The Cup

Panama Don Pachi – Geisha Varietal
Origin: Boquete, Callejon Seco, Panama
Producer: Francisco Serracin
Farm: Don Pachi Estate
Varieties: Geisha
Elevation: 1500 meters
Harvest: 2009
Process: Washed
Roaster: Stumptown Coffee Roasters – NYC
Roast Date: December 1, 2009
Cup Date: 12/4/2009

Catadors: Jenny (5), Ilenia (10), Jeremy (10), Kimmy (7.5), Rebecca (7.5), Stephanie (6), Lindsay (5.5), Val (8)
Average Score: 7.40

Fragrances:
Milk chocolatey, fruity, raisins, fruity, cinnamon, holidays, cherry chapstick, blueberry toast, cocoa, berries, black currant, lemon, black tea, clean leaves, flaky, tomato, brown sugar

Aroma:
Menthol, sweet lemon tart, dried pineapple, strawberry dough, sweet, fruity, milk chocolate, sugary, mint leaves, banana, warm bread, chamomile

Break:
Lemon ice cream, pie baking, sweet, grainy, barley, cereal, berries, floral sweet,

Brightness:
Medium (x2), semi-bright, bright, some, tangy, peppery,

Flavor:
Pleasant but watery, syrupy, lemon (x2), citrus fruits, sweet, balanced, tart, citrus, generic berry flavor, fruity pebbles, raspberries, airy, floral, wild arugula, orange

Body:
Thin, medium (x3), light (x3), light-medium

Aftertaste:
Candy corn, sparkling sweet, sugared lemon rinds, lemon bite, papery, crisp, moldy bread

Likes:
Eh, none especially… All. The smells were delicious. Love the fragrance – various smells of summer fruit but rich. Sweet. Flavorful but not heavy. Banana!

Dislikes:
Tastes a little like fake sugar (syrupy). None. The taste was good except for the very strong tart bite in the aftertaste. I didn’t taste anything distinct, I wanted more. Doesn’t hand around too long in my mouth or nose; aftertaste is kinda a letdown. Body. Aftertaste.

Descriptions:
An unpleasant coffee that is thick with syrupy sugar. A thin body doesn’t complement the overbearing fakeness.

This delicious cup of coffee begins with strong citrus fruit fragrances and aromas relating to sweet lemon tart dessert. The semi-bright and medium-weighted body adds more allure to its’ balanced combination of citrusy, tart fruits and elements of sugary candies. The aftertaste of sweet, sugared lemon rinds sparkles in the mouth.

This is an invigorating cup of coffee that will impress all your fancy friends. The aroma is unique with dried pineapple, cinnamon and raisins. This cup is tart in flavor, similar to a lemon chiffon, leaving you with a sharp, crisp bite of lemon and lime. This cup is sure to never let down.

Reminiscent of pies during winter. A richness which is contrasted by the smell of summer fruit. Nice, smooth body… Makes me want summertime to arrive.

This light-bodied, fruity coffee has strong notes of sweet berries & light notes of cocoa and grains. An easy-to-drink cup, a good everyday coffee.

This coffee has an interesting flow of flavors. Lemon and black tea grounds transition into a milk chocolatey aroma, then a radical turn into a floral tanginess that dissipates nicely.

A clean, simple fragrance dotted with leafy notes will draw you into this coffee. It’s peppery brightness with the rich flavor of wild arugula leaves a crisp and pleasing aftertaste.

A lightly sweetened scent that mixes banana and chamomile. A medium coffee that is expressly orange in flavor.

Jay’s Notes:
Truly interesting coffees tend to produce drastic results, as this Don Pachi demonstrates in the scores. Certainly, the scores are on the high side but you can start to see the flavor preferences of the baristas. With scores ranging from 5 to 10, the Don Pachi draws out some real reactions.

The truth is that people are different. Different people with different likes and dislikes. Which is why I think our method of cupping and publishing these results is important. Not every coffee is loved equally by all and this should be celebrated.

The geisha itself is such an interesting coffee tree. Transplanted from Africa, when the Esmeralda first hit the airwaves back in 2004, it was a tremendous hit. Floral notes and flavors that were uncommon to Latin America and Panama. And while the geisha can produce some tremendous coffees, I’ve always wondered if it wasn’t just a novelty? Meaning the novelty being a coffee that tasted nothing like other Panama coffees but rather common had it come out of Yirgacheffe.

Whatever the case, the geisha is here and the Don Pachi is a light, floral coffee with notes of citrus and very subtle hints of cocoa. Sadly, I decided to pass on offering this coffee for the opening of project hampden because the staff wanted to give a spot to Aida’s Grand Reserve, but expect to see the Don Pachi shortly after project hampden opens. And most probably brewed in a vac pot!

