Posts Tagged ‘coffee in nyc’
7th 2010
Cupping coffee in Colombia
Colleen just returned from a trip to Colombia where she had the opportunity to visit and cup coffees in the beautiful community of Monserrate located in the Cordillera Central mountain range in Southwestern Huila. Here is her trip report:
Last Wednesday I flew down to Bogotá to judge a small competition put on by some of our favorite people at Atlas Coffee Importers. This entailed waking up at 4am to catch a flight to Neiva, a two hour drive to La Plata, another two hour drive to Monserrate, and a horseback ride into town.
The town of Monserrate consists of one long paved road with coffee farms on both side, and a beautiful brick church overlooking it all. We were treated like guests of honor with a huge traditional Huila lunch prepared for our visit. We walked around the town meeting people and then toured a farm. All of the plants were very new growth, and a couple of older trees had some mold damage, but in all it was a beautiful lay-out. One of the things I love about the coffee process in Colombia is that each farmer has his or her own de-pulping and fermentation set-up; this provides more control over the processing and the timing. Additionally, the set-up at Monserrate includes raised drying beds with coverings designed to still allow airflow through the coffee.
The next day, after a rough night of sleep due to revelers from the Festival de San Pedro, we got into the cupping lab where we spent most of the following days. We cupped 52 coffees over the next two days, all grown within the town of Monserrate. The profiles of the coffees were pretty similar – all showed the great quality and care they were given during growing and processing. The coolest part of the cuppings for me was really getting to know these coffees and getting to taste the very high quality cup produced in such a small town by really caring farmers. The variations shown by the coffees were amazing. I’ve never taken part in a cupping with coffees produced so closely together, and it really opened my mind to the importance of processing and elevation and their effects on the cup.
Sunday, our last day in Hulia, we re-cupped the top ten coffees and presented the farmers with the results and some cool prizes including cash! We also played the annual soccer game against the toughest 12 year olds you’ve ever met. These kids were not messing around, they were running faster and harder then I could handle. I was fully intimidated, even though they kind of only came up to my mid-thigh. It was a fun game and it felt awesome to be reminded of just how bad at sports I’ve gotten.
After landing back in the states and getting a drink with a friend I started to gain perspective on my trip. Without the hard work of these farmers and everyone along the chain, I would not be able to do my job and I would never get to taste such amazing coffees. The farmers of the Monserrate co-op work so hard to bring us these amazing coffees and I feel fully honored to be able to have taken part in such a rad experience.
-Colleen
27th 2010
Coffee Cache
“With a line even at 9am on a Saturday, Cafe Grumpy’s already collected a loyal clientele. It’s hard to be a grouch here – even before you’ve had your first cup.”
Read the full review in the Park Slope Reader.
24th 2010
New York’s Café Grumpy Puts Conversation at the Top of the Menu
“In a city where people type text messages while walking down the street, Café Grumpy is a haven for those who want to practice the almost forgotten art of face to face conversation. Located in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, it is a place where laptops are banned, cell phone calls are infrequent, and the sound of people talking to each other over fine cups of coffee fills the air.”
Read the full article here.
9th 2010
Finca Puerta Verde
Berry aroma. Notes of honeysuckle and molasses.
From the Antigua region, this fully washed Bourbon and Caturra blend is carefully cultivated at 1540 meters above sea level. This four-generation coffee growing family has been working Puetra Verde since the beginning of the 19th century. Inter-cropping Gravilea trees among the coffee provides protection from the sun giving this coffee ample maturation time.
Puerta Verde won 7th place at the 2009 Cup of Excellence.
This coffee scored 92 on Coffee Review by Kenneth Davids, July 2010
Read the full review here.
“Blind Assessment: Flowers, butter and nut in the aroma with a fleeting hint of a buttery coconut-like fruit. In the cup penetrating orange-toned acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel and complex layers of flavors: flowers, orange, lemon, nut and fir-like aromatic wood. Dry in the finish with citrus and fir tones lingering distinctly in the long.”
19th 2010
NYC is buzzing with new cafes
“This spot recently garnered lots of media attention for its $12 brew (made from hand-picked beans grown in Ethiopia), but regulars oh and ah over the lovely lattes poured here, complete with foamy heart and leaf designs made in the milk. Coffee is brewed by the cup, and the beans are roasted at Grumpy’sGreenpoint location (there’s also a store in Park Slope). No laptops are allowed, so people actually talk in this cozy java joint.
We recommend: Have some variety with the Tasting Flight, a sampling of three coffees for $6 or, if you feel like a splurge, try the new $12 brew, which connoisseurs say is terrific.”
Read the reviews in amNewYork.
18th 2010
Finca San Luis
Located in the central valley of Costa Rica, the Zamora family has been growing coffee on the Cafatalera Zamorana estate for over 100 years. Our lot comes from a single farm within that estate – Finca San Luis. At 1350 meters, this farm produces only about 30 bags of this fully washed caturra varietal. Jorge Zamora and his family are important members in the Costa Rican micro-mill movement.
Caramel aroma. Notes of orange zest and honey.
