Manhattan El Salvador Carlos Mendez – Mendez owns a farm called Los Cotuzos located in Ahuachapan. This is a fairly large farm with a decent production size. And considering the size, Mendez is super involved with growing each tree and the processing. This lot was actually commissioned by Manhattan to grow a massive seashell of a bean and then perform the double fermentation method. The cherries are placed directly into standard fermentation tanks for 24 hours, and then removed and placed in anaerobic tanks for another 24 hours. Since this is a natural, the cherries have been intact for the whole 48 hours and once removed from anaerobic tanks, they are dried in the cool mountain air for 40 days. The cool weather here is important, as you will notice this hardly tastes like a natural. That is because the lower temp ferments it slowly, thus not allowing for funky fermentation flavors. This yields a delicate yet deeply complex fruity profile. I instantly tasted dark chocolate covered raspberries. The Pacamara profile here is filled with complexity and she a bit spicy. It could be more Mexican Hot Chocolate than dark chocolate. I have not had Rooibos tea in ages which is what Manhattan describes, so possibly Rooibos too. On the finish there is a long tart red fruit note that allows you to give a long rest between sips. The finish on this one is probably my favorite part. I brewed this with a 16:1 water to coffee ratio and ground it one click finer than my usual starting point. I poured three slow pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:35 with a 3:00 drop time.
Manhattan Kenya Karatina – For me, a simple washed Nyeri is still one of the most excited coffees to receive, going on possibly 10 years now. This is a pure SL28 varietal brought to us by the Karatina factory on the south end of Mt. Kenya National Park. Most of the lots produced by Karatina factory are blends of small-holder farmers and could be up to 1,450 local farmers. The Ragati River that runs through Mt. Kenya National Park is the main water source here used for washing each bean free of mucilage. The farmer cooperative gives farmers back credit for school fees, some gardening supplies, and for emergencies. The goal here is to provide the local farmers with resources and education to help Kenya climb back up to the top producer in the world. This has been a big push by Kenyan government in recent years to fund farmers, as they know they have one of the best terroirs and as a baseline can grow some of the tastiest coffees. They just have to catch up with other nations with better access to water and education. This is one of the more delicate and soft Kenyan coffees I have had. I tasted an initial floral note which was nice, but then I was surprised to get hit with big Fruit Punch notes. Like Hawaiian Punch not Gatorade Fruit Punch flavor. Hella sugars and dynamic fruit notes. As it cooled I got more sweet citrus and jasmine notes like a calamansi or kumquat. I used a 15.5:1 ratio and ground it four clicks coarser than my usual starting point. I poured two long, drawn out pulses; each about 40 seconds each finishing my second pour at 1:15 with a 2:30 drop time. Any longer on the brew time gives this coffee an undesirable papery taste.
Sey Honduras Olvin Moreno – What else do we need to say, Olvin is a Moreno. The whole family has coffee production in their blood. Olvin is one of the six Moreno brothers who inherited a small lot from the godfather of Santa Barbara, Daniel Moreno. This lot is 100% Pacas grown at Olvin’s small farm at 1700 MASL in Santa Barbara. This is processed in a fairly standard method for the region; floated for defect detection, dry fermented for 24 hours, and then dried on raised beds for 16 days. This is a nearly perfect tasting Honduras. The caramelized sugars and the berry notes play so well together to create a well rounded, sweet cup with deep complexity. I tasted grape, dried fruit, and brown sugar. I brewed this with a 16.2:1 ratio, and ground it four clicks coarser than my typical starting point. Both this bean and the Bitalina Lopez are super dense and grown at high elevations forcing me to go much coarser. I poured four pulses spaced out by 35 seconds finishing my last pour at 2:30 for a 3:20 brew time.
Sey Honduras Bitalina Lopez – This is also a stellar return from SEY. The farm Finca Bitalina by Bitalina Lopez is small but fantastic. The focus on each tree is intense and careful. I do not recall the last lot I had from Bitalina but it was either Bourbon or Pacas, this one being a blend of each. Bitalina has a super small growing garden of .3 Hectares in Santa Barbara located at 1750 MASL. Most of the cherries here are processed the same for consistency; floated for ripeness, dry fermented for 22 hours, and then manually washed SIX times before drying on raised beds for 2 weeks. The coffees here are always super clean, sweet, and berry forward with amazing complexity. This is a full bodied cup with cacao, herbs, kiwi, and possibly dragon fruit. There is a ton of complexity to be unlocked in here, but I only had a 16 gram sample of this so this was my only shot. I brewed this the exact same as Olvin Moreno as they are from the same region and nearly the same elevation. So 16.2:1, four clicks coarser than usual, and four pulses at 35 seconds each finishing at 2:30 for a 3:20 brew time.
Stimulus Coffee Club 