12/26/2017

Finca Guachipilin

Beans: Finca Guachipilin
Roaster: Home roasting
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: La Palma,
           Chalatenango, El Salvador
Grade: SHG
Screen: in Large Size
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,300m
Variety: Pcamara
Process: Honey
※COE 2017 Awarded

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

【Comment】
High in aroma, complex, impressively sweet, caramel, a touch of mixed spices and herbs, cinnamon, cardamon, basil, orange peels, roasted hazelnuts, a touch of almondt flower, full bodied, creamy mouth-feel but light in touch, smooth, sweet, mellow, matured, clean, soothing, caramel cream, raw almond honey, peach syrup, a outch of fresh orange juice, extreamly well balanced sweetness, bitterness and acidity, roasted almonds, mellow nutty sweetness and clean sheer bitterness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Finca Guachipilin, family own farm, established in 2009 by RENATO DIAZ DIAZ, is located in municipal La Palma, in a mountainous area of El Salvador.  The farm has been in full operation since 2011 and, in 2013, obtained a de-pulping machine.  Coffee production in Finca Guachipilin relies on man power: the farm has not yet opened to electric power supplies so that coffee cherries are processed manually from pulping to drying.  The municipal La Palma are blessed with cool climate and volcanic soil, which allow coffee cultivation to become popular. 

12/20/2017

Finca La Leona

Beans: La Leona 
Roaster: Home roasting 
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Concepción del Sur, 
          Santa Bárbara, Montecillos, 
          Honduras
Grade: SHG
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,646m
Variety: Catuai
Process: Wet mill/Sun dried
※COE 2017 Awarded

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
High and rich in aroma, caramel, nutty, roasted peanuts, hazelnuts, lightly nectarines, honeydew, a touch of lemon flower, lightly green olive, middle body, rich in flavor, mellow and creamy texture, complex, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, deep and delicate sweetness, caramel syrup, extra dark maple, bourbon, lightly dried fruits, apricots, figs, mirabelle, light in bitterness, clear but sheer acidity of lime, pith of blood orange, fresh red currents, clear and delicate fruity bitterness stands out when cup is chilled, lightly tropic, acidity of juicy nectarine, clear sweetness and white grapes like juicy fruiteness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Finca La Leona, established in 2001 and owned by José María López Tobar, is located in La Leona community, 20km away from the Santa Bárbara city, covers 12ha in 1646m above sea level.  The farm was managed and maintained by other people until José María López Tobar retired and fully engaged/committed to be coffee farmer years ago and he manages the farm with 6 families as temp employee.  30% of the farm is dedicated for the other trees, like lemon and banana, for the shade and soil is fertilized with compost and conventional fertilizer.  Fully riped cherries were hand picked, wet-milled, and sun dried 18 – 25 days.

11/11/2016

Peralta Family Coffee ~ Honey Process

Beans: Peralta Family Coffee ~ Honey Process
Roaster: Home roasting 
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: Dipilto-Jalapa, 
            Departamento de Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua
Grade: SHG
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,100-1,600m
Variety: Unknown
Process: Honey

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
High in aroma, soothing, clean and high tone, fruity, mellow, lightly smokey, cherry woods, oak, Bosc pear, slightly fresh plum, dark cherries, medium body, light citrus, lemon, pink grapefruits, brown sugar, blood orange, clean mouth-feel, a little tangy feeling, walnuts skin, lemon zest, slightly herb, apple mint, roselle, honey, lemonade, a cool citric soothing-ness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Peralta family is the regular in Nicaraguan COE, once 9 out 24 COE nominee farms were own by the family.  Besides the blessed environments and ideal locations, their farm excels at not only  management skills but also processing techniques.  Although This lot was 2 yrs old, cultivated 2013/14, freshness and flavor stays as fresh as new crop and flavor has full spec responding well from high to full city with highly balanced flavor performance.

9/12/2016

Aviator Coffees & Teas


Have you heard Aviator Coffees & Teas?
There are hundreds coffee roasters in Seattle area and around, where is well known as one of the highest density and the most competitive Coffee market in the States.  Well known Starbucks has grown from Seattle, "Pike place market", the midtown Seattle.  La Marzocco, the leading Italian handcrafted Espresso machine manufacture, opens US headquarter in Seattle and opened a signature cafe in Seattle center.  Caffé Vita Coffee Roasting Company, the leading and legendary 3rd wave coffee roaster, opened their business in Capitol Hill.  Seattle coffee seance has been evolving slowly, sometimes quickly, in their unique manner.  So, that is why "Seattle Coffee" is valued and respected as signature.
Somewhat, Aviator coffee reminds me of Caffé Vita.  Maybe, aroma of coffee triggers, or maybe atmosphere does.  It also reminds me of Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco, but not in general, the Kiosk stand in Hayes Valley.  Islands side of Seattle is becoming more and more popular for roasters.  It has been decades since but it seems still attractive enough.       


