Beans: Kangocho Kenya
Roaster: Intelligentsia Coffee
Roasting degree: Medium
Area: Karatina, Nyeri District, Kenya
Altitude: 1,600 - 1,900m
Varieties: SL28, SL34
Processing: Traditional, Wet
Screen: 17 - 18
Grade: N/A
【Impression】
Light to Medium, nutty note, spicy, black currants and cherry, sweet&spicy, high tone of citric mouth-feel, lemon & white grapefruits, followed by strong body of cacao, tint of fresh apricot, decadent body, fresh & clear, syrupy sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.
【Note】
Kangocho Factory is one of the oldest prize-winning mill in Kenya, which managed to reserve Kenyan traditional processing methods. Kenyan wet methods increase clarity and sweetness of beans, but it became less popular when productivity was emphasized in retail markets. Kangocho Factory is the one focused on this traditional methods to increase the value of their products rather than competing with others over productivity matters, which results in the global recognition toward the factory.
Beans: Piatã Bahia
Roasting degree: City
Roaster: Intelligentsia Coffee
Area of production: Piatã, estado da Bahia, Brazil
Grade/Screen: N/A
Altitude: 1,300m
Processing: Natural, Traditional Brazilian methods
Variety: Red Catuai, Catucai Vermelho
【Impression】
Light body, clear citrus aroma of mixed lemon & lime, black pepper like spice hidden, refreshing, crisp, sheer, clear,light texture, layer of refreshing acidity & sweetness, fruity sweetness of fresh Bartlett & Anjou pear, apricot, white grape, earthiness as African, similar to Ethiopian beans, clear acidity of lemon, a tint of bitterness of cacao hidden, a long lasting juiciness as fresh fruits.
This refreshing cup suits sunny morning, spring to summer, w/o milk and sugar.
【Note】
Piatã is a Brazilian municipal district of the state of Bahia, Brazil, which is located 1,268 m elevation, the highest municipal district, and occupies the whole Northeast Area. Piatã has raise its popularity through COE Brazil, representing with many winning farms. In 2010, as far as I remember, Piatã represented the prestigious first place with Catuai variety, the high-yield of Mundo Novo and Caturra originated in Brazilian laboratories.
There are many micro-farms cultivating high quality cherries in this area. Some of them produces several hundred sacks of coffee each year. Most of them are well maintained, hand picked and processed by traditional brazilian methods, which enhances flavor of the beans. People often think nothing special about Brazilian coffee, but now Piatã elevates the value of Brazil in the market. And, somewhat, Intelligentsia is taking a part of this dramatic show of Brazilian transformation.
Big name is here in San Francisco!
INTELLIGENTSIA has been distributing their product in greater Sun Francisco area through their business partner, but now opens their "base", own roasting station, on Mariposa, San Francisco.
Based on Chicago, Intelligentsia is well known, one of the top three big name of, third wave coffee roaster in the States. It is not too much to say that "Their passion in coffee roasting has started and boost the Third Wave movement" together with Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Counter Culture Coffee.
As one of the leading center, San Francisco's Coffee market is highly diverse. Regarding the aspect of roasting, there are a wide range of techniques to express single origin flavors. Ritual coffee roasters and Sightglass Coffee Bar & Roastery emphasize "flavor/uniqueness of specialty beans" with light roast, which is often poorly described in one word, "Scandinavian Style". Blue Bottle coffee emphasizes balance between roasting and beans' flavor, when Four Barrel focus more on roasting technique to enhance beans' flavor. Referring the fact that there are a large number of roasters flowering here in SF area, there is a question: "Why big name like INTELLIGENTSIA opens the factory now?" Coffee market here is highly competitive as well as exclusive to non-locals. Let us see how this factory survive here, one of the most competitive foodie town.
