July 2021 Coffee: The Barn fruit bombs and Kafferaven… also fruit bombs.

The Barn Ethiopia Bombe – Ok so I know this is almost cliché since this is an Anaerobic Ethiopia but holy shit everyone this one is a winner. The anaerobic process was MADE for Ethiopian coffees and I’ll try to include more of them as they are freakishly good. The word Bombe basically comes from the village the washing station is located in. The washing station is owned by Dukale Wakayo, who owns multiple washing stations in Guji, Gedeo, and Sidamo. This network of washing stations also works with a network of producers and smallholders that work together to create more traceability and quality control in the growing process. Having said that, the traceability on this lot is low. Or there are just so many varietals blended they are not worth mentioning. I knew from the instant I ground this coffee that it was going to be a winner. The control of the natural processing using the Anaerobic method gave way for much less fermentation flavor and more sweetness. I tasted flavors of rock sugar, cherry Fun Dip, and strawberry. I ground this one a few clicks coarser than normal, and used a 16.5:1 ratio. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, and finished my last pour 2:05. My drop time was 2:45.

Bombe Village, Sidama

The Barn Guatemala La Nueva Montana – I was JUST talking to someone about how Guatemala has not made the same strides as other neighboring countries in the last few years. Four or five years ago, I would have preferred Guatemala to Honduras or Colombia. However as mentioned, other countries are making huge progressive strides in processing, genetics, and picking. So I am happy to see this coffee come from a small farm with high quality picking and advanced processing techniques. If Guatemala starts doing better with their producing, they surely will be the coffee BAE. This lot is grown by producer Antonio Gonzalez just outside of the capital. Antonio takes climate resources seriously and therefore tends to produce less washed coffees due to excessive water needs. This means most coffees are honey-processed or natural. However, you can’t just not produce washed coffee and expect it to be ok. The attention to detail on these fermented cherries gives way to a clean profile with structured flavors. The cherries are taken down from the mountain and placed in sealed bags for a short 14 hour overnight fermentation; and then depulped the next day before drying. This short fermentation time hardly counts as a natural process in my book, but I would prefer a clean and bright natural to a funk bomb. This coffee basically tasted like a snickers on my first brew. You can google the ingredients to that if you want but I don’t see a point in being dramatic here. I love a snickers. I also got some delicate fruit notes on the second brew such as concord grape and blueberries. I ground this coffee surprisingly coarse for being from Central America; like three clicks coarser than I would have expected. It kind of goes against everything I know based on this being a natural process from Guatemala but that is part of the fun! I used a 16.2:1 water to coffee ratio and poured three pulses, finishing at 2:10. My drop time was 2:55.

Kafferaven Rwanda Rushashi – The choice to pick this coffee for this month was a no-brainer. A kilo of this sweetie got me through the month of April last year when nothing was right in the world except for this juice bomb. On paper, this coffee really is nothing special – a Natural Process grown between 1700-2000 MASL at a Rwandan co-op. However, what sets it apart is the care given to the coffee. The co-op is operated by mostly women who take the work extremely seriously. They know the world wants better coffee and they know that Rwanda has the potential to produce some of the tastiest coffee in the world. While I cannot speak to the exact details of what makes the work they do progressive and unique, it is obvious in the coffee. Right away, I tasted honey Ceylon Tea, which is amazing as a first tasting note for a natural. This follows with a fresh peach and dried date note. This coffee is once again SO dynamic and juicy. I ground this coffee slightly coarser than usual starting point and used a 16:1 water to coffee ratio. I poured two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds, finishing around 1:45. My final brew time was 2:25. The faster brew time helps keep the cup clean and attempts to hide defects that can occur in a longer brew time with a coarse grind.

Kafferaven Burundi Mutana Hill – This high elevation Kayanza-grown lot comes from the Mutana Hill collective where 858 (Kafferaven’s prediction) smallholders produce their coffee. The elevation here ranges from 2000-2200 MASL, which for Burundi is considered quite high. Mostly Bourbon is grown here as with all of Burundi. Most of the farmer’s lots are pooled together and taken to an offsite washing station. This collective has been working with Kafferaven for only one year. I assume this relationship was built while Per was in Kenya (and was stuck for a few months during the beginning of the pandemic). The views Per described sounded insane because of the mountainous terrain and I want to go so bad and do coffee research. The flavors in this one were all over the place. I first tasted bubblegum, then tobacco. On the second brew it turned in-to a total classic washed Burundi. Orange zest, date, ginseng, and lime. The flavors that led me to first love coffee from Burundi. I ended up going way coarser than expected for this coffee. I started two clicks coarser and it still was too astringent, which is why I may have gotten tobacco notes. So I ended up going four clicks coarser. My ratio was 16.3:1, and surprisingly this brought our more citrus and acidity. I say surprisingly because typically a faster brew time does this. I am still going to attempt that faster method to see what I can get out of it. For this method I poured standard four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds with a 3:10 drop time. Super clean and structured coffee.

Raised Bed for Drying Green Coffee at Mutana Hill, Kayanza

June Coffee: New roaster from Rotterdam! Manhattan Coffee Roasters and SEY <3

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.