Montes de Oro
Origin: San Pablo de Terrazu, Costa Rica
Producer: Emilio & Laura Gamboa
Farm: Montes de Oro
Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
Elevation: 1620 meters
Harvest: June – September 2009
Process: Natural
Roaster: Stumptown Coffee Roasters – NYC
Roast Date: December 1, 2009
Cup Date: 12/5/2009

Catadors: Jenny (3), Ilenia (4), Rebecca (3), Devlin (7), Stephanie (7), Jeremy (7), Joy (7), Kimmy (5)
Average Score: 5.31

Fragrances:
Papery, fruit, chocolate, s’mores, bakery, floral, palm oil, almond oil, citrus, eucalyptus, nutty, smokey, woodsy, chocolate wafers, brown sugar, caramel

Aromas:
Deep, smokey, brown, celery, simple syrup here, spicy chile, milky, pineapple, pie crust,

Break:
Stalks, potato, pepper, nuts, chocolate covered honey drops, raw egg nog gone bad

Brightness:
Low acidity (x2), medium, dull, slight citrus, dark, kinda, mild

Flavor:
An initial watery taste, strange bitters, rhubarb, noodle, bitter, vegetables, burnt coffee, leafy, pine needles, rosemary, brown, hazelnut, walnut, stir fry, smooth, light, refreshing

Body:
Thick texture, full, light, muddy, medium (x5), a little chalk

Aftertaste:
Bitters, hot dogs?, warm tones, salty, woody, smooth – sharp, baked ginger cookies

Likes:
Body, texture, acidity. Bakery – like walking into one. I like the texture. The smell was “average.” Nice when hot. Even, refreshing, not too weak.

Dislikes:
Not memorable. Rhubarb noodle combo. The aftertaste. The taste was “average.” It got worse when cooled.

Descriptions:
This coffee has a slight papery fragrance, a low acidity and a common bitter taste. The body is a good texture, with a thick and full body. The aftertaste is bitter.

Coming in from cold weather into an active bakery. Rhubarb and noodle pairing in flavor is startling at first but leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

A very unappetizing coffee – bitter, muddy and faintly reminiscent of boiled hot dogs. Not for the discriminating coffee drinker.

Aromas of sweet oils begin to resemble baked potato with black pepper and nuts. Unfortunately, these flavors get weaker as water is introduced. Little flavor and a chalky body make this coffee very unexciting.

This cup of coffee is nothing but average. The smells were pleasant and the aftertaste was salty but the flavor was burnt and just “coffee.”

This coffee starts off with invigorating chocolatey fragrances and aromatic hints of chili spices. The flavor deviates into a more natural assortment, such as pine needles, rosemary and sharper, tangy-er herbs. The medium body blends well with the brightness and creates a smooth, woody aftertaste; as it cools through, this cup becomes less pleasant.

Black tea and savory notes fill this cup. Chocolate, hazelnuts and dry port.

Not super exciting, but good. Yep, that’s all I got.

Finca El Injerto Bourbon – seasonally available
Huehuetenango, Guatemala
Producer: Arturo Aguirre, Finca El Injerto
Varieties: 100% Bourbon
Elevation: 1500-1900 meters
Harvest: unknown
Process: Washed
Roaster: Stumptown Coffee on 10/26/09
Catadors: Rebecca, Ilenia, Stephanie
Liked: none
Disliked: none

Notes:
Sweet tobacco ashes, sour, caramel, sweet, buttery, bitter, dark, mud, sweet, creamy, rye, licorice, toasted almonds, sweet, pleasant, thick chocolate mousse, creamy chocolate, strong, sweet, rich, mild brightness, alert, crispy, bright, sweet but not too sweet, nutty, very roasted, thick, bitey, sour, sweet, medium body (x2), semi-heavy body, even, hearty coffee beans covered in cocoa powder, refreshing, crisp.

Likes:
It was sweet but not overbearing like African coffees. I enjoyed the aromas the coffee produced, very warming and the aftertaste was clean and pleasant. A sweet tasting coffee I can drink all day. Aroma, aftertaste, body. Unique, but slightly boring, bland.

Dislikes:
Body – I feel ambivalent about the body, perhaps a certain brew method can veer it to an exactly pleasant location. No dislikes!

Descriptions:
A medium-bodied cup that the everyday, every hour coffee drinker will certainly enjoy. This coffee is fresh with the aroma of toasted almonds and licorice. The flavor is sweet but not overbearing with a crisp aftertaste that will remind you of clear beautiful spring mornings.

This luscious coffee carries with it all the rich heaviness and satisfying richness of a thick chocolate mousse. The flavors of roasted nuts crisply coat the tongue, leaving behind the rich flavors of cocoa and sweet tobacco leaves. Perfect for a dessert or dessert accompaniment.

This coffee is sure to satisfy the easy to please and discerning coffee drinker. It brings a sweet and sour blend that meets with a thick, mild, even cup. Surely the caramel and bit of brightness will start your morning well.

Jay’s Notes:
Stumptown has released two Finca El Injerto coffees – a 100% Bourbon and a 100% Pacamara. I don’t have much to say other than I enjoyed the coffee. Again, my seemingly non-stop drinking of “seasonal” Central American and Indonesian coffees has dulled my excitement for the region at the moment.

Cup #11
Finca El Injerto Bourbon
Arturo Aguirre, Finca El Injerto
Huehuetenango, Guatemala
Variety: Bourbon
Altitude: 1500-1900 meters
Roasted: Stumptown Coffee NYC on 10/28/09

The sweet, honey fragrance of the El Injerto Bourbon draws you in with juicy aromas and soft brightness of sweet chocolate and fruit syrups. High notes of simmering lemon and browning sugar follow into low tones of butter and cream, giving this coffee wonderful body finishing with a creamy nuts on the palate.

Cup #6
Carmen Estate
Carlos Aguilera – Carmen Estate
Panama
Variety: Caturra Typica
Roasted: Stumptown Coffee NYC on 10/26/09
Liked: Joy
Hated: Nikki, Lindsay

With relaxing tones of rolled tobacco and full floral, the Carmen Estate provides a rich cup of coffee. Mixing floral notes and that of warm baked bread, a sweet smoky flavor greets the drinker. Add a full body and low acidity and this coffee is perfect for casual sipping or serious drinking.