Threw-down in Apple Town

Photo Courtesy Don Seabrook, Wenatchee World

Our first ever Barista Jam aptly named “Throw-down In Appletown” was a smashing success!  Last night saw the shop buzzing (literally) with coffee excitement culminating in a caffeinated rock show with favorite local band Poor Folks Live Well.  We began the night with a cupping featuring six coffees form our offerings.  The coffees were Tanzania Mt. Meru Peaberry, Honduras La Mora COE, Guatemala Huehuetenango Rio Azul, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia Harrar, and our new gem Colombia Tolima Planadas.  

It was amazing to see 30 or so of the almost 50 folks in attendance make their way through the cupping line sniffing, scooping, and slurping their way to coffee heaven.  By the time we were all thouroughly a-buzz we embarked on the quest for Wenatchee’s Latte Art Champion.  12 competitors from 3 shops as well as independants vied for the crown which, after two single-elimination rounds, eventually went to our own Luke Gillespie.   Charlie Voorhis of Red Bird Kaffe Haus in Leavenworth was kind enough to bring his camera and projector for the viewing pleasure of the audience, and he pulled shots for the competition!  

After the latte art throwdown, we were treated to a show from Wenatchee’s Poor Folks Live Well. Click HERE to see the article on the Wenatchee World website.

New Coffee Arrivals!

 

Colombia Tolima Planadas, 2008 Roaster's Guild Coffee of the Year

Brewing with the Chemex

We received our shipment of coffees about a week ago from Atlas.  We are very excited about some new coffees in this delivery!  Newbies include a wonderful Brazil from the San Antonio Estate, our first Papua New Guinea, a second bag of Mt. Meru Peaberry from Tanzania, and our first ever vacuum-sealed (because its stinkin awesome) micro-lot coffee, the 2008 Roaster’s Guild Coffee of the Year, from a small village named Planadas in the Tolima region of Colombia.  This amazing coffee is available in a limited edition batch of about 25 bags, so get yours while you can!  Tasting notes and info is available here.  Coffees from the southern Tolima region are typically grown at a higher altitude than other Colombia coffees due to its proximity to Nevado del Huila, a snow-capped volcano, The nutirient-rich volcanic soil yields coffees with a bright pleasing acidity and excellent body.

We brewed up a small batch with the Chemex this morning and let me tell you, believe the hype.  This coffee is awesome.  Smooth, sweet, loads of clean spice and fruit, pleasing acidity, and very well-balanced.  It was so scrumptious, it made it a little hard to hand out samples to anyone… OK I’m joking, it wasn’t hard at all, everybody should have coffee like this!