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Weekly Newsletter: 22nd July, 2016

yuba picKenya Nyeri Karagoto AA

This week my kids kept themselves busy being entrepreneurs. I suppose that if your parents are small business owners, it seems natural to start your own “business.” They were selling wild plums, apples, watercress, and lemonade in front of our house. Since everyone who takes the time to stop is pretty much a guaranteed customer (our neighbors are great!), they were quite successful. And they learned some good economic lessons about the cost of product to sell and the work of picking fruit.

 

Summertime Sales

Summertime Sales

Around here, we are in the exciting stage of waiting to meet Becky and Dave’s new baby. If you aren’t a regular, you might not know that our manager (and my sister) will be giving birth in the next few weeks. We can’t wait! New babies are always a reason to celebrate, and we wish Dave and Becky all the best as they get ready for this addition to their family. Keep an eye on our social media pages for an official announcement.

We also had the fun of welcoming back a former employee this week. Kelley is back from her travels and back to work for us. We’re glad to have her back. In the next week Monica will be taking her turn to travel the world, and we’ll miss her experience in opening the store–but we’ll be glad to hear about her trip to Europe when she gets back.

Whether you are traveling this summer or staying close to home, I hope that you are finding good coffee to drink. If you are in town, we have a new offering for you: our Kenya Nyeri Karagoto AA. Kenyan coffees are prized for their excellence, and this is no exception. It is grown on the slopes around Mt. Kenya, in the kind of acidic soil where coffee flourishes, north of the capitol of Nairobi.

Nyeri is the county where the Karagoto (also spelled Karogoto) mill is located. The coffee is grown by farmers who are a part of the Tekangu Cooperative, which you can read about here. The Karagoto mill is a wet processing factory, and these beans are carefully prepared. We have roasted them light, and they have a wonderful citrus flavor in the cup.

This Kenya AA is available for you to try this week. Use the code July days* for your free cup. We are planning a big family get together this weekend, so we’ll be sure to have plenty of coffee in the house. Whatever you are doing these hot summer days, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Kenya AA. Code expires on 7.28.16. 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.

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Weekly Newsletter: 15th July, 2016

Strawberry HeaderPeru Vida Alta SHB

How does your garden grow? I have been enjoying my morning strolls around the garden, eating a couple of strawberries for breakfast and checking out the progress. We don’t have any large tomatoes yet–they’re still green, but snacking on cherry tomatoes is a daily occurrence now. This is the time of year that I envy those in Penn Valley, or other sunnier locations, who are already feasting on tomatoes. There’s nothing quite like consuming the produce of your own garden.

And so it begins: cherry tomatoes!

And so it begins: cherry tomatoes!

Have you made it to the Grass Valley Thursday Night Market, or the Nevada City Summer Nights? Our region is known for these events in the summer, and the corresponding Cornish Christmas and Victorian Christmas in the winter. All four feature street closures with craft and food vendors, and music and other entertainment. The Thursday Night Market also has a certified farmers market.

This week we have a Peruvian coffee for you. Last week we talked about the geography and geology that you can learn while studying coffee, and this one is probably better known than the Indonesian islands. If you’re not familiar with Peru, it’s located in the northwest of South America, and the Andes mountains run through it. It is bordered by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, and the Pacific Ocean.

Knowing that arabica coffee loves high elevation volcanic soil, you can imagine that specialty coffee grows well in Peru. This is a strictly hard bean (SHB), which is sometimes also designated SHG, or strictly high grown. In this post from 2013, we discussed how these terms “indicate that the coffee is grown at a high altitude, which leads to lower production and a denser bean: the quality and taste tend to be higher in the cup.”

This Vida Alta Peru (which translates to “high life”) is roasted light. The taste in the cup is sweet and milk chocolate-y: it would be a delicious way to start your day. You can try a cup on us with the code tomatoes soon* this week. In other news, Carolines Coffee is living a double life as a Pokémon gym–and we have fun watching all the Pokémon GO players here and around town. Best of luck to all of you. Have a great weekend, and drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Peru Vida Alta. Code expires on 7.21.16. 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.

