Located in Russian Hill, Saint Frank Coffee offers a warm and cozy hideaway. Afternoon shiny sun right comes straight into wooden floor and reflect on white coffee bar. Stepping in the cafe, highly fashionable appearance may remind us of that San Francisco is also the city of the design: Equipment there silently talks with modernity.
Saint Frank is not a roaster, but a cafe. Coffee beans we enjoy there are roasted by Ritual, since, of course, the founder of Saint Frank, Kevin Bohlin, learned coffee at Ritual.
Young and motivated, balistas here offers a reasonable quality cup of lattes with a big smile. Pastries are made by a budding pâtissier near there and delivered every morning as usual. Personally, I like the flavor of coffee here although a little lighter than a cup I usually enjoy.
With respect, this is the first visit San Francisco's pioneer specialty coffee roaster, Ritual Coffee Roaster.
Ritual coffee is the kick starter of the third wave movement and contributed to shift quality of "ready to go" type coffee beans at the store like super markets and specialty food shops. Now, Ritual roasting missionizes "light roasting to retain green beans' flavor", often referred as Scandinavian Roast.
Sightglass offers "lighter roasts", but Ritual goes above.
Ritual roasting is highly edgy, but not "cutting edge" type edgy.
Ritual uses highly selected green beans so beans itself has fruity full-flavor. However, Ritual way of "light roasting" may not reproduce-able by computerized/programmed roasting machines operated any roasters. The technique belongs to only one roaster who started this.
If you like to try new flavor, ask Ritual balistas before purchase beans.
Name: Finca Argovia
Roaster: Home roast
Roasting degree: High
Area: Naranjo, Estado de Chiapas, Mexico
Variety: Robsta
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Altitude: 900m～
Defect: N/A
Processing Method: Traditional, Washed, sun-dried
※Bird-friendly, USDA organic,
Rain forest alliance certified
【Impression】
Light, calming aroma, nutty, caramel, milk, plum, a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg as top, smooth texture, clean, soothing, milk biscuits and roasted almonds, pear, demerara sugar, a touch of peanuts butter, caramel, white chocolate like rich milk sweetness, sheer layer of lime on top, juicy sweetness as a short lasting aftertaste.
【Note】
Finca Argovia is not only Agroforestry managed coffee farm but "resort" for all people. Google "Argovia Finca Resort" for detail. Robsta varietal is often graded as on of the lowest/cheapest beans and used for most instant coffees, which contains about twice as much caffeine as Arabica Coffee beans. Since over 70% of world distributed coffee beans belongs to Arabica, or Arabica hybrids, pure robsta is very rare to find in specialty coffee lists. Finca Argovia is blessed farm to grow rich and fruity full-flavored robsta beans. The Resort manages "eco-tourism", so it is very enjoyable for coffee lovers to stay and tour coffee farm even if you are not professionally involved in coffee business.
