A top quality Hawaiian bean from Maui, not Kona! Dry fragrance from this coffee has a muted fruity quality, with a dusting of cocoa powder. The flavors turn to a sweet grain, maple syrup, dark honey, and a Cocoa Puffs chocolate note. On the break there is a bit of sweet melted butter and a touch of chamomile tea. The cup has very low acidity, with a rustic sweetness, intense sweet fruit, and oily body. It has honey and maple sugar flavors, and a nice grain note, like honey wheat puffs. There is a muted, mild chocolate flavor, more like milk chocolate syrup, which is underscored by the thick body.

Wonderful combination of chocolate, caramel and nuts, the typical profile of great coffees from Brazil. This exceptional example also shows spices on the finish, especially a cinnamon note. The acidity is present but not heavy on the citrus, making it a interesting single origin espresso, reminiscent of an Illy light roast. Superb farming techniques from this superior single estate.

Back in stock for the holidays – our favorite Kona! The smells are sweet and spicy with buttery chocolate, cinnamon and cardamom. Once you take a sip of this, you know that it is a special coffee — it is very balanced, rich and smooth with milk chocolate, a touch of malty-musty-almonds and a citrusy-floral note. Not just a looker, this coffee is a talented star with real depth and complexity: a rarity indeed. This coffee has been purchased directly from the farm. Whole Bean. 250g/8.8oz.

Peregrinations: Monthly Coffee Club

February 2010 selection

Single Estate

Costa Rica, Lourdes de Naranjo, Herbazu Farm

This surprising single estate coffee from Costa Rica behaves quite a bit like a top Kenyan!  The cup starts with distinct citrus and mixed fruit aromas with a clear sweetness.  The brightness in the cup is definitely lemon blended with berries following with deeper caramel-sweetness notes – very Kenya!  A great example of a bright, complex Costa Rican.

From the Importer:

“Cafetalera Herbazu is a well-known farm in the West Valley region, the Lourdes de Naranjo area to be exact. It is on of the early pioneers in independent, small mill coffee farms, the work of the Barrantes family. They grow a type of Villa Sarchi cultivar that they have used for so long, it has become their own mutation in a way. It’s quite a short plant (Villa Sarchi is a dwarf mutation of Bourbon, as is Caturra). The mill and drying patios are right in the center of the farm, which ranges from 1550 to 1700 meters. They don’t employ much shade on the farm, and their particular type of Villa Sarchi seems adapted to this exposure. This offering is a wet-process style estate grade, which is a forced demucilage process (as opposed to traditional fermentation wet-process).”

Just got yet another GREAT order from Peregrine – freshly roasted Brazilian Cerrado – and right on time for our Thanksgiving feast.  If you have not had your FREE (seriously – they will come right to your home or office) bespoke coffee tasting yet – you need to check this out. right. now.

Kevin & Louise, the owners are so accomodating and they roast up some of the best KenyaAA, Kona, Guatemalan (DH’s fave) and the aforementioned Brazilian.

I LOVE PEREGRINE!!!