Saturday, November 17, 2007


finca siberia returns

long-time readers may recall that i regularly review batdorf's famed finca siberia pacamara from el salvador (here and here, for example).

this is what's so fantastic about enjoying the privilege of a long-standing relationship with a coffee roaster — we can return to the farm year after year and see how the coffee changes, how the farmer has been able to improve quality, how the roaster has been able to build on the relationship and roast the coffee from a full understanding of all its characteristics.

and speaking of relationships, it's a pity my long-time friend jessica marshall left batdorf to return to school this fall. best of luck jessica!

you are a super girl. to paraphrase the dolphins, "so long and thanks for all the coffee."

(actually my favorite d. adams quote remains "all it takes to fly is to hurl yourself at the ground. . .and miss.") but this allows us to welcome forrest, a pretty groovy guy himself.

forrest was kind enough to send me this year's finca siberia. woot! thanks to you, big guy.

got your scaa flavor wheel handy? ok let's go.

the finca is roasted as always to what i'd call full-city- (the beans showed no traces of oil). i chemexed it in the usual way.

i know that even people with long experience reading this site are flummoxed by the notion that coffee really has a near infinite flavor range, within the taxonomy of the wheel. but those who truly love coffee won't be surprised when i describe the lovely pacamara as having a spicy ginger-flower fragrance, a crisp green-apple brightness, and a basalmic rice nose with a caramel-vanilla-type aftertaste.

the chemex gives it a pleasant medium body. i easily enjoyed it black.

highly recommended if you like that tingly sensation you get when biting into a juicy tart granny smith. other people might raise their eyebrows. . ."a coffee that tastes like a mix of green apples and ginger flowers and pours from the pot like a maroon satin ribbon falling from its spool?"

oh yes. welcome to the passionate and beautiful world of specialty coffee. forrest also sent some interesting chocolate, which i'll talk about later. . .

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