Brazil Fazenda Sertaozinho Yellow Bourbon

You see that pile of snow in the header picture? That was the beginning of a quinzee hut, that would later be slept in by a group of fifth graders. A quinzee hut (assuming you don’t know–I didn’t) is a snow shelter, rather like a manmade snow cave. You pile up snow, let it settle, and then dig into it while leaving the outside at least two feet deep. It takes a lot of time and work, but the result is pretty spectacular.

Peeking out of the finished quinzee

It was fun to see the perseverance, and excitement, that these kids showed while spending a day shoveling. Well, maybe the excitement came more from the snowmen and other designs and decor they made–one group even built themselves chairs and a “swimming pool.” Over the course of two days, all the kids who chose to got to sleep outside, in their own creation. Pretty cool.

We were gone a total of three days, and the second day we all got a cross country skiing lesson over at Royal Gorge. Some of the kids got quite proficient in the course of the day. By the afternoon over half the group went out for a couple mile ski. It was beautiful out among the trees, and a lovely way to spend a day–although I did hear a few kids ask if there were any lifts.

Needless to say, I wasn’t at work much this week. We got our coffee shipment yesterday and we’ll have a selection of new coffees for you to try in the next month. For today, however, we are featuring our Brazil Fazenda Sertaozinho Yellow Bourbon. I wrote about this on January 19th, and you can find that newsletter here.

The most amazing thing about this estate, in my opinion, is their old growth trees that are as much as 1500 years old. Can you imagine how the world has changed during the life of those trees? It’s a good perspective into how short our own lives are, and how the earth continues without us. At Fazenda Sertaozinho they not only protect the trees, but they provide full time employment, housing, healthcare and a school for their workers.

Yellow bourbon is an arabica cultivar that ripens to yellow instead of the usual red. The yellow variety was first found in Brazil. The “bourbon” refers to the island of Bourbon (now Reunion) in the Indian Ocean, and has nothing to do with the Kentucky whiskey. In the cup, however, you might taste sweet fruit and a light acidity–it could almost be tasting notes from a distillery. It finishes with a nutty chocolate taste. Delicious.

Today I am thankful for good coffee that helps me get through my days–especially cold mornings in the snow. You can try a cup of this Brazilian on us with the code quinzee hut*. Enjoy your weekend, and drink good coffee!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Brazil Fazenda Sertaozinho Yellow Bourbon. Code expires on 03.15.18. 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.