My love affair with eating chillies is something that has developed over a number of years; I simply can’t resist the sensation of a good hot chilli! I love exploring the various levels of heat and the subtle unique flavours that individual chillies have such as the ‘Guajillo’, which has a red berry flavour and the’ Ancho’ with its smokey dried fruit notes. This fascination for chillies has evolved into a deep appreciation for Mexican cuisine. I have also come to value that there is more to the country than tequila and tacos, Mexico also grows some pretty good coffee too.

Mexico’s coffee history dates back to the late 1700’s with the introduction of coffee to the Antilles by the French however, it really didn’t take off until late into the 19th century. Mexico sits in at number 7 in the top 10 coffee producing nations and the second largest behind Colombia in Central America. The concentration of coffee production is in the southern regions of Mexico growing Arabica varieties such as Catuai, Caturra, Bourbon and Typica. In the low lying plantations they are commonly producing relatively average blend filler coffees’, but as the plantations start to climb the mountains the quality really starts to appear. A lot of the production efforts in Mexico are focused on organic certification and Fair trade in order to boost their position in the market. Mexican coffees take a lot of cupping to find the really good ones so be sure to look out for coffee coming out of regions like Oaxaca, Coatepec and Chiapas as well as its grading – HG (high grown) or Altura means it’s the highest grown coffee to come out of Mexico.

I’m a big fan of much of the coffee that comes out of the Soconusco region in the southern state of Chiapas that boarders Guatemala (I do like Guatemalan coffee so that’s probably why I favour anything that is coming from this region) however, the coffee is becoming harder to find. In October 2005 the region got slammed hard by Hurricane Stan which damaged many of the crops that where close to harvest and recent reports are now suggesting that this years crop will be the worst yield in 20 years due to bad weather and severe labour shortages.

Whenever I get a washed high grown coffee in from the Americas I always have a tendency to roast them on the light side so you really get to experience the delicate fruit notes and brightness that sets them apart from one another

The dry fragrance has an intoxicating toffee note, with a hint of red apple. Wet aroma is hazelnut and honey-vanilla. The cup has a mild and delicate acidity of peach and apricot and I find a little sugar cane sweetness at the end. The body is smooth but a little thin and quick off the palate which makes it perfect for a single origin espresso. Amazing in syphons and pour over units as these make the stone fruit notes come to life. I would not dare attempt blending this coffee as it is far too delicate and would get lost, but I suggest you just grab a block of 85% cocoa chocolate and sip on a double ristretto.

The Coffee
Location: Chiapas, Mexico
Altitude: 1500 meters +
Plant type: Typica, Caturra

Cup Profile
Fragrance/Aroma: Hazelnut, honey and vanilla
Flavour: Stone fruits
Aftertaste: Sweet and short
Acidity: Mild
Body: Smooth and thin

By Paul Golding

The first visit to a favourite origin is always something of a personal epiphany. Kenya was one such visit for me, when I went with a small industry group to Nairobi in February this year to catch the end of the harvest season. Getting out into the countryside to see the crop and meet the people who produce it can really help shed some light on a coffee’s unique flavour and character.

Our guide on this adventure was Justin Archer of Sangana Commodities, one of the larger exporters in Kenya. He would be hosting us over 2 days, showing us everything from the farms and mills to the auction room and huge shipping warehouses from which the beans are dispatched around the world. I had also heard about a very interesting training project Justin had set up among the small farmer co-ops, and was keen to learn what it was all about….

.

Leaving Nairobi to the north, the transition into coffee country is startlingly quick. Arabica trees appeared on the sides of the road within 40 minutes of leaving our meeting place in the CBD. We were soon passing farms ranging in size from one hectare to the occasional large estate of several hundred hectares.

