 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|||||||
 To follow is a sampling of some of our delicious coffee offerings from the past. We have perennial favorites on this list that may be featured again, and we will be adding new coffees as we discover them. Guatemalan Antigua We are always amazed at the number of world-class coffees that are grown in Guatemala. Our Antigua is no exception. This selected coffee is grown on a small farm above 3,900 feet altitude in Antigua's mountainous coffee-growing region. The combination of the cooler climate, which yields a slower maturing bean, and the volcanic soil that nurtures it, produces one of the world's most fragrant, delicious coffees. Our Antigua is graded SHB or Strictly Hard Bean, the highest quality rating. We find this coffee to be very complex and aromatic. A very smooth cup it nonetheless exhibits a brightness that is characteristically found in Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. Perfectly balanced, this coffee has a lovely rich flavor and a chocolate note on the finish. Panama Boquete Grown in Boquete, a small alpine town nestled in a craggy mountain valley in the highlands of Panama’s westernmost province of Chiriqui, this coffee reflects its pristine natural environment known as the “Valley of the Flowers and Eternal Spring.” This coffee is grown at an elevation of 4,500 ft. near Volcán Barú among oranges, strawberries, and an incomparably beautiful polychromy of abundant flora. Winds from the north and the bajareque, which consist of light drizzle accompanied by a cool breeze, make Boquete a wonderful respite from the heat of the lowlands. Here the combination of rich volcanic soil, a consistently cool microclimate, and high altitude creates a very well balanced coffee with a good body and lovely aroma. The beans are handpicked up to five times during a season so that ripe beans alone are included in the harvest. The Feria de las Flores y del Café, or the Festival of Flowers and Coffee, is a popular local celebration held annually in January which reflects the importance of coffee as a focal element around which community of Boquete centers. I am excited to bring to you this stunning coffee from the coffee-producing area that is considered to be of the best quality the Republic of Panama has to offer. Brazilian Peaberry Baggio Estate This selection is our ultra premium “Peaberry” imported directly from a wonderfully unique family-owned estate in Brazil. Jose Astor Baggio, whose family has been growing coffee since 1866 when they immigrated to Brazil from Italy, owns Fazenda Pindaibas. His estate is located in the southwestern area of Minas Gerais, Brazil’s premier coffee growing region. Grown at 3,000 ft. elevation, a very high elevation for Brazil, this very special lot is hand picked, separated from the other beans, and meticulously hand processed at the Baggio Estate. Historically, peaberry coffee accounts for approximately 5% of a harvest; it is actually an aberration in bean formation. Instead of two large, distinct halves the coffee develops into a smaller bean that has the appearance of a pea, thus its name. The peaberry tends to have a more concentrated flavor than other beans. Our selected coffee produces a lovely cup with a developed, robust aroma and a comparably full body. Despite this it boasts a mild, smooth taste with a hint of sweetness and spice; the coffee lacks bitterness regardless of brew strength. Our selected “Peaberry” is a world-class coffee by any standard and is produced in extremely minute quantities. Costa Rican Tarrazu Don Roberto Estate Cultivated in the mountainous southern Pacific area of Costa Rica, this is considered one of the best coffees produced in Costa Rica. This nutty yet sweet coffee has just a hint of spice while exhibiting richness, full-body, and a delicate brightness. We chose this to contrast with the flavors inherent to the Boquete coffee. A beautifully balanced cup. Mauai Peaberry Ka’anopoli Estate An exquisite coffee that is giving its better known legendary cousin, Hawaiian Kona, a run for its money. The first coffee trees were brought to the Hawaiian Islands by a British warship in 1825. Oahu's governor had acquired the coffee trees in Brazil. The coffee was planted in the Monoa Valley on Oahu and from there introduced to the other islands. Grown on the slopes of the lush mountain slopes high above the beaches on the island of Maui in soil that is deep and red, supplemented with abundant tropical rainfall, the sweet flavor of the Maui peaberry reflects the distinctive soil which formerly nourished rich fields of sugar cane. A complex coffee, it is full bodied and perfectly clean with a sweet, cocoa-like flavor and a delicate acidity with an ultra smooth finish. Tanzanian Peaberry Grown on the side of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest Peak in Africa, this world-class coffee lives up to the capacity of this specific microclimate. Samples of the small green berries are roasted and carefully tasted to make sure that each lot purchased lives up to the potential of the area. Our Tanzanian Peaberry has a smooth generosity of flavor, but is also possessed of significant power. This name "Peaberry" denotes that these coffee