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Weekly Newsletter: 15th April, 2015

Posted on April 15 2016 by Holly Fike

dogwood headerOrganic RFA SMBC Guatemala Finca Ceylan

Happy Tax Day y’all. Well, at least it might be a happy day for those of you getting refunds. And on the bright side, it’s a beautiful day out around here, with more predicted to follow. You can always head outside to get rid of your tax day blues. May I recommend a mocha freeze to accompany you?

It was only 32 degrees when I got up this morning, and it was still cold when I walked to work after dropping my kids off at school. Perfect for warming my hands with a hot cup of coffee when I arrived . . . not that I need an excuse to drink coffee.

Now the sun is shining and it feels like spring: the tulips that escaped the deer are blooming, our Cecile Brunner bush is covered in soft pink roses that glow in the early light, and the clematis has its first three blossoms waving a magenta hello as I walk by. Behind the little league field the wild dogwoods shine white, and my Instagram feed is full of spring flowers from around the county.

This week we have another new coffee for you, from Guatemala. This high-grown traditional Atitlan coffee has four different certifications, giving it quite a name. I even left one off the title to keep it shorter. It is Organic certified, Rainforest Alliance certified, bird-friendly (Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center certified), and Utz certified. You know this farm is committed to their environment when they go through all the steps to get multiple certifications.

The Finca Ceylan coffee is grown by Dariush Echeverria Zachrisson, and the farm has been in their family since 1870. This coffee was featured this week in the Royal Coffee newsletter, and you can read all about it here. Their description of the roasted bean was: “we enjoyed its brown sugar sweetness and complexity, reminding us of flavors like blackberry and butter cookie.” Doesn’t that sound fabulous?

We’ve roasted this light, and everyone who has tried it has commented on how tasty it is. The sweet flavor leaves you wanting more. More than all the certifications, the coffee speaks for itself. You can come in and taste it on us today with the code spring flowers*. Have a great weekend. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Organic RFA SMBC Guatemala Finca Ceylan coffee. Code expires on 4.21.16. 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 April, 2016

Posted on April 8 2016 by Holly Fike

2016 Baseball HeaderMonsooned Malabar

Last Saturday was opening day for the local Little Leagues, and it’s all baseball around our house right now. With two games a week, and one to two practices a week, we are staying busy. Trace is managing and Jack is playing–and it’s a joy to see the smiles on their faces after a win. Our game Wednesday night was under the lights, and it looked like an advertisement for Americana: boys and girls eager to play, the stands full of supportive parents, and pine trees standing like sentries behind the outfield line.

We wish you both all the best.

We wish you both all the best.

At the store this week, we said good-bye to two wonderful employees, who are both moving to another country this week. How cool is that–for them, anyway? Kelley will be working as a journalist in Iceland, and Maddi is going to work on a farm in Costa Rica. Two entirely different directions for sure. They have each worked for us for over a year, and we will miss them. Best of luck to both of you!

This week’s coffee is a unique bean that we have not carried in a while. It comes from India, and while India grows quite a bit of coffee, most of it is not exported, and we don’t have the opportunity to buy it very often. This comes from the Chickmagalur growing region, in the far southwestern part of the country.

We have a customer from India who periodically goes home to visit family, and he says that this is a beautiful area, where elephants roam freely. The coffee is grown on family farms, in the shade, and among other crops which help ensure stability for the farmers. According to the Indian coffee board, see here, this region is “the home land of Indian coffee.”

This Monsooned Malabar is especially unique because of the “monsooning” process. After this coffee is processed, it is brought to the coastal city of Mangalore, where it is left in open sided warehouses during the monsoon season. This exposes the beans to moisture and they swell in size and turn white. They are then carefully brought to 11 percent moisture for exporting.

