Finca Puerta Verde

Beans: Finca Puerta Verde
Raoster: Akai-mi Coffee
Roasting Degree: Medium Dark
Area:   Ciudad Vieja, Sacatepequez, Antigua, Guatemala
Altitude: 1,540m～
Varieties: Bourbon and Caturra
Processing: Fully Washed
Screen: N/A
Grade: N/A

【Impression】
Medium light to Medium, soothing aroma, lightly citric, lemony, white grapes, high tone of cacao, deep nutty impression, juicy and mellow sweetness, mild bitterness followed by sheer lime like citric flavor, nutty mild sweetness as baked chestnuts, walnuts, cashews, honey, cacao like bitterness, clean, transparent, juicy clear sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.

Loma Grande

Beans: Loma Grande
Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Roasting Degree: Medium
Region: Sotará, Cauca, Colombia
Varietal: Caturra, Castillo
Grade: N/A (Auction Lot)
Altitude: 1,770m
Processing: Wet-Process 

※14th place, COE Columbia 2013

【Impression】
Medium light to Medium, nutty, fruity aroma as white grape, almond flower, high tone roasted nuts, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, mild, mellow, soft, clear sweetness followed by crispy bitterness as 98% Lindts' dark chocolate, thick and full layered bitterness, mild and gradual sweetness as grain syrup, malts syrup, a touch of soothing citric sourness, syrupy almonds sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.      

【Note】
Castillo is only the latest and greatest effort taken by Colombian traditional coffee research.  Crossbred Variedad Colombia with Robusta, Columbia created the new varietal, Castillo, which is remarkably tolerant for Rust disease, Hemileia vastatrix.  Nowadays, it is said that Castillo is the most popular varietal in columbia.  Some says Castillo has less flavor and aroma; however, this varietal is now mixed COE winning lots.  Originally, Variedad Colombia is a hybrid of Catimor and Arabica, and Catimor is Arabica and Canephora.
Thinking back, Variedad Colombia was poorly evaluated when that came into the market, so was Catimor.  Castillo may win the same popularity as they did in the future.

Coffee does not depend on only Variety.  It gives amazing flavor only when the long chain of Farmer, Buyer, Roaster, and Barista connected perfectly.   

Finca La Virgen ～ Udo's Micro lot

Beans: Udo's Micro lot
Roaster: Akai-mi coffee
Roasting Degree: Medium
Area:  Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua 
          Finca La Virgen   
Altitude: 1,250～1,300m
Varieties: Catura, Burbon
Processing: Natural
Screen: N/A
Grade: N/A

【Impression】
Medium, fruity citric aroma, grapefruits and lime, cacao, lightly jasmine, bay leaf, mellow, clear but rich in flavor, juicy, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, sweetness as maple syrup, cane juice, plum, a touch of citric and cacao acidity, lime, lemon, fruity acidity of fresh green grape, raspberry, crispy bitterness, juicy sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Finca La Virgen August 2012 → 
La Virgen is often introduced in Akaimi Coffee, which one of the COE nominated estate in Nicaragua.       

Seasonal Special Blend ~Winter 2013~

Beans: Seasonal Special Blend ~Winter 2013~
Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Roasting Degree: N/A, After-mix ～　Blend

【Impression】
Medium, aromaful, lemony citric impression followed by Almond flower, Jasmine, sweet aroma as roasted almonds, hazelnuts, toasty, crisp, focused, well balanced bitterness and sweetness, round, hazy sourness follows after dignified sweetness, layers of sweetness raps dark chocolaty bitterness & spiciness, mellow sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.
Tangy bitterness grows when cup is chilled.  

【Note】
Warm winter welcome enjoyment from Akai-mi coffee.  This year, Loma Grande adds sweet but heavy and rich flavor.  Seasonal blend always entertain and surprise coffee geeks with a creativeness of the roaster.  Also, they reminds us of that coffee is balance and creation of flavor, aroma, and so on...  Thank you always for reminding me the core of coffee.

This time, Loma Grande and Udo's Micro lot came with this one.

