tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58956608168846535312024-03-12T21:38:48.712-04:00Len's Coffee<a href="http://www.lenscoffee.com"><b>Click here to go back to the main website.</b></a>Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-35679519901380785942021-02-09T17:36:00.003-05:002021-02-09T17:36:55.434-05:00New Brazil Microlots<p><b>E</b>ach year, we buy an entire container of beans from Brazil. Since 2008, the Adrano has been the flagship of these origins, winning many International and Golden Bean USA awards. But every year we also sample "guest coffees" from related farms in the Poços de Caldas growing region.</p><p>This region is a volcanic caldera, meaning a collapsed cone. It is incredibly fertile and features many healing hot springs that draw tourists from around the world (or did before covid-19, anyway).</p><p>Our other main origin from this region is <a href="https://lenscoffee.com/brazil-st-domingos-volcano-coffee-from-pocos-de-caldas/" target="_blank">Saint Domingos</a>. The Saint Domingos is distinguished from the Adrano as a selection of farm lots that tend to be chocolatey, low acid, high in body, and very smooth. Adrano has a deeper, darker taste with a medium acidity and tends to be bolder in most roast levels. </p><p>The one microlot that we continue to carry year after year is the <a href="https://lenscoffee.com/brazil-santa-izabel-volcano-coffee-from-pocos-de-caldas-new-crop-2020/" target="_blank">Santa Izabel</a>. This is the coffee with the most mineral-rich, volcanic soil profile, and we use it not only as a single origin but in many of our blends and espressos. 2021 is now the 6th year we have continued the Santa Izabel.<br /></p><p>This year, in the summer of 2020, we purchased three new microlots along with the original three origins. </p><p><b>André Sanches Bourbon Arabica Suprema</b></p><p>André Sanches was a pioneer in the coffee industry in the Poços de Caldas region, and was awarded more local medals in competition than any other farmer in the region over the years. In the last decade, his son has taken over the farm and continues to produce amazing coffees.<br /></p><p>The <a href="https://lenscoffee.com/brazil-volcano-coffee-andre-sanches-bourbon-suprema-microlot/" target="_blank">Bourbon Arabica Suprema</a> is genetically similar to the Bourbon (pronounced <i>Burr-bone</i>, after the French island where it originated) that is found commonly in Vietnam.</p><p>Recent genetic tests have confirmed that Bourbon and Typica were the
main seeds taken from Ethiopia to Yemen. From Yemen, French Jesuits imported it to Bourbon Island, today called La Réunion island, and later it found its way to Brazil circa 1860. The soil of South American seems particularly suited to Bourbon. </p><p>We had fallen in love with the rich, buttery profiles of Vietnamese Bourbon Arabicas, so we quickly adopted this unique lot that was "extra-selected" from the farms production as the ripest and most robust beans of the lot... hence the "Suprema" designation we have given it.</p><p>Bourbon Arabica is slow to mature as green coffee, and is best after it has rested 6-12 months, when it finally has time to convert its sugars more fully into flavor elements. Likewise, it is slow to rest after roasting. While it is generally accepted that Arabicas are at their peak between 3 days and 6 weeks after roasting (if stored in vacuum or nitrogen), Bourbon Arabica is unique in having a maturation peak period of at least 7 days after roasting, up to 3 months if properly sealed.</p><p>It is our opinion that properly aged and rested Bourbon begins to approach Kopi Luwak and other flagship coffees like Geisha in pure satisfaction for the taste buds. It is a full-palate delight with a very smooth finish. Its high body also makes it a perfect base for well-balanced espressos.</p><p>When roasting a fine Bourbon like this at home, be sure to be patient with its rest period. Patience definitely is rewarded!</p><p><b>Rancho Feliz</b></p><p>Red and Yellow Catuai Arabica is grown on a farm surrounded by a river
and conservation land by Wagner Campos Palmeira Júnior, the owner of
Fazenda Rancho Feliz since 2012, when he acquired the farm. Since then
he has been engaged in the production of quality coffees, investing in
infrastructure and implementing new management techniques. This coffee
is a mix of Red and Yellow Catuai (Arabica).<br /> <br />We were impressed
with the fragrance and rich taste profile of this completely "natural"
process... the cherries are sun-dried and then after peeling, the beans
with their husks on are sun-dried for days until they reach perfect
humidity. This slow process imparts much of the taste in the fruit back
into the beans, and creates a complexity that washed coffees cannot
match.</p><p>This coffee is best suited to Medium and Dark levels of roasting and can quickly loose dimension if over-roasted, so we have taken great care to preserve the nuances in our Medium and Harlequin Roasts that hit the sweet spots. We currently have the Harlequin Roast <a href="https://lenscoffee.com/brazil-varginha-region-rancho-feliz-arabica-sale/" target="_blank">on sale here</a>.<br /></p><p><b>The Go01 Alcides Microlot</b></p><p>GO01 is a natural coffee produced in Alcides's farm in Andradas, close to the caldera. We were stunned at its complexities and the taste profile when combining two roast of slight differences, such as City and Full City.</p><p>We have actually chosen to introduce this microlot in blends rather than under its own name, partly because we know it's hard for customers to follow all these different origins and distinguish between them. So coffees like our <a href="https://lenscoffee.com/jaz-improv-panda-blend/" target="_blank">JAZ Improv : Panda</a> feature our favored harlequin two-temperature roast of this origin. Panda has been a big hit and has been roasted 5 times so far. We have made it a permanent member of the JAZ Improv series, since so many customers have told us how much they love it.</p><p>----</p><p>So many coffees, so little time! We hope this round-up of our current Brazil offerings has been entertaining and informative! Find your new favorite coffee today!<br /></p>Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-32815675360676489292020-03-30T17:38:00.001-04:002020-03-30T17:38:13.961-04:00We Can All Help!These are challenging times. We all can do something to help, whether it is just to bring a little cheer to a shut-in, or provide PPE to first responders and health care workers. And in our case, we will do both of these things and also commit to bringing you more affordable options for most of our highly popular coffees, including bulk packs with FREE shipping, and a <b><a href="https://lenscoffee.com/budget-page/" target="_blank">constantly-populated new BUDGET PAGE</a> with all coffees at $5 or less.</b><br />
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We are trying to put a wide variety of coffees on the Budget Page in every way we can to save you money during times when we all probably need to cut our budgets on everything, including (sigh) delicious coffee.<br />
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We will be exploring many things that we can do to help, including:<br />
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1. Discount coupons with every sale emailing.<br />
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2. The always-live Budget Page featuring $5 or less coffees with FREE SHIPPING packages. Note that the Free Shipping packages are near the bottom of the page, whereas the $5 coffees are above them.<br />
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3. We have donated some of our face mask inventory to the Beth Israel Hospital Nursing staff to help counter shortages in the hospital for non-coronavirus-patient nursing staff, who are not getting the same level of protection but need it.<br />
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4. We are recruiting people to make surgical-quality masks on sewing machines and supplying them with approved cotton material and filter paper so they can make reasonably effective (and fashionable) face masks. We expect to donate some of these to hospitals, but also we will be making them available to our customers through special <b>Care Packages</b> that you can send to people at risk who might need some delicious coffee and face masks for the times when they need to venture outside.<br />
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These are evolving efforts and we will keep you posted on them! If you have further suggestions as to how we might help, please let us know.<i><b> Coffee's got your back!</b></i><br />
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-<i> Len and the Crew at Len's Coffee</i>Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-76632121513062843972019-04-15T13:49:00.002-04:002019-04-15T13:49:31.672-04:00All That Coffee HypeThere is a lot of hype in the coffee industry. Companies vie for consumer dollars by making false claims or hyping coffee that is not equivalent to the hype. We recently attended SCA, the premier trade show for the coffee industry, in Boston, and made a lot of wonderful contacts from new origins and equipment manufacturers... but were also annoyed by the hype of some others.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkHVudxC-b8-mOS2vlDkSELHiYzf9dfgHHyh-b5WyNwzciulrK3JFXBCG981v5hyphenhyphenTPkIvP7lGpM_HH9m2GRPG3PctzeIEOBkpOG20wUG2R3utSoStnxyl-siB5gRz9jncJxcjwFG0e7w/s1600/SCA2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkHVudxC-b8-mOS2vlDkSELHiYzf9dfgHHyh-b5WyNwzciulrK3JFXBCG981v5hyphenhyphenTPkIvP7lGpM_HH9m2GRPG3PctzeIEOBkpOG20wUG2R3utSoStnxyl-siB5gRz9jncJxcjwFG0e7w/s320/SCA2019.jpg" width="243" /></a><br />
