Brazil, Leasing the 4th Wave?

We have written many blog posts this season about our friends and partners, Carmo Coffees, in Brazil. With each and every post, my desire to visit Carmo de Minas grew. When they announced that the World Brewers Cup would be held in Brazil, my heart leapt. It meant I could also visit Santuario Sul. Cupping the first releases from this farm earlier this year, my reaction was like most others at the table: “hey, are you sure this is Brazil?” I couldn’t wait to see the plants and the process in action.

 

4TH COFFEE WAVE?

I visited the Santuario Sul farm in early November, a quiet time of the year for this part of Brazil. There was no noise coming from the processing machine, no workers around carrying cherries. Instead the team were preparing land for another season while cupping and reviewing this year’s harvest.

While things might have been chill on the farm, they were very exciting on the table. This year Brazil has surprised us all, importers, roasters and competitors alike. What’s happening in Brazil right now could be called fourth coffee wave. Well-resourced Brazilian producers are harnessing new technology, experimenting with different processing techniques, and planting new varieties. This is to discover new taste profiles, improve the longevity of their coffee, and create replicable systems that ensure quality coffee every harvest.

Carmo Coffees are among those pioneering new fermentation methods and varieties. On their farm, Santuario Sul, they have created a coffee garden with over 25 varieties of coffee. So far, we have tasted Sudan Rume and SL28. We expect to see even more varieties this coming harvest.

Santuario Sul

 

BRAZIL ON TOP!

Clean, bright with candy-intense fruitiness, the coffees I cupped on my visit possessed none of the notes I have come to expect from Brazilian coffees. On the table were new varieties: Sudan Rume, Geisha, SL28, Yirgacheffe, Laurina, and Tanzania, featuring new fermentation methods. These profiles have caught the attention of competitors, who presented these beans on the world stage during the World Brewers Cup 2018 with great success. The winning brew, presented by Emi Fukahori from Switzerland, was a Brazilian Laurina, a variety famous for its lower caffeine content.

 

LOOKING FOR COMPETITION COFFEE?

Are you looking for something unique and astounding to present on stage? Something to spice up your offering? As a fellow competitor I have some advice for you! We will receive the very first harvest of SL28, new variety Yirgacheffe and Sudan Rume processed with anaerobic fermentation. Limited quantities are available, exclusive for coffee lovers willing to experiment along with the producers! Interested? Contact me for details, and order your samples now!

Coffee Varietes

Bourbon

So sweet, so complex and so delicate, this is the pinot noir of coffee. The plants are fragile and don’t produce as much cherry as some other varieties, but they’re worth the effort. A cup of Bourbon-type variety is lush and classic. It’s the coffee of coffee. It charms the snob and the rookie alike.

Catimor

This can be a problematic coffee bean—there’s Robusta influence in the Timor family, which often leads to low acidity and high bitterness. Many love The Indonesian types though, which (when processed correctly) delivers piquant herbal and fruit-rind flavors.

Catuai

Ripe Catuai cherry are red or yellow, and while they both have big acidity, the yellow beans, when cool, lead to an unclean, petroleum-like mouthfeel.

Caturra

Caturra is distinguished by its bright acidity and low-to-medium body. It has less clarity and sweetness than its parent, Bourbon. First developed in Brazil, these small trees are found throughout Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Colombia

Also known as Variedad Colombia, you’ll taste the classic caramel and chocolate with hints of cherry in the sweet, bright, full-bodied bean. This hybrid of the Caturra was developed in Colombia. It produces lots of cherry and resists disease well, making it very popular on small farms.

Ethiopian Heirloom

The beauty of these is in their mystery. They are the wildflower varieties, descended from the natural coffee forests of southwestern Ethiopia. Each village has its own variety, handed down over centuries and shaped by the soil, elevation and weather.

Gesha

Think of Gesha as coffee from an alternate dimension. It’s like a Szechuan peppercorn, or the Sun Ra Arkestra, complex and otherworldly. It’s as far as can be from diner coffee, a delicate, black-tea body, with a zest of bergamot. Gesha is picky—it will only grow when, where and how it wants, in tiny microclimates. But whether you grow it in Indonesia or the Americas, it is always thoroughly itself.

Jember

You will find lovely sugar-browning notes of caramel, maple syrup and brown sugar itself in this Typica variety. It is now grown in Indonesia, having traveled through India, Yemen and Ethiopia.

