Coffee Of The Week
Colombia Nariño San Antonio Natural
It is very rare in this area to have an unexpected snow day. It’s far more common to have a lot of hype about a coming storm, only to have it turn into nothing. So this Thursday was an unexpected treat (or not, if you’re not a snow lover). I had noticed in the night that we had received several inches of snow, and sure enough, the phone rang early to say that school was cancelled. Such fun! The kids slept late, and then played in the snow most of the rest of the day.
Up at the ski resorts they’re calling this “Februburied”–already smashing snowfall records for the month, with another week left. It’s great for our drought concerns: a larger snowpack stores more water. All the winter sports buffs are delighted, and I suspect that all the children are too–at least the ones like mine who LOVE snow, and days off of school. Friday, we did have school, and it was Crazy Hair Day, as evidenced by the picture of bird-nest hair!
This week we have a coffee grown at high elevation, but so near the equator that snow is extremely rare. This is a micro-lot Colombian, from a farm near Medina Espejo, in Buesaco, Nariño. Nilson Luis López Dias inherited his 24 acre Finca San Antonio from his parents, and he works with attention to care and detail to grow this Colombia Nariño San Antonio Natural.
Sr. Lopez works with Inconexus to improve his coffee, and their farm has won the Colombia Cup of Excellence in the past. This is also partly because of what the unique micro-climate where the finca is located. According to our broker, Royal Coffee: “Nariño’s proximity to the equator also means intense exposure to the sun (relatively constant and powerful year-round), which influences the cherry maturation rate. The municipality of Buesaco, which has an interesting micro-climate caused by warm air that rises from the canyons at night and acts like a protective blanket for the coffee plants. As a result of these combined attributes, coffee plants 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.”
The first thing you’ll notice about this coffee is that it is a dry-processed, or natural, coffee. This means that the coffee is dried with the fruit still intact, so that it goes from looking like a cherry to a raisin. When it reaches the desired moisture levels, it is hulled to reveal the green beans inside. You’ll know this because of the strong blueberry aroma when you open the bag. It’s an amazing and almost over-powering aroma, and in the cup you’ll taste similar fruity favors of creamy pear, caramel, and peach. Delicious.
I’m grateful for farmers who work hard to bring us exceptional coffees, with unique flavor profiles. This is completely unlike your typical Colombian coffee, and we’re excited for you to try it. Keep reading below for a snapshot of Savannah, who has come back to work for us on the weekends, while going to school full time during the week. We’re glad to have her around again! Enjoy your final week of February.
Cheers!
–Holly Fike
Employee Profile
Name: Savannah Binford (almost a Jacobson!)
Position: barista, weekend cook
Fav quote: “Don’t let the past dictate who you are, but let it be a part of who you become.” -anonymous
Most recent song you jammed to: something Disney for sure
Craziest injury: Cracking my head open by falling out of a tree
Spirit animal: Mama Odie from The Princess & the Frog
Dog or Cat (why?): Dog. Cats are too emotionally unstable.
Pet peeve: People not saying “please” and “thank you”! The world would be a better place if more people did that.
Hair mistakes: yes, accidentally went bleach blonde!
Surprising skill: Fluent in sign language (slowly though!)
Favorite closing chore: Back . . . . I get to jam out to my own music
Best thing about this job: Making friends that stay with you for life
Thinking about: Marrying the man of my dreams, 10-4-2019
Coffee Coupon