May Coffee: Little Wolf and Kaffa

Little Wolf Colombia Terra Nova – This sweet lil ray of sunshine comes from the larger co-op and farm “El Mirador” in Huila. Terra Nova is a smaller lot of coffee trees managed by El Mirador owner’s son, Andres Torres. While Jairo Torres owns El Mirador, as a family business his children do manage some chunks off of it. The entire farm sits fairly consistently at 1600-1700 MASL, and the Terra Nova plot takes up about 3 hectares. This is a fairly large plot for being a smaller plot in a massive coffee farm. My favorite part when reading up on Andres, is that each day when the pickers come back from the fields, he manually checks each sack of cherries for defects. Granted, there is so many cherries as part of a harvest so I am not sure how thorough this is, but I love the engagement. This is a typical washing process with a 12 hour wet fermentation, followed by 24 hour dry fermentation. The farm has a channel system that floats the cherries down, and can easily check for defects by which cherries float. In this delicate cup I tasted pear, apple cider, and lemongrass on the back end. I brewed this coffee with a 16.3:1 water to coffee ratio, and ground it 2 clicks coarser on my grinder than I usually would with a washed Colombia Caturra. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, ending my last pour at 2:10. My drop time was 3:00.

Little Wolf Kenya Karindundu – This next selection is a terrific display of the terroir offered in Nyeri, Kenya. Karindundu is essentially a factory or washing station, where local farmers and smallholders bring the crop. Generally the lots are mixed together either at the station or by various smallholders before they deliver cherries. Therefore, the clarity in to the offerings is not going to by crystal clear but the flavors we get from the coffee show us the lack of transparency is worth it. It also reminds us to support roasters that are actually doing work to create transparency and higher quality picking and processing in Kenya. We do know that generally all trees in this region are planted at 1700-1800 MASL, and that if I am not sure what to pick for monthly coffees, I can go for any Kenya from a trusted roaster and it will be a stunner. No exception here. Classic Kenya profile here – cherry, raspberry, blood orange. I brewed this initially with a 16:1 ratio. However, if you are doing v60 or aeropress I would inch down to a 15.6 or 15.7, and if a flat bed brewer or immersion I would go to around 16.5:1. UPDATE: The 15.6:1 ratio was magic on V60. I ground this a few clicks coarser than typical grind setting as it is an AA size, meaning it is a dense bean. I poured two quick pulses, finishing my final pour at 1:40 for a final brew time of 2:35.

Kaffa Ethiopia Siko – Siko is a processing station located in the Uraga region of Guji. Like I tend to always say when we have Uraga, this coffee is grown at a HIGH elevation at ~2150 MASL. It’s worth noting that we excitingly know what varietals this lot is made of – Dega and Kurume. Typically, we just see the varietal of Ethiopians described as “Heirloom” meaning specific varietals are unknown. I think I should maybe start writing some of these down… I will never remember, but also maybe I have never had the same varietals more than once. Ethiopia is just incredible like that. An interesting piece I learned from reading about Siko, is that in the entire country there is usually wild coffee growing amongst the more intentional coffee trees. I wonder if all of the wild varietals that naturally occur in Ethiopia have truly been tracked and if there is more research to be done. Next career path? Anyway, I kind of forgot that I made this coffee to really dive in to and was doing some mundane bs for my day job and I shouted on the first sip. The cat was pissed. It completely caught me by surprise. This is not really what I would call a classic washed Ethiopia, but tastes more like a lot of the honey processed Ethiopian’s I have tried. Notes of brown sugar and papaya hit me right away, followed by lemon zest and mango. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio and ground it 5 clicks coarser than a typical starting point. I poured two pulses, one at 30 seconds, and the second at 75 seconds, finishing my second pour at 1:45. My drop time was 2:40.

Kaffa Colombia La Marleny – This is the one that led me to pursue Kaffa this month. These small lots in Kaffa’s “limited” category are always the most flavorful coffees and even if on paper seem simple, the flavors from terroir and processing are on point and I could drink them for life. La Marleny is the name of the farm operated by Wilson Aranda, a 4th generation coffee farmer located in Acevedo, Colombia. Acevedo is continuously one of my favorite regions and some of the other roasters we use have taught me to think this way. Apparently, since it is located in a valley between mountains, the cooler climate allows for more experimental yet traditional fermentation to take place. Basically, a typical washing process can be extended out to 40 hours during initial fermentation and drying longer without over fermenting. Make sense? No?? Anyway, this varietal is my fave. Y’all know by now… Pink Bourbon. This one had a little bit less acidity than I had hoped, but I tasted some new flavors that are super uncommon and original. I tasted like marshmallow flavor with with some sort of green tea/matcha flavor and then some sort of lemongrass or maybe coconut. I’m just giving flavors I am familiar with but truthfully I am not sure what I tasted. Please tell me what I am tasting cause I don’t know. I brewed this with a 16.8:1 ratio and ground it a couple clicks coarser than typical washed Colombia. I poured four pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, and kept my circles wide to slow down the extraction (this widens the dip in the bed and increases volume of solids the water must pass through and yes this does work don’t come at me). My final brew time was 2:55 but I look forward to brewing this more in the future to see how it changes in the coming weeks.

Wilson Andredy Aranda of La Marleny

April Coffee: Well, April Coffee Roasters (and two beautiful Honduran Coffees from Vivid)

I think the time has come to stop writing an introductory excerpt about my long, arduous journey to finding the roasters I’m using each month. Beginning to feel like a foodie blog. No kale risotto here. Even though this is an intro. Whatever. Here are the coffees this month:

