Finca La Leona

Beans: La Leona 
Roaster: Home roasting 
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Concepción del Sur, 
          Santa Bárbara, Montecillos, 
          Honduras
Grade: SHG
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,646m
Variety: Catuai
Process: Wet mill/Sun dried
※COE 2017 Awarded

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5

【Impression】
High and rich in aroma, caramel, nutty, roasted peanuts, hazelnuts, lightly nectarines, honeydew, a touch of lemon flower, lightly green olive, middle body, rich in flavor, mellow and creamy texture, complex, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, deep and delicate sweetness, caramel syrup, extra dark maple, bourbon, lightly dried fruits, apricots, figs, mirabelle, light in bitterness, clear but sheer acidity of lime, pith of blood orange, fresh red currents, clear and delicate fruity bitterness stands out when cup is chilled, lightly tropic, acidity of juicy nectarine, clear sweetness and white grapes like juicy fruiteness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Finca La Leona, established in 2001 and owned by José María López Tobar, is located in La Leona community, 20km away from the Santa Bárbara city, covers 12ha in 1646m above sea level.  The farm was managed and maintained by other people until José María López Tobar retired and fully engaged/committed to be coffee farmer years ago and he manages the farm with 6 families as temp employee.  30% of the farm is dedicated for the other trees, like lemon and banana, for the shade and soil is fertilized with compost and conventional fertilizer.  Fully riped cherries were hand picked, wet-milled, and sun dried 18 – 25 days.

Peralta Family Coffee ~ Honey Process

Beans: Peralta Family Coffee ~ Honey Process
Roaster: Home roasting 
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: Dipilto-Jalapa, 
            Departamento de Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua
Grade: SHG
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,100-1,600m
Variety: Unknown
Process: Honey

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5

【Impression】
High in aroma, soothing, clean and high tone, fruity, mellow, lightly smokey, cherry woods, oak, Bosc pear, slightly fresh plum, dark cherries, medium body, light citrus, lemon, pink grapefruits, brown sugar, blood orange, clean mouth-feel, a little tangy feeling, walnuts skin, lemon zest, slightly herb, apple mint, roselle, honey, lemonade, a cool citric soothing-ness as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
Peralta family is the regular in Nicaraguan COE, once 9 out 24 COE nominee farms were own by the family.  Besides the blessed environments and ideal locations, their farm excels at not only  management skills but also processing techniques.  Although This lot was 2 yrs old, cultivated 2013/14, freshness and flavor stays as fresh as new crop and flavor has full spec responding well from high to full city with highly balanced flavor performance.

Aviator Coffees & Teas

Have you heard Aviator Coffees & Teas?

There are hundreds coffee roasters in Seattle area and around, where is well known as one of the highest density and the most competitive Coffee market in the States.  Well known Starbucks has grown from Seattle, "Pike place market", the midtown Seattle.  La Marzocco, the leading Italian handcrafted Espresso machine manufacture, opens US headquarter in Seattle and opened a signature cafe in Seattle center.  Caffé Vita Coffee Roasting Company, the leading and legendary 3rd wave coffee roaster, opened their business in Capitol Hill.  Seattle coffee seance has been evolving slowly, sometimes quickly, in their unique manner.  So, that is why "Seattle Coffee" is valued and respected as signature.

Somewhat, Aviator coffee reminds me of Caffé Vita.  Maybe, aroma of coffee triggers, or maybe atmosphere does.  It also reminds me of Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco, but not in general, the Kiosk stand in Hayes Valley.  Islands side of Seattle is becoming more and more popular for roasters.  It has been decades since but it seems still attractive enough.       

If mid town Seattle coffee is considered as more for travelers from outside, the islands roaster can be the one for residents who have fallen in love with "coffee"...maybe, we can name them "Coffee Geeks" who love experiments and craving to step out from everyday routine. 

AVIATOR COFFEES & TEAS
25876 Washington Blvd NE, 
Kingston, WA 98346, USA

Finca El Bosque Micro Lot

Beans: Finca El Bosque Caturra
Roaster: Home roasitng 
Roasting Degree: Full City
Origin/Area:San Fernando, Nueva Segovia
Grade: SHG
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,500m
Variety: Caturra
Process: Honey
※Rain forest alliance 

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5

【Impression】
High aroma, bold, vanilla, fruity, complex, sweet, mellow, fine pastry shop like, lightly soothing, raw sugar, cane, milky, caramel, round, dark, full body, well hold, complex texture, very fruity, juice of ripe blue berry, strawberries, floral notes, tartly sweetness cacao nib, licorice, dark chocolate, fresh lightly crisp like green apple, creamy and mellow sweetness, hazelnuts cream, cooked spelt berries, milk, gush of orange skin, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, sheer acidity on top, lemon juice, caramel like sweetness and sheer tarty feeling as a long lasting aftertaste.

