Name: Rwanda Intore S15
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting degree: City
Area: the Lake Kivu Region, Western Rwanda
Variety: N/A
Grade: N/A
Screen: S15
Altitude: 1,600～2,100m
Defect: N/A
Processing Method: Fully Washed
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 4
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Medium light to medium, compound aroma, spicy, pear, anise, dried apricots, citrus, light texture, juicy, mellow, mild flavor, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, cacao, light sweetness of roasted pine nuts, cashews, and almonds, clean, light touch of citric acidity, fresh and fruity sweetness of green grape, light touch of cacao like bitterness and mild tangy-ness of Asian pears as a long lasting aftertaste.
【Note】
This coffee is named after Rwanda’s traditional dance troupes, whicih means "The One" in Swahili. Although Rwanda is slow growing coffee market, it is the only country to host COE in Africa.
Beans: corazón blend
Roaster: cafe de corazón
Roasting degree: Medium
【Impression】
Medium dark, cacao, chocolate aroma as top note, scented w/ citrus, lemon peel, smoky, watery, tangy bitterness followed by dates sugar like vague sweetness, smokey bitterness as a long lasting aftertaste.
Beans: Haiti
Roaster: cafe de corazón
Roasting degree: City
【Impression】
Medium light to medium, high tone, lime like acidity, fruity aroma as to note, roasted soy beans like nutty aroma hidden, dark chocolate, citric, lemon peel as the last note, medium light body, well balanced bitterness and sweetness, juicy, mellow, clear, pure, flat bitterness, fine sweetness as fruit sugar, touch of orange sweetness, transparent, juicy clearness and thin layer of bitterness as a long lasting aftertaste.
Nice combination with adzuki bean jam sweetened with Muscovado sugar.
【Note】
Non coffee lover might like this coffee and this roaster. Very pure and clear flavor, light tone of sourness follows flat juiciness. Green beans are well filtered, sorted screen size.
Following is just my assumption:
Beans: Mar Blanche
Varietal: 100% Typica
Process: Washed
Slip into an alley and look carefully. The shop blends itself quietly with surroundings.
Located in the middle of quiet residential area in historical Nishijin, Kyoto, "cafe de corazón" is a small and cozy hideaway from noisy outside.
Although this shop named itself "cafe", its atmosphere is "coffeehouse", where quiet and cozy to face "coffee".
Masaru Kawaguchi, owner of "cafe de corazón" has graduated from cafe Bach, Minami-senjyu Tokyo, and open his own coffee roastery here in Kyoto. There are a lot sign of Bach all over the cafe, blended Mr. Kawaguchi's own atmosphere.
Beans are selected from Specialty line. His blend coffee taste very much carry Bach DNA, but feels darker than his master, Mr. Taguchi.
Name: Finca Argovia
Roaster: Nama-mame Hompo
Roasting degree: High
Area: State of Chiapas, Soconusco Region, Mexico
Variety: Robusta
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Altitude: 600m ～
Defect: Count
Processing Method: Fully Washed
※Bird friendly, Rain-forest alliance, Organic JAS Certified
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4 ※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Medium body, high and dark aroma, nutty, spicy as star anise, clove, cacao beans, roasted almond, creamy caramel, mellow, mild, round flavor, clear sweetness followed by thick dark layer, bitter as dark non sugar chocolate, lime like soothing sourness combined with bitterness, touch of yellow plum, a tangy bitterness, refreshing bitterness as a long lasting after taste.
【Note】
Located on lower altitude, Finca Argovia is suitable environment to grow Robusta Varietal. This beans gives less crema, foam on top of espresso, but has rich well balanced flavor.
In San Francisco, people use to desire a superior and excellent cup of coffee. Now, they deserve more: a combination of "my Coffee" and "satisfying quality bread.
Located on Divisadero St., near Alamo Sq., there is a dream place combines wonderful German sourdough breads and selective high quality coffees: The mill, a joint venture between Josey Baker Bread and Four Barrel Coffee.
There is always a long line, sometimes goes up to the door, but no other choice than staying at the end to make it longer. Daily baked sourdough breads taste gorgeous and outrageous, satisfy our hunger even with a half of a piece of toast. There are 4 selected combination for eat-in, such as almond butter and seasalt, pumpkin butter with seasalt. If eat-in selection comfort your appetite, there is the shelf offering variety of breads out of oven.
Coffee there is certainly roasted by Four Barrel Coffee and served by Four Barrel. It may have less selection of coffee beans, but good enough to pair with wonderful breads.
This time, the choice is a cup of almond Latte and the pumpkin butter & seasalt toast: Juicy flavor, naturally friendly, and satisfying.
The mill is "the dream-team" cafe for San Francisco foodies.
Beans: Loma Grande
Roaster: Akai-mi Coffee
Roasting Degree: Medium
Region: Sotará, Cauca, Colombia
Varietal: Caturra, Castillo
Grade: N/A (Auction Lot)
Altitude: 1,770m
Processing: Wet-Process
※14th place, COE Columbia 2013
【Impression】
Medium light to Medium, nutty, fruity aroma as white grape, almond flower, high tone roasted nuts, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, mild, mellow, soft, clear sweetness followed by crispy bitterness as 98% Lindts' dark chocolate, thick and full layered bitterness, mild and gradual sweetness as grain syrup, malts syrup, a touch of soothing citric sourness, syrupy almonds sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.
【Note】
Castillo is only the latest and greatest effort taken by Colombian traditional coffee research. Crossbred Variedad Colombia with Robusta, Columbia created the new varietal, Castillo, which is remarkably tolerant for Rust disease, Hemileia vastatrix. Nowadays, it is said that Castillo is the most popular varietal in columbia. Some says Castillo has less flavor and aroma; however, this varietal is now mixed COE winning lots. Originally, Variedad Colombia is a hybrid of Catimor and Arabica, and Catimor is Arabica and Canephora.
Thinking back, Variedad Colombia was poorly evaluated when that came into the market, so was Catimor. Castillo may win the same popularity as they did in the future.
Coffee does not depend on only Variety. It gives amazing flavor only when the long chain of Farmer, Buyer, Roaster, and Barista connected perfectly.