  1. April Brazil Esperança – The first Brazilian coffee to grace our presence in the history of Stimulus! This is a farm that April works with directly and also was the first Brazilian coffee that I ever served at Purple Llama. Throughout my entire specialty coffee career, coffee from Brazil was basically frowned upon. Now in the year 2021, Brazil is an origin I could not be more excited about. The potential in this country from decades of being the biggest producer of coffee in the world is coming together with the specialty coffee movement in a great way. Farmers are making progressive moves with their land and processing in new ways. What drove me to this coffee specifically for this month was the fact that it is a peaberry Rubi. I have not had a peaberry from Brazil ever and Rubi is a hybrid varietal grown only in Brazil. Also, a varietal I have not experienced. This coffee tastes like no other Brazil I have ever had. Even the “Good Brazils” still have some of that nutty, peanut note. This coffee is super clean and fruity. No earthy notes either. I tasted hazelnut, cardamom, red grape, and strawberry preserve. This was still a very “April” coffee so these flavors are pretty delicate, yet come together to create a super smooth and crushable cup. I brewed this coffee with a 15.5:1 ratio, with a grind size slightly coarser than a standard washed Colombia grind setting. I poured three pulses following my bloom, each spaced out by 35 seconds. I finished pouring at 2:05 and my drop time was 2:55.
  2. April Ethiopia Gesha Village (Washed Illubador) – Sorry to get your hopes up, this in not in fact a Gesha coffee. It is however from the Gesha Village Coffee Estate in western Ethiopia. The story behind Gesha Village is beautiful and I encourage everyone to read more about it. April typically buys several lots from Gesha Village each harvest and I always try to get my hands on as much of it as I can. The classic Gesha notes of jasmine and big sweentess paired with the native coffee terroir gives birth to great coffees. Again, this coffee is not a Gesha varietal though. The varietal is Illubador, a varietal I don’t know a ton about. However, from perusing the webs I am pretty sure it is a wild-grown varietal from the region that the people from Gesha Village decided to grow. It is a Gesha-like varietal found in the surrounding Gori Gesha forest around the estate. This coffee is stunning. First sip hit me with a caramel butterscotch berry blast. Following said blast, I got hit with rose, cabernet, honeysuckle, and meyer lemon. I brewed this coffee with a 15:1 ratio, with a COARSE COARSE COARSE grind setting. I can’t really give a good descriptor for how coarse because of just how coarse it was, but on a normal Baratza I would go 5-6 clicks coarser than usual, and 3 clicks coarser on something like a Porlex (much bigger steps). I slowly poured two pulses as to not agitate the fines too much causing the flow to stop up, finishing my second pour 2:10. My final brew time was 2:50. This is a truly delicate and intricate coffee so I probably won’t experiment too much with coarser grind/more pulses, but instead will enjoy how it develops in the coming days/weeks.
  3. Vivid Honduras Nahun Fernandez – I am amazed at how closely Vivid has been working with Honduras in the past year. Vivid’s owner Ian has visited multiple farms in Honduras and has established relationships with producers I wouldn’t have ever heard of otherwise, and that kind of work is what keeps me interested in coffee. This coffee is a honey-processed Parainema, another newer varietal for me. According to Ian, it typically is grown in Honduras for a more citrusy profile. With the honey process, it creates a sweet, fruit-forward cup. Nahun Fernandez’s farm and processing station are shared with his brothers and father, where they are able to pool their knowledge together to produce exceptional coffees. Nahun began working with a huge Australian (and now global) roaster called Proud Mary a couple years ago, which has helped him become even better as innovative processing techniques and new varietals. I look forward to trying more coffees from here, especially roasted by Vivid. The first sip blew my mind. All the flavor hit me in waves, with the final wave (what one might call aftertaste) was the best one. It was like a mango lassi. This coffee overall had big flavor. I tasted boysenberry syrup, orange, black cherry, and as mentioned, mango lassi. I brewed this coffee with a 16:1 ratio and since this is a honey processed big bean, I knew it would drop out quick. I ground it a couple clicks finer than usual, and poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds. I finished my fourth pour at 2:30, and the drop time was 3:00. I will also experiment with a 16.5:1 ratio and trying to extend the total brew time to see what other flavor lies in this bean.
  4. Vivid Honduras Ervin Lopez – I am BEYOND thrilled to share this one with everyone. Last year when I first tried this coffee, it was on a cupping table with a couple other roasters that I actually knew (Vivid was unbeknownst to me at the time) and this coffee was the best one. It made the decision of choosing Vivid and this specific coffee so easy. The lemon acidity that punched through the cup was like nothing I had ever had from Honduras. It still had that complex sweetness that I love from the Santa Barbara region. Ervin Lopez has a very small lot to plant trees on – less than half of a hectare, which is filled with exclusively Pacas. This plot was given to him by his father, and now he produces, picks, harvests, and processes all the coffee on site with his wife. As far as google shows, Vivid is the only roaster that uses his coffee. Just like last year, Ervin Lopez’s coffee is great. I tasted less lemon, but more sweetness. I got a lot of lime, red tea, and molasses. This is at the same time a crowd pleaser, and also a delightful, intricate beauty. I brewed this coffee with a 16.3:1 ratio and ground it barely finer than a standard starting grind size. I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, finishing at 2:10. My drop time was 2:50.

March Coffee: Kaffibrugghusid and Junto HEAT

Not sure which roaster to geek out over more this month. This month Junto came through so hard with their offerings that I was able to choose three distinct coffees; a couple of you might even have more than three different Junto coffees depending on if you partook in the special add-on coffees from Colombia. But also I got coffee from Sonja Bjork Grant and Njall Bjorgvinsson, the owners of Kaffibrugghusid located in Iceland; they are two champions of furthering specialty coffee across the globe and also World Barista champions themselves. Anyone that has been to Iceland would agree that it is possibly the coolest lil blob of land in the world. They drink more coffee than anyone, and they drink the good shit. I was able to meet Njall approximately 2 seconds before Covid took over the world and the knowledge was just so deep, I felt like a coffee child again. The coffees are also roasted wonderfully. They put an emphasis on balanced sweetness, however in the background there is wild acidity that makes these coffees stand up against any other roaster in the world. I have already shared my love to Junto in my May feature post, so if you want to know more about them please find that post farther back in the Stimmy archives.