【Note】
2007 COE nominee. Finca El Bosque is developed by the Peralta family, long manages coffee farms between Dipilto and Jalapa where produce the highest quality coffee in Nicaragua.  This micro lot comes small area of the highest altitude of the farm and transported with Reefer Container to preserve quality. 

ACPECA~Helberth Pañoni

Beans: ACPECA～Helberth Pañoni
Roaster: Home roasitng 
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Irupana, Bolivia
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,800m
Variety: Typica, Caturra
Process: Washed

※5th on Taza de Calidad / Café Presidencial 2015
     Score86.06

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5

【Impression】
Medium, nutty sweetness, high, toasty, light touch of Madagascar vanilla, almonds, hazelnuts, dried plum on the bottom, a touch of anise, lightly woody, bourbon barrel, light mouthfeel, soft, gentle, soothing acidity of honey lemon, syrupy sweetness, light maple syrup, beets sugar, honey, clear citric acidity, lemon juice, white grapefruits, sour green apple, lightly tangy on bottom, roasted brown rice, white sesame seeds, well balanced acidity, sweetness and bitterness, soothing lemon like acidity with mellow sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.


【Note】
Bolivia hosted their own competition for 2015/16 season instead of COE: Taza de Calidad / Café Presidential 2015, Bolivian president hosted.  The competition is managed by international judges, similar to COE, and nominated 10 farms/groups.  ACPECA won 5th place, presented beans grown no synthesized Agricultural Material.  ACPECA cultivate in the highest altitude of ten, which has multi-range of flavor to correspond different roasting degrees.   

Fazenda Ipanema ~ Dulce

Beans: Fazenda Ipanema ~ Dulce
Roaster: Home roasitng 
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Minas Gerais, Brazil
Grade: No2
Screen: 16/18
Defect: ～12
Altitude: 1,100m
Variety: Unknown
Process: Natural
※Rain Forest alliance Certified 

【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5

【Impression】
Light, fruity aroma, clean, soothing, very natural, sweet, papaya, longan fruits, lightly tropical, raw honey, shaved cacao, dark chocolate, orange infused, touch of roasted walnuts, medium body, clean mouth feel, typical Brazilian coffee flavor, fine quality, quite well balanced, earthy chocolate tone, mellow but significant sweetness, raw chestnuts honey, linden honey, flowery, low tone tropic acidity holding flavor, rich but not heavy, well layered sweetness and rich body, clean light maple syrup with fine cacao like sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.  Citric tangerine peel like acidity shows when cup is chilled.

【Note】
Fazenda Ipanema is located Southern part of  Minas Gerais, Brazil, where the most biggest coffee farming area, the highland of Minas, is.  Fazenda Ipanema is one of the largest coffee farm in the world, owns 5,500ha, blessed with rich soil and water source, and produce 120,000 bags average/year.  This "Dulce" are fully matured on tree and processed naturally, with tropic flavor resembles to Irgachefe. 

365 ~ Neighborhood bakery and beyond

There is a fine quality neighborhood bakery called 365日, 365 nichi means 365 days in Japanese, located near Yoyogi koen station, Tokyo.  Japanese bakeries sometimes appears like a fine boutique or jewelry shop in terms of display, and this one as well.  Looking through the show window, big big window, there are freshly baked breads facing us.  They are beautifully organized and completely in order.  It is funny to say "breads are in order", but there are no other words can be found at the first look at the shelf through the window.  They are coordinate very well i line and have exactly in same shape, which is just amazing.


There are show cases which store freshly baked breads, and customers are pointing at ones they want to let the crews pick up for them.  
Right behind the show case, there are a bar counter to have your breads purchased with one drink order.  They serve 2 kinds of coffee here: their original blends by CAFE FACON, and their original by the roster on their own.  The owner of this bakery opens new cafe near by, then start roasting on his own.  Both of coffee goes well with their sweet breads.

Besides all the detail of this fashionable appearance and price, 365 days may fulfill your cravings for fine quality.  Their croissant tastes moderately salted enhances butter flavor, but not buttery nor oily.  Thin and delicate layers gives crispiness, but melting feeling once it touches a tongue.  Sweets breads, Danish pastries, also made with quite gentle sweetness and adequate sizes.  They prove that people satisfies with quality of fine ingredients, not the size.  

Their breads are very small even compares to other bakeries in Tokyo and high in price, so you may surprise for the first visit.  Even if you are surprised by the price, it is better choice for you to overcome the feeling and choose simple breads together with one sweet bread.  They will confirm you that there are world class arty boulangeries hidden in the neighborhood of this country together with the finest quality ingredients producers.