El Mirador Finca El Rincón

Beans: El Mirador Finca El Rincón
Roaster: Home roasting
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: La Libertad, Huehuetenango, 
                                                        Guatemala
Grade: SHB
Screen: 15up
Defect: ～8
Altitude: 1,500～1,700m
Variety: Burbon, Caturra, Catuai
Process: Fully-washed

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

【Impression】
Medium light to medium, aromaful, soothing high tone TCHO 70% cacao bar, sugar cane, a touch of peach, matured nectarine, dried pear, mellow and juicy, light but thick layer of sweetness, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, clean but rich, coconut juice, white grape, cane sugar, clear and mild bitterness hidden heighten sweetness, cacao, date sugar, maple syrup, juicy clear sweetness as a long lasting after taste.  

【Note】
The best cup to end 2014, Micro lot from Finca El Rincón, Huehuetenango Guatemala.  Managed by Molina Family, Finca El Rincón produces high quality coffee in Huehuetenango, the rising star region to produce green beans.  Guatemalan coffee has been graded by the altitude but Huehuetenango has screen and defect, The Grading Green Coffee protocol based on GACCS of SCAA.  In the states, Olam Specialty Coffee seems to have an access to Finca El  Rincón.

Guatemalan coffee has opened the door to the world of coffee over decades ago, and stays the best choice since then.  The specialty coffee has changed, and been changing, the coffee market in may ways, some understandable and the other not agreeable.  Besides all, if this specialty movements motivates farmers and increases the value of green beans, last 20 years must be valuable.  Since Jamaican survives Hemileia vastatrix in these years, there might be "coffee hunters" seeking for the golden goose.

Finca La Joya ~ Honduran National winner

Beans:  Finca La Joya
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: San Jerónimo, Comayagua, Honduras
Grade: SHG
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,600m
Variety: Catuai
Process: Fully-washed

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

【Impression】
Medium, soothing, smokey, mellow aroma, apple woods, lemon, almonds, roasted chestnuts, licorice, hickory like top note, thick layer of sweetness, orange, slightly tangy, light acidity, white grapefruits, smokey mouth feel as a long lasting aftertaste.    

【Note】
To be honest, this beans was the one impossible to trace both the importer and the estate/grower, "Javier".  Since there are no access to the record of Honduran National competition winners, the information below is hearsay without confirmation.  Please let me know if you have any information about "Finca La Joya" in Honduras, not in Guatemala.  

"The owner of Finca La Joya, Javier, started his own coffee farm 22-years-ago with 0.7ha.  Now, the estate is expanded to 10ha and grow two varietal, Catuai and Pacas.  He devotes his passion to improve quality, which celebrates him with two National winner awards." 

Finca Nuevo Mundo

Beans:  Finca Nuevo Mundo 
Roaster: Home roast
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Sierra Central, Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,400 ～　1,500m
Variety: Caturra, Typica
Process: Fully-washed, Sun dried, shade grown

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

【Impression】
Medium dark, aromaful, cocoa, chocolate, dark & high cacao content chocolate bar, citric and sweet, highly citric, lemon, lime, a touch of clove, cardamon as an airy top note, mellow, juicy, high acidity, lemon, grapefruits, acerola, pomegranate, tangy bitterness, pungent, maple butter like thick sweetness, clear, balanced sweetness and acidity, creamy sweetness with tangy-ness as a long lasting aftertaste.

This lot is dramatic in flavor.  The impression changes one after another like a flip book as a cup getting chilled.  The very first aroma impression is "chocolate", exactly same aroma as ripping off a chocolate bar wrapping, Lindt 90% cocoa bar or Ghirardelli's Intense Dark 86% Cacao Midnight Reverie.  The "chocolate" aroma gradually changes to fruity, citric, blood orange skin like, as a cup cool down.  As for flavor, highly tangy, acid-bitterness, comes very first in a hot cup, which will fades and replaced with mellow sweetness, natural sweetness like dates, plum and raisin as a cup cools off.  