Kenya does boast some huge estates, like the giant Socfinaf and Thika properties, but the majority of the coffee comes from small holders, family operations who produce anything from a few bags to a few tons each year. These small operators often join with neighbours to form co-operative groups, pooling their money and resources to build a washing station they can all share at harvest time. Our first stop was one such station, owned by the Ritho Co-Op, members of Justin’s farmer training project. The president of the co-op showed us around the rustic mill and explained the techniques they used. While the station had the usual array of equipment found in most similar sites around the world, the Kenyans have adopted a twist on the normal method of washing coffee. After pulping the cherries with a disc pulper, the coffee is “dry fermented” (meaning piled wet but not submerged) for 15-20 hours, then rinsed off before undergoing a second period, this time immersed in water for a further 12-24 hours.

.

We speculated that this process could be a key factor in delivering the citrusy and blackberry flavours typical of Kenya. Their future outlook is optimistic, with improvement work planned for the next 8 months which will culminate in UTZ certification [see Crema Summer 2010 issue] and hopefully Fairtrade the following year. Much of the work will involve upgrades to the equipment and drying tables, documenting procedures, and upgrades to the water management and waste management of the station, to better protect the local environment. Assisting with the work is Sustainable Management Services (SMS), the sister company of Sangana, whose mission is to represent member farmers and deliver agricultural training programs. The aim of SMS is to help small holders form stable co-op groups and provide training and equipment to help increase crop yields and quality, with a corresponding rise in earnings at sale time. Farmers are organized into a group of 50, who then nominate one member to be the “promoter farmer”. These individuals must be willing to use their farms as open training centres for the rest of the group. The promoter farmer receives advanced agricultural training and a useful kit of tools from the SMS Ag Science staff, which they first implement on their farm, then roll out to the rest of the group.  Promoter farmers work on a volunteer basis for their community, but reap the benefits of the advanced training and improvement to their own business. We visited the farm of David Makina, set in the lush hills around Handege. David was proud to show us the results of his training and hard work. His farm is on a steeply sloping hillside which supports some 500 healthy-looking bourbon Arabica trees. As we walked through the crop, already showing plenty of new fruit ripening towards the July crop, he pointed out the recent improvements. Since the open hillside had no shade tree protection, the land has been terraced to hold nutrients and avoid erosion. Each tree was pruned carefully to about two metres tall for easier harvesting and also pruned into 3 sections of growth. One section would be cut back to the stump every two years, so the tree would always have a high producing mature part, and fresh growth coming through.

.

David has also eliminated the need for chemical fertilizer by producing a special compost, a mix of manure, vegetable scraps and plants selected for their nutrient content. Four kilos of this compost per tree during the year – together with the other improvements – is sufficient to boost his production from 5kg of cherry per tree to an astonishing 15kg, giving him a very respectable income at harvest time! Further down the road, we dropped in to the farm of Daniel Sharia, another promoter farmer, who has also adopted many of these measures.

Daniel’s is a shade farm located on a steep terraced slope leading down to a river. He has chosen shade grown coffee for the longer development time of the cherries, which he says produces a deeper and more intense flavour, returning better prices at sale time.  While shade cropping has many benefits, a major risk in Kenya is the greater exposure to CBD, or coffee berry disease. This is a fungal infection resulting from persistent moisture on the fruit while ripening. As the older variety of SL 28 bourbon plants are more susceptible to CBD, farmers are replacing the older trees with the newer resistant hybrid Ruiru 11. On Daniel’s farm this involves grafting the Ruiru plant onto existing rootstock, allowing him a shade plant with natural resistance to the disease, avoiding reliance on chemical fungicide.  Much of Kenya’s crop is now produced by Ruiru 11 for this reason.

.

From the farms we headed to the auction rooms, where much of Kenya’s coffee is sold.  Farmers in Kenya have the option of selling direct to an exporter, or through the auction, allowing market forces to dictate price. This year most were choosing the auctions, where prices are very high due to high world demand and the relative scarcity of quality Kenyan coffee. Held each Thursday, the auction is a quiet place, but the pace is fast, with 2-3 lots sold per minute as the traders bid to fill their requirements. Samples of all the lots available have been roasted, cupped and judged the previous week by the various export houses, who may handle over 300 different offerings in this way.