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Weekly Newsletter: 8th July, 2016

Tahoe SunsetSulawesi Toraja (Celebes Kalossi)

Did you all enjoy your long weekend? Independence Day weekend always feels like the height of summer to me, no matter what the calendar says. It might not be the longest day, but we did celebrate with a traditional barbecue, complete with corn-on-the-cob and watermelon. Our local parade was in Nevada City this year, straight down Broad Street, and the festivities end with fireworks at the fairgrounds after dark. This year was especially nice because it was a new moon, and thus fully dark to appreciate the spectacle.

Pitching in All Stars

Pitching in All Stars

We spent most of our weekend at historic Chantry Field, in Newcastle, watching All Stars baseball. Jack’s team lost on Tuesday night and were eliminated from the tournament, but the boys played well, and it was a joy to watch. All of their games were close enough that it felt dramatic–at least to the parents watching. I think I spent most of the games pacing 🙂

Our coffee this week has been a favorite for many years. It comes from the island of Sulawesi, a starfish shaped part of the Indonesian archipelago. We have a giant map of the world over near our roasting area, and this is an island we have shown people many times. It’s well-known in the coffee world, but outside of that most people have not heard of it.

It’s amazing the geography and geology that you can learn while following the route of your morning coffee. Back when Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch, they planted coffee seedlings in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Indonesia is one of the earliest exporters of coffee, outside of its Ethiopian/Arabian origins. This Sulawesi in particular is named for the indigenous people, the Toraja.

The Toraja are known for their elaborate, boat-like homes, and their extensive rituals surrounding death. National Geographic recently ran an article depicting the Toraja funerals, and the accompanying photographs are amazing. Their culture is very different than the typical western view of death. It’s also a region of extreme mountains, perfect for growing quality arabica coffee.

This Sulawesi is roasted light, and you can taste the full-bodied goodness in the cup. Indonesian coffees are known for their low acidity and full flavor, and this is no exception. It has sweet cacao nib tones that linger as you drink. You can try a cup on us with the code July days* this week.

Two more quick points: the header picture is from a trip we took up to Lake Tahoe last Wednesday afternoon. We watched the sun set on the lake and the kids dipped their toes in the water. It was a relaxing end of the day. And secondly, this coffee has been called by two names: Sulawesi Toraja and Celebes Kalossi. Celebes is the older name for Sulawesi, and Kalossi is a town through which most Toraja coffee is exported. So both are correct. Enjoy your July weekend, and drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Sulawesi Toraja (Celebes Kalossi). Code expires on 7.14.16. 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.

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Weekly Newsletter: 1st July, 2016

Giants Header 2Mexico Oaxaca San Sebastian Coatlan

We had a busy weekend: on Saturday little Caroline had two ballet recitals, and on Sunday we went to a San Francisco Giants game for Father’s Day, a week late. Both events were fun. Caroline loves to dance on stage, and she was glowing at the end of each performance. It’s fun to see your kids do the things that give them pleasure. And it’s fun as a parent to experience the things they love: I learn new things from my kids.

Spinning off stage during her dance

Spinning off stage during her dance

This is a magical place we live: only hours away from a major metropolitan destination, and while we’re in the mountains, we’re not far from the coast. It’s the best of all worlds, in my humble opinion. And I think most Nevada County residents would agree.

This week our coffee is from the far south of Mexico, in the mountains of Oaxaca. If it seems like I write weekly about a high grown coffee, that’s because coffee is better the higher it is grown. An increase in elevation has a direct correlation to the quality of the coffee. You get a smaller quantity of denser, harder beans, which leads to a better crop.

This Mexican comes from the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, and you can read about the Oaxaca mountains in an article here. This is an area known for its biodiversity, and like much of Oaxaca it is a rugged region. The beans are grown on small farms, and come from a co-op located around the town of San Sebastian Coatlan. The local farmers work together to bring their beans to market.

We’ve roasted this Mexican light, and it has a sweet flavor of dark chocolate and spice in the cup. I was drinking some over ice earlier, and it makes a great cold brew option. However you like to drink it, it’s on sale this week, and you can try a cup on us with the code rugged terrain*. Welcome to July, and enjoy your Independence Day. And whether hot or cold, drink good coffee. Cheers!

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Mexico Oaxaca San Sebastian Coatlan. Code expires on 7.7.16. 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.