Junto Rwanda Ngoma Cyeshero Hill – This coffee is technically in Junto\’s \”Black Label\” series of coffee meaning it is going to be more experimental and usually much more expensive. Lucky us, it was barely below the maximum price threshold to be included in the subscription. This is a 1500-1800 MASL Red Bourbon from a farm owned by Baho Coffee exporters. The Cyeshero Hill area is a new project taken on to practice separating lots in to many smaller separate lots in an effort to support producers and increase traceability. Cyeshero Hill also has an emphasis on experimental processing. This coffee specifically is what the owner Emmanuel Rusatira describes as \”Intango Natural\”. The Intango comes from an ancient Rwandan tradition where fruit is packed in to clay jars to ferment (Intango means a clay vessel to ferment in). These vessels are sealed after packing the coffee cherries in, and as the bag says; it ferments for 100 hours. The result is a bright and interesting coffee that takes on flavors from the porous clay during the fermentation. I tasted orange cream soda and persimmon right up front, and lime with a sparkling body. This coffee had excellent brightness. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio using a grind setting I would typically use for a Central American (finer than expected for an African Coffee.) I slowly poured two pulses for this one. My first pour went from 40 seconds to 70 seconds, then waited 15 more seconds and poured my second pulse from 85 seconds to 115 seconds. My drop time was 2:40.

Junto Colombia Karen Montero – I love a classic, delicious washed Colombia. That is exactly what this one is. This is a Castillo/Caturra/V. Colombia mix from the Cauca region. This mix is quite common for Cauca, a key coffee producing region in Colombia know for both specialty and commodity. I typically enjoy most coffees from here, meaning I will drink them but nothing to write home about. However if I find one like this with a lil acidity, lil fruit, mmm. I could not find a ton of information online about Karen Montero, but know she has had coffees in the Cup of Excellence a few times. She also is part of Coffee for Peace, an alliance of coffee producers, marketers, and other various coffee trades in Colombia to increase traceability in dangerous areas of Colombia. The cup has a sticky sweet bourbon marmalade note, and a delicate yet sweet body, and a long sweet caramel finish. On the v60 I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio with a pretty standard normal Colombia grind setting, because this is a super normal Colombian coffee. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds. The drop time was 2:45. However on the Wilfa Auto-dripper, I ground it pretty fine and used an 18.2:1 ratio to brew a super delicate and delicious cup. I look forward to experimenting with this one more as I love the delicate sweetness.

Junto Nicaragua Finca Lo Prometido & Finca La Bendicion Java – This complicated yet down to earth bean comes from producer Luis Alberto Balladarez. Balladarez owns both Lo Prometido and La Bendicion listed on the bag. He grew the Java varietal on both farms and upon tasting each harvest decided to blend them to create this lot. Java is an interesting varietal that still confused me. I know it is really hard to grow which is why all of the lots are so small, and it can be really tricky to brew. Once you figure out the brew the finished product is always so so sweet and exotic tasting. This version is natural processed and grown at 1300-1650 MASL. Upon first sipping it, I thought I was tasting a note I sometimes find in Nicaragua coffees that I can\’t stand. Something like peanut or almond. However it was more sweet and turned in to a sugary pastry flavor. I tasted pistachio ice cream, cola, and English style ale in the cup. Each sip leaves a long lingering maple finish. This would be an amazing espresso if you have that capability. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio and ground it a couple clicks finer than a typical Colombian coffee. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds with a drop time of 3:05.

Kaffibrugghusid Congo Bahavu – This is a washed Bourbon/Catimore mix grown at elevations between 1450 and 2000 MASL. The coffee is grown from various small holders on the island called Idjwi in the middle of Lake Kivu, bordering Rwanda to the east. Idjwi Island has about 250,000 people on it (70% of the total population of Iceland lol) and 2,500 of them are coffee farmers. All of the coffee on the island is considered “shade-grown” which just means taller trees are surrounding the coffee trees to avoid sun scorching. Also, all of the mills are hydro-powered and the island is powered by solar panels. In this coffee I tasted geranium and Sprite up front with a super flavorful finish of licorice, strawberry, and herbs. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio and slightly finer than I would grind a typical Congo, closer to a Colombia grind setting. I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds after a 30 second bloom, finishing my last pour at 170 seconds. The total brew time was 2:55.

“African Beds” at Bahavu

Kaffibrugghusid Colombia Los Deseos – This washed Huila is 100% Caturra and is far from a basic washed Colombia… Los Deseos is a farm at 1750 MASL owned by a group of farmers from the Andes mountains that have lost their land due to violence and conflict in the region. They pool together their resources and knowledge to create excellent farming conditions for coffee to grow. I love the idea of this project because growing and learning together will always be the best way to strengthen skills and become better at whatever you do. In the cup I tasted honey, rose, pear, nougat, with a creamy mouthfeel. This coffee was delightful. A super bright and sweet Huila that is un-hateable. I went a little different with the brewing on this one. I used a 16.8:1 ratio and ground it a couple clicks coarser than usual. I poured five pulses spaced out by 30 seconds with a drop time of 3:25.

The gorgeous Los Deseos farm in San Augustin Mountains

That is a wrap for this month. I loved all five of the coffees this month so much and hope everyone enjoys what they got. As always let me know if there was anything you especially liked or disliked so I can get everyone their favorites! If you need help brewing either of the special add-on coffees shoot me a message and I\’ll let you know how I brewed them.

