Lovely, Greens Coffee

Visiting favorite coffee roaster is one of the pleasant moment for coffee geeks.

GREENS coffee roaster allow to have joyful moment of that excitement not only in the store but also on the way to the store.  

This roaster may not be the best in Coffee Sanctuary, KOBE area, but excites us with growing expectation: unique specialty beans selection, roasting technique, and so on.

Today's selection:

GREENS Blend

Guatemala La Providencia

anzania Nitin Estate

【Note】

Unfortunately, the owner of this roaster is not available for casual talk in the shop.  No photo, friendly shop attendants are available.  Sorry...  

East Timor Fair Trade

Beans: East timor Fair trade
Roaster: Beans Tei
Roasting degree: Full City ～　Dark
Area: N/A
Altitude: 1,200m～
Varieties: Arabica
Grade: N/A
Processing: Washed


【Flavor scale】
Mildness: 1
Bitterness: 4
Richness: 4
Aroma: 3
Acidity: 0
Sweetness: 1
※Grade 1 to 5



【Impression】
Rich body, clear, smooth velvety texture,  Cocoa like aroma with a little acidity (perhaps, from roasting), sweetness as roasted cashews, gentle bitterness as dark chocolate like bitterness, short lasting bitterness as aftertaste.  Well balanced flavor, creamy natural sweetness rapped with cacao bitterness, a tint of acidity gradually grows within bitterness at first and aftertastes on top of thick layer of mild bitterness.  Although sweetness grade is low in Roaster's Flavor scale, significant flavor characters of  this beans are sweetness, mildness, well balanced body and naturally fully matured flavor.  Delicious with rich sweets like something with dairy whipped-cream.  

【 Note 】

East Timor is one of the finest coffee producer, though the production is small in the global coffee context, less than one percent of the international total.  Nevertheless, coffee hold strong influence over East Timor's overall economy.  It is said that about one forth of population relies on foreign exchange related to coffee industry.  coffee  is one of the main source of foreign currency   Nevertheless, coffee is crucial to the country’s overall economy.  Since 1994, 16 organic cooperatives and nearly 500 groups have been organized by 19,000 micro-farmers/small-scale farmers.  In 2000, they developed the structure and founded/created a national cooperative structure known as CCT, the Cooperativa Café Timor , the organization of the organic coffee farmers of East Timor.  CCT represents and helps East Timorese farmers in market, process, transport, export and even improving farmers lives in all aspects.  CCT also has been taking great effort in developing status of   East Timorese coffee value in the global market. Not only from the business aspects, but also primary aspects the has CCT been helping the farmers under the name of the Clinic Cafe Timor, as a part of fair-trade program financed by USAID.   The Clinic Café Timor benefits and offers primary health services to the farmers and their families in rural/coastal Timor, who have been historically isolated from the mainstream of health services.  Over 115,000 people are supported  This program, according to the CCT.

El Salvador Hot Springs

Name: El Salvador, Hot Springs
Roaster:  Beans Tei
Roasting degree: Medium
Area: San Ramoncito,Ahuachapán, El Salvador, 
         Finca El Madriado
Variety: Bourbon
Grade: SHG, EP
Screen: 16up
Altitude: 1250～1350m
Processing Method: Fully Washed, Sun-dried
RA, JAS, BCS certified


【Flavor scale】
Mildness: 3
Bitterness: 2
Richness: 3
Aroma: 4
Acidity: 2
Sweetness: 3    ※Grade 1 to 5

 【Impression 】
Medium Body, creamy and clean flavor, soft texture, well balanced , Mandarin Orange like flowery aroma mixed with sweet aroma as ripe banana, dried raison sweetness as carmel covered with milk chocolate bottomed with moderate richness and bitterness from roasting, shade tone of acidity slightly detected on top, short lasting aftertaste with creamy natural sweetness.

【Note】

While ago, there are only few farms provides speciality beans with "Hot spring processing method" in El Salvador, but it seems to become one of popular processing methods.  Hot spring.  Many of farms are surrounded by hot springs in this volcanic small country and now some of them realized that "hot spring water" may add extra vale to their cultivation.  Now one of popular "Hot spring" processing variety is Paca-mara, a hybrid seed varietal of the Pacas and Maragogype.  I believe this was the Original HOT Spring beans.  Since Hot Spring process adds special values in the market, appreciated especially in Japanese Market, each farm are trying to rise the market value with certifications or recognized methods, such as shade grown, organic and so on.

Coffee processed with Hot Spring/Sun-dried gives clear and sweet flavor, although El Salvadorian coffee often characterized its clear, transparent flavor.  It's maybe because fully matured cherries, red-cherries, are often used initially, but hot spring may help to add extra sweetness through fermentation.

Finca El Madriado is now called as Finca Altamira, lies on Santa Teresa area, won 25th place in 2003, 19th 2007, in COE.  This farm is one of excellent SPECIALTY beans producer in competitive El Salvadorian coffee market.