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Weekly Newsletter: 24th June, 2016

baseball header tocCosta Rica Andres Chalino Micro-Lot

The header picture is from our Tournament of Champions game last Saturday in Foresthill. The pageantry of baseball is pretty fun to watch, from the national anthem to the Little League pledge. The boys and girls played a good game, but we lost. So that part of our season is over. This week we have a ballet recital to attend, and practice continues for All Stars baseball–keeping us all busy.

One of the outtakes from our staff picture in TNM shirts

One of the outtakes from our staff picture in TNM shirts

Last night was the first Thursday Night Market downtown. We were open until 9 pm, and we had fun making frozen drinks all evening for those of you who attended. It continues every Thursday until July 28th, so come on down and check it out. There’s fresh produce, food and craft vendors, and most of the stores are open late.

This week our coffee is a micro-lot from Costa Rica, near San Jose. It is grown by Andres Chalino, and processed at the Beneficio El Cedro. Sr. Chalino is part of a co-op of farmers who are working together to produce sustainable high quality coffee. The co-op is called Asociación de Agricultores de la Violeta de Desamparados, and you can see a video about their work here. But be warned, it is in Spanish.

This coffee is high-grown at five to eight thousand feet elevation. Even without understanding Spanish, you can see the beautiful countryside with mountains rising around and above small family farms. We’ve roasted this Costa Rican light, and the flavor shines in the cup. It has a sweet floral aroma that teases your nose, and then you taste light chocolate and strawberry tones as you sip. It’s delicious.

Our Costa Rican Andres Chalino Micro-Lot is brewed in the cafe this week, and you can try a cup on us with the code market fun*. Enjoy your June weekend, and drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Costa Rican Andres Chalino Micro-Lot coffee. Code expires on 6.30.16. 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.Save

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Weekly Newsletter: 17th June, 2016

Early GardenOrganic Biodynamic Brazil Fazenda Floresta

Wow, one week ago today was our last day of school for the year. What a difference a week makes. The boys are into the playoff baseball season, and tomorrow we are hosting a baby shower for our wonderful manager Becky. She happens to be my youngest sister too, and I can’t wait to be an auntie again. Last weekend we hosted the end of the year baseball party, so the celebrations are pretty nonstop around our house. And Sunday is Father’s Day, so yet another day of fun at our home.

Goofy kids enjoying ice cream on the last day of school

Goofy kids enjoying ice cream on the last day of school

This week we are featuring our Organic Biodynamic Brazilian. We featured this last March, and it was a hugely popular bean. It’s delicious, most importantly, and it is also biodynamic: a rarity in the coffee business. You can read what I wrote at the time here.

It’s always fun to look back and see what was going on last time we featured a coffee. That newsletter was from last March, and we had spent a weekend in the snow to celebrate little Caroline’s birthday. Three months later it’s hard to imagine snow: we’re fully in the gardening and sunshine time of year. Our plants are growing every day, and soon the tomatoes for the store will be coming from our own garden.

This coffee comes from the northeastern side of Brazil, in Bahia, near the Chapada Diamantina National Park. Fazenda Floresta means forest farm, and the coffee is grown under the shade of native trees. At the fazenda they go beyond organic practices and treat the soil as a living organism. You can read more about biodynamic agriculture on the Biodynamic Association page here.

We have our Organic Biodynamic Brazilian brewed in the cafe this week, and you can try a cup on us with the code summer days*. Next week starts the downtown Thursday Night Market, and we’ll be open until 9 pm each Thursday from June 23rd to July 28th. There will be a certified Farmers Market, live entertainment, and new this year, a beer and wine garden. Come get a drink of coffee and enjoy your Thursday evening downtown. In the meantime, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Organic Biodynamic Brazilian coffee. Code expires on 6.23.16. 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.

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Weekly Newsletter: 10th June, 2016

Tide Pool Header 2016Maui Grown

What a whirlwind the last week has been. Since our last newsletter we’ve had a playoff baseball game, had a birthday party for Jack, gone camping in the redwoods with the fifth grade for two nights, gone to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk with the fifth grade, had the championship playoff game (they won! NCLL minor champions two years straight!), had two award ceremonies for children finishing third and fifth grade, and we’ve made it to the last day of school. Whew! I know that all school-age parents, teachers, aides, and school administrators had the same kind of week. Congratulations to all on finishing.