These beans are especially sweet and mellow, with a low acidity. They have a deep earthy flavor, and they are easy to drink. You can try this Indian coffee on us with the code Little League* this week. I hear that rain might return this weekend, which we still need, so no complaints here. Whatever you do this week, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Monsooned Malabar coffee. Code expires on 4.14.16. 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 April, 2016

Posted on April 1 2016 by Holly Fike

Pebble Beach viewEl Salvador La Cubana El Chipilinar

Last week we didn’t have a newsletter because we took a family trip for Spring Break. We headed to the Pebble Beach area, on the northern California coast, and had a lovely relaxing time. I ended up getting sick, but it turns out that sick on vacation is okay. There’s a lot more time for napping on a vacation day than a work day. We still fit in time at the beach, and Caroline and I got to wander around Carmel twice while the boys went golfing. It’s a charming town with a great white sand beach.

Do you remember Khrista? She worked here for five years.

Do you remember Khrista? She worked here for five years.

Days next to the Pacific in our area tend to stay around 50 degrees F, which is perfect coffee sipping weather in my mind. We enjoyed our Organic Biodynamic Brazilian each morning, usually with the doors and windows wide open to hear the sea. One of the best parts of the trip was that the kids were old enough to walk down to the beach themselves. They weren’t allowed to go into the water without a parent, but they had fun playing in the sand.

We also had the fun of getting together with a former employee: Khrista. She lives in the Monterey area and works just down the street from where we were staying. She set up some free golf for the boys and we all had fun going out to dinner together. It’s always good to see you Khrista!

This week we have another micro-lot coffee for you. This one comes from the far west of El Salvador, in the Apaneca/Ilametepec mountains. The volcanic soil provides perfect conditions for growing quality coffee, and this area is known for their coffee. Our beans in particular are grown by the Dada Peña family, on their La Cubana farm.

La Cubana is committed to education in their area. They have donated land to build an elementary school, and there are now 85 children enrolled. They donate funds each year to promote sports and cultural studies in the school. Coffee is the main export in a mostly agricultural country, so it’s good to see coffee farmers who are able to give back.

This is a fully washed and sun dried coffee that we’ve roasted light. In the cup you taste sweet notes, with a tart grape finish. It’s easy to drink. You can try this El Salvador La Cubana El Chipilinar on us this week with the code April flowers*. Everywhere I go something new is blooming. Have a great weekend, and drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of El Salvador La Cubana El Chipilinar coffee. Code expires on 4.7.16. 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: 18th March, 2016

Posted on March 18 2016 by Holly Fike

Swollen River HeaderOrganic Rainforest Alliance Uganda Sipi Falls

Last Saturday we celebrated the marriage of our employee Salima to her fiance Spencer.  It was a beautiful wedding, complete with good food, a delicious cake made by our own baker Ruth, and dancing to end the night.  One of the best parts about an employee wedding is the participation of so many others of our crew.  I think the majority of our staff were in attendance (my apologies to those who had to work), and we had a good time hanging out together.  I’m pretty sure that by the end of the evening the crowd was dominated by our employees.  We like each other.

The gorgeous bride and her groom. Provided photo.

The gorgeous bride and her groom. Provided photo.

The weather in the last week has done a 180 degree swing: from dumping rain, as seen in the header picture, to a clear sunny day today. The rain is so good for our drought: Lake Shasta went over 100% of historical average with this storm (my favorite reservoir site is here), and locally, Scotts Flat Lake got to spillway level this week. Last weekend I drank the Organic Biodynamic Brazil while the rain pounded rhythms and the wind whistled along. Yesterday I wore sandals and today I have a dress with bare legs. What a difference a week makes.

Our coffee this week is also going a different direction, although it is still organic. This Ugandan coffee is Rainforest Alliance and Utz certified. That means that it is produced responsibly and sustain-ably, with care taken for the people growing it and for their land. It comes from the far eastern side of Uganda, grown on the slopes of Mt. Elgon.

This Organic Ugandan is grown by family owned farms who work together as part of the Sipi Falls Coffee Project in the Bugisu region. The project was designed to improve coffee quality while recognizing sustainability in the region. It is named for a trio of waterfalls, which you can see in a picture here.