Finca Amitabha

Name: Finca Amitabha

Roaster:  Beans Tei

Roasting degree: Medium

Area: La Libertad, El Salvador

Production: M icro Farmer

Variety: Bourbon

Grade: N/A (No information provided)

Screen: N/A (No information provided)

Altitude: 1 000～1100ｍ

Crop: Jan. ～ Mar.

Processing: Sun-Dried

【Impression】

Light to medium body, soft citrus aroma, silky smoothness with clearness as spring water,  light and moderate flavor, pearly round sweetness with blight distinguished  honey like richness bottomed with light and mild bitterness, clear bitterness as a short aftertaste.  Wonderful for morning coffee w/o cream and sugar.  Non coffee lover may love this.

Food pairing: something light texture and simple flavor such as Vanila Mousse.

Peru Sun Pedro

Beans: Bourbon Sun Pedro
Roaster: Beans Tei
Roasting degree: City
Area: Sun Pedro, Sun Ignacio, Cajamarca Region, Peru

Altitude: 1,750m
Varieties: Bourbon
Grade: N/A
Processing: Washed, 
Rain forest Alliance, JAS 

【Flavor scale】
Mildness: 4
Bitterness: 1
Richness: 2
Aroma: 4
Acidity: 2
Sweetness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5


【Impression】
Light to Medium Body, clear taste, mild texture, nutty and lemony flavorful aroma, smooth and well balanced bitterness and sweetness as very shot aftertaste.  Light and refreshing bitterness underneath of core sweetness, no distinguishable acidity.  Very mild and light, but well balanced.  Matured prunes like fruity sweetness together with nutty flavor.  Smooth and light but satisfying well balanced "Coffee" flavor, fit to non coffee lovers as well.  Recommended Black, can be offered to non Coffee drinker.







【Roaster's Comment】
San Pedro village is located north of Departamento de Cajamarca, Northern part of Peru.  This Bourbon is organically grown, focusing on cohabiting with environments and farmers.  This cup is characterized soothing sweetness with rich flavor with sweetness as long aftertaste, it is recommended to enjoy a first sip without milk and suger.  Non coffee lover may like this wonderful bourbon.

Guatemala Santa Felisa

Beans: Guatemala Santa Felisa
Roaster: Beans Tei
Roasting degree: City
Area: Acatenango, Guatemala 
     Finca Santa Felisa @ Acatenango Volcano Valley
Altitude: 1500-1700m
Varieties: Pache, Typica, Bourbon
Grade: N/A
Processing: Washed, 
Rain forest Alliance, Organic, OCIA, NOP, EU, JAS 




【Flavor scale】
Mildness: 2
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 3
Aroma: 3
Acidity: 2
Sweetness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5

【Impression】
Medium body, very clean, roasted nuts with jasmine like aroma with a tint of lime, silky smooth texture, elegant and mellow with clean finish, a little bitterness as after taste.  Mild and consistent body, caramel like creamy feeling with agave syrup sweetness, green apple acidity, matured sweetness of plums and roasted almonds.

【Note】
Finca Santa Felisa always provides the Guatemalan rich coffee: rich, flavorful, transparent and well-balanced.  Flavor relies on somewhat roasting techniques although how flavorful/wonderful green beans are.  Guatemalan seems to fit Japanese style roasting, small rot with small-size machine compared with mega size US machines.  Probat & Fuji-Loyal are often found, 5kg to 15kg in space-wise, which excel in light to medium roasting.  Dark roast, such as Italian roast, may strongly depend on Machine size, and also say low quality beans.  Whereas, lighter roasting degree is one of techniques to enhance flavor of High quality beans.       

Sumatra Mandheling Pawani SP

Beans: Sumatra Mandheling Pawani SP
Roaster: Beans Tei
Roasting degree: Full City
Area: Takengon, Aceh,the northern end of Sumatra
Altitude: 1,200m～
Varieties: Original Arabica
Grade: G-1
Processing: Washed


【Flavor scale】
Mildness: 2
Bitterness: 4
Richness: 4
Aroma: 4
Acidity: 1
Sweetness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5


【Impression】
Mild and dark aroma, strong impressionous body, Sweetness with deep tone bitterness, acidity not detected, fruity sweetness to finish. Poerful earthy flavor but not too bitter.
Unlike other mandeling, less powerful and complicated.  Symple mild flavor with well balanced sweetness and bitterness.

【Note】
Roaster said this beans is replacement of Biru seleksi, means blue Mandheling select in Indonesian, clear, transparent flavored mandheling grown in Takengon, Aceh.  Compared to Biru Seleksi, This Mandheling is small in size of beans, shorter and rounder with high tone bitterness, but flavorful.  Depending on roasting degree and technique, this Mandheling may excel Biru seleksi somehow...