【Note】
Finca Nuevo Mundo, also called Alfred Dias estate, won the second place of CODOCAFE cupping contest in 2007.  CODOCAFE is abbreviation of El Consejo Dominicano del Café, Dominican coffee association.  Mr. Dias, the owner and founder, established the farm in 1989 and has been devoting his life to grow high quality/full flavored coffee beans.  His dedication and enthusiasm opened the door to "new world" of Dominican coffee flavor:  clear Caribbean flavor with lime like soothing citric aroma.

Santos Nibra

Beans:  Santos Nibra
Roaster: Namamame Hompo
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: Sur de Minas, Cerrado, 
                     Estado de Minas GeraisBrazil
Grade: Type2
Screen: SC18
Defect: ～11
Altitude: 1,100　～　1,300m
Variety: Burbon, Catuai
Process: Natural

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

【Impression】
Light to Medium, chiffon, transparent, mellow,  sweet aroma, roasted hazelnuts, Chinese star anise and juniper berry as a top note, full bodied, clear, soothing, juicy, well-balanced sweetness and acidity, anis, Murcott tangor, king mandarin, chestnuts, cashews, harmonized, a shady but sharp lemony acidity, maple syrup like natural sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.  

【Note】
NCC is proud to introduce Nibra as THE BRAZIL coffee.  Santos Nibra is imported by NCC, Nippon Coffee Trading Co., LTD, and grown with the full-contract.  According to NCC, "Santos Nibra provides the highest quality and flavor coffee in Brazil, which has rich flavor and well balanced bitterness, sweetness and acidity as if they were blended."
Cerrado means "Closed" in Portuguese, which is the tropical savanna eco-region covers 24% of Brazil and has the biologically richest savanna in the world with high levels of endemism.  Cerrado often called "Campo Cerrado", which means "Thick field" or "blind field" as I was taught.  Brazilian government has encouraged pioneers to "cultivate" this area to grow soy beans, sugar cane, coffee and so on since 1970's.  The farmers develop new land Agriculture in Cerrado aims to export.  With this reality, Cerrado coffee leaves cynical and bitter feeling.

Kivu K3

Beans:  Kivu K3
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: Nord-Kivu, Rutshuru Region, Congo
Grade: K3
Screen: SC17 up 54%, SC16 up 20%
Defect: N/A
Altitude: over 1,500　～　2,000m
Variety: Unknown
Process: fully washed and sundried

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

【Impression】
Medium, medium dark, aromaful, fruity, cacao, passion fruits, roasted chestnuts, apricot flower, smooth texture, mellow, thick creamy sweetness, non sugar condensed milk, tangy bitterness, citric acidity and sweetness, blood orange, satsuma, fresh pear, tangy acidity as young banana, high tone lemony feeling, earthy spiciness, clove, allspice, nutmeg, lime like acidity with caramel like sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Kivu covers a very wide geographical area along the border of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, divided into three Providences Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, and Maniema.  Regarding coffee, it is said that Kivu has the high potential to produce higher quality coffee.
Congo is actually now the second biggest coffee cultivator in Africa and shifts their focus on Arabica varietal to grow high value coffee to meet the specialty market.    

Finca EL Palacio ~ National winner

Beans: Finca EL Palacio
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area:  
       Departamento de Jinotega,
                                      Nicaragua
Grade: SHG  
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: over 1,250m
Variety: Catimor
Process: Wahsed
Crop: 2013

Nicaraguan COE National Winner

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

【Impression】
Medium dark to dark, flowery and fruity, jasmine, almond flower, matured papaya, peach, roasted almond, pistachio, cashews, smooth, silky mouth feel, mellow sweetness, toasted oats, sesame butter, dried pear, Meyer lemon, dates, maple syrup, soothing bitterness, orange like acidity, clean and clear sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Finca EL Palacio is family own coffee firm descended for four generation and celebrates 120th anniversaly in Oct. 2014.  Begin with two coffee farms, the family spent their effort generation by generation to cultivate higher quality coffee cherries and expand the farms gradually.  In 1990's, the farm was formed as a Corporation, managed by the descendant.  Finca EL Palacio has entered COE Nicaragua program and nominated as National winner.  Although their coffee had one more step for the finals, this NW lot has the flavor to show their ability and capability.  

