And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
That happened on the third day…. probably because by the end of that third day he was getting really tired without some coffee to help him keep working all day and night. As a result the vegetation came forth allowing a little pick me up from the fruit of the coffea plant with perhaps a little sugar from the sugar cane. It wasn’t until the 6th day he got to add some cream though.
So on to more serious things starting my experiences coffee roasting. Today I received via UPS a FreshRoast SR500 from sweetmarias.com in Oakland, CA. In addition to the roaster I had ordered the 8 pound “regular coffee” sampler. The samplers can be Regular, Decaf coffee or half-caf. The full Decaf sampler costs a little more since it does tend to cost more. You can also opt for an Espresso sampler or just the regular coffee beans depending on your preferred use of green coffee beans. The beans I received were part of a Regular Coffee sampler. The random assortment I received were described by Sweet Maria’s as:
- Honduras Organic – Michelle Guevara Microlot
- City+ to Full City+
- Honey-drenched sweet flavor, lemony-bright snap, jasmine tea hints, very pleasant, lively and clean.
- Java Kajumas Organic Wet Hulled
- Full City to Full City+
- This is a low-toned, bass-note flavor profile, foresty flavors, wet earth, humus, dark chocolate, herbal notes, butterscotch sweetness, and low acidity.
- Ethiopia Fair Trade Organic DP Sidamo Shoye Union
- City+ to Full City
- Intense fruit, strawberry, brown sugar sweetness and cinnamon, aromatic wood, sweet caramel finish.
- Brazil Joao de Campos Yellow Catuai
- City+ to Full City+
- Nicely balanced cup with caramel and chocolate roast tones, pungency, spice, and dark chocolate finish.
- Versatile, great for espresso blends.
- Sumatra Grade 1 Mandheling
- Full City to Full City+
- Very heavy body, complex earthy flavor.
- This is a deep brooding, pungent, bass note coffee with dark chocolate undertone.
- Guatemala Bourbon – Finca San Diego Buena Vista
- City+ to Full City
- Classic Guatemala cup, balanced between sweet and bittersweet.
- Vanilla and caramel, citric zest, red apple finish, syrupy mouthfeel.
- Kenya Nyeria Gathaithi Peaberry
- City to City+
- An interesting blend of “Kenya” characteristics: bright citrus, zesty finish, winey dark fruits, and a touch of sweet Meyer lemon.
- Rwanda Gkongoro Nyarusiza
- City+ to Full City
- A balanced and graceful cup with restrained acidity, sweet citrus, rose, tea-like flavors, floral brightness, medium body, dried orange peel.
Obviously your mileage may vary on what you get when you order. More to come when I start roasting the beans and brewing. Next up… observations on the Fresh Roast