As Trace roasted this coffee for the first time, he remarked that it had a strong aroma of Meyer lemon. It’s roasted light, and in the cup it also has a lovely citrus flavor, along with an earthy tone that gives it great depth. This is a fully washed coffee, and it has a clean finish. You can try a cup of Organic RFA Uganda Sipi Falls on us this week with the code true love*. Have a great weekend, and whatever you do, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Organic RFA Uganda Sipi Falls coffee. Code expires on 3.24.16. 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: 11th March, 2016

Posted on March 11 2016 by Holly Fike

Snowballs At MeOrganic Biodynamic Brazil Fazenda Floresta

My plans for this week changed when I learned on Tuesday that I had been selected for jury duty. I’m sure that many of you have served on a jury before, but it was new to me. It was very interesting: the selection, the trial, and the deliberating with the other jurors. We reached a verdict by yesterday afternoon, so it was a short case. Today I’m back at work, and glad to get my desk cleared off. But I did enjoy being a part of our justice system.

Waking up to snow

Waking up to snow

Last weekend, we celebrated my daughter’s birthday with a trip to Lake Tahoe. She wanted to play in the snow, and after a sunny February we were glad to see a storm arrive. There was even snow at lake level, and my favorite moment was when she awoke Sunday morning and crept to the window to sit and look at the white world. She also enjoyed swimming in the heated outdoor pool at the hotel, in the snow, and she and her brother had their first experience downhill skiing.

I’m pretty sure that in the header picture you can spot two snowballs coming at me as I tried to get a picture. The four of us had a pretty good snowball fight on Mt. Rose. Unfortunately for me, Trace and Jack throw very accurately! They both got their share of snow, however, and we all had fun.

Our coffee this week comes from the highlands of Brazil, in the eastern state of Bahia. It is grown near Chapada Diamantina National Park, a place of remarkable landscapes, with mesas, waterfalls, and caves. Chapada means tableland, and diamantina refers to the diamond mines found there in the 19th century. The farm where our coffee is grown is Fazenda Floresta, or forest farm, and it is appropriately named.

This is a biodynamic farm, meaning that they go beyond standard organic practices to ensure the health and harmony of their land. They treat the soil as a living organism. Their coffee is grown under trees, and they use crop diversity and manure from their own animals to fertilize their fields. They are committed to taking care of their coffee in an organic and homeopathic manner. In a country where large commercial estates often strip the land and use chemicals to enhance their production, Fazenda Floresta stands out.

This Biodynamic Brazilian shows the care that was taken in its farming with a beautifully balanced bean. Last night Trace prepared a pot of this coffee for us to brew this morning, and all night long we could smell the aroma. It is remarkably sweet, even in the nose. When I drank some it tasted of butter and chocolate, with a sweet creamy body. I had a second cup when I got to the store today, just to enjoy the flavor.

You can try a cup of Organic Biodynamic Brazil Fazenda Floresta on us this week with the code forest farm*. Here in Nevada County we’ve had a week of El Nino storms, with more on the horizon. Despite the rain, I hope that you have a great weekend. We will be attending the wedding of our employee, Salima, and we wish her and her fiance all joy together. Whatever you do this weekend, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Organic Biodynamic Brazilian coffee. Code expires on 3.17.16. 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: 4th March, 2016

Posted on March 4 2016 by Holly Fike

Igloo HeaderMaui Grown

I spent two days this week in the snow with my fifth grade son. The first day he and his classmates (and about a dozen parents) worked all day to build six igloos. It took serious perseverance as the hours passed and the shovels got heavier–or our arms grew fatigued. Even the parents were pretty worn out by the end of the day. It was all worth it though, as all twenty-two kids chose to sleep in their own handiwork. Their excitement and pride the next morning was fun to see.

Posing in the doorway for a photo

Posing in the doorway for a photo

I was most impressed by how the kids worked together and had a good attitude even the second day. That day was a cross country ski trip at Royal Gorge, and the majority of the kids had never been on skis before. They began with a lesson, and after lunch we all went out skiing. There were kids who fell down over and over, and kept getting up with a smile. What an example to us all.

