February Roaster's Pick: Single Origin Espresso, Blend & Decaffeinated!
Author's note: If this is your first time visiting our website and reading our blog, this is the article that you should read first, before continuing with what we have to offer for the month of February. The buying guide of Single Origin vs Blend will allows you a better appreciation to the next few paragraphs.
Perched in the cloud-forests of Chiriquí and nestled between Volcán Barú, the tallest point in Panama, and the Panama-Costa Rican border, sits Finca Santa Teresa (FST) mighty 237-acres estate, in a stunning forest at 1400-1900m above sea level.
FST produce a range of premium specialty coffees, including Gesha, Caturra, Catuai and Pacamara varietals, and service multiple processes. Their Gesha varietal is a regular finalist in the Best of Panama competition, with more than a dozen awards in the last decade.The terroir that the farm sits on – rich volcanic soils, high altitude, weather systems driven by the Pacific and Atlantic and a series of ridges and valleys – drives coffee redolent of honeysuckle, lychee and strawberries.
This lot undergoes the traditional washed method where the cherries are sorted straight after picking and then placed into water floatation tanks. Pulping process begins where the flesh of the fruit is mechanically removed from the bean, leaving the mucilage layer intact. These are then placed into another larger water tank where fermentation occurs. The coffees are then washed again and lay to dry on raised bed under the dry altitude sun. Such hard work put in to create a unique sweetness along with high-altitude acidity, we are proud to be supporting and buying from this farm since 2014. You should be too!
Award winning and internationally acclaimed blend, Dutch blend is balanced, nuanced and produced a delicious cup which is highly recommended for espresso based beverages. Designed to bridge the gap between the flavours of comfort (Brazil) and exoticness (Ethiopian), Dutch Blend allows a consumer new to the specialty coffee world to cross over without feeling the culture shock on the palate.
This latest edition of 2021 will be a palate teaser with the process of Aerobic Natural from Brazil giving the impression that one is drinking a Natural processed Ethiopian, and the cleanest and juiciest of Ethiopian that we have ever encountered. Fruity yet not sour, chocolaty yet not bitter and a good mouthfeel that is 'not at your face' kind of body or profile. Enough said, please enjoy!
Here in Dutch Colony, we do take our decaf seriously. Each year, we source only great tasting caffeine-free coffees which are decaffeinated through a chemical-free process; either the Swiss Water or the Mountain Water process. Through this method only, you are guaranteed a delicious cup of decaf coffee which promises not to compromise on flavour and quality. Truly a coffee that can be enjoyed all night long.
In this 2nd edition of Midnight Run, we have selected the delicious single origin from Finca Nueva Esperanza, a farm inherited by Alan Moreno in 2010 which have gained traction since 2015 and well noted for their excellence and as an example of ‘best practices’ for specialty coffee in Mexico.
Going through a special and unique non-chemical process uses clear pure waters from the highest mountain in Mexico, the Pico de Orizaba, known as Citlatepetl in the local indigenous language. The process works by immersing the green beans in water to extract the caffeine content. The water preserves the soluble flavour components of the green beans, helping to protect the original characteristics of the coffee. The Mountain Water Process is patented and is also Organically and Kosher certified.
So there you have it, three very different coffees that suit the mood and palate at different occasion or parts of the day. If you, like all of us in Dutch Colony is a espresso fanatic, start your day with a Dutch Blend espresso as a perk me up coffee, refreshen yourself with the Panama espresso as a lift me up coffee after lunch and the Midnight Run as your night cap, the decaffeinated espresso option keeping you happy with no risk of a sleepless night. Don't say we never 'jio'.