Week of July 21st, 2008
I cupped my Sumatra samples and
found two nice coffees. Both were similar in that
they were more acidic ( lively) and still had a
nice body even at the light roast. Hints of fruit
( apricot) sweet with a nice mellow finish. These
are more like a central at this roast level but
you can still tell its a Sumatra. The bad news is
these two are not available, one was last years
crop anyway. So I have four new arrivals to cup
and if I can get the time I should have a new Sumatra
next week or so.
Old News
I have been traveling
in New Mexico and Colorado this last week riding
my Harley through the mountains as well as sampling
coffees. I was pretty disappointed in what I found.
Of the ten shops, three were worthy as espresso
bars and would say 20-30% of the coffee shops in
these two states are of reputable quality. How do
you make a great coffee shop, well here are my short
list requirements
1. Great espresso and
coffee- This means using superior beans, equipment,
coffee skills, and water.
2. Great service- look
me in the eye and acknowledge me, even if I have
to wait
3. the look and feel
(ambiance) cool does not mean corporate looking
but not dirty or silly.
4. If you have food,
it must be the best at whatever you serve, even
if its pastries.
5. I would like to
see French press used as well as warm porcelain
cups to serve in
When in Crested Butte
visit Camp
For Coffee
In Taos visit World
Cup Coffee ( google
direction)
In Gunnison Colorado
visit
The Steaming Bean
Coming in this week,
two fine new additions to the Hopson stable of coffees.
I have also doubled my Sumatra order, as more and
more coffee geeks are discovering this wonderful
Mandheling Grade 1, yes its old school but that's
the beauty in it
Kenya Peaberry Gituamba
Greens lot 382
My Cupping notes:Big,Bold,Acidic,Heavy
Body,Winey,Citrus,Lemon. Only in the Kenya can you
have it all
Grown in Nyeri. Body, acidity, lemon. SL28.
Nicaragua Limoncillo
Estate, Java variety ************COE 2nd place
****************
My cupping notes Medium
Acidity, citrus,Honey,very clean,Light meduim body,delicate
aftertaste. A french press for sure.
A long story behind this one. Let's just say that
there is a small amount of Java variety of coffee
growing in Nicaragua, most of which is bought out
every year. Somehow, like a Java, somehow like a
Central. An early cupping of this year’s crop
was very different- bright citrusy acidity and flavor
with all the Java body and spiciness. Visit the
Mierisch family website: http://smierisch.googlepages.com.
New coffee has arrived
!!! In stock
Harrar Boldgrain- sounds
like it should be a beer
Mexico Don Eduardo-
One of the best Mexicans I have had, same as last
years, not as pretty but a better cup.
Guatemala SHG EP Antigua
'Acate'
Costa Rica SHB EP Tres
Rios La Dama - Outstanding Costa
I will have these up
for sale ASAP
4-25-08
Roasting samples
are cupped, I have other samples awaiting cupping
as well
The Harrar I have been
waiting for for the past month or so is in but,
I have been told it is not exactly what I was hoping
for. It had blueberry in the bean and grind but
did not come through in the cup. We shall see.-
The Harrar cupped very nice,
hints of blueberry came through, a touch of earth,
chocolate, med heavy body, some spice, acidity holds
up nice, and a nice finish as well. Overall a very
good cup, maybe not the stellar cup I wanted but
(maybe I am too picky)
Costa Las Trojas (new
crop) I am looking for a new stock of Costa. -I
was not that impressed, a little flat so I will
be waiting on mid season shipping.
The Don Educardo from
Mexico (new crop) last years is still a very Mexican
coffee. What I mean is its typical, medium acidity,
medium body, milk chocolate, hints of fruit. They
usually have a nice finish, but short.It can be
enjoyed as straight shot but one dimensional, smooth
milk chocolate. -This year
is better than last, with a nice medium body, silky
smooth, milk chocolate with toffee or caramel, with
some nice acidity as well.
Panama Hortigal Estate.-
Its a nice Pana but will pass
at the moment, some better crops are shipping
A PNG, that smells
great as a green-I was not
impressed, to medicinal
Daterra Espresso collection-
It was just OK
Daterra Sweet Blue-
A little better than the Espresso
collection but was expecting more
OK, it's CoE,
not COE, not coe. Look guys I am lousy at spelling
and grammar, they were not my top achievements in
school. So I am sorry, OK
4-6-08
Please forgive
me if it seems we are running out of coffee, we
are! But that's good news in a way. It usually means
new coffees are on the way. I have been holding
out on Costa's as my usual La Minta estate shipped
most of the first crop to the west coast. I just
do not buy enough to warrant the freight cost for
4-5 bags off the west side, it normally ships from
in Texas which saves us all money.