Thank you for reading,

– Dylan Connell

February Coffee: Ecuador Francisco Vintimilla and Burundi Gaharo Hill

Ecuador Francisco Vintimilla (Putuchio) – Sey Ecuadors are what keep me motivated to continue investing my time in coffee. The flavors and complexity from terroir, advanced picking skills, and processing are like nowhere else in the world. However, they are usually a LOT more expensive than any other coffee so y\’all better appreciate this stuff. Francisco Vintimilla is new to the specialty coffee world, with his oldest trees on the farm planted 5 years ago, and I look forward to seeing how the growing progresses in the years to come. The varietal is Mejorado which is Bourbon cross-bred with unknown Ethiopia Heirloom varietals. This is a classic washing process – floated, depulped, 24 hour fermentation and dried in a greenhouse. I know a lot of subscribers here love funky processing but trust me, with a coffee like this we want it to be washed to taste all the natural flavors produced from local conditions. I taste bright candied fruit up front, then pastry dough, persimmon, and caramelized sugar (might just be more pastry dough). This coffee is the epitome of tea-like, so make sure you wash that mouth out before you get to drinking. I brewed this coffee with a 16.3:1 ratio with a slightly coarser grind than usual. If you received the Lugmapata from Little Wolf last month, probably around that grind setting. I poured a 30 second bloom, and then poured three pulses in 30 second increments at 30 s, 60 s, and 90 s. The total brew time was 2:50. 

Burundi Gaharo Hill – Gaharo Hill is home to the original Long Miles project, a project I have been following for several years as it started from two people and has grown across numerous districts in Burundi. This lot specifically is made up of 7 different lots from local farmers, so the exact varietals are tricky to guess; however, most likely it\’s Red Bourbon and Mibirizi (variant of Bourbon local to Rwanda/Burundi). The exact percentages are not known so without varietal nerding out too hard, lets just fuckin drink it! In this cup I tasted caramel brownie, dried fig, chardonnay, and lime. Classic Burundi profile, but with that crispy Sey clarity. I brewed this coffee slightly finer than typical v60 grind with a 15.7:1 ratio. The coffee bloomed for 35 seconds, then I poured two pulses spaced 40 seconds apart, finishing my last pour at 100 s. The total brew time was 2:45. 

The cutest little bag of coffee in the game: Little Wolf Coffee from Ipswich, Massachusetts

Those close to me have surely heard me rant about the phenomenon of small micro-roasters that have popped up across the lower Midwest and the southern United States in the last few years. They have outstanding packaging that makes me say, \”Well there is just no way that the coffee is NOT going to be good… I mean look at the subtle off-white lettering\” etc. and so on. Somewhat annoyingly, the owners of those tend to be people with little to no experience in specialty coffee, but do know that a beautiful bag of coffee sells itself. I am super upset about it obviously. Anyway, Little Wolf is not one of those companies, despite how adorable the packaging is. The owners Chris and Melissa are fantastic business owners and coffee experts. In my opinion, they are possibly one of the top 5 roasters in the U.S. The coffee they roast is clean, complex, and sourced with focus. Their dedication has earned them dozens of awards and on the shelves of the top multi-roaster cafes in the country. I am excited to share these coffees with you in this absolutely fucked yet hopeful month of January 2021. 

1. Ecuador Lugmapata

Finca Lugmapata is everything to me. This is a farm owned by Enrique Moreno, the producer that convinced me that the most excited coffee producing country in the world is Ecuador. Other countries use rare or transplanted varietals, however other countries do not have the terroir of Ecuador. This specific lot is 100% Bourbon Sidra, one of my favorite varietals of coffee grown in one of my favorite coffee producing nations. Normally Sidra is much more expensive, so it is a miracle I was able to bring it to everyone. This coffee was everything I wanted it to be. Clean, fruity, floral, perfect. I tasted honeysuckle, mango, kiwi, and dulce de leche on the finish. I\’m surely going to use the rest of this coffee as an espresso because of the complexity, and I recommend anyone with that option should take advantage of it. I brewed this coffee with a 16.5:1 ratio and a slightly coarser grind with two pulses. My second pulse finished around 1:45 for a 2:35 total brew time. 

2. Colombia Las Perlitas:

This Colombian coffee was grown in Huila, a region celebrated by specialty coffee for it\’s progress in creating clean coffees that do not need to be thrown in to a blend. Las Perlitas is a co-op, meaning local smallholder farmers bring leftover coffees on site to sell, that will be mixed. This one specifically, reminds of a classic coffee shop house blend (of  green coffee varietals, not roasted coffees from different countries). Caturra is the base making up the majority, Pink Bourbon for sparkling acidity, and lastly a small amount of Gesha to add a little… exotic. I tasted plum, raspberry, sparking lavender tea, and honey; one of the jammiest Colombian coffees. It was easy to brew and I am predicting a lot of different methods will make this coffee shine. Personally, I used a 16:1 ratio and used my go-to starting v60 grind setting with three total pulses. I finished my last pour at 1:55 with a 2:50 total brew time. I might try two pulses with a finer grind next time to get more brightness out of the cup. 

3. Ethiopia Demeka Becha

The Demeka Becha site is located in the Sidama region of Ethiopia, owned by a man named Ayela Tulu. This is a project created to modernize the way Ethiopia does coffee production. Tulu is said to be inspired by the global specialty coffee community, and the way it is able to connect throughout different cultures and nations. This coffee ended up being a tad more sweet than bright, which is unusual for Ethiopian coffees. However, it is honey processed, which leads me to expect a balance between sweetness and brightness. I tasted ripe peach, jasmine, and a nutty praline-like sweetness. I initially used a 15:1 ratio as it looked like a lighter than light Ethiopia but the cup was earthy and heavy, so I extended my next brew to 16.5:1. This brought out more fruit and cleaned the cup up. I ground this one a couple clicks coarser than usual and poured two pulses. I finished my second pulse at 1:45 for a total brew time of 2:30. 