beans are small and round, as opposed to the customary larger beans, which consist of two halves. We have discovered a unique source for the highest quality of Peaberry grown in the area and are thrilled to bring its exotic taste to you. Sumatra Mandheling From the beautiful Indonesian archipelago on the Indian Sea, we bring you the classic, smooth Sumatra Mandheling. First introduced to Indonesia by Dutch traders in the late 17th century, coffee has become important to this region's economy with Indonesia being the third largest producer of coffee in the world. The origin of our Sumatra is the Balak region of Indonesia, where 65% of its coffee is grown. Two lakes surround this region, Lake Toba & Lake Takennon, which affects the delicate balance of exquisite flavor & aroma. Our Sumatra follows the tradition of being grown next to fruits and spices on small family farms. A sweet, heavy-bodied, exotic coffee that is a perennial favorite. Sulawesi This rare and complex tasting coffee is grown on Sulawesi, the island for which it is named, in the Indonesian Archipelago. This coffee may be thought of as a first cousin to the very popular Sumatra coffee, except that it achieves a much higher level of complexity and is significantly more rare. The best coffees from Sulawesi are grown in Torajaland, a small area near the town of Rantepao under ideal coffee growing conditions. Coffee trees are grown on very small plots around the houses of the villagers. Entire families participate in the picking and processing of the coffee beans in true artisanal fashion. Our Sulawesi coffee has a unique nutty and smooth taste, possesses a full, rich body, and delivers layer after layer of flavor. As it is a rare, world class coffee, we purchased specific lots which we believe are the finest grown on the island. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe This coffee may be thought of as a first cousin to the very popular Sumatra coffee, except that it achieves a much higher level of complexity and is significantly more rare. As always, it is necessary to try lots from several different sources to find the one that exemplifies the best that the particular climate and soil has to offer. We are very pleased with the lots that we have purchased for this month's selection. We believe Kenneth David in his book, Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying,, is right on the mark with his assessment of this coffee. In speaking of the estate-grown coffees from Ethiopia, he comments, "The most celebrated is called Yirgacheffe. This coffee virtually has a cult following in the United States, and for good reason. Like the best Sumatran and Yemen coffees it is rich, teasing, and mysterious on the palate, with a very long, resonating finish. Like Sumatran, its acidity vibrates inside the richness of the body, but Yirgacheffe adds a soft, fragrant, flowery note so distinctive that it may make this unique among the world's coffees." We could not agree more! Papua New Guinea Located just south of the equator, this island is a prime growing region for coffee and tea. While coffee production here dates back to 1889, the current coffee produced dates back only 75 years or so. In 1927 Jamaican Blue Mountain seedlings were brought from Jamaica and because of climatological similarities between the two countries the coffee plants thrived. We have selected our beans from a small, well-tended farm to ensure the first rate quality of this world-class bean. Sweet, full-bodied, and virtually perfectly balanced. El Salvador Peaberry Santa Barbara Estate There is perhaps no rarer nor more sought after coffee in the world than the Jamaica Blue Mountain “Peaberry” from the Wallenford Estate. Our Peaberry coffee from El Salvador reminds us of this coffee more than any other we have ever tasted. It has the same depth, brightness, and a slight nuttiness on the palate as does the JBM Peaberry. This coffee is produced in microscopic quantities by a small family estate whose owners are absolutely fanatical in their commitment to organic farming methods and to the quality of their coffee. Our El Salvador Peaberry ranks with the finest coffee in the world, boasting a sophisticated richness, a full body, and a deliciously intense aroma. It is made available to us in extremely limited quantities and is a personal favorite of everyone at Ashley & Cooper Coffee Company. Panama Berlina This coffee won the Panama cupping championship in the year 2000. We were allocated 3 bags in 2001 and sold out quickly, and have sadly been unable to procure any since then. Recently, we were fortunate enough to receive several bags of the current harvest. Grown on a 55-acre farm, the coffee is naturally processed with meticulous care and yields one of the smoothest and most compelling cups in the Caribbean. Costa Rican La Minita Estate Excellent climatic conditions as well as adequate soils produced the delicious aroma of the coffee of the region (SHB SUR) and have continued successfully for one hundred years. Today the same footsteps are taken to fulfill with magnificent execution the task of producing the best qualities of coffee in the world. This coffee is known for its rich body, pleasant acidity and nutty, sweet undertones.
|
