Our continual search for new and interesting coffees from roasters around the country led us to Aaron Blanco, founder of The Brown Coffee Company and aptly appointed the “micro-microroaster” by imbibe magazine for his obsession over each batch of coffee. The response to his beans at CREMA has been overwhelming!

Aaron roasts about 20,000 pounds of beans annually on his custom-built roaster in San Antonio Texas. He buys most of his beans directly from the farmer. This helps him as the roaster have a thorough understanding of the soil, processing methods, and consistency of quality from crop to crop. For example, the Guatemala Finca Vista Hermosa now at CREMA is 1 of 9 samples initially sent to Aaron directly from the farmer, Mr. Edwin Martinez. Aaron is then able to roast sample batches and choose which micro-lot is best. This is a very streamlined buying process and Aaron receives some of the smallest batch, highest quality coffees. An added benefit of this hands-on process, and a goal of ours, is the availability of this very important information to pass on to you about the source of the beans, the farmer, the land, etc.

We look forward to your questions, feedback and most importantly exploring these new coffees with you.

Produced in at least 70 countries with varying climates, soil, and growth processes, your cup of coffee has a specific flavor profile that can be traced to it’s region and country of origin.

The three major regions for growing coffee are Latin America, Africa, and Indonesia.

Latin America: [examples: Guatemala, Brazil, Panama, Mexico, El Salvador, Columbia]

When you drink a coffee from this region, you’ll typically notice a bright, crisp mouth-feel. This is because Latin American coffees tend to be moderate to high in acidity. Chocolate and nutty flavors are also prominent in some Latin American coffees. Generally roasted lighter than the other regions, the tart, clean flavor profiles of Latin American coffees pair well with breakfast or brunch dishes.

Africa: [Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania]

African beans tend to considered “wild” with floral undertones and are usually of a medium roast level. Each country tends to produce coffee with very distinct flavors. Sip a mug of Kenya AA and then try an Ethiopian Harrar and you’ll know what I mean! While Kenyan coffees tend to be more lemony and citrus-like, certain Ethiopian coffees such as Harrar tend to be winey; with blueberry or strawberry notes. Ethiopian Sidamo can be very tea-like with a very light body and heavy herbal notes. Pair with sweet treats!

Indonesia: [Bali, Sumatra, Flores, Papua New Guinea]

Indonesian coffees tend to be characterized as spicy, rich, and earthy. Lower in acidity than coffee from the other regions, Indonesian coffees are smooth and heavy-bodied with a more syrupy mouth-feel. Pair coffees from this region with after-dinner dessert dishes!

The climate, soil, and processing of coffee differs greatly from region to region. All of these factors affect the coffee beans and this post is simply meant to introduce you to the basic differences and characteristics of the regions. There are many sources available that provide more details about the differences between countries and regions. Many of my references are found here and here. This site also offers an extensive list of coffees by country, taken from Kenneth Davis, author of Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing & Enjoying, Espresso: Ultimate Coffee, and Home Coffee Roasting: Romance & Revival.

gone, gone. p.s. Your mom says to visit Kangaroopress.com now.

Coffee is, after all, one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world, and it requires a great deal of human effort to make it from tree to cup. In this post, I’ll be covering a BASIC rundown (for a serious debate read this) on how coffee is processed prior to shipping to your local or regional roaster…I mean, it’s worth noting that HOW your coffee is processed affects it’s pre-roast flavor as much as where it’s grown!

Basically, coffee processing is broken down into two main categories: wet and dry, with subtle differences within these two main processes depending on the method employed at the coffee farm or plantation. Methods vary from region to region and are based on what variety of coffee is grown and the typical weather patterns during the brunt of the harvesting season. Furthermore, several ‘hybrid’ methods are developing and in use on farms today; these combine the benefits and nuances inherent in both methods all while increasing efficiency in production, increasing quality, and reducing some of the environmental impacts associated with a singular method.

Wet (or washed) Process Coffee:

In the wet process, the cherry pulp of the freshly-harvested beans is removed by using specific equipment, and oftentimes, large amounts of water. Beans are immersed and the good ones are separated from the bad before they are then mashed with screens–this separates some of the sticky pulp from the bean before further processing.

Then, depending on the method, the beans are either left to ferment in their mucilage (known as ferment-and-wash processing) under close monitoring; this ensures that undesirable off-flavors result from the fermentation. The other route is machine-assisted processing; this uses machines to ’scrub’ and remove the mucilage from the bean thereby cutting down on the amounts of wastewater and likelihood of off-flavoring that can happen from traditional wet processing.