4. Peru Oropel

At this point I\’m realizing I might as well have called January the Andes mountain edition (minus the Demeka Becha of course). I don\’t think I have ever had a Peruvian coffee that fits the words \”exotic\” or \”intricate\”, however they are so damn good. I actually wrote a super embarrassing blog post several years ago about my love for Peruvian coffees you can find HERE. Oropel is a 2190 MASL Typica/Pache varietal. The \”Oropel\” part of this comes from the Santiago de Oropel community this coffee belongs to. The farmer is Vilcopoma Camargo Hugo. Hugo  is one of those producers that inspires all of us to be better – better at what we do, and better for our communities. I even hear he is planting Gesha, unheard of in Peru. This coffee was amazingly sweet. It initially tasted like a warm caramelly hot chocolate. In the finish I tasted a dried fruit/raisin note that lingered long after the last sip. It also has the SILKIEST body of any coffee in recent memory. It is a fairly simple coffee but something I could drink every day, and will probably be the best coffee to brew in a larger format. I brewed this with a 16.2:1 ratio, and ground it slightly finer than usual starting grind setting. I poured three total pulses with my last pour finishing at 2:10 for a 3:00 total brew time. 

I hope everyone had a great holiday, and just wanted everyone to know how much I appreciate the support and wisdom received throughout the process of starting this group. Since I started the subscription in May, I have not yet repeated a roaster in the rotation. I will begin reusing the valued roaster partners I have grown to love and developed relationships with. I really feel it is important to maintain strong relationships with the roasting partners. The value of roasters knowing what I/you will like and knowing their skillsets benefit all parties. However, because the Coffee Club has grown so much, from now on I will be ditching the single roaster showcase model and everyone receiving more than one coffee per month should be expecting coffee from two different roasters.

December Julekaffe from Langøra Kaffebrenneri

I have actually known who would get the coveted \”December Coffee\” for months because of course, it had to be the roaster in the North Pole. This roaster holds off on releasing over half of their in-stock coffee until late November just to have the absolute best \”Julekaffe\” lineup in the game. The roaster being Langøra Kaffebrenneri from Stjordal, Norway. Mostly every roastery/brewery/distiller etc. in Scandinavia or even Northern Europe takes the Holiday special very seriously, but Langøra takes the cake for releasing the most outstanding products in the Julekaffe business. I was able to distribute four unique coffees that all were part of the holiday release. They also have the coolest front page video on their website. 

1. Honduras Capucas

Celaque National Park where Capucas Co-op is located

The first coffee comes to us from the Las Capucas region in the western corner of Honduras. This mix of Caturra and Catuai comes from various smallholder microlots and processed at the Capucas Co-op. It is processed as a Berry-dried Anaerobic, which from my previous post on advanced processing we now know means that the entire cherry was thrown in to sealed fermentation tanks. This fermentation lasted 72 hours. This is one of the more simple anaerobic coffees I have had, although it does pack some funky flavors. Which really just means I didn\’t get slapped in the face with tropical fruits and sweetness. However, the profile is lovely with flavors of Papaya, Cola, Clove, Strawberry. Embarrassingly, it took me almost three tries to brew this coffee right. Turns out I was grinding way too fine which was producing bitterness and I needed to use a lower ratio of water to coffee than anticipated.  I brewed this coffee with a 15.5:1 ratio with a coarser grind setting. I did a setting 2 clicks coarser than a standard setting and poured 3 pulses separate by 35 seconds. My third pour finished at 1:45 and my final brew time was 2:35. 

2. Ethiopia Gedeb Worka

I would not have guessed this coffee to be natural processed. It has such a clean profile with clarified fruit and delicate florals that played tricks on my brain. I have had many coffees in my life from the Worka Co-op in Yirgacheffe, so I initially shook this one off as maybe not being as interesting or traceable with a story as I like to share with everyone. However, delicious flavors will overcome any other selection criteria. I initially tasted a rush of honey, jasmine, and stone fruit. However, I did not receive enough coffee to dial this in. As a few of you know, I did not receive the entire order and I did not get my bag of this coffee and was not able to dial it in. Please check back in a few days for my brewing recommendations. To start I would recommend grinding 2-3 clicks coarser than normal starting point with a 16:1 coffee to water ratio.

3. Mexico Marisela Esperon

This super cool can of beans comes from producer Marisela Esperon from Oaxaca, Mexico. The Esperon family has been producing coffee in the region for decades. While many other neighboring farms and producers have abandoned coffee production due to low income, the Esperon family has invested in their craft and specialty production. They mostly grow Typica and Bourbon varietals like the one in this can, and generally use a controlled Natural Process to produce their award-winning coffee.When hot, I got a mouth full of caramel sweetness with exotic/tropical flavors to follow. Once cooled, it was less sweet but more tart. Everlasting Gobstopper tart. This is the best coffee I have had from Mexico. Strange that we are so close to Mexico yet this beautiful cup was sent to Northern Norway to be roasted and then shipped back here. I brewed this coffee with a 16:1 ratio and ground it a little bit coarser than usual. To offset the coarser grind I poured wider circles in order to push the super finely ground coffee to the bottom of the brewer and slow down the brew. I poured three pulses at 35 second increments with my last pour ending at 1:50. The drop time was 2:45. 

4. Guatemala La Libertad

This classic Guatemala profile comes from high in the mountains of Huehuetenango, the region in northwest Guatemala that seems to produce the best coffee year after year. La Libertad is the name of the town this coffee was processed in. This coffee was processed at a mill shared by many smallholder farmers that bring their highest quality ripe cherries to be blended with other farmers to create a sustainable life for their families. I refer to this coffee as a \”crowd-pleaser\” profile. Sweet and simple if you want it to be, however if you fancy to go digging there is much to discover. Notes of rich cacao, brulee, and wild cherry. I brewed this coffee with a 16:1 ratio using a slightly finer grind than usual. I followed a 30 second interval pulse schedule, pouring at 40 s, 70 s, and 100 s with a final brew time of 2:50. 