We hope to bring you coffees from some new origins we are exploring, sold by the producers in Direct Trade, and all fabulously delicious. It will take some time after the show to arrange to try these coffees in house. We need to perform R&D on different roast levels so we can offer you the optimal roast options (or blends).<br />
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In regards to the hype, here are the top hypes of the show, and in the industry at this moment:<br />
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Geisha (Arabica subspecies): Ever since a Geisha coffee from Costa Rica won a best of show at SCA, and Starbucks® featured the remainder of that specific lot in their New York locations at $7 a cup, producers have been trying to cash in. What are the facts?<br />
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<b>1. Geisha:</b> (currently misspelled due to popular usage, originally from the Gesha mountains in Africa) is a subspecies with unclear developmental history. It is likely another spontaneous mutation of an Arabica coffee, much like most unique variations we have today, and found its way across the globe, becoming popular in Central America. It is a delightful coffee with a smooth, low acid profile, and citrus tones. Is it inherently "better" or tastier than Bourbon or other subspecies? Depends entirely on your taste and whether the producer gave it special treatment and it grew at high altitude or not. For us, it is too light a profile, and appeals mostly to people with "front palate" preferences.<br />
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The SCA show featured a number of producers of Geisha coffee, who were trying to sell it at about 300% premiums over other species. Is it worth that? We don't feel so, and we don't think our customer base would enjoy spending $50 a pound to drink it.<br />
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Any species or subspecies of coffee can boast superior quality if it is coddled enough, and this is what wins awards. But is every lot of Geisha special? Well, think of the milk-fed 500-pound pumpkin at the county fair. It's a heck of a pumpkin. But not every pumpkin of that seed lot is going to be special.<br />
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Enough, already, on the hype about Geisha, please! <br />
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<b>2. Microlots / unique origins:</b> We saw a lot of people with lovely graphics and presentation trying to get ridiculous prices per OUNCE for coffee, because it was a remote region or subtype. When we sampled it, it was usually an excellent cup of coffee. But at retail it might be $120 a pound. Was it worth $120 a pound? Nothing we tried was. We'd gladly challenge all those microlots in a cupping contest with our best origins on Len's Coffee.<br />
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So, we passed on many of these hyped up coffees, and will pursue connections with honest, hard working farmers looking for fair prices on their wonderful coffees. <b>Stay tuned for some great new origins!</b>Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-77187498301298385282019-01-29T18:09:00.000-05:002019-01-29T18:21:21.996-05:00JAZ Improv Coffees : Great New FunThe restless muse that inspires our coffee R&D here at Len's cannot be contained, it can only be supplicated by periodic forays into uncharted ground.<br />
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When creating a new coffee blend, we often feel restricted by the normal process of testing and marketing to determine if a coffee will succeed and become a part of our permanent lineup. However, what if we take away that concern? What if we had a line of experimental coffees that explored some challenging (and even heroic*) themes involving first analyzing and categorizing each coffee origin's dominant taste characteristics - is it buttery? Is it caramely? Sweet? Citrusy? What dominant notes can we bring out and enhance with natural extracts to create a uniquely intense culinary experience? And then what if we said that we don't care if these coffees have a "career"?<br />
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"<i>Plein air</i>" paintings, sand castles, sidewalk art... none of these are repeatable or even permanent things. They capture an artisanal moment and can be appreciated while they last. That is the essence of <b>JAZ Improv </b>coffees! We also gave them away FREE in the holiday season because to us, they were a celebration of coffee creativity that we wanted to present as a thank you to our wonderful customers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwukjm8xuK2STZ-JI0erT71U4L_W9kIgigAOhidUYRzXxFO33wEVjKGjeq7p29H73PjEineS1t76lZxVn63f4rSMI5eME32WEuFD2tUVtXnYB5BAKlFpzWfj-SanzCpBlcGa_-5eSpmIQ/s1600/Jaz-Pirate-Collage-bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="450" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwukjm8xuK2STZ-JI0erT71U4L_W9kIgigAOhidUYRzXxFO33wEVjKGjeq7p29H73PjEineS1t76lZxVn63f4rSMI5eME32WEuFD2tUVtXnYB5BAKlFpzWfj-SanzCpBlcGa_-5eSpmIQ/s320/Jaz-Pirate-Collage-bags.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Our initial offering : <span style="color: #990000;"><b>JAZ Improv Pirate Series</b></span>, embodied coffee themes that were Caribbean in origin <b>(Parrot Bay / Butter Me Rum)</b> and the coasts of Madagascar <b>(Long Live Libertalia!)</b> and even <b>Polynesia Amnesia.</b> Drawing from our unparalleled diversity in world coffee species and origins, and seeking new achievements in the blending arts, we had a great time and (we think) made some great coffees.<br />
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As of this writing we are working on a 3-coffee theme, <b>JAZ Improv : Traveler Series.</b> These coffees pay homage to culinary treasures from popular world locations and take coffee boldly where it has never gone before. <b>Black Forest Blend</b> captures the mystery of Germany's <i>Der Schwarzwald</i> (Black Forest) with its delightful dark, tart cherry-based desserts. More to come!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1eGnWkBQxo-xcPP22hHGnvWynlnZmDBIJxClc2nnWjkZEs4dtDBD5frEf3sCt0UHnKdNuGAF0WqxTb4zTVNF-NxhgCtUSxWra16pbbaAsiaop75zWHKEmJ_bJ3lJ68TTSp_JM6XI43g/s1600/black-forest-bag-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1eGnWkBQxo-xcPP22hHGnvWynlnZmDBIJxClc2nnWjkZEs4dtDBD5frEf3sCt0UHnKdNuGAF0WqxTb4zTVNF-NxhgCtUSxWra16pbbaAsiaop75zWHKEmJ_bJ3lJ68TTSp_JM6XI43g/s1600/black-forest-bag-sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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We've had many customers ask if they can buy these coffees after their release was over, and we have realized that we should make any remaining stock available to customers at the fun price of only $5 a bag, always... <i>while supplies last</i> on each coffee. So watch for the new <b>JAZ Improv Coffee Page</b>, coming soon, if you are looking for another hit on something that struck your fancy.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>We'll keep creating it if you'll keep drinking it! </i></span></b><br />
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*<i> You wouldn't believe the time and effort and creativity that goes into a new "themed" coffee. Sometimes we experiment with 20 iterations, testing each out with focus groups!</i>Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-42113446820558626462018-05-02T03:19:00.001-04:002018-05-02T03:19:57.407-04:00Direct Trade picks up speedWe are committed to buying our products from suppliers and avoiding middlemen, because traditionally only about 10-20% of the profit of coffee goes to the farmer when he sells to his local brokers. As a result, the lifestyle of coffee farmers is endangered around the globe. Farming families often live a subsistence lifestyle and can't afford schooling or medical care.<br />
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When farmers can find markets in the USA or other "end consumer" regions where buyers will pay them direct the price they ask, farmers get all the profit and the difference is amazing. Children go to school and get medical care, and farming communities stabilize because the life of the farmer looks more attractive and children are less likely to head off to the cities for opportunity, where their lack of education and skills usually results in exploitation.<br />
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Fair Trade does not accomplish the same results, as Fair Trade is based on a margin added to the broker price. The farmer still suffers and often lives in all-consuming debt. Only Direct Trade addresses the farmer's real needs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6M7gYdV8cvhljm2ncjj6lVh9k3ghtaft4W45RqEfIACw-H7-49WCqnbfMxu75OFVwgQaZMmp-pdNnkI1d1IR8hR-0g2XiOCXohsML0kgssvNl2AAXbw2Npp8Jvn34J4IiUa-6hgfcZs/s1600/Yellow-gold-Len-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6M7gYdV8cvhljm2ncjj6lVh9k3ghtaft4W45RqEfIACw-H7-49WCqnbfMxu75OFVwgQaZMmp-pdNnkI1d1IR8hR-0g2XiOCXohsML0kgssvNl2AAXbw2Npp8Jvn34J4IiUa-6hgfcZs/s1600/Yellow-gold-Len-300.jpg" /></a>We have campaigned for Direct Trade since our founding in 2005, and the noise we created seems to be helping bring about a sea change in the way buyers are seeing producers. Dozens of wonderful programs have opened up to empower farmers by improving their crops and methods and giving them access to major markets. Some of these programs are run by the large milling companies, who are beginning to realize (belatedly) that what is good for farmer communities is good for their own business. Others are run by third-party groups who make this their mission.<br />