I am still looking at other Costa's but may be 2-3
weeks out.
I have some Harrar
which will be in shortly that has blueberry for
its middle name !!!!! Its called "Boldgrain"
. I have several Daterra samples on the way, these
Brazil's are a little pricey but well worth the
extra dollars. I could spend hours discussing coffee's
I want to try or buy and would bore you to tears
so I will stop here and say visit my site weekly
for the next month or two and see the new spring
arrivals.
From one of
my new customers, she ran out and needed some Hopson
quickly so I sent her over to Catalina as Max always
has my espresso blends in stock. She wrote me to
say this. BTW, She sports a Elektra plumbed in machine!!!
"Hi, Mr. Bill!
It was great speaking with you today, and THANK
YOU for directing me over to Catalina. It was neat
to see the barista's pulling shots off the Faema
and not the super-automatics that seem to be taking
over. Daniel was very kind to give my 3 yr old son
the shortbread cookie he was drooling at from the
jar. What a great cafe to have in the community.
Here are a couple shots of the Gunslinger. Man,
this is great stuff! This is compared to my previous
experiences from the Intelligentsia Black Cat and
Klatch WBC blends. The Gunslinger is the taste I've
been searching for, and it's been right here in
Houston...Perfect! I can't wait to try the Pony
Espresso, but for now I'm content to have dumped
the whole bag of Gunslinger into my grinder until
it's finished. I bought 2 lbs each of Gunslinger
and Pony.
I have owned my home espresso bar since the beginning
of March. It's plumbed in/drained out and the water
is treated with Spectrapure Coffee Lover's System,
which is r/o with Ph8 remineralization.
Thanks again for the great coffee. I know where
to find the best and that's Hopson Coffee
God bless,
June "
A couple of pics she
sent
Not bad for just
getting started 
of course great coffee
helps 
3-22-08
Pulled a shot this
morning of COE Brazil. Here is how I saw it. ROASTED
TO 443, few snaps into 2nd crack
Flat on the tip of
the tongue, needs to be pulled to the back quickly,
you can pick up a deep fruit, like plum
finish is nutty, toasted almonds
very balanced
clean
buttery
I am sorry but could not get any chocolate, maybe
because I had pulled a shot of bittersweet before
the COE
Have a shotty day
News- 3-14-08
Hey friends, we will
see many new coffees in the next several months,
most Central America growing regions have coffee
on the way. I will be cupping extensively in April
and May looking for new relationships and a superior
cup.
The word is spreading
that Catalina Coffee is the place for Coffee. From
COE coffees to a shot of our Pony Espresso, you
can count on excellence in service and product.
SCAA in May. I am trying
to decide if I want to leave early and become a
official barista judge, which requires a two day
course prior to the USB championships. I also would
like to take several new advanced coffee classes,
espresso and a ton of others. I spent last year
as an Instructor in Roasting and Administrator in
the Espresso Class
Upcoming SCAA conference
in May
Coffee on the way,
we have acquired 25 lbs of Two
Cup Of Excellence Coffee's
More
about COE coffee here
Lot#: 16
Fazenda Cachoeira Da Grama
- Gabriel De Carvalho Dias
Fazenda Cachoeira da
Grama has been in the Carvalho Dias family since
1890. Gabriel de Carvalho Dias, son of the owner,
Lindolpho de Carvalho Dias is responsible for the
property's management. It is located 3 miles from
Minas Gerais state line and has characteristics
from the mountainous areas of Mogiana and from Sul
de Minas. On this farm everything is done manually,
which includes coffee plantation handling and harvest,
since its topography does not allow any kind of
mechanization.
Social and environmental sustainability is considered
very important in the farm management. Lindolpho
de Carvalho Dias developed a program of planting
native species to keep a better ecological balance.
The farm has a school, a club and an official size
soccer field for the employees' benefit. There are
47 houses for the employees and their families,
all with modern facilities. The wastewater is treated
to avoid polluting the stream that runs across the
farm.
The altitude is between 1,100 and
1,250 meters and the precipitation is between 1,800
and 2,000mm per year with an average temperature
of 19ºC. Ideal conditions for coffee.
The farm still produces Bourbon
coffees, famous for their exceptional quality.
Coffee processing system
Coffee is harvested manually on
cloth, preventing beans from getting in touch with
the earth. The coffee processing is done as fast
as possible to avoid any chance of bean fermentation.
