Roasted Beans
Roasted - Colombian Supremo SC 17/18
$11.72
About the bean
Do you like a medium to dark roast? Do you like espresso? Do you like a brew rich in flavour and bold in body? Yes? Then our new batch of Colombian Supremo SC 17/18 is for you! These beans are sourced from the central northwest of Colombia in the Antioquia region, the country's largest coffee producing region. Coffee here is mountain-grown by small farmers and large estates. The high altitude slows the pace of ripening and the result is a classic Colombian - rich, full bodied, and a toasted chocolate taste that cools to a cold brew perfection.
No surprises and that's OK because this coffee is super good. And the crema! Go espresso, go cold brew and get happy.
Taste Test
City roast, medium-fine grind, brewed in a Hario V60 pour over (30g of coffee to 500ml of water)
This combination produced a silky body and a sweet taste with a light acidity. Pleasant indeed with a smoky finish.
Vienna roast, medium grind, brewed in a French press (40g of coffee to 500ml of water)
Oh, yeah! We upped the ratio of coffee to enhance the body, which at this level was syrupy strong with a potent chocolate, almost brownie flavour. When the cup cooled, the flavour balance evened out, making this one a great pick for cold brew.
Our only regret? We didn't pull an espresso shot. And that's where this bean shines.
Roast recommendation: Medium to dark. Oh, Vienna! You were nice. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.
Roasted - Ethiopian Yirgacheffe GR2
$15.87
About the bean
A number of the major coffee-growing countries we source from may not know how great their product is. When the "good stuff" is exported elsewhere, local coffee can be a sub-par experience, roasted dark to hide defects and mixed with filler to increase volume. Happily, that isn't the case with Ethiopia, which consumes half of its annual coffee production and boasts a thriving domestic coffee culture (Google for examples of an Ethiopian coffee ceremony). The birthplace of coffee according to legend, Ethiopia is where Coffea arabica originated, which is said to be the first species of coffee ever cultivated; it remains the dominant species and accounts for more than 60 percent of the world's commercial coffee production. Given its genetic wealth and history, Ethiopia is a coffee region like none other and an unparalleled paradise of coffee flavour.
A delicious flavour combination and a must-try Yirgacheffe.
This wonderful batch of Yirgacheffe is from the Wonago district in Ethiopia's Gedeo zone, a region known for its Yirgacheffe production from farms run by local smallholder families.
Coffee cherries are sorted, depulped and then the beans, still covered in mucilage, are fermented for 36 to 48 hours before washing. The wet beans in parchment are placed on raised beds in thin layers and turned every 2 to 3 hours during the first few days of the drying process. Depending on the weather, the beans continue drying for 10 to 12 days until the moisture content reduces to 11.5 percent. The beans are then transported to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, to be milled and bagged prior to export.
Quick Notes
BEAN: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Wanago Surafel Burhanu GR2
REGION: Wonago
PROCESS: Washed
FERMENTATION: 36 to 48 hours
DRYING METHOD: Raised African beds
ALTITUDE: 1780 – 1850 masl.
VARIETALS: Heirloom
SCREEN SIZE: 14+
GRADE: GR2
DIRECT TRADE: Yes (bought directly from the farmer)
GRAIN PRO: Yes
CUPPING NOTES: Strawberry, rose, dried fruit, toffee, good acidity.
SPECIAL NOTE: This batch of Yirgacheffe is an entirely NEW entry to our inventory (a different supplier from our usual).
Roast recommendation: Typically, light to medium. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.
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Roasted - Sumatra Mandheling GR1
$16.39
About the bean
Most coffee from Sumatra's westernmost province of Aceh is shade-grown in the Gayo highlands, almost all without chemicals at altitudes of 2,500 to 5,000 feet. The majority of farmers in this region use the wet-hulled (Giling Basah) method of processing coffee; a time-saving method used to separate beans from the coffee cherries directly after picking. Beans are exposed to the environment during the drying process which impacts the resulting flavour (coffees head to market with a much higher moisture content). The taste profile of these unique coffees tends to be earthy, herbaceous, low in brightness (acidity) and sought after for their smooth, full bodied, typically dark-roasted richness.
Mandheling is Sumatra's most high-profile coffee export. The term Mandheling indicates a high-quality coffee (and is an alternative spelling for the Mandailing people who traditionally farmed and processed the coffee that has been named after them). Grade 1 Sumatras are hand-picked twice for defects to ensure consistency.
Please note: The appearance of unroasted Sumatran beans can run to disheveled. Motley is how they look as a result of the Giling Basah wet-hulled process. Weird and wonderful is the point of view to adopt here.
For friends of the earth and fans of rich adventure.
Variety: Catimor, Typica
Region: Aceh, Sumatra
Process: Giling Basah (wet-hulled), sun dried
Harvest: June - December
Taste Notes
To maximize the Mandheling's body, we opt for the French press brew method. For enhanced flavour, we pick pour over. Either way, the taste profile offers a clean earthiness, good body, notes of spice and wood with a sweet chocolate finish that lingers on the back of the palette.