The traders rely completely on these judgments when bidding for the coffee, so the cupper’s talents are very important. Individual offerings of up to 6 tons may be sold as microlots under the estate or co-op name if the quality is superior, generally the large AA or AB screened beans. In addition, traders will be on the lookout for lots the cuppers recommend for blending, to be sold under a trade name chose by the exporter. This is a painstaking process necessary to produce large volumes of high quality green coffee, maintaining a consistent taste profile for roasters to use in their own blends from year to year.  We participated in this process at Sangana’s cupping lab, working our way down the long row of cups with their chief taster Simon, assigning judgments to each lot.  We also tasted a range of the finished blends and microlots available for sale, excited to be selecting our own exclusive coffees for the coming year.   We went on to visit several more exporters during our 2 weeks in country, but remained very impressed by Sangana’s people, commitment to quality and great efforts in the farmer training programs.

.

The news for Australian roasters is both good and bad – the quality of Kenyan coffee still looks excellent, and will remain so through the efforts of Kenyan farmers working with people like Justin and his team.  Farmers are receiving excellent prices due to the high demand for their product, and some are gaining at least temporary wealth selling their land to property developers.  On the minus side, Kenyan specialty coffee may become quite scarce in Australia and very expensive during the year; most of the top lots had already been bought up by Europe and North America when we arrived. Get in early or miss out! For me the trip was highly rewarding-to see first hand the complex work behind the scenes, and to understand the process which leads to bags of green beans arriving in our roastery.

For a coffee geek, it’s a priceless experience-can’t wait to write about the next one.

By now I guess you have heard the term ‘third wave’ in coffee. It refers to a worldwide movement whereby specialty coffee roasters and boutique cafes are devoting their efforts to exploring the pure flavour of the single origin coffee and it’s something that the coffee industry and its consumers in Australia have embraced. The movement is also about innovation and patience which is seeing brewing systems like the Clover, Siphon and temperature controlled espresso machines such as the Synesso and Slayer becoming commonplace in our cafe strips. We are also seeing the green bean standard raised with access to Cup of Excellence, micro-lots, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and roasters creating direct routes to the farms. One such country I believe has always been able to deliver coffee to the standard we are demanding today is Papua New Guinea.

The coffee history in PNG is a rather typical colonial story as it is recorded that in the early 1800’s the Germans where the first to introduce coffee to PNG. Much of their plantations were experimental at best with bits and bobs trickling to Australia for consumption, but by the late 1930s their efforts to capitalize on PNG’s unique growing conditions took off and their reputation as a coffee growing country started to gain momentum.

Much of PNG’s coffee today is grown from large estate plantations or in what is called ‘coffee gardens’. This was an initiative that started in the 1950’s where tiny farms from 20 to 500 trees are run by indigenous families, village-based business groups or individuals that practice organic farming methods. This is all organised by the Coffee Industry Corporation for harvesting, processing and export; amazingly, this accounts for around 70% of the country’s coffee production.
I find for consistency and quality you cannot go past the Carpenters Estate’s Sigri AA (you might have seen the bag with the bright red bird of paradise on it) established in the 1950’s from the typica variety that originates from Jamacia Blue Mountain. It’s located in the Waghi Valley in the Western Highlands and grown at around 1550 meters above sea level and I believe this coffee represents modern Papua New Guinea. The Estate is all about the environment and community, advocating shade grown plantations, wildlife conservation and aiding in schooling and medical facilities. Something I have always loved about this coffee is that it is so consistent – something you should expect with an AA standard. It has a deep jade like appearance, is amazingly even and is practically free of defects. In the cup there is a little fermented fruit on the nose but it’s not a bad thing, the acidity is a little high – similar to a red wine – the body is quite thick, smooth and sweet. I find a little bit of smokey allspice notes along with a floral touch in the finish. Overall it’s a rather bright, sweet cup and I have had this in the Clover, plunger, stove top and as an espresso, and find the intensity in the flavour does not disappoint; as a milk base beverage it highlights the allspice notes making it very sweet and desert-like.

