Organic Blue Krishna Balinese
Last night was the fourth downtown Thursday Night Market, and the downtown streets were full of folks out enjoying an evening on the town. We especially enjoyed the live music, and the singing of our employee Roderick as part of the group Uncle Junior. The kids and I were dancing until the market closed. It was a vibrant scene.
I love the bright colors on this bag.
There are more pictures on our blog here, and Sierra FoodWineArt magazine has a series here. The Outside Inn blog had a write-up on the market here, and there is more information on the Grass Valley Downtown Association page here. The market runs through September 26th, so if you haven’t made it downtown yet, you still have time. We’re open every Thursday night until 8:30 pm, serving coffee drinks hot and cold to keep you going!
This week’s coffee of the week is one of my favorites. I love the flavor, but it has the added allure of arriving in a sack evocative of the islands where it is grown. In fact our staff has been flipping coins to see who gets the empty Balinese burlap bags. What’s not to like about coffee from a tropical island?
This coffee comes from small farmers in Bali, who work in cooperation as part of a Hindu religious group. According to our importer, these farmers are organized in a spirit of “Tri Hita Karana” (see article here), seeking happiness in their relationships between each other, the environment, and God. These are all plants that were established after a volcanic eruption in 1963 wiped out most coffee in Bali.
It might be a stretch to say that the happiness comes out in these beans, but they are certainly well-farmed, and the quality shows in the cup. The coffee is picked by hand, which helps insure optimal ripeness, and left to dry on raised bed. The taste is slightly floral at first, but finishes with the more earthy tones that you might expect of an Indonesian coffee.
Organic Balinese has been an employee favorite since we first brought it in. I’m excited to drink it at the store for the next week: it really has an amazing taste. Come on in and try a cup on us by using the code “employee favorite.”* Enjoy the Nevada County Fair next week!
–Holly Fike
*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Organic Balinese. Code expires on 8.08.13. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. Code/Offer has no cash value.