That wraps up the coffee selection this month. If you would like help brewing the two add-on April coffees this month, please reach out to me directly as I will not include the fancy stuff on my write-up for the main subscription. Have a great holiday everyone and see you when we get to say 2021! 

Innovative Processing Discussion – Anaerobic, Honey, Carbonic Maceration

The words Anaerobic and Carbonic Maceration did not exist in the specialty coffee industry until about five years ago. In my world, they did not exist until this past year. My own \”pandemic special\” if you will. It took me a long time to understand the difference in processing of these coffees and what it means for flavor development. I am in no way teaching this information from personal experience. Rather, I am sharing what I\’ve learned based on educational materials provided by the very best green coffee importers and producers in hopes that this information can also be a helpful resource to understand the story behind each coffee we drink.

ANAEROBIC

I have tossed the term anaerobic around in a pretty nonchalant way in this subscription without really explaining the meaning and impact this has on the future of specialty coffee. Basically there is an added step to the typical Washed/Natural/Honey process to yield an Anaerobic process – sealing the coffee in a tank to cut off oxygen. 

In the \”Washed Anaerobic\” process, the coffee cherries are depulped of all cherry and mucilage in the normal washing process. The coffee would then be sent to fermentation tanks in an open environment for 18-36 hours (generally), and then \”washed\” with turbulent water to remove all mucilage. The difference in Anaerobic would be the post-depulp stage. Rather than having an open fermentation tank like with a normal washed processing, the tanks (plastic, stainless steel, etc.) are hermetically sealed to prevent air from coming in. Next is where it gets interesting – the depulped mucilage is gathered, packed together, and then spread across the coffee seeds till evenly coated. Once sealed, the oxygen in the tank is diminished by the Carbon Dioxide production. 

The time spent in sealed fermentation tanks is completely up to the producer and what they are trying to do. I have seen some for 18 hours and some for 400 hours at colder temperatures. The reason these coffees are so vibrant and delicious is from the flavors of the cherry being directly injected in the coffee seed due to cherry skin-contact during this oxygen-free environment. The control of pH, sugars, temperature, and yeast production is easily observed because of the smaller batch sizes. This extra effort is why we typically find these coffees to be a little more expensive. 

Alternatively, there is a \”honey style\” of anaerobic processing. The small difference here is that the coffee seeds are sent in to the tanks without depulping all of the mucilage. Since I brought it up, I figure I should explain why this is honey style, by giving a brief overview of honey processing. 

HONEY

Honey processing includes four different colors: White, Yellow, Red, and Black. Each color in this order corresponds to a different level of seed-in-cherry fermentation. These coffees when done correctly have an excellent marriage of sweetness, clarity, and fruit. 

The different colors mean something different as far as standards go in every country of origin. In general, white honey means mostly all mucilage is removed during depulping stage, yellow has slightly less mucilage removed, and so on. Additionally, black and red honeys have an extended fermentation time to create even more fruity flavors in the coffee. Black honeys are fermented the longest, and therefore require the most monitoring to prevent over-fermentation. 

To answer the obvious question; no. There is no actual honey involved. The use of the word honey refers to the stickiness of the seed following fermentation with the mucilage remaining on the seed. The stickiness level of the seed is developed through the most important stage of honey processing – the drying. If honey processed seeds are dried too quickly, the seed won\’t have enough time to absorb the mucilage flavors. If they are dried too slowly, the coffee bean risks over-fermentation. 

To find the balance in fermentation, the raking of the seeds on raised beds in the open air is extremely important. This control of the drying rate is what makes this an innovative process. The desirable flavors of natural process coffees are present, while minimizing the risks of over-fermentation. 

CARBONIC MACERATION (CM)

CM is a highly controlled, intricate version of Anaerobic processing. The process was developed by a famous coffee person named Sasa Sestic from Australia. Sestic worked closely with wine-makers who utilize this technique regularly, and particularly with a Colombian producer named Camilo Merizalde. 

When I first asked what this process meant, I thought it was just a pretentious way of saying it is Anaerobic. Turns out, it is in fact a nerdier version of Anaerobic. All the steps are followed after the depulping stage (or lack thereof in the case of a natural Anaerobic) and tank sealing. However, instead of the fermentation process letting the Carbon Dioxide consume the Oxygen in the tank, the tank is flushed with Carbon Dioxide at the very beginning, allowing the producer to completely control the amount of yeast, bacteria, fermentation, pressure, and temperature in the tank. 

The result is an intensely fruity yet clean brew. The coffee tastes pristine. However they are not cheap due to the cost of materials, labor, and the experience in coffee processing required for the proper fermentation. I hope to share a CM coffee with the subscription soon, as I would love for everyone to taste what I consider the most progressive processing technique the world has to offer right now. 

Thank you to everyone for reading/skimming this information. The test is next Tuesday. 