The Coffee
Origin: Papua New Guinea, Sigri AA
Location: Western Highlands
Estate: Carpenters
Plant type: Typica
Process: Washed

Cup Profile
Fragrance/Aroma: Fermented fruit, red wine
Flavour: Smokey allspice, floral
Aftertaste: Clean
Acidity: High
Body: Thick and smooth

by Rob Stewart

I have often wondered what would happen to the world if Brazil stopped producing coffee – perhaps a catastrophic melt down! The price for coffee per kilo would go up, making a cup of coffee cost more than a cocktail at a night club, sounding the death knell of the majority of cafes and coffee companies.  Shift workers, parents, students, productivity, and Italy would all come to a grinding halt. It would affect our economy and our way of life, leaving everyone with one giant headache.

The reality is that Brazil produces 30% the world’s coffee and the only country that comes close is Vietnam, producing about 14% [much of it robusta].  Brazil has been producing coffee that has formed the foundation of coffee brands throughout world. A typical Brazilian coffee doesn’t tend to have many predominate flavour notes that dominate the palate like Central American coffees do, instead they produce fantastic  crema, body and add sweetness, which are all characteristics used when building the base of an espresso blend.

Coffee is not native to Brazil, the first seeds were smuggled there back in 1727 from French Guiana and since then the industry has ebbed and flowed, enduring devastating frosts and drought to dominating the world’s consumption.  Brazil’s growing regions include Sāo Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paranā and Mogiana.

There is a pocket in the Minas Gerais region called Cerrado which is where you will find a company called Daterra: currently producing some of the most exciting coffees you are ever likely to come across. Daterra epitomises what a modern coffee plantation should be: innovative, experimental, sustainable and inspiring. They possess certifications such as Rainforest Alliance and UTZ and are also leaders in organic farming, environmental preservation and social standards for their workers and their community.  But the ace up Daterra’s sleeve is when it comes to quality assurance. Daterra has developed the Penta® system; an elaborate series of technological procedures that follow the coffee from seed to shipping that eliminates defects and ensure that only the best beans make the cut.

Daterra has two locations in Brazil, the Cerrado and the other in the Mogiana region and they have been growing coffee there since the early 80’s. They grow a number of varieties such as Mundo Novo, Bourbon, Typica, Caturra and Red and Yellow Icatu and produce single origins, reserves (being the best of each crop), experimental varieties and Collections which are blends of the various varieties they grow.

The Sweet Collection from the Bourbon cultivar is, I believe, the finest examples of their range. When I first cupped this coffee I was hit by an intense rock candy and mandarin aroma, followed by the sweetness of caramel and honey. The body of the Sweet Collection is well pronounced without being overbearing and the acidy is delicate with a spicy twist. I find this coffee works well across all brewing methods and but in practice the plunger is best, as it accentuates the rock candy notes. Milk based drinks will highlight the sweetness and bring out a vanilla flavour and it’s definitely a coffee you can happily sit and drink a few cups of. I prefer any Brazilian coffee roasted on the lighter side as they have a tendency, if roasted too dark, to leave an ashy aftertaste and this is no exception; try peppering it with a little Kenya or any of the Central Americans – particularly a Costa Rican – to make the cup really come to life, or just enjoy it as a single origin!

The Coffee

Location: Brazil, Cerrado region
Estate: Daterra
Plant Type: Arabica Bourbon
Process: pulped natural

Cup Profile

Fragrance/Aroma: rock candy, mandarin
Flavour: caramel and honey
Aftertaste: clean and subtle
Acidity: low and spicey
Body: medium, persistent

El Salvador is nestled amongst some of the world’s best coffee growing countries – Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua – and is roughly the size of Victoria, Australia. Squeezed inside the borders of El Salvador are over 40,000 coffee farms, which cling to volcanos and mountains in the regions of Santa Ana, La Libertad and Usulatan. However, the country’s coffee history has been somewhat shaky due to the civil war (1980-1992) which badly damaged its status in the market. Farms and mills were either destroyed or abandoned, and the remaining coffee being produced at the time was pooled together, creating a poor quality and inconsistent centralised product.

