Beans Name: Bolivia Maria
Roaster: Unir, Hisashi Yamamoto Coffee
Roasting degree: City
Area: Finca Copacabana, Yungas, La Paz Department, Bolivia
Altitude: 1,350～1,500m
Varietal: Typica (Yungas)
Grade: SHG
Screen: 17up
Processing: Fully washed, 100% sun-dried
Shade Grown, Micro-region-calama
【Impression】
Medium to dark, smooth texture, creamy, silky, high tone of citrus aroma with cacao, jasmine like flowery aroma as bottom note, well-balanced and harmonized flavor, fruity sweetness as white-grapes and a touch of black currants, crispiness of roasted of macadamia, a tint of bitterness of dark chocolate, fruity sweetness with tangy bitterness as a shot lasting aftertaste.
The very first ship as black, then add a bit of almond milk and maple sugar. This will make unique silky texture stands out and make a special cup for lunch break.
This has well established stable body and leaves strong impression, but not like "Cafe Verona" at Famous international coffee chain-store.
【Note】
Finca Copacabana is located in Northern part of Las Yungas(Yungas Valley), near Lake Titicaca, which stretches from Southeastern Peru to Central Bolivia on the Eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains. Yungas means "Warm Lands" in the native Andean language. As this name shows, the Nor Yungas has fertile Red clay soils and semitropical warm weather. Especially, it's altitudes make this area great for cultivating coffee.
The beans from Finca Copacabana is sometimes called Maria's with respect of the owner Maria Azucarunz and her devotion to the farm.
This Typica varietal is cultivated specially in the area call Cerro Condoriri, where Persian Silk Trees are growing luxuriantly giving enough shade for coffee trees. Typica varietal grown this area is named separately "Yungas" because of its unique flavors and rareness.
Beans: Burundi
Roaster: Unir, Hisashi Yamamoto Coffee
Roasting degree: City
Area: Murago, ntara ya Ngozi, Burundi
Altitude: 1,700m
Varietal: Mibirizi, Jackson (Burbon)
Screen: 16up
Process method: Fully washed, 100% sun-dried
【Impression】
Medium, highly lemony and lime acidity in aroma with a touch of caramel sweetness and quantity, smooth body, clear and transparent, light texture, high citric acidity combined with mellow sweetness, a tint bitterness lightly touched, thin flavor layer, light sweetness as short-lasting aftertaste. Flavor of this coffee looses its harmony of unique flavor very quickly, so brew a cup by cup may allow you to enjoy a cup more.
This cup was offered as espresso at first: zesty, highly citric, concentrated lemon and lime juice, slightly detected caramel sweetness on the bottom mixed with tangy bitterness. At cafe, the owner insisted this goes good with espresso which I disagree. To enjoy full aspect/dimension of this coffee, hand brew is recommended by a small portion, such as espresso.
【Note】
Coffee was brought to Burundi by Belgium in 1933. Washed method was developed in Ngozi, located along Rwanda’s border in 1972. Now days, Burundi has 145 washing stations: 133 are owned by the coffee boards and 12 private corporations. Burundi has been learning from Rwandan successful examples in the world coffee markets and taking efforts in improving quality of their cultivation.
Burundi has many mountainous regions: the lowest elevation is 772m of Lake Tanganyika and the highest is 2760m. Geographically, this country is blessed to grow coffee beans. Burundi now produces fine quality coffee cultivated between 1250-2000m in elevation but has challenge in transportation to the nearest port located Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
If you are familiar with Coffee world in Japan, especially Barista Championship and Specialty Coffee Association, the name "Unir" may ring the bell.
Located in Nagaoka-kyo, Unir has been a home for a number of both award-winning and nominated Barista in JBC, Japan Barista Championship, and JLAC, Japan Latte Art
Championship. Hisashi Yamamoto, the owner of Unir, opend this coffee roaster in June 2006, and has been working diligently and making contributions to expand/heighten recognition of, so called, "Specialty Coffee" as well as Barista culture in Japan.
As a roaster, Unir used to use Probat L5, well known roasting machine from Germany, but replaced it with Smart roaster Kestrel S35, often called "Next generation" machine from San Francisco, in winter of 2011. This was the sign. Now, UNIR seems to be on the move.
Opening new shop on Gogo-machi dori, mid town Kyoto, Unir seems to create a "Flag-ship" to focus on "high-end specialty beans" together with "Coffee school business". There was AWARD WINNING beans from COE, 1st place winning on El Salvador COE, sold, priced as nearly JPY2,000 per 100g, wow!
This new cafe is not spacious, but cozy. It's nice place to stop by to pick up a cup of high quality coffee..., maybe, take a break. Unfortunately, only 3 to 4 type of beans are carried here, so it is recommended to visit their original location if you are the coffee geek.