The redwoods around our campsite

The redwoods around our campsite

Tomorrow marks the first official day of summer vacation. I have two kids who are looking forward to sleeping outside and sleeping in. Although sometimes those two are mutually exclusive: the sun comes up awfully early these days. I’m anticipating a slower pace, and I think that will give us all some much needed rest.

The camping trip was a celebration for Jack’s class after two years together. It was so much fun to see this group of kids have fun together one last time before middle school next year. We got to play in tidepools, go on hikes, play at the beach (even almost sixth graders still love sand castles and sand forts), and finish with a day at the Boardwalk. It was a completely enjoyable trip for everyone, I do believe.

I have not been around much this week, but we do have a new coffee for you that beautifully evokes summer: our Maui Grown from the Ka’anapali Estate. Can you picture the blue skies and azure ocean? This coffee is grown in rows in the West Maui mountains, and you can see the spectacular views in the gallery on the Maui Grown website here.

This is a yellow Caturra coffee, a variety of coffea arabica that ripens to yellow instead of red. You won’t notice a difference in roasted beans, however. This is a full natural coffee, sun-dried. There is a YouTube video here that shows the process these beans go through. It also shows the beauty of the the Ka’anapali Estate, laid out above the ocean.

This is a sweet coffee, and smooth. If you enjoy Kona coffees, you’ll like this Maui bean. You can try a cup on us with the code tide pools* this week. Enjoy your weekend, and drink good coffee. Cheers.
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Maui Grown. Code expires on 6.16.16. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA.

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Weekly Newsletter: 3rd June, 2016

Pond HeaderFair Trade Rwanda Dukunde Kawa

June is my favorite month of the year.  It’s my birthday month, it contains the longest day of the year, it’s usually warm but not too hot (hello weather–work with me here!), and it’s the start of the summer holiday and the summer season: full of promise.  Yesterday was Jack’s birthday, and I can’t believe he’s eleven this year: that’s more than two hands.  Each new year brings new challenges and new delights: I revel in his responsibility and independence at this age.  He’s a great helper.

With his balloons and his sign on his birthday

With his balloons and his sign on his birthday

There is one more week to the school year, and the baseball season is also drawing to a close. Our garden grows by the day. On Sunday we’ll have a party for Jack–a small gathering of boys in the pool–and by the time next Friday rolls around it will officially be summer break. A huge thank you to all the teachers out there who have worked with our kids all year. We appreciate you!

This week we have a new harvest of a coffee we’ve carried before. This is our Fair Trade Rwandan, from the Dukunde Kawa Musasa cooperative. This coop is over 80% women, and they are working together to improve their living and farming conditions. In 2012 they won a SCAA sustainability award for their work in promoting ecologically viable farming, with an emphasis on “reforestation, topsoil conservation, and watershed conservation” (see here).

You can read more about the Musasa mill and the work they are doing here, and they have a Fair Trade profile page here. These bourbon beans, an arabica cultivar, are wet processed and dried in the sun. There are some great photos of the Dukunde Kawa cooperative on the RootCapital page here. Besides all these socially responsible characteristics however, this is darn good coffee. They have consistently placed in the annual Cup of Excellence auction.

We roasted this light, and you’ll taste the quality immediately. It tastes of stone fruit, or dried fruit, and finishes with light chocolate flavor. It has a great floral aroma that makes you want to stick your nose in your cup. You can try a cup on us with the code June sun* this week (which is a pun for me, since I had a son in June). Enjoy your warm weekend, if you’re local, and drink good coffee. Cheers.
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Fair Trade Rwanda Dukunde Kawa. Code expires on 6.9.16. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA.

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Weekly Newsletter: 27th May, 2016

Jasmine HeaderColombia Huila Finca La Ilusion Natural

Last week I missed sending out a newsletter since I spent the day at Six Flags with my daughter–and then our internet was down when I got home. We had a lovely sunny day, and she declared it the best fieldwork ever. The weather was just the opposite at home. While waiting in line for a ride, I got pictures of tomatoes covered in netting which was in turn covered in a blanket of white. It’s amazing how different the weather can be just a few hours apart.

