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.
Warm welcome back to Verve Coffee Roasters in downtown Santa Cruz.
There are some familiar faces and some new behind the counter, wondering maybe it is time for them to cultivate/nourish next generation. Downtown Verve is always filled with younger people, packed with people sometime, which appears their flagship is functioning as it designed to be.
Opening a flagship in downtown Santa Cruz three or four years ago, Verve may have adjusted their prospective to further business oriented: Bland equity building.
Verve Coffee hosted Varista Championship South West regional in Santa Cruz and sent their Varista to this competition. Are they known better now? Maybe, yes. Hosting a regional championship was their chance to imprint "VERVE" name nation wide and to gather coffee lovers attention.
Varista champ. is now growing and growing.
Coffee had been "in house" culture for a long time in the States, but, thank for Starbucks, it has turned as the key to grow and develop cafes/coffee bars culture. This is Nation wide trend moving toward to "gourmand coffees", better quality and flavor just like wines.
Behind the curtain, there is a big winner in this market: Harrio.
Sales of Hario US is growing since and I found it is funny to see most of coffee tools are made in Japan printed on. Especially, there are very very few pour-over tools and no water drip tools made in other countries. It has been only few years since US focused on "Coffee" as "articles of taste" so that there maybe new tools are developed already and hidden still.
Coffee is the chain of artisans: Grower, Buyer, Roaster, Varista.
There are always "tools" to develop and chance to create Magic.
Beans: Kiangai AA
Roaster: Beans Tei
Roasting degree: Full City
Area: Kirinyaga, Central Kenya
Kiangai factory @ Kibirigwi Farmers Co-operative Society
Altitude: N/A
Varieties: SL28、SL34
Processing: Fully-washed
Screen: SC18
Grade: AA
2011 Cultivation
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 4
Richness: 5
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Roasted almond aroma with light citrus tone. Dark and mild flavor, gentle bitterness combined with deep sweetness as caramel, bitterness as short aftertaste. Earthy and flavor full but heartwarming flavor.
My one of the top African coffee.
【Note】
Kiangai processing facility develops fully matured and hand picked beans from micro farmers around the mill. Kiangai mill carries superior processing skills, which has high ability to heighten values of beans.
Name: Valverde Abarca
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting degree: City
Area: Cedral, Aserri, Tarrazú, Costa Rica
Variety: Caturra
Grade: SHB
Screen: N/A
Altitude: 1,650m
Defect: N/A
Processing Method: Washed
COE Winning Lot 2011
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Medium body, lime-like yet mellow citrus aroma combined with hint of cloves, light smooth texture, well balanced soothing flavor, mellow, effervescent acidity, hint of bitterness, overarching juicy sweetness of maple sweetened caramel with hint of orange zest, Bergamot, impressive but complex flavor, mild sweetness as a long lasting delicate aftertaste.
【Note】
Cedral is a mountainous area Blessed with rich soil and cool weather for coffee cultivation.
Valverde Family opened their estate, Finca Valverde Abarca, at 1700-1750 meters above sea level, growing old Typica, Caturra and Catuai.
The area where Finca Valverde situated used to be a farm to grow black beans. Emilce Abarca started grow coffee trees and his efforts were rewarded and received more sustainable/higher pricing in return.
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.
Are you furious about quality of vegan/veggie foods?
Especially, about flavor??
In front of Venice sign, there is a wonderful Vegan/Macrobiotic grab to go cafe, "seed kitchen", offering one of the highest quality and the most flavorful foods in the world.
Eric Lechasseur, owner and head chef, started his career as professional chef in 1985 and has devoted himself in the world of culinary of Art since then. As macro-vegan chef, he holds certificate of recognition from Kushi Institute, the world well known macrobiotic institute.
The certification and his carrier path mean something?
"No".
Eric is highly talented Chef, which easily proved once you taste his creation. Vegan/Macrobiotic is the second thing matters at seed kitchen because flavor of foods may impress you more.
Vegan/Vegetarian foods in the States are often upsetting, but Eric Lechasseur and seed kitchen are there only to please foodies and confirm being Vegan will never steal entertainment in daily meals.