Seasonal Special Blend ～ Fall 2013 ～

Beans: Seasonal Blend ～Fall 3013
Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Degree: N/A, After mix

【Impression】

Medium body, watery texture, spicy, nutmeg, cacao nib, a touch of satsuma citrus flower aroma, juicy, layer of sweetness followed by citric acidity bottomed with tangy bitterness, maple syrup, honey, demerara sugar, caramel, lime, bitterness as dark chocolate, tangy bitterness as a long lasting aftertaste. 

【Note】
Compared with Fall 2012, fall 2013 is lighter in flavor and deeper in aroma, as well as less in mellow impression. 

   

Las Sabanas

Beans: Las Sabanas
Roaster: Akai-mi coffee
Roasting Degree: Medium
Area:  Las Sabanas , Nicaragua    
Altitude: 1,350～1,450m
Varieties: Typica
Processing: Washed/sun-dried
Screen: N/A
Grade: N/A

【Impression】
Medium, silky, highly citric, lemon, grapefruits, fresh lime, Kumquat, tangy, dark chocolate, cacao, orange candy, white grapes, soothing, refreshing high tone, touch of almond flower, high lemon tone as a long lasting after taste.

Finca Siberia

Beans: Finca Siberia
Raoster: Akai-mi Coffee
Roasting Degree: Medium
Area: Chalchuapa, Santa Ana Department, El Salvador
Altitude: 1,450m
Varieties: Burbon
Processing: Fully Washed
Screen: 16 up
Grade: SHG､EP

【Impression】
Clean, medium, flavorful nutty & apricot aroma, fruity, well-balanced bitterness, sweetness, bottomed with a tip of rich sourness, impressive chocolaty flavor, rich, clear but aromatic flavor as a long lasting aftertaste.
Due to roasting, sweetness is enhanced by bitterness and apricots sourness clearly merged into chocolaty flavor.  

Yirgacheffe Koke

Beans: Yirgacheffe Koke
Raoster: Akai-mi coffee
Roasting Degree: Medium
Area:  Koke, Irgachefe, Ethiopia 
       Southern Ethiopia
Altitude: 1,800 -2,000m
Varieties: Ethiopian Native
Processing: Washed
Screen: N/A
Grade: N/A

【Impression】
Light to medium, silky, Earl Grey, Bergamot scented, deep sweet-toned, orange, apricot, lemony acidity, baked chocolate, cacao, flowery, crisp, rich, round bitterness and honey sweetness, plush mouth feel, smooth bitterness and sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste with citric finish.

【Note】
Both Cidamo and Yirgacheffe are categorized as Moca, the highest quality, have distinguished/unique flavor.  While Cidamo has widely known, familier flavor of "Moca", Yirgacheffe has fruity "unlike Moca" Flavor.  Among Yirgacheffe, this has highly unique beans brought by koke washing station.  Coffee beans shows "grand sum" of growing condition.  Now, coffee beans are from narrowed area, farms and limited section from farm, adding more uniqueness in flavor.  

Seasonal Special Blend ~ Spring

Beans: Spring Special Blend 2013
Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Roasting degree: medium to medium dark 
                       ※After blending


【Impression】
Medium light to medium, light, smooth, clean, mild, fruity & flowery aroma of fresh apricots, almond flower, white grape, mellow sweetness bottomed with clear nutty bitterness and followed by a tint of grapefruits like sourness, sweetness of roasted macadamia and walnuts, well harmonized but simple, long lasting juicy sweetness as after taste.

Santa Catarina ~ Morango

Name: Santa Catarina Morango
Roaster:  Akai-mi Coffee
Roasting degree: Medium
Area: Manhuaçu, Minas Gerais, Matas de Minas, Brazil
      Fazenda Santa Catarina
Variety: Catuai
Grade: N/A
Screen: 16 - 18
Altitude:1870 - 1,000m
Defect: N/A
Processing Method: Pulped Natural

【Impression】
Light to Medium, fruity, nutty, strawberry top note(!), vermouth cassis, hazelnuts, cocoa, white wine, light  texture, clear, well balanced, sweetness of maple syrup, milk chocolate, freshness of fruits, soothing acidity, a touch of blood orange, bitterness as cacao nib, clean natural sweetness with cacao bitterness as a long lasting after taste.  Once cup cool down, dark chocolate like bitterness stands out which bottomed with cassis fruitiness.


