoming a regular roasted coffee source. We love roasting, but we want to do this in our own way, for each roast session to highlight unique differences in our greater green coffee offerings.
We are now offering "coffee pairings": one pound each of two coffees chosen to highlight differences in origin, processing, or roast; to provide our customers the ability to study the flavor profiles of two coffees. This sort of comparison is what we do all the time. Tom does this formally
when he cups a number of different coffee lots at the cupping table. In the warehouse we make a different coffee each time we brew a pot. Such a practice helps us focus on the flavor of the cup, to appreciate each coffee's uniqueness.
We are roasting less frequently now, roughly every two weeks, and picking two "regular"coffees each time. No decaf. No espresso blends. (We might offer single origin darker roasts for dual use as brewed coffee and espresso in the future). But in general, it's regular coffee to brew up however you choose. You may want to brew them and taste them side by side, or alternate making one coffee and then the next. Taste the coffees hot, warm and cold. Taste them the same time everyday or different times, and try to notice if they seem the same. (I tend to taste coffee better in the morning, when I am less distracted).
(Update: If you're interested specifically in roasted coffee for espresso, see our Roasted Espresso Page.)
If
you roast your own, you might want to cup your roasts versus those done
on the gas-fired German Probat roaster, and compare the "degree
of roast"
we have chosen for the specific coffees to your own. If you don't roast
at home, well ... here's the next best thing!
We have a new Sweet
Maria's Roasted Coffee Weblog where we discuss the why and
how of each week's selection ... and you can make comments too. It serves as an archive for previous roast sessions, so you can go back to review our comments, versus your findings.
Next Roast Date?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Pairing?
Body Body Body
Why?
In this pairing we are placing two coffees with very good body side by side so you can taste body in two slightly different ways. Often I think of body as it is in intense Indonesian coffees, but it can present itself in more mild coffees as well. The Sulawesi Tana Toraja Ke'pe has rustic sweetness, fruit and an intense, oily body. You might wonder how body can be oily - but just think of vicosity. Lots of body, low acidity. The India Organic Jasmine Estate Yellikudige is more mild and sweet, but again with very good body.
India Organic Jasmine Estate Yellikudige (view review)
This coffee pairing is $30, and includes one pound each of the two coffees listed above (2 Lbs. total) and the price of Priority Mail shipping is included as well! (Please be sure that the USPS can deliver to the address you give us.)
$30.00 Order by 4 pm on Tuesday (the roasting date) to have
the coffee roasted and shipped Wednesday (the next morning!) Prices include 2#s of coffee and shipping. Choose "Free Shipping $0.00" when you check out.
If you want other items, PLEASE place a separate order for just the roasted coffee.
If you can pick the order up at our warehouse - we do now offer the roasted coffee pairings at a discounted rate $24.00
You can also purchase a set of the next 4 roasted pairings (this week's, as well as the next three pairings listed on the menu below). The price is $108, and it includes one pound each of the two coffees for each week (4 shipments of 2 lbs each = 8 Lbs. total) and the price of Priority Mail shipping is included as well! (Please be sure that the USPS can deliver to the address you give us.)
$108.00 Prices include 2#s of coffee and shipping. Choose "Free Shipping $0.00" when you check out.
If you want other items, PLEASE place a separate order for just the roasted coffee.
If you can pick the order up every time at our warehouse - we do now offer the roasted coffee pairings at a discounted rate $96.00
Our Menu of Upcoming Roast Sessions:
December 2, 2009: 4th Generation Centrals
December 16, 2009: African Coffee for the Holidays
January 6, 2010: Micro Lot Comparison
Sulawesi Tana Toraja Ke'pe
Toraja coffees can come from anywhere in the Tana Toraja highlands, and sometimes they even come from outside the area and are blended with true Toraja coffees. In the very north of Toraja are the highest growing areas, like Pulu Pulu, and these coffees are brought by the farmers down to the local markets of Sapan, Minanga, Barrupu and the origin for this lot, Ke'pe, to sell to collectors for the larger mills. So Ke'pe represents one of the upstream points to separate coffees of regional quality before it is mixed to become a general "Toraja" coffee. While regions matter, much of the character of Sulawesi coffees is the result of the post-harvest process, the wet-hull method, called "Giling Basah". The dark, chaff-free appearance of the green is evidence, as well as low acidity, heavy body, and some of the muted, deep fruit notes. But with this lot, it is clear that starting with the higher-grown smallholder farms in the areas adjacent to Ke'pe, from the north of Toraja coffee growing area, means a true Toraja cup character and not a mix with coffees from the southern, lower areas. The dry fragrance isn't overwhelming, but has a lot of rustic sweetness as well as pungent spice in the darker roasts. The wet aroma fleshes out these qualities: dried plum and raisin pudding, peppery spice in the FC+ roast. The darker roast levels are where this coffee really hits it's stride: intense, thick oily body, dark brutish cup flavors, a bit foresty. It's also a clean cup, not musty, without dirty notes that bad Indo's can have, but by no means a wimpy cup either! The coffee remains darkly sweet, with caramelized brown sugar, into 2nd crack, and has no ashy roast flavors (well, not until you really burn it). The aftertaste has a pleasant, warm woody tone, with lingering caramelized sugar sweetness, and traces of fruit: berry, raisin bread, and just a bit of black currant. It's one of the best Indonesian coffees I have cupped at this FC+ roast level, with an intriguing relation between bittering roast notes and lingering sweetness.
This coffee is part of our direct trade Farm Gate
pricing transparency program.
I like wet-process India arabica coffees, mild and very balanced, when they are correctly picked and processed. Much of the coffee is grown at relatively low altitudes, so ideally you want to find lots from altitudes above 1200 meters. This affects bean densities, which in turn affects roasting. "Soft" coffees from low altitudes are more difficult to roast, especially in small home roasters I believe, and the result can be ashy flavors, and greater risk of scorching or tipping the coffee. This is a new lot to us, but something I cupped in previous seasons and enjoyed. I simply thought it was better this season than in the previous, and decided to offer it! The Jasmine Estate spreads over 150 acres of the Chikmagalur area in Karnataka State. It was originally planted in 1888 and for a long time the majority was exported to London. In 1973 the Estate was acquired by K.R. Sethna, an environmentalist and ornithologist. He to converted the entire estate to organic in 1989. The coffee is grown at 3800 ft in forest-alluvial and humus-rich soil under a mixed canopy of 40-45 ft native shade trees. These trees also help to conserve the natural flora, fauna and soil of the Estate. The dry fragrance is nutty, and has a rustic sweetness, but is more on the savory side than overtly sweet. Malty, caramelly, and molasses-like sweetness are present in the wet aromatics, along with savory smells and the scent of steamed rice. The cup is unique, and a basmati rice note characterizes the first sip, both sweet and nutty. There's a sweet grain as well, barley, and a really silky smooth body. Herbal tea notes grace the finish as it cools down. Overall it is a sweet and mild cup, but exotic in the sense that these rice, barley and tea notes combine in an unusual and even unlikely way to make a very interesting tasting experience.
Intensity/Prime Attribute:Medium Intensity / Mildly rustic, good body
Roast:The usual range; C+ to FC. We found the lightest roasts (City) to be too grainy, and as a softer bean, it didn't take the darker roast that well (into 2nd crack)
A new direction for our roasted coffee offerings! In the time we have offered roasted coffee, our weekly selection became quite popular. The only problem was that it became too popular! Our primary focus is to offer green coffee and home roasters. With our subscription service in particular, we were becoming a regular roasted coffee source. We love roasting, but we want to do this in our own way, for each roast session to highlight unique differences in our greater green coffee offerings.