Pacamara

The flavor profile is outstanding, with sweet citrus notes, wonderful balance and hints of floral aromas.  Pacamara from the highest possible elevations, always leads to the highest cup quality.

SL28

Scott Laboratories (SL) was hired by the Kenyan government in the 1930s to develop stronger, drought-resistant varieties. With SL-28, they failed in their mission to create a high-yield tree, but succeeded in creating delicious beans, with an intensely citric, sweet, balanced and complex flavor.

SL34

Also from Scott Laboratories, this plant truly shines at medium-to-high altitudes. SL34’s flavor is characterized by its complex citric acidity, heavy mouthfeel and clean, sweet finish.

Tekisik

An offshoot of Bourbon, Tekisik produces exceptional flavor with layered acidity and a distinctly heavy mouthfeel. The sweetness of this coffee is intense, leaning towards flavors like caramel and brown sugar.

Typica

One of the grandaddies of all the varieties, Coffee Arabica Typica has been grown, hybridized and perfected for centuries. Cup quality is generally excellent, demonstrating outstanding sweetness, cleanliness and body.

Villa Sarchi

This Bourbon mutation has elegant acidity, intense fruit tones and excellent sweetness. First grown in the Costa Rican town of Sarchi, this tree is sturdy, healthy and a top choice for organic farming.

Villalobos

This is an offshoot of the Typica family, which is delicate, floral, at times even citrusy. This variety was brought to Indonesia in the late 1600s by Dutch traders. We love it for its nuances and high, fine acidity. Villalobos in particular brings strong flavors of stone fruits like apricots, peaches and plums.

Starbucks Reserve Ka'u

When Hawaiian Coffee is mentioned one usually thinks of Kona coffee.  A truly remarkable coffee but not the only coffee from that country.  The Hawaiian Islands are a group of islands, much like BC’s Gulf Islands, the biggest island is called Hawaii.  On Hawaii there are 6 different regions that reflect different micro-climates, very similar to Guatemala.  Kona is but one region.  Ka’u where our new Reserve is from, has in a short time begun to challenge Kona in terms of cup quality.

Coffee came to Hawaii in 1825 when Chief Boki introduced some plantings from Brazil to the island of Oahu.  Cuttings were then planted on the other Hawaiian Islands.  In 1828 a missionary, Samuel Ruggles introduced a Bourbon variety to the larger island of Hawaii. In 1996 the Ka’u Sugar Plantation closed, opening up an opportunity for coffee. The first years of the fledgling Ka‘u coffee industry were rife with challenges as the farmers struggled to acquire the daunting array of agricultural, processing and business skills required to succeed in the modern coffee industry. In the early years, Ka’u coffee was largely sold into the Kona market with little recognition for Ka’u growers. Ka‘u coffee slowly began to develop its own brand identity among local coffee buffs but remained virtually unknown outside the region.

That changed in 2007 when Chris Manfredi, founding president of the Ka’u Farm Bureau entered some Ka’u coffee in the Specialty Coffee Association of America cupping competition.  Not expecting much, Manfredi saw the regions coffee win three different awards.  Since then Ka’u coffee has consistently placed in the top ten in competitions around the world. Manfredi was also responsible for brokering a deal with Starbucks, that saw Ka’u coffee in our Reserve Stores.  Three years ago, Starbucks doubled the amount we purchase from this region.

At a recent seminar we talked about terroir. Terroir are the environmental conditions that affect coffee. Soil, temperature, moisture, wind, altitude are some of those conditions. Although Kona coffee is world famous, Ka’u coffee is just as good

and in some cases better.  Comparing these two regions terroir one sees a near mirror image. Similar temperature, amount of sun/shade, wind and latitude. The only factor that differs is Ka’u has growing regions in higher altitudes. Coffee experts have stated that given time, coffee from the Ka’u region will overtake Kona, when it comes to cup quality.

Whenever we receive a coffee, whether it is Single Origin or Reserve, I like to determine what varietal it is.  When it comes to determining the varietal of our Reserve Ka’u, you soon see an interesting problem.  Let me explain.  When coffee first came to Hawaii, it was Brazilian and Guatemalan Typica.  In the 1960s Red Caturra was introduced into some orchards.  Around 2000 Progeny 502 grafted onto Liberica rootstock (btw Liberica is a coffee species we are tasting at our next seminar).  Bourbon is present.  Also found are 9 other varietals, including Blue Mountain. Determining the varietal is difficult without DNA testing, but one advantage is the Hawaiian coffee gene pool is widespread and that means better resistance to various coffee plant diseases.

