June Coffee: SEY

This is the third coffee I have personally tried from El Placer farm this year. The El Placer farm is owned by Jesus Saavedra, one of my absolute favorite coffee producers in Colombia. This is the last lot from Saavedra\’s high elevation farm (2100 MASL) SEY is featuring this year. This coffee is 100% Castillo and has a slightly earthy fragrance that kind of resembles sweet corn. The flavors are spiced strawberry and tropical fruits. Acidity on this coffee is slightly higher than a typical Colombian coffee: I used a 15:1 coffee to water ratio and did my \”Normal speed\” brew. This means a standard grind with bloom and then two pulses. Finishing at a 2:45 brew time. I finished pouring at around 1:45.

    
A Kenyan coffee from SEY is not always an expectation each year. Since they are so dedicated on traceability and direct relationships, Kenya can be a tricky origin to work with. What we know about this lot, is that it was grown in Kirinyaga and processed at the Gatomboya Washing Station. The varietals are very typical: SL28, SL34, Batian, and Ruiru 11. While some people are opinionated on their Kenyan varietals, I am not. I have never found a Kenyan Coffee with Ruiru 11 or Batian to be of lesser quality than a \”pure\” SL28 or SL34. Like many other roasters, SEY is nervous about the future of Kenyan coffee as the soil conditions are getting worse every year. Luckily this coffee reminds us why it is worth the fight to keep Kenya a strong producer of beautiful coffees. It has a big sweet mouthfeel, with flavors of honey, pastry dough, and tastes the way flowers smell. I used a 15.5:1 ratio for this one with a 2:30 brew time. I brewed this one fast, with a quick 10 second pulse. I finished pouring around 1:30. 

\”This coffee is mind blowing. This Ethiopian season is going to be insane and might end up being the best Ethiopian season of my personal career. Please drink every single one of them.\” – Production crew at SEY. I don\’t know if I can specify a \”best\” at this point in my coffee career, but it is comforting knowing that the coffee that nearly every single member of Stimulus Coffee Club received has this review. Yabitu Koba comes from the famous Uraga region, known for it\’s high elevation. This coffee was grown at elevations ranging from 2160 – 2310 MASL. The flavors of this coffee are spectacular and probably my favorite of the three. I tasted lemon, lavender, sparkling grape juice, and about 100 other very bright tasting flavor compounds. I used a 15:1 ratio, with a 2:15 brew time. I used a fast pouring method, finishing my last pour around 1:25. I recommend grinding this coffee much coarser than usual because of the high density. If the brew tastes tea-like without much citrus you are grinding too fine.