【Note】Santa Catarina Morango is the product of chance.  Vicente de Faria, the owner of Santa Catarina, owns six estates, total 160ha, and regular in COE Brazil.  Flavor of agricultural products varies and so does "Morango".  In 2013, Morango was found in Fazenda Santa Catarina, but this may not meet "Morango" quality, clear sweetness and strawberry flavor. 

Ruvuma AAA

Beans: Ruvuma AAA
Raoster: Akai-mi coffee
Roasting Degree: Medium
Area:  Ruvuma Region, Mbinga, Tanzania
Altitude: 1,200 -1,800m
Varieties: Burbon（N5,N39）
Processing: Fully-washed
Screen: 18 up
Grade: AAA 

【Impression】
Micro size, tiny bitty beans!  Assuming the Bourbon variety. 
Sweet and round aroma, Medium body with lightness, clear lemony acidity layers over earthy bitterness with sour-bitter aftertaste.  Nothing similar to any other Tanzanian Coffee I have ever tasted...
Well harmonized flavor and aroma, Acidity comes first and  stays to the end. 

Brumas Del Zurqui Honey

Beans: Brumas Del Zurqui Honey
Roaster: Akai-mi coffee
Roasting Degree: City
Area: San Francisco de Heredia, Central Valley,  
         Costa Rica
Altitude: 1,300～1,600m
Varieties: Caturra
Processinng Method: Honey Methods
Screen: N/A
Grade: N/A

【Impression】
Light to medium body, clean and pure, lemony soothing aroma with dark cacao, sweet and mellow, slight lemony acidity as a top,  milk chocolate like bitterness, maple syrup like juicy sweetness as the core, a long lasting aftertaste with juicy sweetness.

【Note】

Brumas Del Zurqui is the Micromill established  in 2004 which adds and guarantees an excellent quality of coffee.  Due to the poor value of the coffee, this area decided to contracts a boutique coffee mill enables to promise sustainable production, environmental conscience and so on.  The mill contributes to elevate quality of Costa Rica, through developing honey process.  Their effort has been proved in COE.       

Finca Santa Sofia

Beans: Finca Santa Sofia
Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Area: Santa Ana, Apaneca, El Salvador

Altitude: 1,488m
Screen: N/A
Grade: SHG
Processing methods: Semi-wash
Varietal: Burbon, etc

【Impression】
Light to medium, light texture, citric aroma, fresh fruits, grapefruits, orange, lemon and lime as top note, citric soft and mellow acidity, clean bitterness, dutch cocoa, white grape, a short lasting clear aftertaste with mellow fruity sweetness.  

Central and South America ~ Akai-mi

Costa Rica and El Salvador.

Akai-mi coffee surprises us with something new.

The owner always selects the highest quality in the handy price range as a coffee freak.  Although origin are same, estates often varies.  

Both Costa Rica and El Salvador are single origin and well selected, which the name of estates has gone from my memory...Let's see, how they taste.

Mandheling ～ Blue Batak

Beans: Sumatra Mandheling - "Blue Batak" ~ Micro lot
Raster: Akai-mi Coffee
Region: Dolok Sanggul, Lake Toba Region, Sumatra, Indonesia 

Altitude: 1,350-1,550m
Varietal: Arabica
Screen: 17 up (90%)
Grade: SG
Processing: Sumatra traditional Method

【Impression】
Medium, clear and smooth, bitterness with a touch of acidity, sweetness of apricot on base taste, full body but sharp, clear aftertaste.
Chocolaty flavor with well matured Chinese pair flavor.

【Note】
Second batch of Blue Batak, the same lot but different batch from the last one in Dec.  Homogeneous flavor tendency and quality, but the first impression differ.  Roaster creates consistency in flavor and quality even with difference in "conditions", such as water contents of beans, roasting machine, and roaster himself.
Taster's condition also varies.  Tasting is "Treasure every encounter, for it will never recur." 

Blue Batak

Beans: Sumatra Mandheling - "Blue Batak" ~ Micro lot
Raster: Akai-mi Coffee
Region: Dolok Sanggul, Lake Toba Region, Sumatra, Indonesia 

Altitude: 1,350-1,550m
Varietal: Arabica
Screen: 17 up (90%)
Grade: SG
Processing: Sumatra traditional Method

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

【Impression】
Medium body, clear and smooth body, citric lemony aroma with mixed herbal aroma of lemon glass, marjoram and oregano, clean but rich, clear fruity sweetness of mango, fresh maple syrup, a touch of lime, bitterness of cacao, tangy bitterness hidden, depth in flavor, multiple layers of bitterness and sweetness, a very long lasting aftertaste of clear and juicy sweetness.