This week we have a coffee from a place synonymous with sun, not snow. Since coffee grows best around the equator, the mountainous farms that we often write about are never snow covered. Our coffee coffee this week comes from Maui, land of beaches and tourists–but also coffee. This farm is the “largest individually operated coffee grower in the U.S.” according to their website here.

They are located on the slopes above Lahaina, on the far western side of Maui. They grow their coffee in hedges, and the views from between the rows are spectacular. This 100% Maui grown coffee is a particular variety of arabica called Caturra Yellow. Unlike most coffee cherries, this Caturra ripens to a deep yellow, instead of the more common red. Caturra tends to be a milder bean, with less acidity, and this one is especially sweet.

You can try this bean on us this week with the code igloo success*. Tomorrow is the downtown Foothills Celebration, a local food and wine tasting. It goes from 1-4 pm, rain or shine, so come on down. It’s always a fun event, and this year they’ve added a Waiter’s Race from 2-3 pm. Whatever you do this weekend, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Maui Grown coffee. Code expires on 3.10.16. 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: 26th February, 2016

Posted on February 26 2016 by Holly Fike

Crocus HeaderMexican Altura Oaxaca Sierra Juarez Especial

I know the calendar doesn’t yet say that it’s spring, but it has certainly looked like it lately. The plum trees are in full blossom, there are daffodils blooming everywhere I drive, and the crocus have pushed through the winter detritus to show their faces to the sun. Yesterday when I got home there was a vase of daffodils and a bowl of hellebores gracing our kitchen table. Such a cheerful sight.

Crazy Hair Day

Crazy Hair Day at school

This morning in our house there was a lot of laughter as the kids got ready for crazy hair day at school. It’s hard to do much with inch long hair, but we managed to make a tiny pony tail with a twirled pipe cleaner coming out of it. His sister said Jack looked like Susie Who. Caroline’s foot long hair was easier to work with, and it ended up straight above her head–yikes!

Our coffee of the week comes from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, known for its mole and culinary and cultural heritage. In the coffee world, however, Oaxaca is struggling to deal with a coffee leaf rust epidemic. Coffee leaf rust is caused by a fungus (this is a good article if you want more information) and causes the leaves to die before the fruit is ripe. It has been decimating Oaxacan crops.

Royal Coffee, our broker, has established a program to help the farmers recover from the devastation. They are seeking out quality coffee, and are paying a premium for these beans, as well as assisting in the transportation and processing. You can read about their efforts here. This Sierra Juarez Especial is a direct result of their partnership.

Our Mexican Altura Oaxaca Sierra Juarez Especial (that’s quite a mouthful!) is roasted light, and has overall sweet chocolate tones. This is an easy to drink bean, and you can know that the farmers were well paid for their efforts. You can try a cup of coffee on us this week with the code crazy hair*–or just come in with your own version of crazy hair day. We’d love to see it. Enjoy your weekend and drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Mexican Altura Oaxaca Sierra Juarez Especial. Code expires on 3.3.16. 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: 19th February, 2016

Posted on February 19 2016 by Holly Fike

Igloo PicEl Salvador Cerro Las Ranas RFA

On Wednesday of this week I went up to the Castle Peak area to learn how to build an igloo. My son’s class is going to build and sleep in igloos as part of their winter adventure, and this was a parent training. I had some trepidation getting ready for the day, since it looked like it might be raining on the summit, ugh, but by the time we arrived a beautiful light snow was falling. We got to snowshoe on fresh powder and enjoy the white blanket coating the trees.

Enjoying the sun last weekend with a bike ride

Enjoying the sun last weekend with a bike ride

I had no idea what building an igloo would entail. It turns out there is equipment for building igloos (see here), and these tools made the process fairly simple. I think that all the parents enjoyed the learning and the construction. Before our time was up we had half an igloo put together. I’m sure the speed of building will be different with fifth graders, but I’m confident they will succeed.

I had a thermos of coffee with me for our trip, and it was a treat to drink as we hiked out. This week we’ve got a coffee treat for you: our El Salvador Cerro las Ranas Rainforest Alliance. Cerro las ranas means mountain frogs. At the top of this farm, Finca San Francisco, there is a pond full of frogs: thus the name. This coffee is grown and processed by the Salaverria family, and is Rainforest Alliance certified. Rainforest Alliance beans “grow in harmony with nature,” more the way coffee was traditionally farmed.