During fermentation, enzymatic action breaks down the sugars in the mucilage and affect the development and complexity of the flavors in the final bean.

Afterwards, machines and even more water is used to remove the remaining mucilage before the beans are dried (either in the sun or in machines), further processed, cleaned, sorted, graded and shipped overseas.

Dry Process Coffee:

Also referred to as ‘natural process’ coffee, this method removes the entire cherry is dried prior to removing the cherry from the bean. It’s also the oldest method of processing coffee in use today.

The cherries are first cleaned, sorted and spread in thin layers on either patios or racks to dry in the sun.  In larger plantations, drying is done first under the sun and then in machines to speed up the process.

Once a specific degree of dryness is reached, the beans are then moved to silos for storage before blending and forced into hoppers where the entire cherry is removed from the bean. Drying, much like wet-processing, has to be closely monitored because over or under-drying will affect the quality of the bean and how easily it separates from the mucilage in the hopper.

After coffee’s processing, the finished beans are again cleaned and sorted, then graded before being bagged for final shipping.  All that work, and you still have green beans. However, flavors and nuances are developed in these stages before the skilled hands of a coffee roaster begins his or her job. Bad beans from processing will therefore result in a poor cup of coffee…no matter how talented your coffee roaster may be.

Other resources: Sweet Maria’s has a lot of photos of coffee processing in their flickr collection and there are more good basics plus photos in the Wikipedia article.

The ability to adjust the burrs allows a more uniform particle size that will produce a better, cleaner tasting coffee. This grinder is an essential for camping trips, traveling or your counter at home. We’d love to help you learn how to use it, ask us how when you come in next. Also check out Gimme! Coffee’s awesome slideshow (scroll down, look for the slideshow link) explaining the parts of Hario Skerton grinder.

Preview Chad’s work on his personal portfolio website, www.cwmphoto.com or look up his inspiring photos on flickr.

 Our newest coffees, from the tiny Indonesian islands, are exceptionally good tasting coffees. Give the Balli Blue Moon and Flores a sip next time you’re in!

In the Brewing Techniques class we covered: questions regarding the best way to brew coffee at home. Tackled all the questions about grinding coffee, water contact time, immersion brewing, and coffee storage. And we went into depth on these four methods: Chemex, French Press, Aeropress, and that little funky thing called the Moka Pot. We brewed the same coffee for each method and discussed simliarities and differences in flavor, texture, and aftertaste. The cost is typically $10 per person. Everyone goes home with a half pound of coffee! You must pre-pay in order to sign up. Typically only ten slots are available for each class.

Class time: March 13, 2010 5PM

Show Features Unique Blend of Sculpting and Painting

Nashville, TN (January 18, 2010) Local husband and wife artists Aaron and Michelle Grayum will bring their dazzling parade of clowns, circus tents and whimsical creatures to Crema Coffee for their Circus of the Umbrella art show. An artists’ reception will be held at Crema on Friday, January 22 at 7pm, and the show will run through February 27. A portion of sales will be donated to the Wonderful Life Foundation as well as to Haitian Relief Efforts.

Circus of the Umbrella, a fanciful ode to the high-flying magic and splendor of the circus, features pieces of art that uniquely blend the painting talents of Aaron Grayum with the sculpting talents of wife Michelle, all on the same canvases. The couple, who have shared show spaces before, have never worked together this closely on an entire show from start to finish.

“This show is our first collaboration where we’ve combined painting and sculpture on each and every piece of an entire exhibition,” said Michelle. “Considering that both our styles reflect a sense of childlike whimsy and that they complement each other so well, collaboration seems to be a natural step in our careers. With ‘Circus of the Umbrella,’ we are bringing together our fascinations for the real and the surreal, for faith and disbelief, and for childlike amazement wrapped in the paradox that is the circus.”

Aaron and Michelle met as art students at MTSU and have been working together in graphic design ever since, winning nearly a dozen Addy awards along the way. Aaron’s particular style of painting has been well-received in many Nashville art galleries and shows over the years. He has recently started showing nationally, including galleries in Alabama, Florida, and Chicago. Michelle, in addition to showing her sculptures in local galleries and shows, has used her sculpting talent to start a successful custom wedding cake-topper business, Zoë Tops.

http://www.crema-coffee.com

http://www.thegrayumbrella.com

For more information:
Mark McCormack
615.429.2917
press@thegrayumbrella.com

Update: results from 2009 CREMA Christmas (scroll to bottom of page)