Latest Cupping Notes

I was sorting through some folders and realized I had some cupping notes that have never been posted. These are from two different tastings, where we sought replacements for our Mexico and Ethiopias. Our new Dominican Republic is in there too! It's always interesting and fun to compare the different coffees and consider the factors that change flavor. 

Here they are:

Mexico Organic SHG EP - La Lagunilla Cooperative: Anise and sharp pepper aroma, caramel and nutty almond notes, medium-high acidity. A perfect replacement for our previous Mexico.

Honduras FTO SHG EP – Marcala: Woody fragrance, earthy, sweet melon flavor notes, mellow, medum acidity, low body.

Panama Organic SHB EP - Duncan Estate: Mellow aroma with chocolate and spice notes, vanilla nut flavors, medium sweetness with low acidity.

Peru Organic SHB EP: Earthy fragrances with hints of peppery anise, grass-like flavors with high acidity.

DR Organic RFA – APROCAFE: A sweet, raspberry jam aroma, flavors of honey, wheat bread, dried fig and berry. Low acidity.

Ethiopia FTO G2 Limmu Inara Farmers Coop ‘Debelo’: Muted citrus fragrance, tangy lemon and black tea flavors, with a little nuttiness similar to our former Sidamo, hints of tobacco in the  aftertaste. Low sweetness, medium body. This was our favorite of the three Ethiopias we cupped. 

Ethiopia FTO G2 Limmu Inara Farmers Coop ‘Bufata’: Very similar to the Debelo: citrus, and tea flavors but with hints of buttery caramel and medium acidity, medium body. Very similar, less sweetness, butter, caramel. Med acidity.

Ethiopia G3 Organic – Burka Gudina Estate: Sticky sweet lemon fragrance, flavors of dried fruit such as blueberry and apricot with a hint of dark chocolate 

What are your favorite flavors in coffee? Ever done a tasting or cupping? Leave a comment below!

-Jessamyn at Voyage Coffee Roasters

New Coffee Feature: Ethiopia Limmu Inara

Hello coffee lovers!

We have a new single origin coffee in our repertoire: FTO Ethiopia Limmu Inara. 

The Beans:

From the Debelo Coop, part of the Limmu Inara Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative Union located in the Limmu region of Ethiopia. These are Grade 2 Arabica beans and are certified Organic and Fair Trade. 

The Taste:

From our cupping notes: Muted citrus fragrance, tangy lemon and black tea flavors, with a little nuttiness similar to our former Sidamo, hints of tobacco in the  aftertaste. Low sweetness, medium body. 

From Olam's (our green coffee importer) cupping notes: bright, lemon, apricot, sweet, long finish.

Featured in:
Safari Blend

Shop FTO Ethiopia Limmu Inara

Questions or comments about this coffee? Leave a comment below!

Flavors or Flavored?

This week I got a email from one of our regular customers, asking about the flavors listed on the front of our bags. They wanted to know if people with nut allergies should avoid drinking our Mexico La Lagunilla, which has "sweet almond flavors."

The answer is no. “Sweet almond flavors” is a description, not an ingredient. I've gotten similar questions before, so I thought it would be interesting to learn more.

Flavor descriptions are provided on the front of our bags to help you compare varieties.

Coffee is somewhat like wine---we have tastings (you can read about that process here) and find flavors to help describe what we taste. There's even a flavor wheel to help you out with coffee tasting. The Specialty Coffee Association of America has a standard one, but I like this expanded one from Counter Culture Coffee: 

We like to let the coffee speak for itself, so we don't add any flavors, but of course there are companies that do. Generally natural or artificial flavors are added to coffee by coating the beans directly after roasting. There are some downsides: that coating can be hard on your coffee grinder and of course artificial flavors are made from potentially unhealthy chemicals.

If you want specific flavors in your coffee, we recommend infusing your beans with natural ingredients like cinnamon and vanilla, or making your own flavor syrups. There are some great ideas in this article. 

We'd love to hear your thoughts on flavored coffee! Leave a comment below. 