Thankfully, those times are behind El Salvador and the country has embraced sustainable programmes like Rainforest Alliance and fair trade initiatives. They have also been involved in the Cup of Excellence – a highly respected competition that recognises the best coffee a country has to produce – since 2003. Efforts like these are a reflection of how El Salvador is getting back its reputation in the specialty market, and farmers are choosing to produce coffee on small scale co-op estate farms. They are also putting their efforts into growing specific varieties like the low yielding Bourbon and the left-of-field Pacamara, which are able to flourish in its near perfect growing conditions.

So, the next day I made it my mission to get to know my broker’s new girlfriend a little better. With a clean pallet and a bit of focus, I finally figured the El Salvador Bourbon out – it’s all about patience. Her characteristics are well balanced and subtle, demanding your full attention in order to find her true colours; and once you have discovered them she will have you well and truly seduced. The first time you cup this coffee black you will need to take your time to savour the beautiful heady almond aroma, then, with your first sip you will be treated to a sweetness that fills your palate. Beyond this is where her subtleties lie: flavours such as peach, apple and even a little lemon can be found, and as the cup cools a caramel subtext emerges. As a flat white, this coffee has chocolate, almond and caramel flavours, but choose semi-skim milk instead of a full cream, as it won’t drown out the coffee’s flavours.

I truly believe that this coffee needs to be enjoyed as a single origin because this is where the rewards lie, but I find small amounts of Kenya AA will add boldness, highlight the choc notes and add some zing, or the Nicaraguan Maragogype for a citrus pop and acidity.

The Coffee

Origin:  San Emilio
Location: El Salvador
Region: Talnique, La Libertad
Plant type: Bourbon

Cup Profile

Fragrance/Aroma: Almond, cherries
Flavour: Peach and apple
Aftertaste: Clean
Acidity: Low to medium
Body: medium intensity

Q. Favourite bean right now and why?

Guatemalan COE Lot# 22 Finca La Perla (only 16 bags produced).
It was a Cup of Excellence (COE) finalist coffee from Guatemala – we were in Tokyo at the SCAJ and this coffee was on the table. When we brewed it (pour over) it had a cloudy apple juice appearance. We tasted it & all just looked at each other and….Wow! A special moment. I was hooked! So much so that we will be getting more coffee from this farm in the coming weeks/months.

La Perla means “Sleeping Woman” in Xamac, a Mayan language used in the Ixil Triangle, where the farm is located, some 38 kilometers northeast of Chajul, in the province of El Quiché. The farm produces Catuaí and Bourbon between 3000 and 6500 feet. Soil is loose, clayey and sandy over a limestone base. Producing quality coffee is very important to the owners of La Perla. They pay attention to detail – from harvesting at the exact moment to wet milling and drying the beans. This is evident in the fact that they have been finalists in the Cup of Excellence program in 2001, 2002, 2006 & 2008.

The lovely thing about the COE program is that the farmer is celebrated and receives the accolade & thus benefits financially; which in turn lays the platform for more interesting and exquisite coffee’s for the future….watch this space!

Q. How is it best appreciated?

I experienced this coffee as pour over /filter & drip. I wouldn’t roast this coffee too dark, as this would take away some of the delicate nuances inherent in this lovely bean.

Q. Flavour/cup profile?

The coffee was clean (as expected of a COE winning coffee) with beautiful apple acidity, nice heavy viscosity in the mouth, just beautifully sweet like honey. Once brewed it’s appearance was almost tea-like or like a cloudy apple juice.  

