Lykke Snovatten – It has been a year since I have had one of my favorite “breakfast-style” coffees. It is so mild, tea-like, and delicate but still with a simple red fruit profile. This is my favorite of the four year-round single origin coffees that Lykke always has in stock/from their own coffee farms! The farm is Agua de Neives in central Peru grown at 1800-2000 MASL, and is a Caturra/Bourbon/Typica blend. The name Snovatten means Snow water, because of the high slopes in the region where snow melts off the caps and on to the farm. I tasted red berry, cream, and a mild body as always. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio and ground it right at my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:20 for a 3:15 final brew time.
Lykke El Salvador Ustiberta Alvarez de Hernandez – The crushing of the sacred can. I have waited almost six months checking Lykke’s website for single-origin options that were not the year-round coffees like Snovatten. This coffee is a honey-processed Pacamara from the producer Ustiberta Alvarez de Hernadez in Chalaltenango, El Salvador. Ustiberta’s farm is located at 1500 MASL and is a neighbor to Lykke’s farm El Pital in the same town. Being a pacamara, these are definitely some funky beans but were clearly processed so well. Plus, sourcing directly from a neighboring farmer cuts out a lot of middlemen! This cup starts out with soft mango, and low acidity stone fruit. As it sits, it turns more sweet and caramelly. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 ratio, and ground it three clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my fourth pour at 2:30 for a 3:10 final brew time.
Junto Rwanda Inzovu – So this “Inzovu” company has been a little difficult to find information on. From what I can find, Inzovu is a subsidiary of the Rwandan Trading Company (RTC). Small washing stations deemed to be high quality by Inzovu, are pooled together to keep specific regions and separated varietals intact to produce and export high quality green coffee from areas around Lake Kivu in the Nyamasheke district. Since this coffee is a peaberry, I am sure it is a little easier to keep it isolated from the dominant Red Bourbon that grows all over Rwanda. The RTC provides funding for washing stations and invests in education for the smallholding farmers and provides agronomy training. This tastes like a classic central African profile; raisin, figs, and orange zest. It is a delightful, super bright cup. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio and ground it four clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured two pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, finishing my second pour at 2:00 for a 2:50 final brew time.
Junto Colombia El Diviso – Another Nestor Lasso produced coffee! Finca El Diviso is a collaborative farming project between Nestor Lasso and a neighboring farm owned by Jhoan Vergara, with the goal of championing quality and sustainability. The farm is at 1600 MASL, and focuses on farming expertises and advancements as well as experimental processing. This is a washed double anaerobic lot, meaning after harvest the cherries were fermented in anaerobic tanks for 20 hours, then separated into smaller batches for a further 16 hours of anaerobic fermentation. The seeds were then washed of all mucilage and then mechanically dried. At first I struggled with an excellent cup, which was frustrating. The knowledge of what went in to this bag of coffee made me keep at it and I brewed this almost four times in a row. Finally, a cup blooming with florals, red fruit, and sugars. I tasted pear, pomegranate, and hazelnut. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio, and ground it right at my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my fourth pour at 2:50 for a 3:35 final brew time.
Stimulus Coffee Club 