-Jessamyn at Voyage Coffee Roasters

20 Savory Coffee Recipes To Try

It's easy to find dessert recipes that use coffee. It goes so naturally with flavors like chocolate and nuts that it's a logical addition. It's more rare to find savory food that involves coffee. I've done some Googling and found a lot more than I expected and they are mouthwatering! I've seen a few recipes for coffee barbecue sauces and meat rubs before, but I was surprised to find everything from espresso vinaigrette to coffee crackers. Here are my top 20:

1. Coffee-Braised Short Ribs
This uses wine and cold brew coffee as both a marinade and part of the sauce. 

2. Roast Beef with Porcini Coffee Sauce
Mmmmm....reminiscent of a Boeuf Bourguignon, they add coffee to flavors of mushroom and wine. 

3. Coffee Barbecue Sauce
So many yummy flavors in this one. 

4. Barbecue Hoecakes with Vinegar Slaw
Chicken and corncakes with a brown sugar BBQ sauce.

5. Coffee-Rubbed Cheeseburgers with Texas Barbecue Sauce
Coffee and spice rubbed burgers with bacon and cheese.

6. Short Ribs Braised in Coffee Ancho Chile Sauce
Spicy and sweet....

7. Coffee-Marinated Bison Short Ribs
More coffee and maple syrup goodness.

8. Coffee and Spice-Coated Lamb with Arugula, Avocado, and Blood Orange Salad
This rub has coffee and cocoa, could it get any better?

9. Caribbean Shrimp Tropical Salad with Lime Coffee Vinaigrette
Here's an interesting one, using coffee in a vinaigrette. 

10. Apple Jack Ribs Smoked Over Coffee Beans with Coffee Barbecue Sauce

This one involves throwing coffee beans on the grill to get coffee-flavored smoke. 

11. Coffee Crackers with Aged Port Cheddar Spread

I'm super intrigued to try coffee crackers. 

12. Coffee Coloradito Mole
Adding coffee to an already chocolaty mole sauce, yum!

13. Cuban Style Polenta Tamales
Espresso in tamales sounds delicious

14. Chicken Wings with Thai Inspired Coffee Barbecue Sauce
Switching it up by adding Thai flavors to a barbecue sauce. 

15. Smoked Turkey Sandwich with Coffee Shallot Jam
Coffee jam sounds interesting.

16. Espresso-Chili Rubbed Pork with Sweet Potato Fries
Cayenne, coffee, orange, yum.....

17. Flank Steak with Coffee Peppercorn Marinade
The flavor combos on this one sound amazing!

18. Late Night Coffee-Brined Chicken
Here's a new way to do a whole chicken.

19. Coffee Bacon Sandwiches
Coffee and bacon can't go wrong. We have a pack of bacon waiting to be cooked and I may just try this one out.

20. Molasses and Coffee Pork Chops
Anyone who's ever put a spoonful of molasses in their coffee knows this is a good combo. Plus it's an Alton Brown recipe, so it's almost guaranteed to be delicious.

Have you ever tried using coffee in savory food? Share your experiences and recipes in the comments!

-Jessamyn at Voyage Coffee Roasters

Introducing Our 2013 Holiday Blend!

We are happy to announce our new 2013 Holiday Blend!

Description: A perfect pairing for your holiday treats, this wintry organic blend is sure to warm you up with flavors of caramel, cinnamon spice, orange peel, and molasses.

Get this exclusive blend while you can! 2013's Holiday Blend is only available now through December 31st. Shop voyagecoffee.com now and don't forget to take advantage of our Black Friday sale this weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Jessamyn at Voyage Coffee Roasters

Fall Cupping Session

Hello internet! It's been awhile since we've blogged. I hope you're all having a great fall and drinking lots of coffee!

We had a cupping this past weekend. We had six varieties to sample this time, including a decaf, and new batch of the same Mexican coffee we already carry. Even coffee from the exact same farm and can taste different crop to crop, so we needed to make sure the taste was roughly the same. 

If you're unfamiliar with cupping and the process, you can read some of our past posts about cupping: 

December Cupping

We Keep On Cupping

One More Cupping

My cupping sheet

Brazil Organic Fancy - Nossa Senhora de Fatima Estate:

The fragrance brings to mind almonds, pretzels and rum with hints of smokiness. Dark chocolate and nut flavors are present, with very low acidity.

Mexico FTO Bird Friendly SHG EP - Swiss Water Decaf:

Muted peppery fragrance, followed by low acidity, classic Mexican chocolate and nut flavors. Very similar to our other Mexico.