Kagumo-ini

Name:　Kagumo-ini
Roaster: Namamame Hompo
Roasting degree: Full City
Area: Mathira, Nyeri, Kenya
Variety:  SL28, SL34 and others mixed
Grade: AB
Screen: 15～17
Altitude: 1,600m
Defect: N/A 
Processing Method: Fully washed, 
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　African bed dried

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

【Impression】
Medium dark to dark, sweet mellow aroma, dark chocolate, raw cocoa, coconut sugar, Cardamom, touch of Juniper berry, grapefruits and Meyer lemon as top note, silky texture, bitterness with creamy sweetness, earthy, cinnamon like spice, high tone citric acidity, candied orange peel, cacao nib, fruity sweetness, blood orange, satsuma mandarin, clean, tangy bitterness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Kagumo-ini is a coffee mill that is part of the Mugaga Farmer’s Cooperative Society, near Karatina town in Mathira, produces higher quality coffee season after season.  Majority of Kenyan coffee mills produces high quality beans by following “traditional” Kenyan methods: hand-picking, hand-screening, water pulping, fermentation, soaking, washing, sun-drying on African-bed, and 30 to 40 days maturing in a wooden silo before refined.  At Kagumo-ini, These SL28 & SL34 cherries were hand-picked by the small farmers and processed with Kenyan method, processed with two fermentations and dried on raised beds.

Carmo de Minas IP

Name:　Carmo de Minas I.P.
Roaster: Home roast
Roasting degree: Full City
Area: Estado de Minas Gerais, Brazil 
Variety:  Bourbon Amarelo (Yellow Bourbon)
Grade: N/A
Screen: 16up
Altitude: 1,100m
Defect: N/A 
Processing Method: Pulped Natural

【Impression】
Floral, roasted pecan, well balanced, very gentle and soft, clearn and juicy, dark chocolate with mixed nuts, pecan, almond, a bit of peanuts.  Lemon like citric acidity and dark chocolate bitterness as a long lasting aftertaste. 

【Note】
Formerly known as Fazenda Serrado, the Iamas Pereira (I.P) namechange is an attempt to differentiate the Farm name from being confused with the Cerrado coffee Region.  Pereira Estate is located Southern part of Estado de Minas Gerais, perched in the high mountains of the South Minas Water Spa Circuit, near the towns of Lambari.  This yellow bourbon has unique and definite acidity, very fruity, as the other Minas Gerais.  It is amazing to find single varietal beans have this rich and complex layered flavor.    

Doi chaang Usami Estate

Beans: Doi chaang Usami Estate
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area:  Doi chaang, Chiang Mai District, 
                                                                      Thailand
Grade: AA  
Screen: SC14/15
Defect: less than 7%
Altitude: over 1,200 ～ 1,600m
Variety: Catimor
Process: Wahsed
Crop: 2013

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

【Impression】
Medium, mellow sweet aroma, Amaretto, GODIVA's milk truffle like, almond cream, star anise, Madagascar vanilla, juicy, lightly bitter, mild sweetness, raw cacao nib, well layered complex sweetness, caramel, matured star apple, lightly fruity, dried pear, dried nectarine, coconuts sugar, well balanced mellow creamy sweetness and bitterness, a tip of Dutch cocoa acidity to enhance sweetness, juicy sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.

COE Gishambusha WS

Beans: COE Gishambusha WS
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area:  Gashoho, Muyinga, Burundi
Grade: N/A COE lot  
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: over 1,620m
Variety: Burbon
Process: Free Wahsed
Crop: 2013

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

【Impression】
Medium dark, green, fresh aroma, Tahitian vanilla on bottom note, dried fig, fresh peach, raw cocoa, juicy texture, clear, fresh, well balanced bitterness and sweetness, fresh fruits like sweetness, crisp apple, blood orange, buttery Bartlett pear, Forelle pear, Comice pear, a touch of maple sugar on the bottom, mellow, soothing acidity of lime, honey like mat sweetness as a long lasting after taste.  