The Sumatra Mandheling GR1 is a great pick for a creamy espresso, a herbaceous, sweet brew at a lighter roast profile, a smooth, rich gem at a darker profile, and for extra - these beans go further as a delicious cold brew or made into syrups drizzled over desserts. Yum.
Roast Recommendation: To preference. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart
Roasted - Ethiopian Sidamo GR2
$15.61
About the bean
Sidamo is a popular coffee. A classic Sidamo offers notes of blueberry and dark chocolate and makes a pleasant and tasty brew - it's typically a reliable cup. In fact, Sidamo is a real coffee buddy - this bean suits a variety of brew methods and works as a standalone bean or mixed into a blend (Sidamo contributes flavour and brightness). It's also a good pick for cold brew and espresso.
Expect notes of red fruit and a silky body. Roast darker for a more bold cup.
Quick Notes
REGION: Nensebo, West Arsi
PROCESS: Washed
WASHING STATION: Badessa Station
ALTITUDE: 2300 masl.
VARIETALS: Heirloom
SCREEN SIZE: 14+
DIRECT TRADE: Yes (bought directly from the farmer)
GRAIN PRO: Yes
CUPPING NOTES: Honey, vanilla, raspberry iced tea, delicate.
Roast recommendation: Light to medium-dark. For an explanation of our different roasts, see: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.
Roasted - Ethiopian Harrar GR4
$17.17
About the bean
This premium coffee is a highly rated sun-dried offering from Ethiopia's eastern highlands, exported worldwide from the town of Dire Dawa - known for its colourful streets lined with stores and trees. Dire Dawa connects by road to the ancient walled city of Harar (also Harrar).
Naturally processed Harrar coffees are known for a rich-bodied winey, fruity brightness that can taste wild in the cup, compared to the sweeter wet-processed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Blueberry is the lingering note associated with the Harrar.
A real gem! Not as winey as is typical for the Harrar and very flavorful. Super blueberry in the cup. Go to a City, even a Vienna roast profile - the blueberry jams all the way through the profile spectrum on this one.
Quick Notes
REGION: Harrar
PROCESS: Natural
ALTITUDE: 1510 - 2120 masl.
VARIETALS: Heirloom
GRADE: GR4
GRAIN PRO: Yes
DIRECT TRADE: Yes (bought directly from the farmer)
CUPPING NOTES: Floral, wine, blueberry jam and dark chocolate. Slight citrus acidity. Lots of body and a lingering aftertaste. SCA Score: 85.50
Roasting recommendation: The bigger taste profile lies in a lighter roast but a medium will produce more body. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.
Roasted - Brazilian Peaberry
$10.16
About the bean
The BRA PEA, as we call the Brazilian Peaberry here at Green Beanery, is a servery staple and the modest star of our coffee world: sweet and strong, tasty with a choc-note finish, this is our go-to bean for espresso.
Much is made of the peaberry, lone child champion of the coffee cherry (in which one seed is fertilized instead of two because one failed to develop). Science hasn't yet proved that the smaller, denser peaberry really is more flavorful than twin-seed normals because it might absorb more nutrients that would otherwise be divided. That said, the BRA PEA packs quite a flavour punch.
Generally speaking, what can be said of the peaberry is that it is rounded (as there's more space to form without having to lie flat against another) and this free-to-be-ness rolls well in roaster drums to produce a more even result. Because peaberries are typically hand-sorted to separate them from regular beans (that's how these natural mutations are discovered), they can be quite pricey. Producer countries like Brazil, Kenya and Tanzania are usually the source of peaberry coffees as their infrastructure facilitates the finding and sorting of these beans.
This tasty coffee is a servery staple for a variety of espresso drinks; use in blends or as a morning brew. Unlike others of its kind, the price for this peaberry is extra nice.
Variety: Peaberry
Region: Vale da Grama
Source: The award-winning Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama
On this farm everything is done manually, which includes coffee plantation handling and harvest, since its topography does not allow for any kind of mechanization.
Process: Natural and Pulped Natural
Drying Method: Sun dried on patios
Altitude: 1,100-1,250 masl.
Certifications: BSCA and Rainforest Alliance
Taste Notes
We played around with a medium roast profile and enjoyed a strong base of cocoa, top notes of ripe fruit and a nice chocolate finish. Good body. Expect a strong, flavorful brew with little in the way of complexity. Reviews of the Brazilian Peaberry have always impressed us over time - folks really dig the BRA PEA. And with a forgiving price, this bean is open to experimentation.
Roast Recommendation: City to City+. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.
Roasted - Ethiopian Limu GR3
$16.00
About the bean
This brand-new coffee to our selection is the Limu Kosa Akmel Nuri G3 Natural from Ethiopia: a wonderful bean from the farm of Akmel Nuri in southwestern Ethiopia's Limmu Kossa, located in the country's coffee-famous region of Djimmah.