Mexico FTO SHG EP - Union Ramal Santa Cruz:

(This is the same Mexico we offer now.) Almond and pepper aroma, nutty cocoa flavors with a slight tanginess and mild sweetness. Very little difference from last year’s batch, also similar to the decaf we cupped above.

Burundi FW AA – Rutana:

Smells like a garden. Very earthy, brings to mind squash, mind flavor, low-medium body.

Brazil Standard FC Peaberry Natural - São Pedro Estate:

Sweet jasmine notes in the fragrance, sourdough bread and chocolate flavors with a hint of spice, and a low-med body. Very mellow. 

Panama SHB EP - La Gloria Estate:

Vanilla, almond and anise aroma. Creamy, low acidity with cocoa butter flavors. Reminiscent of our Kenya Peaberry. 

After tasting all of them, we settled on stocking up on the Mexico, the Decaf, and some of the Panama to work into future blends. 

What coffees sound the best to you? Have you ever done a cupping?

-Jessamyn

at Voyage Coffee Roasters

New Coffee Feature: Organic Ethiopia Sidamo

Hello coffee lovers!

Today's post is the last in a series of four about our newest coffees. Last but not least, this post is about our Organic Ethiopia Sidamo Suko Quto. 

The Beans:

This Organic offering is grown in volcanic soil that's maintained with organic recycling. The farm is above 1600 meters in the Oriomia region of Ethiopia. It's a Grade 2 coffee, and it's processed using the Washed Process. 

The Taste:

From our cupping notes: A muted fragrance followed by lemony, black tea notes, a hint of sweetness, and a light-medium body. 

From Olam's (our green coffee importer) cupping notes: very nice sweet, lemon, floral notes

Featured in:
Safari Blend, Tempest Blend

Buy Organic Ethiopia Sidamo

Questions or comments about this coffee? Leave a comment below!

New Coffee Feature: FTO Mexico Santa Cruz

Hello coffee lovers!

Here is our 3rd post about our new coffees. Today we're talking about the Fair Trade Organic Mexico Union Ramal Santa Cruz. (Quite a mouthful, isn't it?)

The Beans:

This Fair Trade Organic coffee comes from the town Ramal Santa Cruz, in the Chiapas region of Mexico. 

It is Strictly High Grown, meaning it’s cultivated above 1200 meters. High altitude coffee beans are hard and dense, generally producing a better cup of coffee. Like all of our beans, these are Arabica. The coffee "cherries" are processed with the Washed method. They are also hand sorted after their initial grading, a method known as Euro Prep. 

The Taste:

From our cupping notes: features a sweet almond scent, followed by sweet dark chocolate, tart wine-like flavors and a mellow aftertaste. Medium body.  

From Olam's (our green coffee importer) cupping notes: nice body, big dark chocolate, sweet.

Featured in:
Safari Blend, Tempest Blend, Organic Odyssey Espresso Blend

Buy FTO Mexico Santa Cruz

Questions or comments about this coffee? Leave a comment below!

New Coffee Feature: Kenya Peaberry Nyeri Gatina

Hello coffee lovers!

Here is Part 2 in a series of posts about our new coffees. Next up is the Kenya Peaberry Nyeri Gatina.  

The Beans:

Two seeds grow facing each other in most coffee cherries, causing one side of each bean to be flat. Occasionally, only one seed grows. The rounder bean that results is called a peaberry. Read more about Peaberry beans here.These are also Arabica variety beans. 

One of our round peaberry beans, Vienna-roasted. 

The Taste:

From our cupping notes: While sharing some characteristics of our Kenya Karatina, such as orange and caramel flavors, this coffee has a unique buttery-ness. Smooth and sweet, but with a little bit of tanginess. It has a wonderfully full body and excellent mouthfeel.

From Olam's (Our green coffee importer) cupping notes: sweet and sour citric and red fruit notes.

Featured in:
Safari Blend, Tempest Blend

Buy Kenya Peaberry Nyeri Gatina

Questions about this coffee? Leave a comment below!

New Coffee Feature: Organic Indonesia Sumatra

Hi coffee drinkers!

I'm excited to be getting this series of posts introducing our new coffees underway. I've decided to start with the Organic Indonesia Sumatra Grade 1. Honestly, it's my favorite of our new coffees, especially as a single origin. It's so smooth and chocolaty that it tastes like a mocha without adding anything! 