So, after all this, let’s turn to something really important.  How does the Reserve Ka’u taste?  When I opened the bag a sweet molasses smell seemed to envelop me.  I also smelled sweet bread pastry.  Now this triggered something that has only happened one other time with a coffee. It triggered a memory. Smelling the whole bean Ka’u, I was transported back to my Mom’s kitchen and I was reminded of the delicious smell of her baking.  The other time this happened was with last year’s Anniversary.  Tasting the Ka’u I also sensed a sweet molasses, sweet pastry, cranberry and nutmeg.  I found the Ka’u to have a medium body, very smooth, vibrant and bright.  I found brewing the Ka’u on the Chemex resulted in the tastiest cup, even over the Clover.

We have just been blessed with three amazing Reserves, all standouts.  Any one of these coffees could be the best of 2018.

Isanya Estate: A Coffee for the Future.

When one thinks of coffee in Africa, two countries immediately spring to mind. Ethiopia and Kenya.  It is in Ethiopia that coffee originated, and this is also the country where thousands and thousands of heirloom varietals grow. Kenya follows with coffee that produces a quality cup and is also the home of the SL-28 varietal. Developed in the 1930s, the SL-28 has become one of the most prized by coffee people.  Complex, the dazzling acidity of this variety is so unlike most coffees from elsewhere in the world. The SL-28 is a kind of sucker punch to the palate, if you are not expecting it the Kenyan variety will knock your socks off. Both of these countries, Kenya and Ethiopia dominate African coffee.

Another country though is making inroads into this special club.  A country that you may not even think of when coffee comes to mind.  Zambia, a landlocked country is a country relatively new to coffee, but is very serious in developing a sustainable coffee industry.  Zambia may just be Africa's best kept coffee secret. In addition to climate and terroir, reliable cultivars, cutting edge farming techniques, and high quality processing standards combine to produce coffee with the classic bright fruit flavors, sparkling acidity, and sweet aftertaste for which well-balanced East African coffees are famous.

Landlocked and surrounded by eight other African countries, exporting coffee has been a challenge for Zambian coffee growers. However, large, centralized milling stations tend to make Zambian coffees clean and consistent, and word is spreading about this up-and-coming coffee origin.

Coffee was introduced with seedstock from Tanzania and Kenya in the 1950's. Bourbon used to be the cultivar of choice in Zambia, however a big insect and disease problem caused a  switch to the catimor varietal.  Recently though another varietal has been producing very well. CAT-129 or Catimor 129. This strain was the result of a love affair between a Robusta plant and an Arabica plant in Timor. Crossed again with Caturra the end result was a varietal with a very high yield potential, and resistant to both Coffee Leaf Rust and Coffee Berry Disease.

 In Zambia the coffee is not shade grown, but is rather grown in full sun using irrigation methods and fertilization to ensure the crops grow correctly. The country always applies the newest technologies and innovation in its coffee cultivation, including chemical and biological pest control and coffee pulp composting.

Near the border with Tanzania, Isanya Estate grows coffee above 1500 meters. Isanya Estate is the home of our new Reserve. Coffee from this estate is milled at the Kateshi mill and blended to create this unique coffee from the home of smoke that thunders or the Victoria Falls. Isanya Estate is an estate with two things in mind. Providing the best for their workers in terms of pay and benefits and working towards a sustainable future for coffee. Workers are provided with housing on the estate, where there is also a 800-student school, a medical clinic, and a research center. As an experimental farm, this estate employ over 3,000 people during harvest, and their innovation and meticulous processing are coaxing the best out of the coffee beans.

I had an interesting experience in tasting this coffee. Opening the bag I did note a milk chocolate aroma, and also the aroma of vanilla. Brewing the coffee, these aromas were also tasted along with pecan. What I didn’t taste was the white grapefruit. Coffee is subjective, what I taste in a coffee you may not and vice versa, so I was not too surprised by this. But here is where it gets interesting, as the coffee cooled, the white grapefruit taste came out. This occurred in whatever brewing method I used; Clover, French Press, V60 or the Chemix. With all these methods I found the Isanya Estate to have a medium body, smooth, like 2% milk, structured and balanced.  It has a medium acidity. All things considered a very good coffee.

Recently we have been blessed with three very good Reserve Coffees. The Isanya Estate from Zambia is a coffee for the future.