【Note】
Gishambusha WS wons 12th place in 2013 Burundi COE.  Burundi holds Cup of Excellence since 2012, and this lot comes from the competition held for the second time.  Unlike other COE, entries are made by washing stations in Burundi, not by estates.  Built in 1992, Gishambusha WS has been working closely ehough with coffee farmers to produce high quality coffee, specialty coffee since.  It is said that over fifty percent of Burundi’s Population is involved in coffee production and this WS, Burundi government own, motivates the farmers to receive "premiums" by growing high quality coffee.

Grit City Blend

Beans: Grit city Blend
Roaster: madrona Coffee Co.
Roasting Degree: full City
Origin/Area: N/A
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: N/A
Variety: N/A
Process: N/A 





【Impression】
Medium, sweet orange, caramel, cacao, touch of lemon peel as a top note, vanilla, almond flower, smooth mouth feel, mild, citric acidity, pearly, lightly lemony, lime, mellow sweetness, cacao nib, dates sugar, slightly tangy bitterness,dried burdock root, apricot kernel, almond, Chinese leafy herb mix, roasted almond like sweetness as a long lasting after taste.

【Note】
Medium dark but smooth and clean enough for hand brew.  This has more room to develop flavor balance and gives a sense that "coffee geek" blends beans to seek fine flavor coffee to fulfill his cravings for fine flavor.     

Saul Perez, Micro lot

Name:　Saul Perez, Micro lot 
Roaster: Home roast
Roasting degree: City
Area: San Antonio, Departamento de El Progreso, 
                                                                            Peru
Variety:  30% Typica, 30% Burbon, 40% Catura
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Altitude: 1,650m
Defect: N/A but almost none
Processing Method: Fully washed

※Organic certified by JAS, rainforest allaiance


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

【Note】
The Northern part of Peru, the highland between Cordillera de los Andes and the upper Amazon valley, is the most notified area produces the world highest quality coffee.  Due to inability of access, it has been "sealed" from the world market.  This beans were brought and shipped from the depth of Cordillera de los Andes, Finca of Mr. Saul Perez at San Antonio, with very limited QTY 350kg.
Unlike usual Peru, this cup was high tone aroma with deep sweetness hidden in clear after taste.  This lot wide-opens possibility of Peru coffee.  

Typica Full-matured

Name:　Typica Full-matured
Roaster: Home roast
Roasting degree: High
Area: Pluma Hidalgo, Estado de Oaxaca, MEXCO
Variety:  Typica
Grade: SHG
Screen: N/A
Altitude: 1,200 - 1,500m
Defect: N/A
Processing Method: Fully washed

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

【Impression】
Light body, light citric aroma, soothing, mild texture, deeply sweet flavor, clear, high in acidity, fruity citrus, grapefruits or blood oranges, mellow sweetness, sheer bitterness with short sweetness to finish, mellow sweetness with a sheer bitterness as a long lasting after taste.
Mild coffee fits anytime of the day and anytime of a year.  Recommended as Black, may fit with someone prefer light flavored coffee.  

【Note】
This rot is explained as Wild Grown typica which left on the tree until berries matured fully until they turn into wine like dark red color. Then, the berries are picked by hands.  This typica is characterized by mellow sweetness and mild mouth-feel; deeply comforting flavor.  High or cinnamon roast may improve flavor character of this coffee for pour-over style.    

valkyrie blend

Beans: Valkyrie Blend
 ※Blend of 50% Sumatra, 25% Ethiopian Harrar, 
     and 25% French Roast. 

Roaster: Valhalla Coffee Co.
Roasting Degree: City to Italian
Origin/Area: N/A
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: N/A
Variety: N/A
Process: N/A

【Impression】
Medium to medium dark, savory aroma, dark chocolate, mellow roasted nuts like aroma as a base note, followed by herbal, a touch of high tone citrus peels as a top note, light touch, juicy mouth feel, fresh plum like flavor over taken by tangy bitterness, smokey, lemony acidity, lime, cinnamon, a touch of natural but thick sweetness hidden, prune, dates sugar, a smorky bitterness and tangy-ness as a long lasting after taste.
Overall, very interesting and unique flavor as beans do.  Flavor significantly changes not only by the brewer but also by time to time.  It is difficult to describe a profile of this blend and may need more time to repeat try and error.