Hand pickers on Akmel's organic farm collect ripe coffee cherries in buckets. The cherries are then sorted through on raised beds and left to dry there for 11-13 days - fermentation occurs at this stage. Akmel uses solar power to "electrify" his farm operation and coffee processing to naturally eliminate waste water. The great care taken is reflected in Akmel's commitment to supporting the local community through school and medical supplies.
A winey, spicy Ethiopian with floral overtones. Nice balance and finish, smooth to taste. Suits all brew methods - a standout flavour experience for pour over.
COUNTRY: Ethiopia
PRODUCER: Akmel Nuri
REGION: Limu Kosa, Djimmah
PROCESS: Natural
DRYING PROCESS: African bed
ALTITUDE: 1800 masl.
VARIETALS: Heirloom
DIRECT TRADE: Yes
CUPPING NOTES: Wine, cinnamon, grapefruit, brown sugar.
Roasting recommendation: Medium. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.
Roasted - Colombian Fair Trade Organic
$14.31
About the bean
Our current crop of FTO Colombian is from the the Asociación De Productores De Café Especial La Orquídea (Asoprocafees), a producer association dedicated to fair trade and socioeconomic improvement for their farmers.
THE DISCOVERY
A versatile bean that suits a range of brewing methods and roasting profiles. We opted for a City Roast at our taste testing but could have happily gone lighter or darker; the City was a great pick, too.
This pick is less complex than our last crop from Colombia (and a different supplier) but the quality is top-notch. Overall, offerings from Colombia keep getting better and better. Expect to be impressed.
Quick Notes
REGION: Planadas, Tolima
PRODUCER: ASOPROCAFEES La Orquidea
PROCESS: Washed
CERTIFICATIONS: Fair Trade, Organic
GRADE: Excelso, EP
ALTITUDE: 1400 – 2000 masl.
VARIETALS: Caturra, colombia, typica, castillo
DRYING METHOD: Sun-dried
FLAVOUR NOTES: Almond, plum, tart citrus, full body.
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Roasted - Guatemala SHB EP
$12.37
About the bean
The Huehuetenango growing region is not a volcanic terrain although it is rich in limestone and lies in close proximity to the mighty Cuchumatanes, Central America's largest non-volcanic peak stretching from the Mexican border to the highlands of north central Guatemala. The Huehuetenango climate is subtropical and the land runs high with altitudes of more than 2,000 metres; warm winds from Mexico's Tehuantepec Plains prevent frost from spoiling the goods grown here. Due to its rough terrain and remoteness, farmers process and dry their own coffee.
These particular beans are from the AAPICAFE Cooperative in the heart of Huehue, two hours from the main city (accessible only by truck). Rough roads? That's an understatement! The average farm size here is around 1 hectare. Each farmer processes their coffee individually and sun dries in small batches. Every available flat space is utilized for drying coffee, even rooftops.
A nice and simple Guat from Huehuetenango with a lemon buzz. This one works across all roasting profiles.
Quick Notes
FARM: AAPICAFE Cooperative
REGION: Huehuetenango
ALTITUDE: 1500 – 1800 masl.
VARIETALS: Bourbon, caturra and pache
PROCESS: Washed and fermented for up to 48 hours
GRAIN PRO: Yes
CUPPING NOTES: A lovely deep honey with a lemongrass aroma. Caramel sweet and juicy. Medium acidity.
Roast recommendation: Choose to preference. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart
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Roasted - Honduras SHG EP
$13.14
About the bean
Once again, our latest batch of Honduras SHG EP is from Finca Lara, a family-run farm established in 1965 that has passed from father to son and now includes grandson, Ramon, who is responsible for introducing tens of thousands of pounds of Honduran coffee to the Canadian market.
Located in Santa Barbara - a coffee-producing region of growing Cup of Excellence fame in the country's west - Finca Lara reflects the burgeoning reputation of growers particular to this area. Lara's offerings continue to delight with coffees that are impressively flavorful and bright at a sweet price.
The price is right and the taste's a delight.
Species: Arabica
Region: Las Vegas
Drying: Sun and mechanically dried
Botanical varieties: Lempira, Noventa, Pacas, Catimor, Catuai, Bourbon
Certifications: Rainforest Alliance
Altitude: 1,000-1,100 masl.
SHG: Strictly High Grown
EP: (European Prep) Indicates the coffee has undergone rigorous sorting - usually by hand to ensure defective beans and foreign material have been removed.
Taste Notes
A real character of a bean - intense, fruity, clean, clear and fresh with a medium brightness. One of our favourite Central Americans these days at a darker roast profile for a rich result. We enjoy this one as an espresso and in blends. Pairs well with food and, when the time comes, a good pick for cold brews.
Roast recommendation: Flavour comes out to play at a Full City+ to Vienna roast profile. For an explanation of our different roasts, see here: http://greenbeanery.ca/pages/roasting-chart.
Roasted - Colombian Excelso
$12.24