September 2016

As we rolled into Fall, we headed down to Central America, visiting Guatemala and El Salvador for a full-mouth coffee experience. To satisfy our sweet tart craving, we added Yemen to our itinerary.

YEMEN MOKHA ISMAILI – LIGHT ROAST
In our pursuit of the sweet tart cranberry taste, both the Yemen and Ethiopian beans excel beyond the rest at a light roast. The sweet tart dried fruit flavors will hit your entire mouth immediately, jump starting your day. As with any light roasts, we recommend that you double up the filters to ensure maximum water-to-bean saturation.

GUATEMALA FINCA LA PASTORIA, BARBERENA – MEDIUM ROAST
Guatemala Rosma is a bean that tastes good throughout the entire roast spectrum from a light to dark. We found flavors and smells that excite all the senses, from honey-infused lemonade to toasted caramel nuts.

The perfect coffee drinking ritual in the morning is one that is uninterrupted; however, interruptions are a part of life. We found this roast palatable in temperature ranging from 200°F down to room temperature—with the fruity grape flavor opening up at the lower ranges. We would even recommend this roast for ice coffee. What to do with left over coffee in the pot? Freeze it in an ice cube tray and enjoy on a hot day with some sweet cream.

EL SALVADOR FINCA LAS ANIMAS – DARK ROAST
For those who appreciate the darker roasts of life, El Salvador Finca Las Animas is smooth and relaxing with a full-mouth experience for an easy drink. This is the relaxing weekend coffee, with friends and family, anytime of the day. From childhood memories the best flavor notes we could convey on this coffee is burnt brown sugar mixed with toasted walnuts.

OUR RECOMMENDATION ON BLENDING
In addition to each month’s three unique beans from around the world, we also recommend a blend of the dark, medium and light roasts. We call this month’s Blend 121—with 1 part El Salvador, 2 parts Guatemala and 1 part Yemen. The Yemen roast brings out the brown sugar sweet notes, blended with the Guatemala and El Salvador for the caramel and dark chocolate flavors. The goal of our blends is to create a cup of coffee that stands on its own without the need of adding cream or sugar.

Try all the roasts individually to appreciate each distinct flavor. Next, give our Blend 121 recommendation a try. Finally, venture out with your own blend according to your taste preferences. For an evening cup of coffee with less caffeine, we suggest holding off the Yemen, and using a ratio of 2 parts El Salvador to 1 part Guatemala.

Keep in mind that the lighter roast has more caffeine, while the darker roast has a fuller body. To make the blend, use a tablespoon to measure out the coffee by parts and place into a burr grinder, then give it a quick shake. Alternately, you can mix the grounds after grinding each bean individually.

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