Beans: Peru Organic
Roaster: Okino Coffee
Roasting degree: Medium, double roast
【Impression】
Medium, light texture, smooth, nutty, syrupy, medium dark flavor chocolate, dried apricots, plum, green raisins, fresh raw almonds, walnuts, balanced, clear, sweetness, moderate bitterness behind, an chocolate dipped orange peel like fresh sweetness as a short lasting aftertaste.
Beans: Special Blend
Roaster: Okino Coffee
Organically grown, After mix
Imported individually
Peru 60%, Ecuador 30%, Guatemala 10%
【Impression】
Medium to dark body, nutty, cacao nib, a tint of orange, sweet, mellow, silky, clear, cocoa, roasted almonds, dark chocolate, rich, full-flavored, layers of bitterness with a touch of mellow sweetness between, a long lasting juicy sweetness as after taste.
Beans: Guatemala
Roaster: Okino Coffee
Organically grown
Imported individually
【Impression】
Medium body, light, clear, transparent, lightly scented with orange peel and almond flower, fresh plum, mellow, balanced, rich, cocoa, chestnuts, almonds, layer of maple sugar like sweetness, a touch of shady bitterness, a long lasting aftertaste of mellow sweetness.
Unlike visual of the beans, cups has no tangy bitterness, acid stimulation detected. Very clear but fulfilled flavor.
Enjoyable even for non coffee lover. May enjoy like a cup of bancha tea.
【Note】
Coffee is all about "Balance" and "Concatenation". Regarding "Concatenation", it starts with environments, such as weather, water, soil, farming, cultivation, processing and so on, then continues to roasting and extraction. This Guatemala shows its pureness in flavor without tangy acidity in bitterness which often detected in "Guatemalan mid dark roast". Art of roasting, maybe magic of roasting, may enhance beans flavor/uniqueness fully.
Talking about Organic coffee, here is the leading person having been working with organically grown coffee beans for over 30yrs.
Mr. Hiroshi Okino, the founder/owner of OKINO Coffee, triggered to push "organically-grown coffee" in the wold coffee market. It was very natural for him to come down to "organically-grown" in quest of delicious coffee. "To be honest, it does not matter whether or not the beans are grown organically" said Mr. Okino.
To prevent misunderstanding, every single movement he makes is based on firm belief of "continuity": continuity in farm, continuity in human health, continuity in environment, continuity in economic activity, continuity in social activity and so on...
It is natural for him to consider farmers' future. It is natural for him to trade the beans with "de jure" value. "Fair Trade" wraps up truth sometimes and so does "Organic". Mr. Okino made great contribution to establish/to expand Japanese organic standard, Organic JAS, but his interest is not there.
He is there to prove how beautiful and flavorful coffee is. As a part of Mr. Okino's journey, Quality Assurance has been his theme from the beginning.
He defined "Quality" as follows: "quality means sustainability in human health, nature, social activity, economic activity, farming..........". Quality means continuity. Quality means sustainability.
If all of us focus on "sustainability" as our business/life activity seriously, the way of our thinking may change dramatically to bring revolution of our lifestyle.
Nowadays, we find series of certification to assist "sustainability", Rain forest alliance, Fair Trade for example. It is time for us to develop them more truthful and meaningful certifications to become "de facto" standard for our life.
