Cupping Notes: July Arrivals
New crop season is the best time of year at the roastery. Green coffee starts arriving from various origins, and every week brings a new cupping session. This July we received three lots that stood out. Here is what we found on the table.
Kenya, Nyeri AA, Washed
Score: 87.5
This is from the Othaya cooperative in Nyeri County, grown at 1,800 metres on red volcanic soil. Kenya AA refers to the screen size (the largest beans), which in Kenyan coffee often correlates with cup quality.
On the cupping table: blackcurrant, grapefruit zest, brown sugar, and a finish like hibiscus tea. The acidity is bright and phosphoric, almost sparkling. It hits the sides of your tongue and lingers. This is not a subtle coffee. It announces itself.
We are roasting this as a light-medium single origin. It is best as a pour-over where the acidity can shine without being tempered by milk.
Colombia, Nariño, Washed
Score: 85.5
From a smallholder farm near La Unión in the Nariño department, at 1,900 metres. Variety is Caturra, one of the classic Colombian cultivars.
On the cupping table: panela (unrefined cane sugar), red grape, toasted hazelnut, and a finish of milk chocolate. The acidity is malic, like biting into a green apple, but softer than the Kenyan. Body is medium and round.
This is a versatile coffee. Good as espresso, good as filter, good in a blend. It is the kind of reliable, high-quality Colombian that makes you understand why the country dominates specialty coffee.
Ethiopia, Guji, Natural
Score: 88
This is from a washing station in the Hambela district of the Guji zone, at 2,100 metres. Natural process, dried on raised beds for 18 days.
On the cupping table: dried blueberry, strawberry compote, dark chocolate, and a winey fermentation character that stays on the right side of funky. It tastes like dessert. The body is heavy and syrupy. Acidity is low but present, more like the tartness of a ripe plum than the zing of citrus.
This scored the highest of the three and it is the most polarizing. People who love natural Ethiopians will go crazy for it. People who prefer clean, bright cups might find it too much. We love it.
What Is Next
All three are available now in our shop as single-origin offerings. The Kenya and Ethiopia will move fast, as they always do. The Colombia will stick around longer because we bought a larger lot. Next month we are expecting arrivals from Guatemala and Peru. Stay tuned.