Just kidding, but I do hope if people were confused on what these processes mean, they can find clarity in my explanation. As mentioned above, this information is not entirely derived from my own personal knowledge, so here is a list of sources I used to gather this information:

https://blog.genuineorigin.com/2018/07/31/anaerobic-process-new-flavors-innovation/

https://projectorigin.com.au/cm-selections/

https://www.lacabra.dk/products/los-pirineos-semi-carbonic-maceration-petites

https://www.cafeimports.com/australia/blog/honey-process/

November Coffee: The Barn Brings the Funk

This month I bring back an old favorite; a roaster I sought out for years during college and finally was able to visit in 2016. My favorite part of the roaster was a memo sitting at the sugar/lids/straw station about their high quality sustainably-sourced raw cane sugar and how you should not use it because their coffee has natural sweet flavors that do need not be altered by additives. I was validated knowing that the pretentious coffee attitude I possessed was a global phenomena and I could find myself comforted halfway across the globe. That all being said, the roaster I am talking about is of course, The Barn! 

The Barn was the first international roaster brought to Chicago in 2017 and was greeted with open arms. On the order form, many of you stated they would love to see The Barn featured in the subscription. With the current coffee lineup The Barn is working with, I felt it was a great time to showcase the coffee they are capable of producing. 

1. Costa Rica Juanachute

Juanachute, Terrazu, Costa Rica

From the Terrazu region of Costa Rica comes the farm called Juanachute. Juanachute is technically classified as a \”micro-mill\” which is really just a classification of how much coffee is processed on site. Typically this is standard for most of the coffee from single-producer farms in Central/South America we drink, however this farm and mill was one of the first of this kind in Costa Rica. Producing small lots, not meant to be blend binders and commodity coffee was simply not done in Costa Rica. As with the changing market, Luis \”Tacho\” Castro decided to create coffees with close attention to detail in both growing and processing. Additionally, Tacho was curious to experiment. Curiosity led him to be one of the earliest adapters of the Anaerobic technique. So early in fact, Tacho created his own fermentation tank to accomplish this. I wish I had a photo of the tank, but it is essentially a massive plastic tank with a one-way release valve to allow oxygen to escape but not enter. I do plan on writing a post about how Anaerobic and Carbonic Maceration work and how they differ when I have enough time, as I know we have had a ton of anaerobic coffees since the start of this. This all results in this stunning coffee grown at 1600 MASL in the beautiful mountainous region shown above. Upon grinding this coffee I got a little concerned… It smelled woodsy and smoky. Two aromas I would never look for in a coffee. That aroma stayed through the entire brewing process. Once the brew finished, I quickly discarded the filter and grabbed the carafe to smell, and to my pleasant surprise those fragrances disappeared! It turned in to a sweet, cinnamon forward cup. In the cup I tasted cinnamon, toffee, plum, spearmint, and a sort of salted caramel taste combined with bitter liqueur (Campari anyone?) that I could not quite articulate. I brewed this coffee using a 16:1 ratio and a pretty standard starting grind setting. After the bloom, I pulsed this coffee three times from 35-50 s, 65-80 s, and 95-110 s. My drop time was 2:30. I look forward to experimenting with this one to see what other flavors I can get out of it. 

2. Ethiopia Tabe Burka
I realized when selecting a roaster this month that I haven\’t bought a single Natural Ethiopia for the Coffee Club yet. For as many people that specified how much they love Natural Ethiopians and/or stated a specific Natural Ethiopia they remember enjoying, it is quite the oversight on my part! I typically am careful when selecting these coffees as many can come off as one-dimensional or aggressively fermenty. The reason so many coffees in Ethiopia are sun-dried (natural) instead of Washed is due to lack of access to clean water. This combined with low wages paid to the hardworking members of processing mills can lead to uncontrolled fermentation times and less attention to detail. However, a great Natural Ethiopia can erase your worries, and trap you in the world of specialty coffee. This coffee is from the Guji region of Uraga, and consists of cherries picked only in close proximity to the Tabe Burka washing station. This coffee will remind us of the ancient tradition that is Ethiopian Coffee. Upon my first sip of this coffee, a wave of relief rushed over me. The coffee had zero aspects of an over-fermented natural. What I taste instead is a brown sugar and sweet tart party in my mouth. While not something I would describe as complex, it is clean and crisp. The fruit notes are well articulated and last throughout the entire tasting experience. I brewed this coffee with a 16:1 ratio and a coarser grind setting. My drop time was 2:45 for a pretty small brew (12 gram dose). I would say 2:45 is a good drop time if you are making a larger brew, but for my cup I think it was a tad over extracted. This one is a crown pleaser, please share with whoever you can (from 6 feet away of course).
3. El Salvador Himalaya 
The Barn has been working with the Himalaya farm for some years now, and I have always seemed to let them slip through my fingers. Although I have not tried anything yet, I still associate this farm with various micro-lots, rare varietals, and experimental processing. This farm was started in 1880 and remains in the same family. Mauricio Salaverria comes from generations of coffee growers, and possesses the collective knowledge of those before him to grow excellent coffee. This specific coffee is a Natural Maragogype. Like I first did, I am sure you are now saying \”what the f$&% is a maragogype\”. It is a varietal that was mutated and produced first in Brazil, and is used to create a lot of interesting new hybrid varietals. The pure Maragogype is a massive sea-shell sounding bean. So before you ask, grind it finer than usual. The vision Mauricio holds for the farm is inspiring. Currently Himalaya covers 24 hectares and grows varietals like SL28, SL34, Maracaturra, Gesha. With the level of control over the processing, this natural coffee will show clean, exotic flavors. Right when my grinder started breaking these clunkers down, my kitchen filled with aromas of strawberry, spices, and tropical fruits. In the cup I taste ripe strawberry, lychee, caramel, and an overall 10/10 sweetness. Like stated above, I ground this a couple clicks finer than usual. I still poured my normal routine of three pulses at 35 second intervals and it dropped out at 2:40. I used a 16.5:1 ratio but am interested to see how it might changed if I use even more water. Say, a 17:1 ratio. Will it bring out more fruit? Or will it flatten the flavors out. Please try and tell me!