Colombia Mejor de Nariño Leonardo Loaiza
Last week there was no newsletter, because it was Spring Break around here, and we were out of town. We went on a last minute trip to Lake Tahoe, so that we weren’t too far away on the off chance that Becky had her baby. Well guess who decided to grace us with her presence two weeks early? Yep, we are so excited to announce that Lucy Rae Skolak was born last Tuesday, March 27th. I feel like the luckiest aunt ever, because I got to drive home from Tahoe and be present for her birth.
Introducing Lucy Rae Skolak and her proud family!
Dave and Becky are doing great with the addition of another little one, and Archie loves his sister. He runs to give her hugs and kisses, and talks about her constantly. It’s so sweet to watch. The rest of her family and extended family are pretty enamored with Lucy too: so far she’s been an angel. Little Caroline especially loves that she was born in March, just like her.
We have a new coffee for you this week, a special micro-lot Colombian. This is one of the top lots of coffee from the department of Nariño, which is to the far west of Colombia and borders both the Pacific Ocean and Ecuador. Seventy percent of the coffee in Nariño is grown on farms that average 3 acres in size. This particular lot is from Finca San Joaquin, at over 6800′ elevation near the municipality of Buesaco. According to our broker,
“In Buesaco, warm air rises from the deep canyons at night and acts like a protective blanket for the coffee plants perched on the mountain tops. These combined attributes cause coffee plants to passively absorb the sun’s energy during the day and then come alive at night when the conditions are less harsh. This translates into concentrated flowering and long cherry maturation periods, which have produced many award-winning coffees.”
This coffee is grown by Leonardo Loaiza, who has to work extra hard to bring his coffee to market due to the remote location and high elevation. He has his own micro mill on the farm to allow for meticulous care in processing. This is a Caturra bean, an arabica cultivar that is descended from the Bourbon variety and is small in stature and resistant to most diseases and pests. Sr. Loaiza fully washes his cherries, and his attention to detail shines in the cup.
The Mejor de Nariño was put together by InConexus and Royal Coffee to select the best coffee from the region. You can watch a video of the experience here. We have roasted these beans light, and in the cup you taste a pleasing acidity with notes of pear and citrus. It’s delicious.
Tomorrow is the rescheduled Foothills Celebration: the food and wine tasting around downtown. You can find the details on the Sierra Vintners site here. It’s always a good time. This week you can try this special Colombian with the code baby joy*. In the spirit of joy, we are also celebrating some April birthdays around here, so if you see Salima, Emily, Tyler, or Hannah, wish them a happy birthday month. Cheers!
–Holly Fike
*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Colombia Mejor de Nariño Leonardo Loaiza. Code expires on 04.12.18. 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.