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All told, the amount of coffee being purchased through Direct Trade has skyrocketed in the last two years, and it's beginning to have an impact of farming communities around the world. As we like to say, the USA/Canada coffee market is so big that <b>if every North American coffee consumer had one cup of Direct Trade coffee a day, more than 10 million people around the globe would enjoy a better lifestyle, and millions of children would have a brighter future.</b><br />
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It's such an easy way to make a major difference in the world. Enjoy your cup of Direct Trade coffee from Len's Coffee today, and know that the smile it puts on your face is echoed somewhere in the coffee lands on a child's face.Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-23938059881356720442018-03-30T11:18:00.004-04:002018-03-30T12:55:44.565-04:00The Coffee Cancer Warning Flap in CaliforniaWell, apparently our next few months will be spent answering questions about this court ruling. First thing to remember is that rulings by courts have no informative value in terms of what reality is; it only means the plaintiff was able to successfully get a ruling in their favor.<br />
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In the case of the coffee cancer warning, the ruling means that studies that show that feeding <span class="" style="color: #9929bd;"><b class=""><span style="color: black;"> acrylamide </span></b><span class=""><span style="color: black;">(a natural substance occurring in many foods, and coffee after roasting<span style="color: #9929bd;">)</span> in very high doses (</span></span></span><span class="" style="color: #9929bd;"><span class=""><span style="color: black;">1,000-100,000 times the amount people get through their diet) into mice can cause cancer, trump the evidence that coffee can help people live longer (as a recent NIH study confirmed), because nobody has yet performed a study that PROVES that mice live longer when they drink coffee :-)</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="" style="color: #9929bd;"><span class=""><span style="color: black;">(Note: For decades people avoided saccharin artificial sweetener because of studies done on rats, until more recent studies showed that the physiology of rats is different enough from humans that saccharin actual poses no known risk. Studies of this type are becoming increasingly suspect.) </span></span><br />
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<span class="" style="color: #9929bd;"><span class=""><span style="color: black;">Now we are getting tons of inquiries as to whether our coffee has acrylamide. Of course it does. All coffee that is roasted does. <b>(Acrylamide is found in hundreds of foods, such as prunes, cereals, roasted potatoes, etc.)</b> So now it is up to consumers whether they want to believe studies that show mice get cancer when injected with it are more valuable than the many studies done by the NIH and the National Cancer Institute and others, that show that coffee is overall a healthy contributor to diet.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="" style="color: #9929bd;"><span class=""><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="" style="color: #9929bd;"><span class=""><span style="color: black;">Since the media will go absolute rabid with articles about the cancer warning, we don't need to provide links to that here. Instead, for any of our customers who would like more information, we suggest these links that support the overall health benefits of coffee: </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-study-finds-coffee-drinkers-have-lower-risk-death"><i><span class=""><span style="color: black;">https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-study-finds-coffee-drinkers-have-lower-risk-death</span></span></i></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeinated-coffee-the-anti-cancer-wonder-drug"><cite>www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeinated-coffee-the-anti-cancer-wonder-drug</cite></a><br />
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<span class=""><span style="color: black;">We will also reproduce here the conclusion of the NIH study (the National Institute of Health is largely considered the most reliable agency in the country regarding consumer health):</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><i>"Older adults who drank coffee — caffeinated or decaffeinated — had a
lower risk of death overall than others who did not drink coffee,
according a study by researchers from the National Cancer Institute
(NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and AARP.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #660000;"><i>Coffee drinkers were less likely to die from heart disease,
respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes, and
infections, although the association was not seen for cancer. These
results from a large study of older adults were observed after
adjustment for the effects of other risk factors on mortality, such as
smoking and alcohol consumption. Researchers caution, however, that they
can't be sure whether these associations mean that drinking coffee
actually makes people live longer. The results of the study were
published in the May 17, 2012 edition of the New England Journal of
Medicine."</i></span><br />
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And also this study by Swedish institute:<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><i>"Coffee drinkers enjoy not only the taste of their coffee but also a
reduced risk of cancer with their cuppa. New research shows that
drinking coffee specifically reduces the risk of antiestrogen-resistant
estrogen-receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer. "</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510211602.htm"><i>https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510211602.htm</i></a><br />
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And this one from American Gastroenterological Association:<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><i>"Coffee consumption reduces risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, by about 40 percent, according to an up-to-date meta-analysis. Further, some data indicate that three cups of coffee per day reduce liver cancer risk by more than 50 percent."</i></span><br />
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Currently, the U.S. federal government <b>does not</b> classify acrylamide as a carcinogen when it’s in food.<br />
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If consumers have concerns about acrylamine, which apparently is the new latest thing to worry about, note that it is primarily formed when applying the highest heat. Which means that Dark Roast coffee will have more than Light Roast. It also means that green bean extracts are not considered a source of the substance because the beans are boiled at 212 degrees F.<br />
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Consumers have a confusing volume of studies and facts to face in learning about the health of coffee. It's a personal decision that we will all need to make as to what evidence we believe.<br />
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We personally believe that coffee is not a miracle drug that can cure cancer. We also don't believe that anybody has ever shown evidence of coffee in humans causing increased mortality. We think that in the end, it will be decided that coffee has many health-giving properties that seem to balance out any negative effects. Only time will tell if our own beliefs will be shown to be true, and the debate will probably go back and forth forever. Meanwhile, we will brew ourselves a delicious cup of COFFEE and carry on.<br />
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If you decide to avoid coffee because of acrylamide, you might want to just stop eating altogether. Here is a partial list of products with acrylamides: prunes, cereals (the biggest source in the American diet), bread, crackers, roasted potatoes, roasted nuts, olives, cocoa & chocolate, chili, tortillas, frogs legs, candied yams, pretzels, popcorn, veggie chips (has 6x as much as roasted coffee), peanut butter, pecan frangipan, pies, onion soup, Terra veggie chips... and my personal favorite, Lamb Weston Inland Valley Fajita Fries (not!).<br />
<br />Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-29798315589917680372017-12-09T13:06:00.000-05:002017-12-09T13:06:07.849-05:00The Happy Place and Saigon Legend Civet<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvshPfMc-mmTbeGaR7hYXyXz2w4Yi9YKQWDheAuD1wIFkREbwCLgxo_jyzBXpCaIZw-iSDUJEk-1x0Tj8yJDq-nNB1xEJjsZW_-VnUjCBNZ24zv-_aXbE2F20KK4CeMlQJ808h6yXh3tk/s1600/Cascara-hibiscus-tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cascara Hibiscus Rooibus Blend" border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="710" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvshPfMc-mmTbeGaR7hYXyXz2w4Yi9YKQWDheAuD1wIFkREbwCLgxo_jyzBXpCaIZw-iSDUJEk-1x0Tj8yJDq-nNB1xEJjsZW_-VnUjCBNZ24zv-_aXbE2F20KK4CeMlQJ808h6yXh3tk/s320/Cascara-hibiscus-tea.jpg" title="Cascara Hibiscus Rooibus Blend" width="216" /></a>We can't stop drinking these. Big hit at the Open House today... The Happy Place Cascara/Hibiscus Blend is astounding hot plain or as a latte, 50/50 with milk. Possibly the highest anti-oxidant drink on the planet at this point, with a tangy, fruity flavor that is out of this world. <a href="http://lenscoffee.com/the-happy-place-cascara-coffee-fruit-rooibos-and-hibiscus/" target="_blank">Cascara Hibiscus Rooibos Blend</a> uses only three ingredients: Coffee Cascara (dried fruit), Hibiscus flowers, and Rooibos African tea. It comes with 6 brew bags to make it easily, and a recipe for a stunningly delicious latte.<br />
