Monthly Archive for June, 2009

Cupping 6-26-09

Published
by
Alex
on June 30, 2009
in Cupping Notes
. 0 Comments

A special thanks to David Fritzler of Tryst for leading the cupping in DC this week…

Valle del Sanctuario, San Ignacio, Peru
Fr - nuts, brown sugar, milk chocolate, cinnamon, molasses, herbal, cherry, berry
Ar - sweet x3, coconut, plum, honeydew, rich, lemon, sweet bread, caramel
Bre - starchy, herby x2, fresh cut grass, sweet
Bri - medium, tangy apple, orange
Fl - green apple, maple, chocolate cake, misc. veg/beans
Bo - med-light
Af - hit on sides of mouth/tongue, dry roasted peanuts, alfalfa, chocolate, clean

Shakisso (washed) Sidamo, Ethiopia
Fr - vanilla, toast, citrus, berry, honey, floral x2, chocolate
Ar - sweet lemon, citrus x2, peach, honey
Bre - jasmine, simple syrup, cinnamon
Bri - sunny, medium high, orange, lemon
Fl - iced tea, orange peel x2, berry x2, chocolate, floral, chiso
Bo - chewy, light and smooth
Af - crisp, citrus, floral

Ceneproc (French) Caranavi, Bolivia
Fr - Ash, smoke, earth x3, black pepper, woodsy, charred wood, butter, rubber
Ar - Dark chocolate x4, carbon, earth
Bre - black pepper, bbq sauce, bakers chocolate
Bri - muted apple, low
Fl - black pepper, wet soil, dark molasses, charcoal, very roasted nuts, green veg
Bo - coating, heavy cream, full but not heavy
Af - lingering, smoky chocolate

Cupping 6-19-09

Published
by
Alex
on June 21, 2009
in Uncategorized
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Boy Howdy!  A whopping 26 people in the DCTC this morning.

21 new cuppers…

Rusenyki Kibuye from Rwanda was the first coffee up this morning.  We found strong “stroll through the woods” smells including earthiness, fresh bark, mahogany and a mustiness.  We also smelled sweet things like cotton candy and waffles with some nice cinnamon and celery.  A mellow citrus/raspberry brightness mingled nicely with the caramel, red fruit and berry sweetness.  There were also cardamom and grapefruit notes, peanut and sesame with some chocolate underneath.  The body was medium and a little sticky, but most folks wanted it to be more tangible and lingering.  The finish was fast and dry with a slightly oily, peach taste at the end.
7 favorites

Kuta from the Waghi Valley in Papua New Guinea was second in line.  We really got into this one right away as the smells that met us were exciting ones:  Floral, grassy, red-fruity, earthy, and melons.  We continued on the smell an anise/clove aroma with hazelnuts and stewed tomatoes on the end.  The break was sooo savory–malted grains, grilled (caramelized) onions, and roasted tomatoes.  We thought the brightness was middle of the road and mellow, but quite pleasant like a nice Burgundy wine.  The flavors were more of the floral/ fruity kind (Cherries, plums, wine) with a peppery and spicy undertone.  The mouth feel was smooth and milky with a pleasant and lingering aftertaste that was sweet and peppery.

6 Favorites

Gayo from Aceh in Sumatra was last on the table.  Wow the fruit!  Dragonfruit, strawberries, grapes, overripe melons, red wine, and bubble gum were riding high over the darker flavors of chocolate, smoke, bacon, and roasted peppers.  the break was all Rambutan fruit and chocolate.  We felt this was a low brightness, but it was higher than everyone expected with a nice tangy, dark fruit acidity.  ther flavors were pine, malty, spicy, and bitter chocolate with orange zest.  The body was full and coating, but not heavy.  The aftertaste was strong and balanced, but slightly fleeting. Looking good, Gayo!

7 Favorites

Cupping 06-12-09

Published
by
Alex
on June 12, 2009
in Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

Howdy folks,

12 people in the TC this morning (12 on the 12th) and 8 of those were first timers!

We started with the Bwayi Lot #8 from Kayanza, Burundi.  The fragrance of this coffee was intoxicating:  Peach, violet, perfume, pistachio, cherry, sugar cookie dough, chocolate and chili (yes like a big ol’ bowl of chili).  We found that in the aroma our chocolate had turned to chocolate cake, our peaches were now a peach cobbler, and the dough was pancakes with syrup.  The break was wonderful–figs, caramel, orange, vanilla, and black pepper.

The brightness of this coffee was light and lively, with a high, tangy ruby-red grapefruit acidity.  The body was silky-smooth and creamy and coated nicely.  We tasted blood oranges, bananas, fruit jam, tomato, peaches, cinnamon, and a bready/yeasty undertone.  The finish was a short one of berries and honey.  Folks thought that this coffee was so complex that it would be good any time of the day–paired with pancakes maybe? or a rich dessert?

This coffee was the winner of the day with 6 favorite votes!

Next up, La Golondrina from Popayan, Colombia…

The thing that stood out to most of the people very familiar with this coffee was its extremely savory notes today.  We got so many vegetable descriptors (mostly cooked) and less-than-usual of the sweet ones.  For the nose we picked up chocolate, earthiness, pasta, green beans, malt, cloves, bay leaf, and cooked yellow squash.  As we began tasting, the brightness was medium with a sour/salty/savory lemongrass thing happening.  Our flavors were granola, stewed greens, vegetable stock, broccoli, caramel, and citrus.  We were left with a lingering chocolate, caramel, and hop flowers.  Everyone agreed this was a fine cup of coffee and most people wanted it in the morning to get their day started (maybe with a piece of cake!).

This coffee was voted as favorite by 5 people.

Finally, we are tasting the Dolok Sanggul from Lintong, Sumatra.  Immediately the descriptors so characteristic to this coffee were thrown out:  licorice, moss, green pepper, musk, walnuts, soil, cedar, ash, wet leaves, chocolate.  Then we had a couple of descriptors like coconut, cinnamon, and “a man’s aftershave” that usually don’t come up, but were right on.  No one thought that this coffee was very bright and the body was prickly, sticky, and full.  The flavors were more chocolate, some tree trunk, tar, resin, and of course, green pepper.  The aftertaste was woody (like a pressure treated 2 x 4) and smokey.  This coffee was favored in the brewer over the cupping table.  A sweet chocolate coffee with herbaceous notes with a full, rich body.

1 person liked this coffee the best.

Alex

Blinds! Blinds! Blinds!

Published
by
Alex
on June 10, 2009
in Uncategorized
. 2 Comments

For those of you who have spent anytime in the Washington DC training center, you are very aware of the problem that we have on Friday mornings in the summer while cupping on a stainless steel counter.  That’s right, glare.  The sun and earth are now in just the right position to attempt to burn all of the cuppers’ eyeballs right out of their heads.  It is like a heavenly conspiracy against all coffee lovers!  OK, so maybe I am overreacting, but it sure is hard to cup with your eyes all squinty!  There was also a problem of the space heating up because glass lets in and traps all that summer heat to drive the DCTC temps into the 80’s!  Certainly not the ideal environment for concentration.

We have recently had an exciting addition to the training center:  Blinds!  Not just any blinds, transparent window coverings made of two layers of material with an air cell in between.  The air in this cell heats up from the sun, but the heat transfer to the inside is minimized drastically!  Better insulation means more energy efficient and we love using less energy!  So come on down to the new and improved CCCDCTC…how about tomorrow (for the TNT starting at 8pm)?  Or Friday morning for the cupping (starting at 10am)?

Alex