Happy birthday Becky!

Happy birthday Becky!

Yesterday we celebrated Becky’s birthday. We are certain that we have the best manager around, and we are looking forward to meeting her baby later this summer. Happy birthday Becky! Thanks for all that you do to keep this store running smoothly.

Next week we’ll be celebrating Jack’s birthday, but in the meantime we have a three day weekend free of plans. I’m sure we’ll be spending time putting plants in the ground, and getting the garden ready for the season. Hopefully we’re done with hail for a while.

This week we have another micro-lot coffee for you. This bean is grown in the Andes mountains, in San Agustin in the Huila department of Colombia. We’ve featured other San Agustin Colombians before, but this one stands out because it is a natural process. That means that the fruit is dried on the seed, and it gives the final product a distinct fruity flavor. This is also a Caturra and Castila variety of coffea arabica, so when the cherries ripen they are yellow instead of the more typical red.

This coffee is grown by Rosevel Ortiz Escarpeta on his farm, Finca La Ilusion. Six years ago the Colombian government started a program to help farmers who had been displaced by fighting in the region, and Sr. Ortiz is able to produce quality specialty coffee because of their help. This is high grown coffee, with a beautiful preparation that shows up in a delicious flavor in the cup.

You can try a cup of this La Ilusion Natural on us this week with the code Andes coffee*. You’ll note a taste of berry and a fruity aroma as soon as you bring it to your face. It’s really a tasty and special Colombian. Whatever you are doing this Memorial Day, I hope that you get a chance to relax. And on Monday, take a minute to honor those who have died to protect our country. We remember.
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Colombia La Ilusion Natural. Code expires on 6.2.16. 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.

 

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Weekly Newsletter: 6th May, 2016

Caroline CarWashed Ethiopian Hambela Estate

Happy May you all! Last weekend was the Downtown Car Show, and my daughter thought we should definitely take a red convertible home with us. That’s what she wanted to ride in anyway. The Car Show is always fun to walk around with the kids, and since we stopped by in the morning, it wasn’t too hot. We followed up the Car Show with a little league game, so it was a full day.

With my kids last Mother's Day

With my kids last Mother’s Day

This weekend is Mother’s Day. I appreciate my mother and all the time she poured into my siblings and I growing up. Since there were four of us, she was always busy. I think that’s probably why she taught us to read, so that she could have a bit of space while our noses were stuck in books. And there was a lot of playtime outside too, which I totally understand as a mother myself. There’s not much that my kids like more than time outside.

Mothering can be a great chore, and it can be greatly rewarding–sometimes both within the same day. I have learned so much from my kids, like all about baseball and ballet, and also about myself. They certainly work daily to teach me patience 🙂 I know that I am fortunate to be a mother. Since this business was started by a mother of four boys (talk about needing patience!), we would like to salute all mothers. Happy Mother’s Day!

This week we have another Ethiopian coffee for you. We wanted to feature these two coffees in consecutive weeks, to give you the opportunity to taste the difference in processing. Last week we featured our Natural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, which is dry-processed, and full of berry tones. This week we are highlighting our Washed Ethiopian Hambela Estate, which is a wet-processed bean (thus “washed”).

This Washed Ethiopian comes from a third generation family business. It has a rich history, that began with land given to the matriarch of the family, who was the first female pilot in Africa. It is now managed by Aman Adinew, and he is committed to the community around them. He helped establish healthcare for employees and sponsored a local elementary school.

Hambela Estate is also committed to quality coffee, and their business, METAD, “has the first and only private state-of-the-art SCAA certified coffee quality control lab on the African continent used to train both domestic and international coffee professionals”–according to this profile sheet.

It is also from indigenous heirloom cultivars, like our Natural Ethiopian. This one, however, is fully washed and dried on raised beds. It is a beautifully prepped coffee. In the cup it has a very different flavor than the Natural Ethiopian. It starts with light citrus flavors, and then as you swallow you get a stone fruit taste. There is none of the blueberry flavors that are so predominant in the other Ethiopian.

We want you to be able to try these two coffees side by side. You can try a cup on us this week with the code coffee’s origins.* Ethiopia is well-known as the birthplace of coffee. Look for the differences between these two beans. Enjoy, and Happy Mother’s Day!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Washed Ethiopian Hambela Estate. Code expires on 5.12.16. 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.