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The new <span style="color: #660000;"><b>Saigon Legend: Civet Edition</b></span> is our "Magnum Opus" for 2017. It is the culmination of our research into the best coffee blends of Golden-Bean-Award-Winning Arabicas plus 20% genuine Philippine Civet Coffee from the "pampered Pet" plantation at Julia Campbell Forest Preserve in the Philippines. It is definitely a case of Happy Mouth, with its smooth body, chocolatey tones and haunting persistence on the palate.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4k_k467rAnKHwrFQwIzP6FCvdTa0rU-iFgeV4N9k1cpVcnNkMNFhWiwYzvoaRsJJUEELw-NidRSLEaP8TVv5y0i31tDxIm_XzXqqjHOtKIjw4iJ40HcvuWw_EAb1Dbmq23jQMM6R8VI/s1600/Legend-pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="It's packed in a pillow!" border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1423" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4k_k467rAnKHwrFQwIzP6FCvdTa0rU-iFgeV4N9k1cpVcnNkMNFhWiwYzvoaRsJJUEELw-NidRSLEaP8TVv5y0i31tDxIm_XzXqqjHOtKIjw4iJ40HcvuWw_EAb1Dbmq23jQMM6R8VI/s320/Legend-pillow.jpg" title="Saigon Legend: Civet Edition" width="320" /></a><br />
We created a cute <a href="http://lenscoffee.com/pillow-boxed-saigon-legend-civet-edition/" target="_blank">Pillow Pack</a> for small gifting or trying this extraordinary coffee. It includes a color insert with anecdotes about the coffee and its origins.<br />
We also have a full size 8-oz bag in an attractive gloss gift box and 8 oz bags on their own. We made a small number of ground bags (we prefer the whole bean for ultimate freshness, as sometimes people will hold onto gifts for a long time waiting for that special moment to brew them... sigh). So mostly we have it in whole bean.<br />
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This is a definite Bucket List coffee. <br />
<br />Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-16056332287914499262017-10-13T01:14:00.001-04:002017-10-13T01:17:02.290-04:00Persistent Coffee Myths #142: Uniform Particle Size of Grind is Good<br />
We had a customer walk in today who told us he read an interesting article about how you could achieve a more consistent particle size when grinding your beans if you freeze the beans first... Okay, where do we start?<br />
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First of all, please... never put coffee in the freezer. The foil and plastic bags get brittle at that temperature and allow the coffee to soak up odors from the freezer. What do you have sitting next to that coffee? Fish, garlic spinach... whatever it is, that's what your next cup of coffee will taste like. Coffee is one of nature's most efficient odor-absorbing substances, which is why they use spent coffee grinds to clean the floors in fish rendering plants. Yes, eeeeew. Also, freezers are not cold enough to stop the normal oxidation process, so it doesn't even help to keep your coffee fresh.<br />
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Somewhere at some time, some burr grinder manufacturer popularized the notion that burr grinders make uniform particles when they grind, and that uniform particles are for some reason optimum when brewing. There are two points to this, and both are wrong.<br />
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<b>1. Burr grinders do not make uniform particle size.</b> They do make a MORE uniform overall size than small countertop types, but not by much. I enjoy grinding some beans in our $900 Bunn burr grinder and showing it to customers along with some I ground in a $15 small blade grinder. They can readily see tons of "fines" in both samples. It is a comment on human nature that somebody makes this claim, and everybody copies and pastes and re-blogs it, but they never actually look at samples from both grinder types to see if it's true. It's simply not true.<br />
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<b>2. Uniform particle sizes do not improve an average brewing.</b> If you are lucky, it might improve the occasional brewing. This is simple math: Coffee grinds have a "sweet spot" for brew time. In a Press, that sweet spot is maybe 20 seconds, and is affected by the humidity that day, the temperature of your water, whether you stir it or not, etc. Since this sweet spot is very hard to hit on the button, except for odd people who want to watch all these variables and use a thermometer and stop watch, we might want to consider the math of non-uniform particle sizes.<br />
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The average person just adds hot water to a press or drip machine or pourover and does not have total control over these variables. That means they are more than likely missing that "sweet spot" most of the time. Now, if you have a 50% variance in particle size, your "sweet spot" gets broadened considerably. Yes, a few particles overbrew, and some underbrew, but here is the final funny thing: That's good. Because any time you are getting exact extraction from one particle size you are not getting as wide a range of elements in your brew as you would otherwise. The positives outweigh the negatives.<br />
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<b>Summary:</b> You will hit a "sweet spot" much more often with non-uniform particle size, and you will get a fuller range of tones extracted from the beans. As often, the simplest methods and the cheapest machines are fine for everyday use and enjoyment.Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-31592766468415547362017-05-21T23:39:00.000-04:002017-05-22T13:12:27.409-04:00New Website Merge and Changes May 25th, 2017<b><span style="color: #660000;">On May 25th we will realize the dream we have been pursuing for several years to unite our three websites under one roof! </span></b><br />
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As most of our long-time customers know, we have had contract restrictions on our reseller products and other issues that resulted in us having three different websites that retailed coffee. That will all be ending on May 25th, 2017, when we unite the whole product line under <a href="http://www.lenscoffee.com/">www.LensCoffee.com</a>!<br />
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We created the Len's Coffee® website in 2015 when we created the Len's Coffee® trademark, as a green, unroasted coffee bean site for home, hobby and commercial roasters, but we had to wait a year for that trademark to be approved and for other changes to take place.<br />
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Now that we are able to bring all our products under one site, Len's will feature our full Trung Nguyen, G7, Bach, Truong Lam, and Indochine Estates coffees as well as our own roasted coffees and blends, the new Cascara line, our Vietnamese teas, brewing accessories, and the full green unroasted coffee bean lines.<br />
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To celebrate, we will be running a <b>Grand Re-Opening Sale</b> on Len's Coffee, beginning May 25th, 2017. <i>Please do not expect the full product line to appear on that site until May25th... we are "Under Construction" and testing for our final big day on Friday.</i><br />
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When the merge takes place you will be able to use your same account (your email address) to log in. It's possible you will be prompted to create a new password... but otherwise you will see no change.<br />
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Hundreds of products of all types on one website... no more confusion or duplication. We hope you are as excited as we are, and will visit www.lenscoffee.com on May25th for the Grand Re-Opening!Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-73239369301729959232017-03-15T16:14:00.006-04:002017-07-07T16:33:56.257-04:00Cascara - Coffee Fruit is Here!I fell in love with coffee fruit while touring the farms we buy our coffee from. The farmers would catch me munching on a coffee cherry and spitting out the seed (what we call the coffee bean) and give me the eye. Many times I asked, "Why aren't we using the fruit?" And I got lots of logical answers - it's hard to collect and handle, nobody wants it, we just use it for good compost, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFi6ojmDKANMowCB1WwZVi_dHrs8pLsz2MlB92-JW_jrerv1B9l9ZJln4b_CM1vJv_UzFystmNqNGI0zklvrBk_hPg6Wls8Yfrtk_Vn5faFQAWYsQekbqzrBXeUavaE7gLcRXjmRpYyMU/s1600/cascara-collage-w-syrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFi6ojmDKANMowCB1WwZVi_dHrs8pLsz2MlB92-JW_jrerv1B9l9ZJln4b_CM1vJv_UzFystmNqNGI0zklvrBk_hPg6Wls8Yfrtk_Vn5faFQAWYsQekbqzrBXeUavaE7gLcRXjmRpYyMU/s320/cascara-collage-w-syrup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Well, thanks to Charbucks and a few others, coffee fruit (Cascara - meaning fruit skins) has finally made its debut in the USA in big volume, after decades and even a few centuries of being a favorite brew or "energy fruit leather" for Roman soldiers as early as the first Millenium. And we personally could not be happier. With 8X the antioxidants of blueberries and more polyphenols and healthy substances like anti-inflammatories and immune boosters than pomegranates, coffee fruit is the delicious way to get the good stuff into your body and mind.<br />
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We are not content to bring it in in just one form... we have the dried flakes, and the "simple syrup" that can be used to flavor espresso lattes and make sparkling sodas, and we have learned a dozen ways to enjoy both products.