The Coffee

Farm: La Perla Y Anexos  Farmer: Finca La Perla Y Anexos
City: Chaju  Region: El Quiche  Country: Guatemala
Variety: Caturra  Type of shade trees: Inga  Harvest: October to May
Processing System: Sun and Wet Mill
Climatic Conditions: Average temperature: 18°C, Annual rainfall: 5000mm, Relative humidity: 75%
Type of soil: Loamy (balance of clay, sand and limestone)

Note: The Cup of Excellence is the most esteemed award given out for top coffees. These awards come from a strict competition that selects the very best coffee produced in that country for that particular year. These winning coffees are chosen by a select group of national and international cuppers and are cupped at least five different times during the competition process. Only coffees that continuously score high enough are allowed to move forward in the competition. The final winners are awarded the prestigious Cup of Excellence® and sold to the highest bidder during an internet auction.

The espresso is the starting point for all espresso coffee - approx. 25 ml of espresso extracted in 25-30 seconds. A well-made espresso is characterised by a dark, golden crema. A further sign of a good espresso is that the surface tension of the crema should maintain one teaspoon of white sugar on its surface for 3-4 seconds before falling through.
A Ristretto, meaning ‘restricted’ in Italian, is normally only the first 15mls of extraction – it is therefore ‘restricted’ in the amount of coffee extracted and captures the sweetest, most intense characters of the coffee. The term ‘Double Ristretto’ is capturing 30 ml of espresso, made up from 2x 15 ml shots.

Long Black

There are various ways to make a long black, but you should definitely not simply extract a normal espresso for double the length of time! I like to start with 10ml cold water, followed by boiling water (or approx. 95 degrees) to make up to around 2/3 of a cup – then pour a double ristretto on top!  Not everyone uses a double espresso, but it gives the sweetest result (normally only the first 15ml of extraction).

Macchiato

Some enthusiasts find an espresso coffee too strong and concentrated; in the macchiato, milk is used to soften the edge of the espresso. Using a 90 ml glass, pour your espresso shot, and add a dash of textured milk. The term Macchiato means to mark, which in this case is what we’re doing to the coffee with the textured milk.

Cappuccino

Named after the Cappuchin monks who apparently drank coffee to help them through their prayer vigils.  The monks were recognisable because of their unique brown hood, which is brought to mind by the distinctive colour and texture on the top of a cappuccino coffee. One shot of espresso and 2 cm of textured milk. For a marbled effect, dust espresso with chocolate before pouring milk.

Latte

One of the most popular espresso-based drinks in Australia, the name literally comes from the meaning of the two words ‘café latte’. Caffe in Italian means ‘coffee’ and Latte means ‘milk’. Simply pour a shot of espresso into a 200-220 ml glass and add textured milk.

Flat White

Developed as an Australian icon. For those who enjoy the strength of the cappuccino but not the foam that goes with it. Using a cup of around 160-180 mls capacity, pour in one shot of espresso and add steamed milk, including 1/2 cm of textured milk on top.

I am often asked how I became a coffee roaster and I tell them that it was pure opportunity; but, if I really think about it, my passion blossomed the day I wrapped my lips around a cup of Sumatran Mandheling.

I had started a new barista gig with a boutique coffee roaster, but I was really just working to pay the rent while I went to uni. I didn’t care much about coffee until the day I had to acquaint myself with the single origins the roaster sold. So, my boss and I racked up some espressos and BANG! My palate went into overdrive!

We tasted Brazilian, Costa Rican, a Mexican, Nicaraguan, a Sumatran…espresso after espresso…and then he handed me this honey-like syrup. I tipped the cup and a bludge of crema oozed forwards wafting a pungent musty fragrance – I had never seen this type of crema consistency before – was this a Robusta? And so after one sip I was throwing it back, then extracting another shot! The flavours were so rich and aggressive, earthy and chocolate, the acidity was low but it had a wild, unbalanced nature about it that was quite addictive. So, over the next few weeks I ploughed through kilos of the stuff. My boss, obvious to my excitement said, “well if you are going to drink it, you can learn how to roast it”, and so it began.

