Manhattan Colombia Diego Bermudez – So I did not realize this until I started researching Diego Bermudez, but he is the owner of El Paraiso in Cauca, Colombia. This is the farm of one of the most outstanding coffees I have ever had – it was a tropical anaerobic. This coffee is what is known as a “thermal shock” anaerobic. The thermal shock is basically just the use of warm and cold water added to the tank to shock the beans. The anaerobic process here is (or should be) world famous. The focus on pH, temperature, and time is unparalleled. This is why the anaerobics from El Paraiso taste so perfect. Diego has been working on these processes for years and is obviously having great results. This coffee tastes fairly simple at first sip, and then opens up with all these acid compounds waiting in the fibers of the bean to explode out. The sweetness is amazing and could be shared with anyone, literally an unhateable coffee. I brewed this one with a 16.8:1 water to coffee ratio and a grind setting slightly coarser than a typical starting grind. I poured four pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, with my last pour at finishing at 2:30, and a drop time of 3:15. This coarser grind, longer ratio, and slow pour brings out all the complex sweetness hiding in this beauty.
Manhattan Rwanda Kinini – This is a great subscription coffee – Co-owner of Manhattan Esther visited the Kinini washing station a few years ago and was so impressed with the work being done and the trees at the Rebero farm (where this lot was grown). So he began a relationship where Manhattan receives exclusive lots in exchange for keeping up with contracts each year to bring Kinini coffee to the roastery. Kinini is owned by Malcolm and Jacquie who invest profits back into the community – building roads and schools and paying good wages and offerings bonuses for quality picking and work in the field which encourages women in the community to work in coffee and make a good living doing it. The schools that are part of this community now rank in the top 10 in the country for academics. By buying this we can feel good about where our money is going 🙂 The reason I initially state this is a great subscription coffee is the flavors – super bright and juicy like I love my Rwandan coffee to be. I tasted orange, champagne, and starburst. I brewed this one with a 16.5:1 ratio and ground it at a standard starting v60 grind size. I poured two pulses, one at 35 seconds and then at 80 seconds. My final brew time was 2:40. This faster brew with a finer grind brought out the big acidity and juice.
Sey Ethiopia Kadir Jabril – This Ethiopian offering is a beautiful example of what a Washed Ethiopian Heirloom can be. It comes from Uraga, Guji, a region I hope we all have come to recognize. Uraga is known for its staggering elevations and intense mountainous terrain. Kadir Jabril is the owner of the Washing station, Wate Gogugu, where cherries are brought in by small-holders that grow the coffee in gardens, not from massive plantations. The small-holders rarely have more than 2 hectares of land and tend to the trees carefully. The varietals in this lot are unknown, and from previous write-ups on Ethiopian varietals, you know I am looking forward to a time when we can know more about the intense diversity in varieties. The day I can talk about my favorite Ethiopian landrace varietals will be a happy day. Upon the first sip I tasted fruit loops, hibiscus, peach tea, and hope for my future. Brewing method was 15.5:1 water to coffee ratio, with a coarse grind. My setting was 6 clicks coarser than my usual starting grind size. After my bloom, I poured two slow pulses. First from 35 seconds to 70 seconds, then from 80 seconds to 115 seconds. My final brew time was 2:35.
Sey Colombia Jamir Useche La Luna – This is maybe one of the last epic Acevedo, Colombia micro-lots we are going to see from SEY this year, so had to sneak them in the lineup before we missed one! This is a 100% isolated Pacamara coffee on the La Luna farm. La Luna is operated by Jamir, his wife Ana, and their daughter Luna. Jamir split the family plot of land with four siblings in 2012 and all of them are growing coffee. This is not the first La Luna I have had personally, which is why I knew it would be an excellent coffee to ring in the Colombia micro-lot season. SEY is extremely proud to work with this family on this small plot of land in Acevedo as it is young, new producers with sustainability on the mind and a love for progress in coffee processing. In the cup I tasted more florals than any other washed Colombia. I tasted lychee, coke, mango, and green apple. For a Pacamara, the bean was much smaller than I expected – typically these are big low density seashell beans but this was not at all. I actually struggled brewing it because when I see Pacamara my mind tells me to grind it fine due to low density. I had to keep going coarser on this one as it was super bitter and astringent even at my normal starting grind size! I used a 16.4:1 water to coffee ratio with a grind setting 3 clicks coarser than typical Colombia. My bloom was 30 seconds, and then I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds. My final brew time was 2:50
Manhattan Panama Jansen Green Tip Geisha – I normally do not include the special order coffees in this write-up for the sake of FOMO with subscribers not receiving it, however a lot of people ordered it and I don’t want to respond to everyone privately so here it is!! This is a fully washed Green Tip Geisha from the Jansen family in Volcan region of Panama. The Jansen family is decades old in the coffee world and have been honing in thier growing/producing/processing skills nonstop. Including removal of all natural mutations of the Green Tip that formed during planting, ensuring this lot would always be 100% Green Tip Geisha. I was told by Manhattan that they are working toward a relationship with Jansens and hope to have coffee from then year-round. I look forward to serving non-Geisha Panamanian coffee as the quality is staggering and the price is much more reasonable than 100% Geisha lots. I tasted jasmine of course, with red cherry, vanilla, and lime with a silky body. I brewed this coffee with a 15:1 ratio and ground it a couple clicks coarser than usual. I poured a standard three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds and the dropout time was 2:55.
Stimulus Coffee Club 