Cascara in any form has a truly unique taste that stands alone. With notes of honey, hibiscus, cherries and tamarind, it soon takes a place in the familiar lexicon of flavors that you crave. We've had to give our helpers here their own supply of cascara because they just can't get enough of it.<br />
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While it is delicious simply brewed hot as a tea or infusion, it pairs incredibly well with tart flavors like lemon, and it really kicks up any cup of coffee or espresso, which is why it's first introduction to most people was as a Cascara Espresso Latte.
It is so versatile you can find many ways to brew or mix it, from Italian-style sparkling soda to iced teas, spiced teas, coffee espresso lattes, and as a flavoring for yogurt, pancakes, and a cocktail ingredient.<br />
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You will have a lot of fun with this! Look for our special "try me" prices on <a href="http://lenscoffee.com/coffee-by-type/coffee-fruit-cascara/" target="_blank">Cascara flakes</a> and syrup in the next few weeks.Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-76148364408231795742016-10-23T22:54:00.001-04:002016-10-23T22:54:20.065-04:00Costa Rica Estate coffee wins two Golden Bean North America Awards!<img src="https://vietnamese-coffee.com/product_images/uploaded_images/gbnaweblogo-285x300.png" />
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We are pleased to see that our Costa Rica Estate beans have joined our Brazil Adrano beans as winners in the prestigious Golden Bean competition in the USA. Golden Bean is one the world's largest and most-respected competitions, running for two years in Australia and now two years in the USA.
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We don't have the full details yet, but the Estate beans were the base in two espresso categories.winning a <strong>2016 Silver and Bronze</strong>. We were inspired by the care taken in developing winning roasts for the competition, and we went into the R&D room and worked for days on a new roast to see if we can expand on our previous single Medium Roast level.
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The original Medium Roast was determined to be our optimal roast for the beans before, but we wanted to add something with a bolder and wider taste profile. The result is the new <strong>Harlequin Master Roast</strong>, in which we slow-roast the base to Dark level and then use a normal roast time for 33% of the beans at City Roast (Light/Medium).
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We are loving the new roast, hot or iced! To celebrate we are putting the <a href="http://vietnamese-coffee.com/costa-rica-dota-tarrazu-estate-coffee-roasted/">Costa Rica Estate beans on sale</a> for the rest of October, so that everybody has an extra reason to try this amazing coffee now.
</p>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137157061120082727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-14860493587351794812015-11-25T01:05:00.000-05:002015-11-25T01:05:44.085-05:00Papua New Guinea bean sourcing is classic charitable direct tradeWe love our newest coffee, Papua New Guinea wild-grown organic coffee from Morombe province, at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. In recent years Papua New Guinea coffee has been hard to come by because the isolated highlands have been cut off by deteriorating infrastructure, and mostly, bandits who prey on farmers bringing their beans down to the coastline ports for sale.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOncmf5jKr45JeMWQjh_LsWgoDPyD1yX7uMfV1RUHyleezliQgpsPjlQRhmk-Dzz_w0HFAU2Si5PYFmwxldkLbNlxG2Ld7S2u-tBSXurcGCTpjMWsateRy46k4kFaYDgo7j1iyD0aE2qY/s1600/papua-new-guinea-plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOncmf5jKr45JeMWQjh_LsWgoDPyD1yX7uMfV1RUHyleezliQgpsPjlQRhmk-Dzz_w0HFAU2Si5PYFmwxldkLbNlxG2Ld7S2u-tBSXurcGCTpjMWsateRy46k4kFaYDgo7j1iyD0aE2qY/s320/papua-new-guinea-plane.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Most of the Papua New Guinea coffee we see for sale has been sourced through illegitimate channels, "whitewashed" by using a registered broker for the final trade outside the country. But that is coffee with blood on the hands of those who sell it, because it is often stolen from farmers who are physically harmed in the process. Papua New Guinea coffee should not be purchased unless the origin can be certified.</p>
<p>That's why we like Butch from Highlands Summit, he is a bush pilot who flies a Cessna into an airstrip that his company created so they can actually fly the sacks of beans out in the belly of the plane, and on the return trip he brings medical supplies and food and necessities purchased in trade for coffee from the coastal cities. This three-way trade provides a wonderful humanitarian program for otherwise isolated and deprived villagers.</p>
<p>We are bringing in two grades of coffee. The first we call Grade A, and it is not screened for size. It has small beans and also gigantic beans, which is typical of this varietal growing wild from plantings established from Jamaica Blue Mountain stock over 100 years ago. We've had many customers tell us they prefer this naturally diversified varietal more than the expensive Jamaica Blue Mountain beans they have been purchasing elsewhere.</p>
<p>The other grade is the rare PSC-AA, which is screened for size and drops out the smaller beans and most of the peaberries, for an extremely uniform roasting experience. PSC-AA grade is recognized as one of the top 10 superior gradings around the world and is very hard to find.</p>
<p>Both grades have exquisite taste. The coffee is complex with fruity notes and a spicy aroma, and is super-smooth with wonderful body. Everybody loves this coffee! It's one of the rare treats we ourselves serve to guests and brew up on special occasions. We know you will love it!</p>Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-6636904797927128142015-07-21T17:06:00.000-04:002015-07-21T17:06:37.201-04:00Brazil Brazil Brazil Brazil
It's the country with so much coffee we had to name it four times! Actually, we did that because we have taken in a new crop of coffees to complement our fan favorite, the Brazil Adrano.<p>
These new 2015 crops are artfully selected from the best of the best. Certified as one of the world’s best volcanic terroirs, and home to rich mineral springs reputed to have healing abilities, Poços de Caldas is a quintessential volcanic growing region.</p><p>
The primary Arabica variety in these origins is Mundo Novo, a quintessential Latin American variety that forms the base of the world's most popular brands of coffee used in cafés, donut shops and restaurants. Here are a few tips on how to pick your favorite Brazilian:
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<b>Adrano</b><br>
Our favorite in the Deep Forest Roast, this is an intensely buttery coffee with so much rich caramel tone that we call it the coffee that is perfect for having with dessert... and you don't even need the dessert! Pleasantly acidic but smoother than polished glass, this is one of our staff favorites.