Coffee in Sumatra can be found growing in the far north highlands at Lake Laut Tawar and in the central north at Lake Toba, below Medan where the lions-share of coffee is produced. Yet, unlike other coffee-growing countries, most Sumatran coffee is named, not after the region in which it is grown, but by the ethnic tribe that produces it. Hence Mandheling is named after the Mandailing tribe (correct spelling of the tribe) and Batak after the Batak tribe, which both harvest coffee all around the Lake Toba region. Bucking this trend, however, is coffee from Lington and Lake Tawar.

Grade 1 Mandheling in its raw form is like the ‘Elephant Man’ – the green beans are one of the ugliest and most uneven you will ever see, but you need to look past that to find its inner beauty. Therefore, the grading system is done by cup flavour and not appearance. 

When I first started roasting Mandheling coffee, I was told to take it right in to the second crack aiming for a dark roast profile as this would tame some of the defective beans and create a more even appearance. But I found that the beans would oil up and turn rancid too quickly for my liking, so I eased off a little and found the coffee tasted a little cleaner without the roasting flavours associated with dark roasts and had a greater shelf life.

I find that after a week from roasting and letting it rest, the Mandheling really comes out to play – the flavours are settled and the body thick and rich. You will find Mandheling in a lot of coffee blends, roasters like to use it to provide body and depth, especially in 100% Arabica blends where there is no Robusta. You could use just about any coffee to blend with the Mandheling – I like the Colombians for a bit more of the deep choc notes or even the Ethiopians, particularly the Yigarcheffe, for a really exotic and wild citrus pop.

The Coffee

Name: Grade 1 Mandheling
Location: Sumatra
Region: Central Sumatra, Lake Toba
Plant Type: Typica, Catimor

Cup Profile

Fragrance/Aroma: rich musty
Flavour: dark chocolate, earthy and spicy
Aftertaste: strong and long
Acidity: low
Body: creamy, thick

Rob Stewart started in the coffee industry in Melbourne well over a decade ago.  Rob has partnered a specialty coffee roasting company, which roasted several award winning blends and is now working with Ducale Coffee in Melbourne, roasting and overseeing barista training. Rob is also a coffee judge for the coveted Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.

The coffee we know and love as a golden or dark brown aromatic bean, starts off very differently. For coffee, from crop to cup, there is quite a complex journey and every step will affect its final flavour.

The coffee bean as we know it, is actually the seed of a cherry which grows on the tall bushy coffee tree, with the two main species being Arabica and Robusta. Arabica makes up a large percentage of the world consumption – about 70% while the more gutsy Robusta is most commonly used as a booster in some espresso blends or for making instant coffee.To get from the cherry on the tree to the bean ready for grinding, there are a number of steps that need to occur.

The first is ‘processing’ – whereby the outer layers of the cherry are removed to reveal the bean or seed inside. There are four layers that need to be removed – the skin, the flesh, the parchment and the silverskin. The way that these outer layers are removed greatly affects the flavour of the bean as the sugars can be either transferred into or out of the bean.

The skin is a thick, red or burgundy layer. Underneath, the flesh is a similar glutinous consistency to a grape or cherry. Within this still, is the parchment – a hard husk that protects the bean, similar to a peanut shell. Lastly, the silverskin is the flaky outer layer of the bean which is usually removed when the coffee expands during the final roasting process.There are two main processing methods – dry processing and wet processing.

Dry processing is the more traditional method – where the cherries are either left on the tree to dry out or ‘raisin’, or they are removed and dried in the sun on platform beds, or in a mechanical dryer. This process removes moisture and intensifies the sugars in the bean, adding to its body and flavour. Dry processed coffees are commonly used for espresso because of this intensifying of the sugars.

Wet processing uses water and friction to remove the outer layers of the cherry  – the skin and the flesh. The cherries are soaked in large tubs and an enzymatic reaction causes the outer layers of the coffee to disintegrate, leaving the bean and it’s coating (parchment) intact. The use of water and soaking usually removes some of the sugars resulting in a softer and milder coffee bean compared to dry processed coffees. As a result, washed coffee is more often preferred for plunger or filter coffees.

