| Holiday recommendations; New Coffees for French Press Fans; |
News & NotesWhat's Happening at the George Howell Coffee Company We will be roasting the following Special Reserve Cup of Excellence coffees this Monday, December 18.
New coffees for French Press Fans and for those who prefer a slightly darker roast: Introducing La Providencia from the Huehuetenango region, Guatemala. La Providencia comes out year after year with an elegant, sweet coffee that has been a critical component in some of Europe’s finest espressos. It is grown at 4,000 feet, producing a warm, yet crisp medium-bodied cup with delicate, smooth and very sweet citrus flavors overlaid with a creamy veneer of nuts and caramel. We highly recommend this coffee for espresso as well. We are happy to add this coffee to our line. Thie fine coffee is now available online for $11.95 per 12 oz. Roasted Another coffee that we recommend for French Press is our Kenya Gathiru-ini, one of the finest coffees to come out of Kenya last year. It is Full Flavor roasted - but towards the darker end of that spectrum. $13.95/ 12 oz. An ideal gift for this season would be one of our Gift Samplers, featuring three of our fine coffees. Examining Acidity in Coffee: Definition: Acidity is, as with wine, a positive term denoting liveliness and cleansing illumination. Without acidity coffee would be in a dead zone of absolute dullness. The term acidity does not directly refer to pH level, but rather to the taster’s perception of brightness. Not all coffee acids are perceptible. Altitude and Acidity: Three factors especially influence acidity in coffee. The first factor is at what altitude the coffee is grown. As a general rule-of-thumb, coffees growing at 3,000 to 3,500 feet are low in acidity. 4,000 to 4,500 feet produces moderate acidity while altitudes of 5,000 feet and higher produce the brightest coffees with fruitier aromas. There are exceptions to every rule, of course; Hawaiian Kona coffee can grow no higher than a bit over 2,000 feet, given its extreme northern latitude. Kona grown at 2,000 feet can be quite acidic. Roasting and Acidity: Equally important for the expression of acidity is roast degree. The darker the roast, once past Full Flavor, the more dulled the acidity and the less well a single origin’s true character is expressed, in my opinion. This comes with a critical caveat: brewing method also affects perception of acidity. Brewing method and Acidity: The more pressure applied the greater the acidity. So when you take a light-roasted Brazil (typically grown at about 3,000 feet) which might be dullish in a drip coffeemaker and make a French Press it will be livelier; an espresso, operating at around 9 atmospheres, of the same coffee brings the acidity level right back to moderate. A coffee of moderate acidity in a drip coffeemaker will be bright in a French Press and positively sharp when made as an espresso. Happy Holidays! |
El Placer, Tolita, Colombia - Cup of Excellence Presidential Award Winner - Triumphal return of Colombian coffees, new crop. We just received today our first shipment of new crop Colombian coffees. We lead off with the best of them – a special for the Holidays. The 42 acre El Placer Farm won the coveted 2006 Cup of Excellence Presidential Award, scoring over 90 points, a rare feat. It has refined buttery depth with polished subtle layers of honeyed pineapple, sugarcane, ripe guava and caramel. Specially packaged and shipped from Colombia to preserve maximum floral freshness. It will be roasted this Monday, Dec. 18. Now available for purchase on 
Mira Valle Farm, Francisco Morazan, Honduras - Cup of Excellence Presidential Award Winner (over 90 points) - Big coffee with cigar box aromatics, deep bittersweet vanilla-tinged chocolate, walnuts, melon and tropical fruits. Moderate acidity and heavy bodied. Just starting this vintage coffee! 
El Injerto Farm, Huehuetenango, Guatemala - Cup of Excellence First Place Presidential Award - Beautifully structured, elegant cup, with mineral notes reminiscent of fine white Burgundies, drenched in honeyed citrus and apple with a touch of anise and filigreed subtle berry notes. Effervescent acidity and satin body. A quintessential expression of the great growing region of Huehuetenango (pronounced way-way-tay’-nango). This Cup of Excellence Presidential Award winner is 