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<b>St. Domingos</b><br>
Another registered profile of the Volcano Origin Coffee Co., St. Domingos is the coffee of choice for those who want to drink a naturally sweet coffee without the need for sugar. Perfect for icing and suitable for any time of day, St. Domingos is high in body and milk chocolate tones. What's not to love?
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<b>Santa Izabel</b><br>
A true Microlot from D'Alva Family Farm, an oft-awarded, highly renowned producer who has nailed the quintessential high-mineral, super-rich volcanic terroir of the Poços de Caldas with their new Santa Izabel offering. You have never tasted a coffee like this before! This is not a coffee to be trifled with, sit down and savor every sip.
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<b>Veneza</b><br>
The "sleeper" coffee produced as a base coffee for coffee shop house blends and espressos, the favorable climate last season created an out-sized performance for what was intended to be a modest coffee. Veneza is an affordable trip to volcano coffee country, with a balanced profile that works hot or cold.
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We hope you enjoy our <a href="http://vietnamese-coffee.com/coffee_brazil_shop.php"><b>Brazil Tour</b></a> of four of the best coffees produced in Brazil this year. We will be featuring 4-ounce sample giveaways in our monthly emails (go to the Contact Page to sign up to receive these mailings for Preferred Customers), and running special prices on these roasted and green coffees all summer. Enjoy!</p>Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-78334213744070218822015-05-18T00:11:00.000-04:002015-05-18T00:11:01.734-04:00Tarrazu origin gets new validation
For decades it has been generally known that the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica as an origin name for coffee is a very specific (and relatively small) region at the highest altitude of the canton of Tarrazu in Costa Rica. A canton is what we might call a "state" in the USA. The canton of Tarrazu is large and covers the area from the West Coast at sealevel to the highest altitudes of the mountains. But there are three counties at the highest altitude, which have a unique terroir and climate. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vietnamese-coffee.com/images/costa-rica-dota-roasted-bag250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.vietnamese-coffee.com/images/costa-rica-dota-roasted-bag250.jpg" /></div></a><p>Coffee from these three provinces, which are Dota, Leon Cortes and Tarrazu (county) are grown at such a high altitude that they are always Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) and are generally superior to anything that can be grown at the lower altitudes in less-favored regions climatically. Dota in particular has been certified by geological surveys to have one of the top growing region profiles in the world.</P>
<p>Our Costa Rica Estate and Nectar coffees are from Dota and are grown at altitudes of 4800-6200 feet. Less than 1% of the world's coffee is grown at such a high altitude, and Dota is further distinguished by having one of the best soil qualities available for coffee - a combination of old volcanic soil and minerals mixed with rain forest organic material and clay.</p><p>We are proud and pleased to see the latest decision in the courts of Costa Rica in the battle for the purity of the Tarrazu appelation in regards to coffee. We guarantee that you will always find our <a href="http://www.vietnamese-coffee.com/coffee_costa_rica_shop.php">Costa Rica Dota Estate coffee</a> to be the Best of the Best!</p>Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-41453944006162769072015-02-18T12:00:00.000-05:002015-02-18T12:00:14.891-05:00New Tea: Phuc Long (Including Lotus Tea!)<h3>
How It Came To Pass</h3>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.trung-nguyen-online.com/images/phuc-long-lotus-canister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.trung-nguyen-online.com/images/phuc-long-lotus-canister.jpg" height="320" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Phuc Long Lotus Tea</i></td></tr>
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Long ago in days of yore, Trung Nguyen had a tea company called Tra Tien. They sold loose-leaf Vietnamese green tea in three varieties: classic green, jasmine green, and lotus green.<br />
Then Tra Tien got discontinued. We searched and found a good replacement for the classic and jasmine green tea, but couldn't find any lotus green tea that held a candle to Tra Tien. Lo, how the streets of Boston did flow with tears. And angry customers--you have no idea how many people used to come by the farmers' market looking for iced lotus tea!<br />
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For years, we despaired of finding another awesome lotus tea. We would not settle! Only the best for you.<br />
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Then, we found Phuc Long. And it outshines even our memory of Tra Tien lotus tea. And there was much rejoicing. (Also giggling. Say "Phuc Long" out loud with an American accent and you'll see why--but not if your boss/kids are listening!)<br />
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A Somewhat Less Silly Account of Lotus Tea</h3>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Jasmine_tea2_close-up.jpg/330px-Jasmine_tea2_close-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Jasmine_tea2_close-up.jpg/330px-Jasmine_tea2_close-up.jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Basket of tea and jasmine buds. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmine" target="_blank">Source: Wikipedia</a></i></td></tr>
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Most people are familiar with jasmine tea; if not jasmine tea, then jasmine rice, or, if all else fails, jasmine perfume. The jasmine flower is used to scent a wide variety of items because it's one of the nicest-smelling flowers in the world.<br />
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To make jasmine tea properly (without additives), the tea leaves are mixed with the flowers in baskets or trays. Tea is highly absorbent of aromas, and the leaves quickly pick up the sweet scent of jasmine. This process may be repeated multiple times to make a stronger-scented tea. Once the flowers have imparted their aroma to the tea, they are separated from the tea by blowing them with giant fans--the lighter flowers blow away from the heavier tea leaves.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Sacred_lotus_Nelumbo_nucifera.jpg/330px-Sacred_lotus_Nelumbo_nucifera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Sacred_lotus_Nelumbo_nucifera.jpg/330px-Sacred_lotus_Nelumbo_nucifera.jpg" height="292" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lotus blossom. Note the yellow stamens in the center.</i></td></tr>
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Lotus tea is made the same way, but with lotus flowers. Specifically, the golden stamens from the center of the flower.<br />
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These huge, magenta-pink flowers have a much subtler aroma than jasmine, one that is unfamiliar to most Americans but popular in Vietnam. It tends to taste different to everybody, but most describe it as reminiscent of chamomile, vanilla, or even a hint of anise,<br />
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Lotus tea also has a fuller mouthfeel and a slight natural sweetness. The aroma is not ruined by adding a splash of milk or packet of sugar, either, which is a bonus for those of us who love a milk tea.<br />
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It's also one of the best iced teas we have ever tried. It was incredibly popular back when we used to sell glasses of iced tea at markets, even with children who weren't normally fans of tea.<br />
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<a href="http://vietnamese-coffee.com/tea_green_shop.php#phuclong">To shop for Phuc Long teas, including lotus tea, click here.</a>Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-68855013104117110862015-02-03T17:30:00.000-05:002015-02-03T17:30:01.411-05:00That's a lot of snow...Recently we have been inundated, here in Boston, with almost 4 feet of snow spanning three storms in about 10 days. We now have plowed piles of snow topping 10 feet around our building! We have certainly experienced some delays in shipping, partly due to closing by UPS and the Post Office.<br />
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But generally the delays are only 1-2 business days on our end. We can't see yet what might be happening on the delivery end... hopefully people are getting their coffee and tea in a timely manner.<br />
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We apologize for the delays and hope everybody will have patience with us as we cope with this record-breaking weather extreme. If another storm comes in any time soon we will have to resort to shipping the snow to someplace else -- there is no more room for it here! (Hmm... I wonder how much snow will fit in a USPS Flat Rate box...)Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-11461567693812409682014-12-18T00:33:00.000-05:002014-12-18T00:33:41.248-05:00Green Beans and Home Roasting<br />
It's all the buzz this year! If you aren't, you probably know somebody who is. Here are some tips and updates on our products for home roasting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe3kxiv6WXBNqQWC_ZhbVYU3Nr3syN6YyetdK0Gs33K9B1krjQsyQhYoCzZiQTyyly-pjQUgkNLNEmhtftaViha4FaMcc5tr9H7cVzs9lgWpQ3Zy6I_dNBtfE1ynOdgB8EHRzCpYHiBM/s1600/green-vietnamese-coffee-kit200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Green Unroasted Vietnamese Coffee Kit" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe3kxiv6WXBNqQWC_ZhbVYU3Nr3syN6YyetdK0Gs33K9B1krjQsyQhYoCzZiQTyyly-pjQUgkNLNEmhtftaViha4FaMcc5tr9H7cVzs9lgWpQ3Zy6I_dNBtfE1ynOdgB8EHRzCpYHiBM/s1600/green-vietnamese-coffee-kit200.jpg" title="Green Unroasted Vietnamese Coffee Kit" /></a>By far our most popular gifts for home roasters are our special kits. The <b><span style="color: #660000;">World Heritage Green Coffee Kit</span></b> features all four of the remaining unique species of coffee on the planet - Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and Excelsa, with an educational booklet and roasting tips, and 1 oz. roasted samples of the beans as well as your choice of a half-pound or full pound of each of the green coffees.<br />
