Manhattan Tanzania Edelweiss – This sparkling lil guy comes from the Gaia farm in Tanzania, a member of the Finagro Farms collective. The farm is owned by the Vohoras, a multiple generational farm sprawling 1000 acres on the southern slopes of the Ngorongoro conservation area on the edge of a crater. The farm is located in a valley and the Vohoras provide a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm and it provides temporary housing to the seasonal harvesters. After 18 years and starting out with just a few seeds from Sidama, Ethiopia, Edelweiss now has close to 10,000 trees. This is a washed coffee, but after the pulping it was dry fermented for a few days which brings out some incredible flavors. We get a perfect balance here from the Ethiopia varietals and the crisp Edelweiss profile I remember. Raspberry, honey, and mild lemon acidity thanks to that Arusha. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio and ground it 3 clicks coarser than my typical starting grind. I poured a 45 seconds bloom, with 3 pulses following. I spaced out the pulses by 30 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:10 for a 2:50 total brew time.
Manhattan Colombia Nestor Lasso – This is our second time trying Nestor Lasso in the last year. I once again love this coffee. Nestor Lasso is located in Huila and while a newer producer, is making big noise in the industry. I feel super lucky that Manhattan has created such a strong partnership with this producer and hopefully soon we can bring over some unique varietals that will surely blow us away. This is a typica mejorado, which is already unique but not something that will blow the price up. The processing on this is clearly super thoughtful and keeps the cup clean. This is a fully washed coffee, but it was left to oxidize for 12 hours with mucilage on the cherry making this close to honey. After the pulping and washing, it went through the thermal shock effect with hot water. I still don’t really know why this is necessary, and am not sure it does a lot for the coffee other than a sales tactic, but it is delicious. This is a sugary sweet Colombia. I get strawberry rhubarb, sorghum, and big cherry notes once the cup nears the final sip. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio, and ground it one click coarser than my usual starting Colombia grind setting. I poured a 40 second bloom and then poured three pulses spaced out by 30 seconds. If this is a larger brew, I recommend pouring really small circles to get the timing done right. I finished my last pour at 2:10 for a 2:55 final brew time.
Have Fun Costa Rica Volcan Azul – We know this farm well by now – Volcan Azul has only increased production of small specialty lots that are sold to the best roasters in the world. Volcan Azul is the most famous specialty coffee farm in Costa Rica, run by Alejo Castrok. The farm has been in Castrok’s family for five generatiions, starting in the early 1900s. Alejo brought Volcan Azul in to the specialty coffee world personally, learning about how some of the best producers in the world are processing coffee differently. I have probably had at least a dozen coffees from Volcan Azul, and I think one or two out of all of them have been a straight washed coffee and a well known varietal. This coffee is a full natural Marsellesa grown at 1600 MASL. The cherries are dried on raised beds for six days after harvest, and then dried in mechanical dryers to control the moisture content present in the cherries. I tasted Fruit Gushers, passionfruit, and rooibos. This is a complicated lil coffee. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my typical grind setting. I bloomed this for 50 seconds and then I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my fourth pour at 2:40 for a 3:15 brew time.
Have Fun Colombia Ruben Jimenez – There is not much more I can see about Ruben Jimenez than what is printed on the back of the bag. He grew up picking coffee on neighboring farms in Huila to make money before spending time in the military and then living in Bogota. After being sick for what is said to be years, Ruben returned and started the coffee game. Ruben’s current farm ‘El Naranjo’ is located in San Agustin, Huila. After a couple difficult harvests with less than desirable quality, things have straightened out and we are here drinking the first specialty harvest from El Naranjo. I knew this cup was going to be striking. This is a fully washed Caturra grown at 1720 MASL. I taste vanilla, juniper, and florals. This is a super nice coffee and a crowd pleaser for sure. I brewed this with a 16.7:1 ratio, and ground it right at my typical starting point. I poured a 50 second bloom, followed by three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds. I finished my third pour at 2:25 for a 3:05 final brew time.
Stimulus Coffee Club 