Paraka

Beans: Paraka
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: Mt. Hagen, Papua New Guinea
Grade: Prantation A
Screen: 17
Defect: None
Altitude: over 1,500m
Variety: Typica, Burbon
Process: Free Wahsed
Crop: 2009.

【Impression】
Mild, Medium ~ semi-dark body, well-balanced, round flavor.  Summer tangerine like light, juicy, refreshing acidity with settled, well-harmonized sweet-bitterness, thin, smooth texture.
Well harmonized combination of bitterness and sourness, but not either of them: bitterness and sourness are evenly set on the base of light sweetness, fruity aroma like mango, a little bitter aftertaste. 
Different sensations of sourness and bitterness are intertwined to create deep and rich flavor of this coffee.


【Note】
Papua New Guinea, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini, is located in the South of the equator and the North of Australia, consisted of over 300 islands over coral reef in South pacific.  Coffee is cultivated mainly Western Highlands Province called Mt. Hagen, Golocka, Wau, Bantz area, the area where were blessed with volcanic ash soil, stable weather, and stable rainfall throughout a year. 
We are happy to introduce "PARAKA", the high quality beans from this area. 

★Note　2★
Originally written in 2011, this cupping post was hidden and slipped in other articles.  I happened to find this so decided to bring it to the life.

Finca Las Golondrinas

Name:　Finca Las Golondrinas
Roaster: Home roast
Roasting degree: City
Area: Mosonte, Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua
Variety:  Villa Sarchi, Catura
Grade: SGH
Screen: N/A
Altitude: 1,400 - 1,700m
Defect: N/A
Processing Method: Fully washed

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

【Impression】
Medium dark, mellow, highly aromatic, cacao, coconut sugar, roasted pecan, rolled oats, Hazel nuts, silky, well-balanced sweetness and bitterness, coconuts sugar, molasses, unrefined cane sugar, vanilla, cacao nib, roasted almond, light touch of acidity, lime, blood orange, black berry, dark chocolate like bitterness with almond essence sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste. 



【Note】
Since 1974, this coffee farm has carried the dream of Peralta Family.  Finca Las Golondrinas won the first place in Nicaraguan SOE in 2007 and bit on the highest price, 47.06 at that time.  They grow very rare variety: Villa Sarchi.  Rarely grown in Nicaragua, Villa Sarchi is a natural hybrid of Burbon variety, which has low level of disease resistance but high yieldability.  This Burbon hybrid often explain as Orange, clean flavor, which strongly depends on and varies by the country/soil they are grown.    

Seattle Coffee Works

After visiting lovely "Ballard Coffee Works", the question comes up:  Is there any choice than visiting Seattle Coffee Works?"
So, here is Seattle Coffee Works in downtown Seattle, near Pike place market.

The cafe is located on Pike St., between 2nd and 1st Ave. Since brief history of Seattle Coffee Works has been covered in Ballard Coffee Works post, This post focuses on introducing Seattle Coffee Works.  

Although Seattle Coffee Works has limited space, you may notice their unique floor layout once step in a cafe.  They divided the space into 3 sections: espresso bar on the left, brew bar on the right and roasting room through the door .  Brew bar is hidden behind roasted/packaged beans shelf and kind of separated by a hip high swing door from the lest of cafe space.

With the order of Soy latte, Latte art came out as angel with a heart shaped head.  In San Francisco, Ballistas often says SOY has less capability to bring silky and creamy texture form to last long, so that they prefer/switched Almond Milk, which bottle shapes like a 18c woman.  However, "the almond milk movement" seems like hasn't affects Seattle Coffee here yet. 

Soy Latte at Seattle Coffee Works came with silky and milky creamy soy form stays until 16oz cup became empty.  Compared with Ballard Coffee works, drink was soft, creamy and comforting.  

Maybe, it was just because out side was heavy rain.  
Maybe, I was soaking wet.

    

Environmental-wise, Ballard Coffee Works has more "handy" and "stay-as-long-as-you can stay". 

Considering the location, in the middle of Seattle downtown very close to Pike Place Market, Seattle Coffee Works cafe has considerably friendly atmosphere for both locals and tourists.   