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And we wouldn't be the world leader in Vietnamese Coffee if we didn't offer the <span style="color: #660000;"><b>Green Unroasted Vietnamese Coffee Kit</b></span>! A traditional blend of Vietnamese Arabica, Robusta and Excelsa ready to roast and enjoy as Cafe Sua Da, hot or cold.<br />
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Or if you want the beans and just the beans, most of our unique coffees are available in green beans, in 1 pound and 3 pound bags. Visit our <a href="http://vietnamese-coffee.com/coffee_home_roaster_shop.php" target="_blank"><b>Green Coffee Page</b></a> to see the full range of offerings.Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-24855273978574163672014-10-03T00:13:00.002-04:002014-10-03T00:13:59.689-04:00Green bean beveragesI just finished watching a video on YouTube about how to make green bean extract. I guess you get what you pay for on Youtube... this unfortunate soul wasted a lot of digital "film" and time making a drink he cheerfully described as "horrible". The problem is, somehow the making of green bean extract has circulated around as a process that requires soaking after boiling the green beans.<br />
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Well, soaking green beans is how you make water-process decaf coffee. Yes, caffeine is a slippery little molecule that is very water soluble. Swiss Water Process coffee involves soaking green beans in already-brewed coffee. The relatively large flavor molecules in the brewed coffee block the flavor from escaping into the brew, but the caffeine is not blocked and freely leeches out. Presto, 97% of the caffeine winds up in the outside liquid while most of the flavor stays inside the bean.<br />
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So, when this hapless fellow instructed his viewers to "turn off the stove after boiling and let the mixture sit for an hour" he was creating a caffeine extract, not green bean extract. Caffeine is a very bitter molecule and that is why low-caffeine coffees have a smoother taste profile. The effect on the body would be more like drinking rocket fuel than something healthy.<br />
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Here's a simple recipe for green bean extract:<br />
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1. Start with green beans that have gone straight from hulling to drying tunnels. Most coffees spend many hours traveling from the huller to the drying tables, causing fermentation. This is not a big issue but it's simply healthier if you are going to drink green beans "straight" to get beans with no fermentation. Our Costa Rica Estate beans are a perfect choice.<br />
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2. Rinse the green beans in a strainer or colander for a minute as you would any fresh food. Then put together in a saucepan one part green beans by volume to about 4 parts water that has been brought to a boil. This ratio does NOT have to be exact.<br />
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3. Boil for about 12 minutes. Then pour off the liquid through a strainer. Let the liquid cool unless you are making a hot beverage.<br />
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4. Add any sort of fruit juice to your preference, we suggest cranberry because a little goes a long way. If the fruit juice is unsweetened you may want to add a little sweetener. You could also mix it with tea.<br />
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5. Drink and enjoy.<br />
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Taste the green bean extract by itself. It should taste a little like dilute pea soup, slightly sweet, and not at all bitter. The drink you make with it should be quite delicious. Ours are!<br />
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If you want to store the green bean liquid for later, put it in the fridge immediately.Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-71701632072159952562014-08-21T13:52:00.000-04:002014-08-21T15:25:37.729-04:00The Making of a Master RoastWhat is a "Master" roast? Or Artisanal roast? To some coffee companies it simply means they take a single-origin coffee and take care to find the optimal roast level for it (to their tastes) and perhaps are super-selective on the bean size and quality. We feel they should do this for every roast!<br />
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For us, a Master Roast should give the consumer something they can't normally get. So, we start with a single-origin base that we really love, then add 1-2 "balancing" coffees to create what we feel is a perfect blend guaranteed to tickle every palate, not just coffee drinkers who happen to hit the button with the single-origin base coffee alone. In this case we were eager to try all three of our super-special Robustas in one blend.<br />
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Then, unlike standard roasting practice, we roast each of these three coffees at its own peak level, testing to find the right level for each... and then we put them together after the roast. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A57lt5Kc34RzHq9XLPOhLvsBntk1DKirE0u_hJjNjcqrinkbjmYbDS1LwyOZ-vCaKx2yoIRJmuFacQWbD5BmNjbCvv7isCXlgQ8evjouDjz5qI2zIWnyXwH_e2gRjbl6xyg4O_YXRYw/s1600/Master-roast-robusta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Master Roast Robusta Dream" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9A57lt5Kc34RzHq9XLPOhLvsBntk1DKirE0u_hJjNjcqrinkbjmYbDS1LwyOZ-vCaKx2yoIRJmuFacQWbD5BmNjbCvv7isCXlgQ8evjouDjz5qI2zIWnyXwH_e2gRjbl6xyg4O_YXRYw/s1600/Master-roast-robusta.jpg" height="320" title="Master Roast Robusta Dream" width="285" /></a></div>
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This month we are featuring <b>"Robusta Dream"</b>. Robusta appeals mostly to people who are "back-palate" oriented, who like low acidity, high body/crema, and good persistence in the memory (retention). Because low-altitude Robustas get a bad rap from people who are not really coffee experts, there are extremely few good Robustas on the market and not one Robusta blend that we know of. But we love being first!<br />
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So, we roasted the beans together in the ratio we wanted - 50% Vietnamese screen 16, 25% Peaberry Dalat, and 25% Bantai super-high altitude Robusta. Then we poured out the beans and see how that temperature point treated each type. Note in the picture that the peaberry (round, unsplit beans) look burnt, while the other sources were two different shades of medium roast. We theorized that the higher sugar content of the Peaberry was causing a burnt sugar effect.<br />
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Next we brewed two lots, one run a little darker than the other, which actually gives us 6 points of reference. We definitely preferred the lighter of the two roasts, where more of the creamy, buttery mouthfeel of the Robusta was better preserved, and the overall taste had more dimensional appeal. The darker roast seemed a little "flat".<br />
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So, by comparing the three color levels and the taste profiles, we determined that it would be good to roast the Peaberry at 15 degrees less, and the other two should be 5 degrees apart (+10, +15) to achieve the best taste on this blend. The result: Robusta Dream. A coffee even the non-Robusta fans really loved. We hope you enjoy this recap of our Robusta Dream Master Roast coffee for this month!<br />
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<a href="http://vietnamese-coffee.com/exclusive_offers.php" rel="nofollow">Click here to shop for this coffee on our Exclusive Offers page.</a></h3>
Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-39173487225239943212014-08-06T14:24:00.000-04:002014-08-06T14:36:15.172-04:00NEW - Guatemalan Antigua blend While visiting a coffee expo in New York we made the acquaintance of people from a wonderful organization working in Guatemala to provide a market for indigenous items, including coffee, jewelry, clothes and crafts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQicPYj5b611ne3Mi6bsoZQzThBefMCyJ-MG0T1Q5zRHZQbvn-BewUzsOWB2MARmj5SosHAFyVuCCQ0J_oDOxuVJVUVkgMiZn8tlo9RTAAaMgCmYFOtjSOzGCd-aL-nVf87o2l309KK8/s1600/antiqua230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQicPYj5b611ne3Mi6bsoZQzThBefMCyJ-MG0T1Q5zRHZQbvn-BewUzsOWB2MARmj5SosHAFyVuCCQ0J_oDOxuVJVUVkgMiZn8tlo9RTAAaMgCmYFOtjSOzGCd-aL-nVf87o2l309KK8/s1600/antiqua230.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antigua Highlands</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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They have created a select blend of coffee from three different regions, primarily Antigua, with a Bourbon Arabica base (they had us at "Bourbon"!). This coffee has all the plusses - it's certified organic, super-high-altitude, shade-grown, sun-dried, direct trade, charitable... and has amazingly rich taste. It's another Latin American coffee we have found that is so smooth and delicious that we are drinking it black or with cream because it just doesn't need to be sweetened (but it plays well with sugar if you want!).<br />
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We are roasting this coffee a little lighter than our standard Full City, it's a bona fide Medium Roast. It's also available green (unroasted) and is a great coffee for a beginning home roaster because it is very forgiving and has several optimal roast points. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do! <a href="http://www.vietnamese-coffee.com/coffee_guatemala_shop.php" target="_blank">Read more here</a>.Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-39731418586859528802014-03-14T17:34:00.001-04:002014-03-14T17:36:33.418-04:00Nicaraguan Coffees from El Recreo Estate Farm<br />
El Recreo Estate farm is located in a region known as 'The Coffee
Triangle', at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level.
