Counter Culture Coffee Washington, DC

Howdy ya’ll!  Let’s talk about that delicious cupping we had on Friday…

We tasted two coffees this morning that make up our new Apollo Espresso Blend:

First coffee on the table was Dulce Nombre de Jesus from Marcala, Honduras

From Fragrance to aftertaste, the malt in this coffee really got folks attention.  On the nose we had some vanilla, cinnamon, and red fruit notes and the taste of the coffee was of chocolate and toast.  The body was nice and full with a full and clean aftertaste.

Next we have a Grade 2 washed coffee from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia that we purchased through the ECX.

We got lemons immediately on the nose and then started to find Jasmine and honey notes.  For the taste we felt dried fruits and honey with a citrus and berry background.  The body was thinner, and the aftertaste was very tannic like black tea.

And together, we got shots that were super sweet and full of dried prunes, apricots, and some sweet lemonade.  The brightness was there, but very balanced by sweetness and the body was so soft with a sweet aftertaste.

Till next time everyone…CHEERS!

Alex and Bryan

(The answer is no, Barry didn’t come to taste our Apollo…sad face)

Bryan Duggan poured this little gem!

Oh yeah, and in milk?  DELICIOUS!

Today we cupped 3 tasty coffees.  Ok, i know we always cup tasty coffees, but seriously folks!

Valle del Santuario, San Ignacio, Peru -

Up front and heady with some sweet and savory things happening on the nose:  Red berry, slight meatiness, vegetal, chocolate, and caramel.  This coffee had a nice medium brightness reminiscent of Sour Patch Kids, followed by a mild nuttiness, sweet chocolate, and caramel popcorn flavor.  The body was silky and smooth, a little slight and thin–elegant was a nice descriptor used.  The finish was brown sugar, a little acidic, but won the award for cleanest finish on the table.  1 favorite.

Kiryama, Kayanza, Burundi -

Vanilla, cobbler, berries, peanut, and chocolate were some of the smells we got from this coffee.  Our flavors were vanilla syrup, citrus and red fruits, apricots and olive oil (the good stuff).  comforting body, full, and a little astringent.  The finish felt like a giant bear hug.  3 favorites.

Michicha, Sidama, Ethiopia -

Berries, flowers, and Hawaiian Punch were on the nose of this coffee coupled with milk chocolate and sweet baking spices.  We tasted a lower acidity, like a 2 on a scale of 1- 10.  The flavors we found were blueberries, lemons, caramel, dates, and molasses over a creamy, coating body.  the finish went darker and ended a little abruptly.  5 favorites.

Thanks all!

Hey everyone,

Here are the videos that I couldn’t get to work for the last couple of cuppings … enjoy!

March 12th we cupped:

1.Valle del Santuario -Rich milk chocolate with slight citrus and clean, nutty finish.

2. Michicha - Beautiful light berries with a creamy chocolate  and pastry.  got all the favorite votes save 1.  7 favs!

3. Tambul - Nice and heady spice aromas with a savory flavor and a dark, sweet finish.  1 favorite.

March 19th we cupped 3 different coffees (by process) from the same farm in Valle del Santuario:  http://vimeo.com/10249695

1. Washed - Milk chocolate and hazelnuts with lemon and cooked veggies over a thin body.  1 favorite.

2. Pulped natural - Darker  and richer reminding us of dried fruits and tons of umami things–especially on the break.  thicker body, but still clean to finish.

3. Natural - Very different.  Full of blueberries, but maybe mixed with red wine vinegar, but sweet…like raspberry ginger and lemon Kombucha.  This was super weird, but everyone loved it.  very surprising.  5 favorites

And last week we cupped:

1. Ndaroini - This was just as sweet cherry tomatoes and tropical fruits as it was months ago…are vacuum bags to thank?  Nice silky body, pleasant juicy finish. 2 favorites.

2. Decaf Gayo - This drank like the sweetest Latin American coffee ever–had us all fooled.  We liked its chocolate and nuttiness…lacking in body, but is my new favorite decaf.  2 favorites.

3. Gayo - Had some nice woodsy/forrest smells and some grilled meats and veggie kabob flavors.  Dark chocolate and a syrupy body.  Tim, we had an off sample (out of 8).

Look here for next weeks cupping notes!

Alex

Well, the snow might have kept me from leading the cupping at the training center in DC this morning, but with the help of my best-friend-next-door neighbors (and some coffee that they had) we were able to host a cupping in my kitchen in Baltimore…

Smelling the fragrance

First up on the table was the Teka from Burundi. We found that it smelled very similar to a fruity (cherries, raspberries) American coffee full of the typical “coffee” fragrances and aromas. Lots of chocolate and earth in the flavor with subtle hints of celery, licorice, and nuts. The body was full and the aftertaste was very nice and lasting. This coffee was Mike’s favorite.

Next on the counter was Michicha from Ethiopia. This coffee smelled and tasted like the best blueberry pie you have ever had (sweet and bready crust, juicy sweet blueberry pie filling) covered in milk chocolate. The body was very silky with a sweet, clean, clean, clean finish. This coffee was Carla’s favorite.

Last up was the Gayo from Sumatra. This coffee “smelled like a Sumatran.” lots of herbaceous smells and roasty dark cocoa with a stewed tomato break. The flavor was dark chocolate and rich earth with some deep red cherry taste in the background. The body was thick and heavy, and the aftertaste was very nice and lingered for a long time. This was Alex’s favorite.