Intelligentsia Coffee ~ Venice Coffeebar

Since their name was mentioned, here is L.A.'s one of the most popular, the highest media exposure coffee roaster, Intelligentsia, known as "big-three" of third wave coffee in the United States.


Maybe, there is nothing to say about them, but here is brief overview about who they are just for reminder.  

Dated back in 1995,  Doug Zell and Emily Mange left San Francisco, a sanctuary for third wave coffee, to plant a seed of their dream coffee roaster.  The idea of Intelligentsia sprouted and rooted in Chicago, where they opens the very first roastery to bring freshly roasted coffee beans to their own.  After they bloomed in Chicago, Intelligentsia planted a seed in L.A., then in NYC, and now in SF, the city where picked up the seed.
Although they have more coffee house in Chicago than any other location, 7 in Chicago and 3 each in L.A. and NYC for now, somewhat L.A. has more media exposure than any others.  Is this because so called "Specialty coffee movement" has more active and influence on West Coast?  Maybe so.

Although all of their coffee bars has significant meanings to Intelligentsia, here is the one in Santa Monica, where celebrities and money actively flows.

Located on Abbot Kinney Blvd., the cutting-edge/sophisticated area ranked with Robertson Blvd. and  Melrose Ave.,  Venice Coffeebar shows its creativity emerged by corroboration with sophisticated L.A. architectural design.  The coffeebar hides itself in inside of old brick made building on almost end of Abbot Kinney shopping area.  The building appears historical, but inside of the building is nothing historical.  As you walk along a short shaded approach to the door, you will find a modern metallic interior merged into natural woody warmness.
Seating area are arranged like a stadium:  the stairs of bench seats are located by the window at the end looking down the espresso bar area.     

To be honest, all baristas appears in training, not fully professional enough to be at the championships.  Not only my cup but also other cups I watch did not appear fancy enough.  My usual choice "Soy Latte" was served as it shown, and creaminess of formed soy milk was far away from San Francisco quality.  

Maybe, this happened just because timing wasn't right.  
Maybe, my expectation was too high. 

Whenever I visit roasteries, I focus to read how much they enjoy "Coffee" and how strong they have the faith in their business.  Sometimes it is better to just simply visit their original location to observe and find out how they are.          

Groundwork Coffee Company

Say "Hello" to Groundwork Coffee, the best coffee company in the L.A. and Santa Monica.


Whenever people talk about the best coffee in L.A., the first name comes up is Intelligentsia.  Maybe, this has happened because of publicity and their performance.  They dispatch baristas to The United States Barista Championship, Big Western, almost every year and open "Coffee bar" in major cities in the States.  Or, it's because maybe their outstanding presentation at their cafes.

If the first thing you care about is quality, here is the one worth to visit, even make a trip to visit: Groundwork coffee.  Groundwork coffee is one of the first coffee roaster to become certified Organic in Southern California, and pioneered sustainable and relationship-based, organic coffee sourcing.  

There are 7 locations, including Roastery in North Hollywood and KIOSK on every Sunday at Farmers Market in Santa Monica's Heritage Square.  Their coffeehouses are very unique, most of them have something memorable or histrionic needed to be carried on to next generation.  Out of all, here is the one, the most unique coffee house on Main St., Santa Monica.   
Only 8 feet wide and 35 feet long, this handy size coffeehouse presents philosophy of Groundwork: "Organic and sustainability" can provide "high quality and exquisite flavor".  Coffee beans and teas they carry/offer are only organically grown.  

They sell not only blends but also single origins: Brazil, Sumatra, Honduras, Peru, Papua New Guinea and so on. 
Some may want to categorize these as "Specialty" since beans are identified by mills and estates/farms, but their effort is more than "Specialty".  

Organic and Specialty can be together if you sincerely deserve to combine these two together.  Groundwork proves it.         

"Specialty coffee movement" certainly brought us the mind of appreciation to the growers and raised value of their work.  So called "third wave" pushed up the price of green beans dramatically and micronized regions of production.

Groundwork Coffee Company shows us the future of "Specialty Coffee": harmonization.  We are now to live for the future.  The future we preserve environments and live with what we have.