Nicaragua’s northern region is the most fertile in the country, with
volcanic soil and luxurious
rainforests.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOr3-W9WiTohcIWP0VMmuXW_QJwmfV-lvJYsH8U00AwkDFAHdtiQgfrSeSUrmIX_bkAwteJK9H67pLomQZebFwY0KJr3ia7tLqab2J4KyZqpFmfJIeLnHeeo9dUniEp-IXr3UDuzuBukc/s1600/el-recreo-baby-seedlings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Nicaraguan coffee nursery" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOr3-W9WiTohcIWP0VMmuXW_QJwmfV-lvJYsH8U00AwkDFAHdtiQgfrSeSUrmIX_bkAwteJK9H67pLomQZebFwY0KJr3ia7tLqab2J4KyZqpFmfJIeLnHeeo9dUniEp-IXr3UDuzuBukc/s1600/el-recreo-baby-seedlings.jpg" height="240" title="El Recreo coffee nursery" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>World-class coffee:</b>
El Recreo placed in the top 10 in the Rainforest Alliance Cupping Quality contest.
We receive the beans unroasted and roast them fresh locally. This is a Caturra variety, which is derivative of Bourbon, an Arabica that we love and our customers are very familiar with - smooth, low in acid, very full palate.<br />
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<b>Environmentally and socially conscious:</b>
El Recreo supports local adult technical education and provides a children's school and a
health center to its workers. 30 families live on the estate and receive medical care
from the health center's doctors and nurses, as well as nutritional and
work safety education.
The estate is Rainforest Alliance certified, and the coffee is grown
under the shade of indigenous hardwood trees.<br />
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Did we mention that the taste is awesome? Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-33974833826732581962014-02-27T14:30:00.000-05:002014-02-27T14:30:05.157-05:00Bach Coffee - new from Vietnam<br />
We are excited to bring new brands from Vietnam to our offerings. While nobody can argue that Trung Nguyen corners the market with their wonderful Creative Coffee series of coffees, they specialize in vacuum-packed, nitrogen-flushed ground coffees that stay super fresh in their packages, but they refuse to export whole bean to us directly. They simply don't believe whole bean is "necessary", and there is no consumer market for it in Asia. So we have to buy our whole bean from them through our agent in the coffee shop distribution channel in Vietnam. That is not working out very well for us, and there is a cost differential because of the extra transactions involved.<br />
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Enter a new generation of fresh coffee companies from Vietnam. The first we will be featuring is Bach Coffee. (No, it's not named after the composer, but a region in Vietnam). They are proud to offer whole bean coffees and are very cooperative to work with. To distinguish themselves, they have adopted a more Western-style air roasting, solving two of the problems we have with the Trung Nguyen whole bean.<br />
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Trung Nguyen whole bean is "wet-roasted", meaning they apply what they call "butter oil" and a little sugar to the roasting pans, because it is needed to make the beans roll properly as they tumble and roast. It also creates the distinctive Vietnamese buttery taste. Oddly enough, they often use lecithin or oil that is not butter-based, but it is still referred to as butter roast. Now, that causes two issues. Vegans can't drink this coffee because it might have butter in it, and the beans wind up being stickier in most grinders and can cause clogging issues. We do get a number of calls on that.<br />
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Bach beans are drier and will work in any grinder and are suitable for vegans.<br />
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But we drink coffee for taste. How good are the Bach coffees? When you pour out the beans from a Bach bag, the first thing you notice is how 100% sound and ripe that are. While a certain percentage of less-than-ripe beans do not ruin the taste of a cup (contrary to a highly publicized myth), 100% ripe beans does make a difference. In general, people have been amazed at how good the Bach coffees are. My personal favorite is the Moc 1, their 100% high-altitude Robusta. This is Vietnamese Robusta at its best, the type of Robusta Italian coffee companies have been secretly sourcing for their top espressos for decades.<br />
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Arabica fans will enjoy the multi-source Arabica (Moc 2) that has Bourbon Arabica sourced from Buon Me Thuot and high-altitude Laotian farms. <br />
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We invite you to try the new Bach coffees and we have obtained a limited number of small 100-gram "trial-size" bags so you can sample more of them without breaking the bank. Bach coffees are numbered 1, 2 and 3, but we call them simply Robusta (100%), Arabica (100%), and Arabica/Robusta Blend (50/50). Amazingly delicious!Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-77698131621547135572014-02-27T13:55:00.003-05:002014-02-27T14:32:38.839-05:00Dangerous Grounds - or Dangerous Ignorance?<br />
Well, I guess we have to laugh (or cry) at the notoriety achieved by Todd Carmichael (of "Dangerous Grounds" television series) for managing to create adventure and pathos around every acquisition of interesting coffee. His latest proclamation is that he is the first to bring Liberica coffee to the USA for us backwards Americans who haven't tasted it since .. well, ever, apparently. Breaking news, Todd, Heirloom Coffee has been bringing the best Liberica coffee from the Philippines to the USA since 2008 and we have been instrumental in assisting in the recovery of this once-endangered species for many years.<br />
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I guess he had to go to Borneo to find it because it wasn't "dangerous enough" to get it from the cradle of the species, the Philippines. Well, welcome to the wonderful world of Liberica coffee, Todd, come on by any time and we will brew a cup for you! ;-)Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-9611012253220400192013-10-23T17:37:00.000-04:002013-10-23T17:37:00.443-04:00Holiday coffeesWe have created the PIE series of coffees! After extensive R&D and finding sources for real, natural ingredients like pumpkin powder, we are introducing the Pie Coffee line this Fall. First in the series was Pumpkin Pie, which sold out quickly. We WILL have a new, greater supply of the Pumpkin Pie Coffee by next week (~October 28) and hope to get a special price posted on our email sale reminder.<br />
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Watch for Apple Pie Coffee and Pecan Pie Coffee... likewise made with all-natural ingredients and no artificial flavors. You will have to supply your own whipped cream!Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5895660816884653531.post-85087167346111076072013-06-13T15:09:00.001-04:002013-06-13T15:09:23.171-04:00Tasting Event at the United Nations Plaza<br />
New York fans of Vietnamese Coffee and Cuisine will enjoy this event. Co-sponsored by An Choi Restaurant in NYC, this presentation features original recipes and foods from Vietnam. Check our famous Red Boat Fish Sauce and get free samples of Legendee coffee to drink and G7 Black to take home: <br />
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<br />Len Braulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07811763074598437843noreply@blogger.com