Following this processing, the beans are dried and stored in their parchment until purchased. A good green coffee will have a shelf life of about 12 months – while it can still be used beyond this time frame, the flavour dissipates noticeably after this time. Once purchased, the hard parchment is removed with friction machinery, and it is weighed and bagged into large hessian bags ready for shipping.

From origin to port can be anything from 6 weeks to 4 months, depending on the usual factors of distance, shipping and customs. The green packed coffee is usually then delivered to a local coffee broker before moving on to a roastery somewhere.

What the roaster then does with the coffee, in terms of time of roasting, temperature, volume, air flow and heat application, also determines a large part of how the coffee will taste as an end product. Green coffees can be roasted individually as origins and then blended, or put together as a green blend to be roasted all together. From here, the packing, storage and ageing (time from roasting to drinking) of the roasted beans will also impact on the final taste.

Before coffee comes to us as a rich golden elixir or mixed with silky milk, there is a whole chain of processes that need to be delicately balanced to ensure the coffee can be as good as it should. Any break in the chain will severely affect the final outcome and destroy the promise of such a delicious experience.

Next time you enjoy your morning coffee, think how far the beans in your cup have travelled to give you those few moments of pleasure and stimulation.

When a coffee broker asked me what I thought about Panama coffee I began singing Van Halen’s “Panama”, which sadly has nothing to do with the country and everything to do with a stripper from Arizona.

I did however know that some of the best specialty coffee came from Central America, Costa Rica and Guatemala.

So I took a sample, cupped it, and with out hesitation ordered a ton; it was so good I just had to have it on my books.

Located in the west of Panama and close to the border of Costa Rica in the Chiriqui province is the town of Boquete, rated one of the top 5 places in the world to retire by Fortune Magazine in 2005. Besides being heavily populated with retired North Americans, Boquete is home to a number of specialty coffee farms that have been producing coffee since the late 1800’s. Known to locals as the “Valley of the Flowers and Eternal Spring,” Boquete’s extraordinary micro-climate, pared with the farmer’s hybrid of traditional methods and modern technology, enables the growth of what is considered to be the world’s finest coffee; Hacienda La Esmeralda is one such farm. Renowned for growing the rare and exquisite Gesha variety of coffee plant, it set a record when their Esmeralda Especial coffee sold for a stunning US$130 a pound during an online auction on May 29th this year. The producer was recognized for producing the world’s best coffee during the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) 2007 Roasters Guild Cupping Pavilion Competition, an event Hacienda La Esmeralda also captured in 2005 and 2006. So Panama may not be a large volume producing nation, or as well known as Brazil or Colombia, but its stature in the coffee world is huge.

Espresso is where you will be rewarded. It is a delicate clean/crisp coffee and the flavor notes are soft and easy on the palate, these are the characteristics of high quality Central American. The beauty about it is that the acidity is quite low and you will find it gets sweeter as the cup cools. The fragrance is of berry and currant with hints of nut and chocolate, and the flavors will reveal more of the sweet choc/raisin which offsets the winy nose. Milk based drinks will emphasize the toffee/choc hazelnut notes, but will be on the milder side in strength.

 My recommended origins to compliment Panama Boquete would be a dry processed African such as an Ethiopian Harar, this will add depth without dulling the Panama’s sweet notes, and compliment the Harar’s spicy fruited notes. You could also use a Sumatran for richness and strength but only if you like the pungent, earthiness a Sumatran brings to the cup. Essentially, Panama Boquete is great for blending as it will add a subtle sweetness to the cup; I’d use it similarly as if I were adding sugar to the blend. 

The Coffee

Origin: Boquete SHB

Plant Type: Caturra Typica, Bourbon

Process: Wet processed

(SHB stands for strictly hard bean: this tells us that the bean has been grown at altitudes of 4,500 feet or higher. High altitude ensures that the beans are dense and comparatively free from disease.)

Cup Profile

Fragrance/Aroma: winy, fruit, currants

Flavor: mild chocolate and hazelnut, toffee

Aftertaste: long and sweet as the cup cools

Acidity: low acidity, soft/sweet

Body: rich/smooth