Customer Reviews
Unroasted - Cuban Altura Lavado
CUB-AL-1
$18.00
About the bean
Our Cuban Altura Lavado offering hails from the Sierra Maestra Mountains in the east where the climate is favourable and the fertile soil so rich with humus it permits cultivation of coffee without the need for chemical fertilizers.
Cubans, it is said, take their coffee seriously and most often as an espresso, or cafecito, while visiting with friends and loved ones, or after a meal. Sugar is mixed with a small amount of espresso to form a paste and, when the rest of the coffee is added, a sweet crema forms - a result of the sugar more than the type of coffee beans used. Traditional Cuban coffee is dark roasted and finely ground, and prepared using a moka pot or espresso machine.
What you can expect
The Cuban Altura Lavado makes a nice, clean cup with a subdued body and acidity. The lingering notes are nutty and chocolatey, the latter in particular. Enjoy served as an espresso (but of course!) or in a French press for optimum flavour. This pick works well blended, too - perhaps with a Colombian for sweetness and a Kenyan for zest.
Roasting recommendation: A City to almost Full City roast. Best not too dark or too light.
Canadian customers: Paypal bans placing Cuban products into a shopping cart. To order this product, please email us at sales@greenbeanery.ca or phone us at 416-588-7700 ext 249. Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience.
U.S. customers: Sorry, but we're not allowed to ship Cuban beans into the U.S.
Related Items
Unroasted - Brazil Natural
$6.43
About the bean
We're welcoming a new coffee to our selection. The Brazil Natural comes to us from a very large farm in the Cerrado region of the world's most famous coffee-producing country, and, as its name makes clear: this bean was dried naturally. The natural method of drying coffee is an ancient practice that involves leaving harvested beans to dry under the sun. Simple!
This process has been likened to red wine by some connoisseurs with a renewed interest in the natural method. Like red wine, more of the skin and the fruit is absorbed. Because the seed of the coffee cherry is imbued with more of the coffee fruit's sugars and nutrients, the final result can be flavour magic. You will sometimes hear the term "wild in the cup" associated with naturally processed coffees. This method provides more in the way of flavour brilliance as well as flavour quirks. Its inconsistencies is one of the reasons why the wet method of washing the coffee seed off the fruit became the preferred process of the two. But never discount the merits of risk, coffee lovers. And this pick pays off.
A sweet softie with a thick body. Our favourite Brazilian bean in stock right now alongside the Brazil Planalto.
Quick Notes
Grown at a low altitude of only 800m on a large farm and harvested mechanically. These indicators do not suggest the favourable outcome a bean cultivated at a higher elevation on a smaller farm with hand pickers does but this natural Brazilian is a total pleaser. In a country without the growing altitudes of more elevated coffee-producing regions, the natural process can accomplish more fruitiness, more flavour, more complexity.
Our taste test: Brewed in a French press at a City roast profile, we enjoyed a soft, velvety body reminiscent of white chocolate, a medium brightness (acidity), with a caramel underlay and some fruity flair. A pour over brew enhances these fruit notes. A most enjoyable, sweet aftertaste which is typical of the natural drying process.
For those of us who prefer a darker roast, the Brazil Natural brewed in a French press at a Vienna roast profile made a memorable impression. The deeper richness did not overwhelm or undermine the cup's balance. Great espresso potential here.
Roast Recommendation: To preference.
Unroasted - Brazil Planalto
$5.12
About the bean
We have our favourites, too!
Ah, Brazil. There's an awful lot of coffee in Brazil ... But we keep going back to this one because it's our favourite from this coffee producing powerhouse.
Our Brazil Planalto is sourced from the family-run Planalto Estate in the highlands of Nova Rezende, in the south of Mina Gerais - the country's main producer of milk and coffee. The farm's 3,600-foot altitude and surrounding natural forest create a unique microclimate, perfect for growing high-quality coffee.
The Taste Test
Hario V60 drip brew - American Roast
Very aromatic during the brewing process. This is a particularly well-balanced coffee with some jazz to it - yellow fruits and a medium-high brightness. This bean is one we enjoy because it offers more than the typical bean from Brazil, although it does offer nutty notes and good body as you might expect from a Brazilian coffee; the Planalto brings some extra special.
French Press - Full City Roast
Notes of chocolate and nut emerged at this roast profile. A Full City cup proffered a sweet and pleasant coffee; most enjoyable.
The Brazilian Planalto is a great pick for espresso, drip brews and, if it were summer, cold brews.
Notes
Species: Arabica, single origin
Cultivar: Yellow Catuai / Mundo Novo
Altitude: 1,200 m
Flavour: Citrus, slight berry; rich and caramelized.
Certifications: Humaniterra Foundation, UTZ Certified, Aliment préparé au Québec
Roasting recommendation: Nice light; medium to dark is also just right.
Beyond the cup
The Planalto Estate covers 350 acres of strictly preserved native forest and vegetation. Liquid wastes from coffee processing are recycled and treated. Coffee pulp is reused for its nutritional value.
Estate employees enjoy a full range of benefits, as well as salaries above the regional average. Worker safety is a priority.
Unroasted - Brazil SC 17/18 Swiss Water Process DECAF
$6.43
About the bean
Strictly Soft (SS) | Fine Cup (FC)
The Swiss Water Process begins with pure water and ends with amazing coffee that is 99.9% caffeine free.
Brazilian beans with a 17/18 screen size tend to be a more consistent, higher quality offering without the pungent floral notes associated with smaller, less mature beans.
Fine Cup (FC) beans are a specialty grade coffee. Strictly Soft (SS) beans are grown at relatively low altitudes (under 4,000 ft).
Medium body, chocolate and nut notes. Good for both drip and espresso.
View full product details
Unroasted - Brazilian Peaberry
$4.95
About the bean
From Minas Gerais state in the Mogiana region of Brazil.
This Brazilian coffee has a fine citrus acidity, nutty, chocolate characteristics, a good body and a very clean aftertaste.
Notes
Varietal: Peaberry
Altitude: Grown between 1,100-1,250 masl.
Acidity: Medium
Roasting recommendation: City to Full City
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