The Beans:

These beans come (obviously) from Sumatra, an island in Indonesia. They are grown organically, and processed using the wet process. Coffee is often graded based on defects, size, taste, etc and this coffee is a Grade 1, the highest grade. As with our other coffees, these are Arabica beans. I've noticed that these beans are longer and darker in color than most of our other varieties.

Olam, the importer we get our green coffee from, has this great graphic showing the processing. 

The Taste:

From our cupping notes: The distinct, sharp fragrance of this organic coffee has notes of fruit, especially blueberry. Spice, dark chocolate, and vanilla flavors give this coffee a very mocha-ish feeling. Complex but still smooth and chocolaty, the low acidity and full body make this a delicious coffee.

From Olam's cupping notes:, dry earth, red berry, sweet, big body

Featured in:
Organic Odyssey Espresso Blend, Tempest Blend

Buy Organic Indonesia Sumatra

Questions about this coffee? Leave a comment below!

-Jessamyn at Voyage Coffee Roasters

One More Cupping

We had (hopefully) our final cupping before we order more beans. We're excited about some of the coffees we got to try out this time. 

Here are the tasting notes:

Guatemala Huehuetenango Pierda Azul: This coffee has a molasses scent with hints of earthiness. Flavors of buttery caramel and orange come through. Its low acidity and hint of sweetness finish with a pleasant walnut aftertaste.  

Guatemala Finca La Bolsa La Huerta: Less fragrant and more acidic than the similar Guatemala above, it features a spicy aroma. Pecan, lemon, black tea, and earth are the primary flavors.  

Mexico FTO Ramal Santa Cruz: Smells like sweet almonds, followed by some sweetness, chocolate and tart wine-like flavors and a mellow aftertaste. Medium body.  

Indonesia FTO Sumatra Grade 1: The distinct, sharp fragrance of this coffee has notes of fruit, especially blueberry. Spice, dark chocolate, mocha, and vanilla flavors. Complex but still smooth and chocolaty, the low acidity and full body make this a delicious coffee. 

As we look at ordering, we should end up with quite a good selection, including coffee from South America, Africa and the Far East. We've sampled coffees with a lot of different labels and certifications: Peaberry, Strictly Hard Bean, Strictly High Grown, Euro Prep, Fair Trade, Organic, Rain Forest Alliance. For a lot of the coffees, there is even information available about the farms, their owners and processes. When we have our new coffees, we'll be posting about each one! 

-Jessamyn at Voyage Coffee Roasters

We Keep on Cupping

We're continuing our search for delicious organic beans. Because coffee is a constantly changing commodity, our offerings will change every several months. We really love the coffees we have right now, so we're looking hard for coffees with the same flavors. 

Here are notes from our most recent samples:

Costa Rica Organic Lomas Al Rio: A rich coffee with flavors of cocoa, caramel, and nuts, a smooth aftertaste and med-full body. 

Honduras Fair Trade Organic COCAFELOL: This coffee starts with a sharp and spicy aroma. Overall a simple coffee with notes of earth, chocolate, and nutmeg. 

Uganda Natural Bukonzo Organic: Features an exotic, woody and floral aroma. Sweet, syrupy blueberry and strawberry jam flavors. 

Ethiopia Certified Organic Fair Trade Harrar Gr. 4: Similar to other Ethiopian coffees we've tasted. The fragrance is both tangy and sweet. Dark chocolate and dried fruit come to mind, especially blueberry at cooling, light acidity, minimal sweetness and a medium body. 

Ethiopia Organic Sidamo Grade 2 Suke Quto:
A muted fragrance followed by lemony, black tea notes, a hint of sweetness, and a light-medium body. A good flavor match for our Ethiopia Yirgacheffe. 

Papua New Guinea Organic A/X Yha Hauka Kopi:
Low complexity, spicy and slightly smoky aroma, earth and wood flavors, nice aftertaste. 

Ethiopia RFO Limmu G2 Kaffa Forest Estate:
Featuring an almond and vanilla fragrance, followed by flavors of caramel, honey, hibiscus and lemon. A bright coffee. 

We'd love to hear your thoughts on coffee flavor: 

What are your favorite flavors in coffee? Do you go for fruity? Floral? Chocolatey? Caramel? Do you tend to stick with coffee from one part of the world? What's the best type of coffee you've ever had? Leave a comment below!

-Jessamyn at Voyage Coffee Roasters