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Weekly Newsletter: 29th April, 2016

blossoms header2Natural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Can you believe that it will be May on Sunday? April is our anniversary month, and I can’t let it end without mentioning that we have been in business for 34 years. In 1982 Caroline Fike opened Caroline’s Honey Spice and Everything Nice on Neal St. It was a natural food store that also sold bee keeping supplies. We moved to the current location in 1984, and added a coffee roaster and a cafe. The rest, as they say, is history.

Here's one from the archives

Here’s one from the archives

We have changed so much over the years that it is truly fun to look back at the many iterations of our business. Thirty years ago we carried honey and spices and sold our own soup mixes. We roasted on a Diedrich IR12.

Twenty years ago we had an ice cream freezer, and a vintage milkshake machine, and we blended the most delicious coffee milk shakes. We also sold pies baked on the premises, and our cinnamon rolls were a favorite treat.

Ten years ago we had two locations and I was coming to work with a baby in tow. We roasted on a Diedrich IR24, and Caroline had not yet retired.

In this decade, we’ve expanded our seating area, discontinued our gourmet food and mug lines, and increased the single origin coffees that we sell. We started a blog and redesigned our website. We are committed to continuing to improve–so expect more changes in the future.

This week we are featuring our Natural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. If you love a dry-processed coffee, this is the bean for you. Dry, or natural, processing means that the coffee is dried with the fruit still intact, and it imparts strong berry tones to the bean. These beans are beautifully processed, evenly green and all similar sized. It’s a grade 1 coffee. When we opened the burlap sack, there was an overwhelming aroma of blueberries, and you can taste them in the finished cup.

The blueberry taste comes from the processing. We roasted the bean light, and it fills your mouth with a delightful taste of fruit and sweet melon. You can try a cup on us this week with the code natural process*. And if you’re looking for a reason to come downtown, tomorrow is the Downtown Car Show from 10 am – 3 pm. It’s always a fun family event, and the weather is supposed to be perfect. Enjoy!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Natural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Code expires on 5.5.16. 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.
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Weekly Newsletter: 22nd April, 2016

tulip header2Micro-Lot Sumatra Mangkuraja Estate

Happy Earth Day. I know Emerson said “the earth laughs in flowers,” but maybe she laughs in fat spring raindrops too. There’s not much better than sitting inside with a mug of steaming coffee, watching a warm rain pour down. It’s good to see some April showers in what has otherwise been a pretty dry month. I’m sure that all the allergy sufferers out there will appreciate the relief–the puddles this morning were painted yellow with pollen.

April: when ranuculus bloom in all their outrageous magenta glory.

April: when ranuculus bloom in all their outrageous magenta glory.

It’s hard to believe that last Sunday we were sitting at a River Cats game boiling in the sun. It was little league day at the park, and the kids got to hear a chalk talk and parade the field before the game. We all had fun, despite the heat. Although my wallet did not appreciate the amount of water I had to buy to keep us all hydrated.

This week we have a micro-lot Sumatran coffee for you. This is a new coffee to us, from an entirely different area of Sumatra. We usually bring in coffees from the Gayo Highlands in the far north of the country (we do still have our Organic Gayo Mountain). This Sumatra, however, comes from six or seven hundred miles to the southwest. It is grown on the Mangkujara Estate, in Bengkulu Province.

The Mangkuraja Estate is a family owned farm of 370 acres, where the coffee is planted under native trees for shade. The estate is at 3-4000 feet, and there is a mill on the property for processing. This coffee is wet-hulled, or giling basah, a process solely found in Indonesia where the fruit and parchment are removed before the bean is dry. This gives the coffee an earthy flavor that Sumatran coffees are often known for. After this process, the beans are dried on raised beds.

This micro-lot Sumatra is delicious, especially with a piece of dark chocolate–in case you’re needing a rainy day pick-me-up. It has big jammy flavors, with a full body that coats your mouth, and blackberry fruit tones that linger. You can try a cup on us this week with the code island high-grown*. Have a great weekend. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Sumatra Mangkuraja Estate. Code expires on 4.28.16. 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.

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Grass Valley, CA 95945
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