If mid town Seattle coffee is considered as more for travelers from outside, the islands roaster can be the one for residents who have fallen in love with "coffee"...maybe, we can name them "Coffee Geeks" who love experiments and craving to step out from everyday routine. 

AVIATOR COFFEES & TEAS
25876 Washington Blvd NE, 
Kingston, WA 98346, USA

8/15/2016

Finca El Bosque Micro Lot

Beans: Finca El Bosque Caturra
Roaster: Home roasitng 
Roasting Degree: Full City
Origin/Area:San Fernando, Nueva Segovia
Grade: SHG
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,500m
Variety: Caturra
Process: Honey
※Rain forest alliance 

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

【Impression】
High aroma, bold, vanilla, fruity, complex, sweet, mellow, fine pastry shop like, lightly soothing, raw sugar, cane, milky, caramel, round, dark, full body, well hold, complex texture, very fruity, juice of ripe blue berry, strawberries, floral notes, tartly sweetness cacao nib, licorice, dark chocolate, fresh lightly crisp like green apple, creamy and mellow sweetness, hazelnuts cream, cooked spelt berries, milk, gush of orange skin, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, sheer acidity on top, lemon juice, caramel like sweetness and sheer tarty feeling as a long lasting aftertaste.


【Note】
2007 COE nominee. Finca El Bosque is developed by the Peralta family, long manages coffee farms between Dipilto and Jalapa where produce the highest quality coffee in Nicaragua.  This micro lot comes small area of the highest altitude of the farm and transported with Reefer Container to preserve quality. 

8/01/2016

ACPECA~Helberth Pañoni

Beans: ACPECA~Helberth Pañoni
Roaster: Home roasitng 
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Irupana, Bolivia
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,800m
Variety: Typica, Caturra
Process: Washed

※5th on Taza de Calidad / Café Presidencial 2015
     Score86.06

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

【Impression】
Medium, nutty sweetness, high, toasty, light touch of Madagascar vanilla, almonds, hazelnuts, dried plum on the bottom, a touch of anise, lightly woody, bourbon barrel, light mouthfeel, soft, gentle, soothing acidity of honey lemon, syrupy sweetness, light maple syrup, beets sugar, honey, clear citric acidity, lemon juice, white grapefruits, sour green apple, lightly tangy on bottom, roasted brown rice, white sesame seeds, well balanced acidity, sweetness and bitterness, soothing lemon like acidity with mellow sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.


【Note】
Bolivia hosted their own competition for 2015/16 season instead of COE: Taza de Calidad / Café Presidential 2015, Bolivian president hosted.  The competition is managed by international judges, similar to COE, and nominated 10 farms/groups.  ACPECA won 5th place, presented beans grown no synthesized Agricultural Material.  ACPECA cultivate in the highest altitude of ten, which has multi-range of flavor to correspond different roasting degrees.   

7/20/2016

Fazenda Ipanema ~ Dulce

Beans: Fazenda Ipanema ~ Dulce
Roaster: Home roasitng 
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Minas Gerais, Brazil
Grade: No2
Screen: 16/18
Defect: ~12
Altitude: 1,100m
Variety: Unknown
Process: Natural
※Rain Forest alliance Certified 

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Light, fruity aroma, clean, soothing, very natural, sweet, papaya, longan fruits, lightly tropical, raw honey, shaved cacao, dark chocolate, orange infused, touch of roasted walnuts, medium body, clean mouth feel, typical Brazilian coffee flavor, fine quality, quite well balanced, earthy chocolate tone, mellow but significant sweetness, raw chestnuts honey, linden honey, flowery, low tone tropic acidity holding flavor, rich but not heavy, well layered sweetness and rich body, clean light maple syrup with fine cacao like sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.  Citric tangerine peel like acidity shows when cup is chilled.

【Note】
Fazenda Ipanema is located Southern part of  Minas Gerais, Brazil, where the most biggest coffee farming area, the highland of Minas, is.  Fazenda Ipanema is one of the largest coffee farm in the world, owns 5,500ha, blessed with rich soil and water source, and produce 120,000 bags average/year.  This "Dulce" are fully matured on tree and processed naturally, with tropic flavor resembles to Irgachefe.