The harvested coffee is immediately transferred
from production fields to washers, with the separation
of the cherry and green beans from the dry beans,
which are sent to the terrace to dry. The cherry
and green beans are processed by the coffee pulper,
where the cherry beans are pulped and separated
from the green coffee.
The pulped coffee is dried under
the sun in terraces until the beans reach 20 percent
humidity. At this stage, the coffee is transferred
to the dryers to reduce humidity to 11 percent.
Subsequently, the coffee lots are stored in a warehouse,
with very low humidity level and free from odors
that can affect the coffee.
Concern with quality
The quality of the coffee produced
by Fazenda Cachoeira is a result of dedication and
care during all coffee production stages, from the
selections of the nursery trees and plantation to
harvesting and processing. After harvest the beans
receive the maximum attention possible so as not
to lose any of the body and cup qualities that the
region is known for.
Lindolpho de Carvalho Dias was among
the finalists of the Brazil Cup of Excellence Competition
in its 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2005 edition.
Property Characteristics: Coffee Characteristics:
Farm: Fazenda Cachoeira Da Grama
Farmer: Gabriel De Carvalho Dias
Rank: 16
City: Araponga
Region: Mogiana
Country: Brazil
Farm Size: 471.00 Hectares
Coffee growing area: 170.00 Hectares
Altitude: 1200 masl
Certification: None
Variety: Bourbon
Processing System: Pulped Natural
Lot Size: 28 bags
International Jury Score: 85.88
Cupping Number #: 2045
Price: 4.95 USD
Winning Bidder: Café Imports, The Roasterie,
Paradise Roasters, 49th Parallel Roasters, Java
Blend Coffee Roasters, Condaxis Coffee, Atomic Café,
Green Coffee Cooperative, Barrington Coffee Roasters
Jury Descriptions: sweet (16) complex aroma (3),
honey (8) watermelon, creamy body (5) toasted nuts
(2) jasmine, consistent
Lot#: 5 Rodolfo
Boillat Silva - Finca Carrizal
Finca Carrizal
Rodolfo E. Boillat continues his family’s passion,
being the third generation producing gourmet coffee.
Finca Carrizal is located between the Barva and
Poas Volcanoes in the Central Valley Region of Costa
Rica, surrounded by two clear water rivers and blessed
with brilliant summer days, nebulous rainy winters,
and in the middle of natural forests and wildlife,
the emerald green coffee plantation is nurtured
under perfect conditions by Mother Nature.
The Coffee cherries are grown and
hand picked by dedicated workers in a very special
way. The beans are then processed in order to obtain
a perfectly balanced cup. Its full body, rich flavor
and floral aroma, will delight the most demanding
palates.
Property Characteristics: Coffee Characteristics:
Farm: Finca Carrizal
Farmer: Rodolfo Boillat Silva
Rank: 5
City: Carrizal de Alajuela
Region: Barva Volcanoe
Country: Costa Rica
Farm Size: 33.00 Hectares
Coffee growing area: 30.00 Hectares
Altitude: 1500 masl
Certification: None
Variety: Caturra
Processing System: Sun predried, finalized in Guardiola
Lot Size: 24 bags
International Jury Score: 89.34
Cupping Number #: 132
Price: 5.11 USD
Winning Bidder: Cafe Imports, Zoka Coffee Roasters,
49th Parallel, Montana Coffee Traders, PT's
Jury Descriptions: very sweet, syrupy (15), toffee
(10), complex aromatics (9) hazelnuts (10), cinnamon
(9), buttery mouthfeel (10) berries (10) dark chocolate
(10), sugar cane (12) crisp (10), mango (4), nasturtium
In The News 2-18-08
We are now Fair
Trade Certified! In an effort to reach out to those
who choose to support this program we will offer
several origins of Fair Trade.
Cupping Class
went well. I want to thank those who attended for
being well behaved students. I think we all learned
a lot...even if you could not pick out the double
raspberry-vanilla-malt-cocoa-jasmine attributes.
My first class at CoffeeFest in 2004 had about 75
students who were confused as well. Cupping takes
time to learn, but by having the tools you can now
start to explore the art of coffee.
I have a truck
load of coffee on the way with two COE coffees.
More of my regular staples and some new offerings
as well.
BEWARE coffee
prices are edging up and certain origins are downright
expensive. Mostly African and Indonesians.
We are now Rainforest Alliance
certified. I really like their program; it does
more than just save trees http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/index.cfm