【Note】
Some of Sumatra Mandheling's uniqueness has been replaced by clear and clean soothing flavor profiles.  Unlike usual  Mandheling, this lot has mild and delicate flavor to enhance/support richness in flavor.  These Beans has longer figure, similar to "Paca-mara" rather than "long berry"; however, flavor profile may be categorized to long berry with its chocolaty boldness.   

Kenya Gakuyuini

Beans: Gakuyuini Coop, Micro lot
Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Roasting degree: Medium
Area: Kiringa, Kenya
Altitude: 1,570m
Varieties: SL28、SL34
Screen: 18 up
Grade: N/A
Processing: Fully Washed

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

【Impression】
Medium to medium dark, clean body, mellow, orange like sweet and fruity aroma, mix of tangerines and California orange with a touch of almond, mild bitterness as dark chocolate, high percentage cacao contained chocolate, citric acidity hidden, clean, soothing flavor, slightly different degree of bitterness as thinly layered, juicy sweetness hidden, syrupy sweetness with a scent of bitterness as a long lasting aftertaste.

High quality dark chocolate like flavor satisfies craving for sweets in the afternoon!  This flavor maximize when it's served without Milk and Sugar at first. 

【Note】
Unlike other Kenyan beans, this Gakuyuini lot has clean and less tangy bitterness: less "spicy" and "earthy".  Fruity and Juicy orange/tangerine like citric sweet aroma associates with Caribbean roots rather than African.    Although tidbit of profiles separates Gakuyuini from Kenyan origin character, a general flavor impression still carries African flavor intensity as well as "earthiness" within its sensitive/clean flavor.

Akai-mi's Specialty

From left to right: Mandheling, Kenya, India

On one winter day, Akai-mi coffee adds India for a new selection 

and has chosen this India as a  base flavor for Winter Special Blend.  

Together with India, Mandheling and earthy Kenya are on today's choice.

Bold flavor fits and comforts Cold winter morning.

As Dark chocolate like heavy/rich flavor brings happiness, 

Bold flavor of coffee brightens.spot-lights a coffee break in winter.

Each season brings happiness, 

Each season has its best fit flavor!

 　  

Autumn Special Blend 2012

Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Beans: Special Seasonal Blend 

【Impression】
Medium body, citrus mixed with ripe apricot like sweet aroma, light texture, juicy, mellow, moderate, organdie like transparent light layer of flavor enfolding, plums like fruity mass and thick sweetness, slightly tangy at the end, no outstanding acidity, tender texture of sweetness as an aftertaste.  
This light and pure flavor may stand out without sugar/milk.  

【Seasonal Blend】
Akaimi coffee's seasonal blends has wide variety.  Since Coffee is agricultural products, flavor varies and so does amount of crop.  Owner, Roaster/blender, of Akaimi coffee enjoys to create unique seasonal special blend with "this years" crop so that origin and percentages vary every year.  

Seasonal Blend is always challenge.
There is always wonderful harmony created by each seasons' offerings. 


Autumn Blend is offered sometimes in the end of September to November.  In 2012, Autumn was on still on selection in the very first week of December.

Winter Special Blend 2012

Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Beans: Special Seasonal Blend 

【Impression】
Medium body, fruity aroma of apricots and plums mixed with almond's flower, weightless texture, smooth, crisp, wide range of mellow and juicy sweetness, mix of hazelnuts and cashew nuts, light touch of limes hidden, nutty bitterness as accent, juicy sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Special blends shares refreshing taste and a clean after taste based on seasonal impression as an accent. In 2012's Special winter blend,  India  creates core flavor: juicy and sweet.
Fruity flavor is well harmonized with bitterness and a tint of acidity.  After mix is now standard of independent roasters like Akai-mi coffee, since each origin/variety has its "best" roasting degree.

Blending means experiment.  House blend ensures stability in taste, requires blender's sense of taste; whereas, Special blends challenge tasters' palate.