DEGREE OF ROAST

The degree of roast is probably the single most important factor. It is a false assumption however, that a dark roasted coffee is stronger than a lighter roast. In fact mostly the reverse is true.

Historically roasting was only done in the light to medium range. This is still true of massed produced commercial grade and retail coffee. The lower quality (high production full sun plantation) and lower altitude beans grow too fast and are too soft to take a higher roast.

Lower quality beans do not receive a dark roast well because they are too soft, they will tend to burn and give a charred flavour. They also have the potential to explode therefore they only take a light to medium roast.

A harder, slower grown bean such as a high mountain grown and shade-grown coffee will develop wonderful flavour characteristics when taken to a darker roast. A light smoky note can be a pleasant component of the flavour as compared with the charred or burnt taste of a lower quality bean.

An exception to “darker is better” would be a coffee (such as the YIRGACHEFFE) that contains delicate floral or light aromatic components that are lost in a darker roast. Or sometimes your palette just doesn’t like the darker roasts.

Try them all and become the expert on what you prefer.

ACIDITY

Acid in coffee is the sharp, lively quality particularly attributable to higher grown coffees. Acidity is the brisk, bold component which makes coffee refreshing and palate cleansing. An acidy flavour in coffee is pleasing to the taste and does not mean sour or tart like a lemon.

Generally light & medium roasts have higher acidity because the amount of acidity will decrease as the roast level darkens.

Acidity, however is not always preferred, especially if you have a delicate stomach. Some people (including experts) prefer a smoother cup. This can come from either a lower grown coffee (with naturally lower acid content) or a coffee with a dark roast. This smoothness from less acid is sometimes referred to as softness.

CAFFEINE

Here again a darker roast can be your friend if you are looking to lower your caffeine. The darker the roast, the lower the caffeine.

In the lowering of caffeine Espresso based specialty drinks win hands down. Not only has more of the caffeine been roasted out of espresso blends, but its short brewing time (about 20 seconds) does not allow all the caffeine to be released from the grounds.

BODY

Body refers to the coating and mouth feel of coffee. A light bodied coffee is like drinking fat free milk and a heavy bodied coffee would be like drinking homogenized milk.

DECAF

Our decaffeinated coffee (and espresso) are processed using a lower temperature method than the currently common “swiss water process” which brews and re-brews the green beans even before they are roasted. In the “swiss water process” brewing is necessary because caffeine is water soluable only above 170o. However not only is caffeine is removed also flavour is lost, which is a common complaint.

Our DECAF beans are soaked in water with an ester of the sugar cane which extracts the caffeine at lower temperatures, thereby preserving the coffee flavour and saving the heating for the roasting and brewing stages.

Even when we do not have a pot of brewed decaf available – just ask and we can brew you a single cup quite quickly.

FARMING DIFFERENCES

Shade-grown coffee grows more slowly than high production full sun coffees. This allows for a denser harder bean (able to take a darker roast) and a more flavourful cup. Full sun plantations typically produce 1 ½ to 2 pounds per tree per year, whereas the shaded trees will only produce about 1 pound.

Many of the birds populating North America in the summer migrate to coffee producing countries for the winter. Studies in Colombia and Mexico found 94%-97% fewer bird species in full sun plantations than in shade-grown plantations. Source: songbird.org.

Check out information provided by the Smithsonian Institution’s Migratory Bird Center for more information on the significant benefits of shade grown farms versus full sun plantations for impacts on bird populations and rain-forest longevity.

The steep hillsides and small scale farms make hand-picking the only options for harvesting. Because the beans ripen at different times this enables these small farmers to maximize quality by harvesting from each tree several times per season. Compare this to machine picked trees or plantations that are stripped for high volume and to get moving toward the next harvest.

Chemical fertilizers are used in high production plantations. Along with genetic engineering, these artificial processes are harmful not only in their reaction with the environment, but they unnaturally speed the maturity of the bean and short-cut the flavour development stages

Chemical pesticides are also used to control insects in full sun plantations. The insects were previously controlled by birds.

The chemicals contaminate the land, water and farmers.

The chemicals are also harmful to consumers because they penetrate the coffee bean & reach your cup of coffee.

The increased productivity associated with the mass conversion of shaded coffee plantations to full sun plantations has flooded the market with poorer quality coffee beans & depressed prices.

We only purchase FAIR TRADE, ORGANIC, SHADE GROWN BEANS.

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES

There are no absolutes in defining the flavours of the world’s various growing regions. In fact the same variety of coffee plant on the same mountain a few miles apart, can taste as different as coffees from two different continents.

Having said that however some generalities can make the choosing and tasting of a cup more interesting.

Central and South America

These coffees are generally light-to-medium bodied, with clean lively flavors.

They represent the largest part of our selection owing to two factors.

First, these regions have more developed fair trade sources which helps us with our commitment to only purchase ethically produced coffees.

Secondly, they are typically high mountain grown with high quality arabica plants – these areas consistently produce high quality coffee (with the exception of Brazil which is a high volume producer 1/3 of total world production – most of which is “drinkable”).

Africa

African coffees often combine the sparkling acidity of the best Central Americans with unique floral or winy notes, and typically are medium-to-full bodied. These coffees are found in the morning cup of many professional coffee tasters. This category includes the Yirgacheffe.

Although coffee as a beverage was likely known as early as 800 BC, our consumption and production today can be traced back to Ethiopia, (the source of our Yirgacheffe), as the birth-place of coffee.

South Pacific/Java Sea

Indonesian coffees are at the opposite end of the spectrum from Latin American coffees. Usually full-bodied and smooth, low in acidity, and often possessing earthy and exotic taste elements. Their fullness and depth make them an important “anchor” component of choice blends such as the Sumatra in our espresso.