As another year is upon us, just wanted to let you know about some exciting things happening here at JBCR. This is the time of year that we new crop samples begin showing up. First to arrive, four samples from Burundi. Burundi coffee bears striking resemblence to neighboring Rwanda, in both cup character, but also the culture surrounding coffee. Burundi’s coffee, like Rwanda’s, is primarily Bourbon varietal, grown at high altitudes ranging from 1250 to 2000 MASL. Coffee is planted by smallholder farmers; each farmer is tending abount 50 to 250 trees. The farmers bring coffee to washing stations (wet-mills), where historically the coffees were mixed together and exported the same way. Several years ago, the coffee market was “liberalized” which means that individual washing stations can keep the coffee separate, and it can be marketed to buyers by station. With this comes the possibility to find some interesting coffees that were formerly mixed in with the not-so-good lots. Have we found one of those gems? Stay tuned.

Cup of Excellence

They’re finally here. Our Brazil Cup of Excellence samples.
These samples, 26 in all will, be roasted and cupped this week prior to the Brazil CoE auction on the 19th of this month. Would you like to try the some of the best coffees to come out of Brazil this year? We have decided to have a public cupping of these coffees so if anyone is interested in joining us, give us a shout.

Peter and Parker St. Food Bank Chair, Mel Boutilier

We would like to take this opportunity to wish every one Happy Holidays and the best for the New Year.  Once again this year we were able to make a significant donation to The Parker St. Food Bank. This was made possible due to all those who purchased our Northender Blend. Each year a portion of sales of this coffee are earmarked for a local organization in our community that makes a differences in peoples lives.

Had a great Barista 101 class this evening. A really enthusiastic group of spro students. Everyone pulled some great shots, and even poured some nice latte art. Hopefully everyone that attended picked up some useful tips to help them with their “God Shot”. Demand for the class was higher that we anticipated, so well be scheduling a second class in the next week or two.

A photo from 1945. Thanks Miles for sharing

We will be closed November 11th.

How I make coffee

One of the most common questions I receive is, “why doesn’t my coffee that I make at home taste like the coffee I buy in your shop?” It’s a great question. The ratio of coffee to water, the coarseness of the grind, the brewing method, the amount of time the water and coffee are in contact, the
temperature of the water, the quality of the water, the quality of the
beans, the freshness of the roast, the amount of time that has elapsed
between grinding and brewing – all affect the flavor of the coffee.

Here are some things to remember:

1. Grind just before brewing (if you own a grinder)

2. Grind just fine enough not to clog your filter (if you’re brewing drip coffee)

3. Maintain the correct ratios. Most people I have talked to are not using enough ground coffee. The result is that the coffee is often thin and bitter. I recommend using 10 grams of coffee (about 2 Tablespoons) per 6oz of water. If you are using a drip coffee maker, those number gradations on your pot are usually referring to 6 oz cups. So, a 6 cup coffee maker is taking 36 oz of water. The best way to remember is to use 2 Tablespoons of coffee per number on your coffee pot. If you fill it to the 6, you need 12 Tablespoons of coffee.

Here’s the problem… A lot of lower cost coffee makers are not designed to handle that much ground coffee. If you have a 12 cup coffee maker and you try to put in 24 Tablespoons of
ground coffee, you will probably find yourself filling up your filter
basket. This will probably overflow when you start brewing. If you have one of those coffee makers, you might need to start making half pots.

4. Your water needs to be just off boil. A common problem that people face when making coffee at home is that their coffee maker is not getting their water hot enough. One of the features in higher priced coffee makers, is they often guarantee a water temp of around 200 to 205 degrees.

5. Lastly, you never want to cook your coffee after it is brewed. Don’t let it sit on a hot plate for hours. If you need your coffee to stay hot, you should use a thermal carafe.

How do I prefer to make my coffee?

I don’t use an automatic drip coffee maker. I follow the same principle as a drip maker, but I make it manually from a tea kettle. I make one cup at a time. This ensures that I have plenty of room in my filter to use the correct amount of coffee. It also ensures that my water is just off boil, and then I pour it over the grounds. It is a low tech, low cost way to get a great cup.

French press is another great low tech, low cost alternative that I like to use. I’ll talk about this method and other brewing methods in later posts.

Java Blend Coffee is very excited to announce a spectacular new coffee in our lineup, Ethiopia Amaro Gayo. This amazing coffee comes from the almost unknown coffee growing region of Amaro, grown within the boundaries of the Nechisar National Park. Asnakech Thomas is the producer of this coffee and happens to also be the only female grower-miller-exporter in all of Ethiopia. She earns more than Fair Trade prices for her coffee. Her commitment to quality is apparent through improvements at her mill and the picking of only ripe coffee cherries at harvest. This coffee is what is known as Natural Processed, coffee seeds (beans) dry with the fruit (cherry) on them only to be milled off when drying is complete. Good naturally processed coffees are fruity, heavy, and sweet and Amaro Gayo is all that and more. Enjoy!

Asnakech Thomas

We have received a limited quantity of the Panama Hacienda Esmeralda Special auction lot Colga!

Panama Esmeralda has been the most celebrated coffee in the professional coffee world for the past several years. Unlike some other “gimmick” coffees where high prices are paid for an undeserved hype this coffee delivers what is promised.

This coffee is a Geisha varietal which gives it its’ characteristic long thin bean shape and delicate floral flavour profile. The yield from a Geisha tree is lower than other varietals, but it thrives where other trees can not; at high elevation exposed to harsh winds.  Much like a a great Pinot Noir the torturous growing conditions seem to help develop amazing flavour, depth and complexity.  This coffee is truly one of the marvels of nature, discovered serendipitously by the Peterson family (owners of the Esmeralda farm in Panama) when they allowed a low yielding coffee tree to grow and thrive where other coffee trees struggled to survive.   For more information on this amazing coffee visit http://www.haciendaesmeralda.com

We will be roasting this coffee in October and our pre-order sheet is filling up quickly.  If you want to reserve your 1/2 or whole pound come by our shop or give us a call.  All of the Esmeralda will be roasted, nitrogen flushed and sealed to order.