Cupping Notes
Here you will find my descriptions of the various coffees I offer for sale at Caldak Coffees. I have also included my preferences for roasting. Please note, as I have stressed in several places on this site, that you alone can decide which variety, or roast level makes a great cup of coffee. My preferences are just that--my preferences. If you are new to roasting, use them as a starting point, but please experiment to find out what tastes best to you. Rest assured that unless you burn your beans into bits of charcoal, anything you roast will taste far superior to anything you or your friends have ever purchased at the store.
Colombian Supremo
The designator "supremo" when referring to Colombian coffee refers to the size of the coffee bean. Supremo is a large coffee bean--17-18 screen. This coffee comes from the Huila region of Colombia which produces a coffee that is slightly lighter bodied than other Colombians. It provides a well balanced cup that is rich, nutty and sweet, with a medium body and rich aroma. It is a versatile bean and can be roasted anywhere from City to French. I personally prefer this one roasted just shy of a City roast.
Costa Rica Tarrazu
If Juan Valdez had traveled a little north, he may well have stayed in Costa Rica and not bothered with the Colombian coffees. Costa Rica is one of the world's premiere coffee growing regions due to its volcanic soil and excellent drainage. This is a strictly hard bean coffee. Hard beans coffees are grown at higher elevations and as a result are slower maturing, resulting in a more flavorful coffee. Costa Rican coffee is considered to be a classic coffee. If you are describing a good cup of coffee to someone who has never tasted coffee, your description of good coffee will likely fit Costa Rican Tarrazu coffee. It is said to be a "coffee's coffee." It has some good chocolate notes with fruity undertones in a lighter roast. It can be roasted as dark as a French roast, but the flavors become muted at the darker roasts. Personally, I like to roast this one about 30 seconds into the second crack.
Tanzanian Peaberry
Our Tanzanian Peaberry is grown on the slopes of Mt Meru, in northern Tanzania--near Mt Kilimanjaro. Peaberries occur when the coffee tree produces cherries with only bean in it as opposed to the more common two beans. These special coffee beans are smaller than normal and have a more concentrated flavor. This coffee has a subtle winy taste with a fruity undertone. Roasting this coffee a little darker brings out the more subtle flavor notes, so I prefer this one roasted about 45 seconds to a minute into the second crack.
Brazil (Natural)
The "Natural" in the title Brazil (Natural) refers to the way this coffee is processed. The coffee cherries are dried naturally on the the tree, as opposed to a wet processed coffee. The natural process yields more body in the cup, and a stronger chocolate--or even a fruiter taste, with a very nice crema. Brazil coffees are used as a base for espressos. As they are grown at lower altitudes than other Central American coffees, they are not as dense a seed as other varieties and as such will not do well with a darker roast. They pick up an ashy, bitter flavor if roasted dark. If you are using the Brazil as a base for an espresso blend, roast the Brazil separately from the other coffees. I prefer it roasted about midway through the 1st crack--as a Vienna roast, or even lighter. If you are using this as an unblended espresso, let it rest longer than you would normally for other varieties, 3-4 days, even a week or more.
Decaf Guatemala
This is a strictly hard bean coffee from the Antigua region of Guatemala. This coffee has spicy citrus undertones with a touch of a smokey flavor. In a darker roast, chocolate nuances come out. It has excellent acidity and a medium to full body. While this is enjoyable at the darker levels, I prefer this one roasted at the city level, if not just shy of there. Before I had this coffee, I always wondered what the point was of drinking decaf, as the flavor wasn't there. This one proved me wrong! It has all the flavor of the caffeinated varieties without keeping me up all night.
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