This is a pulped natural, or honey, coffee. This process is in between the wet and the dry process. In a wet processed, or washed coffee, the fruit is removed (washed) before drying. In the dry, or natural, process, the beans are dried with the fruit still intact. In a honey coffee, some of the fruit is removed (or pulped) before drying, but the beans are left with the mucilage intact. Honeyed coffees are appropriately named, since the remaining fruit gives an especially sweet taste to the coffee. This process is also called semi-washed.

The Salaverria family has established a business processing coffee called JASAL. You can explore their operation and their coffees on the website here. The quality of the coffee is evident as you browse their site. We have roasted this Cerro las Ranas light, and it has the sweet fruity profile you would expect from a honey coffee. It’s creamy and flavorful with a lingering milk chocolate taste.

You can try a cup of this coffee on us this week with the code igloo day*. I hear our sunshine will be returning soon, and although we still need the rain, I look forward to the outdoor opportunities. I hope that you have a great weekend, and drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of El Salvador Cerro las Ranas RFA. Code expires on 2.25.16. 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: 12th February, 2016

Posted on February 19 2016 by Holly Fike

S Yuba headerNatural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere

Last weekend I went away with two girlfriends that I’ve known since childhood. We were all in each other’s weddings, but we haven’t been away together since the last bachelorette party. So eight kids, eight houses and around a dozen years later, it was definitely time to get away. It was a 40th birthday celebration and a girls weekend rolled in one. We drove to Bodega Bay and could not have had more fun–talking the night away and then getting up in the morning to a French press of our Organic Honduran Eriban Mendoza: yum.

Hiking the Buttermilk Bend trail

Hiking the Buttermilk Bend trail

As we drove to the ocean via Petaluma, the spring grass had colored the hillsides green and lambs were prancing in circles around their mothers. It didn’t seem like you could see a more beautiful landscape. However, the kids and I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to head to the South Yuba River yesterday (thanks to this inspiring blog post from the Outside Inn) and I was reminded that our local scenery is certainly just as inspiring. And after a weekend away the company of my children was especially nice.

For this week’s featured coffee we are headed across the world to Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. As the legend goes, an enterprising young goatherd, named Kaldi, noticed his goats eating some red berries and dancing around. He too tried the berries and soon he was gamboling around the hillsides. Kaldi brought the fruit to a local monastery where the beans were thrown away in the fire, only to produce an unusual aroma–and you can guess the rest of the story.

From Ethiopia coffee spread around the middle east through monasteries, and eventually enterprising sorts (some of whom stole the seeds/seedlings) planted it around the world. We’ve come a long way since then, but coffee is still grown in Ethiopia, and this week’s beans are an indigenous heirloom variety, which may well have been discovered by a goatherd a thousand years ago.

This Natural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere is a dry processed (or natural) coffee, meaning that the beans are dried with the fruit still attached. This leads to strong berry tones in the finished product, and you can taste this in the cup. Yirgacheffe is known for its perfect growing conditions for coffee, and the Kochere region is prized for it’s high altitude and acidic soil. This is coffee grown and processed in a traditional manner, as it has been for centuries.

The berry and floral tones are predominant in this coffee. You can sample a cup of Natural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe on us this week with the code South Yuba*. Have a great President’s Day weekend and enjoy your Valentine’s Day, if that’s something you celebrate. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Natural Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Kochere. Code expires on 2.18.16. 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: 5th February, 2016

Posted on February 5 2016 by Holly Fike

Snowy Mill STColombian El Limo Alirio Gomez

From snowy to sunny in one week: the temperamental weather this week felt more typical for northern California than our last few dry winters. One thing I have always loved about this area is how the sun comes out and the evergreens shine against a brilliant blue even in the winter. I went to college in Illinois, and somehow February there always seemed to be grey. Green trees against a blue sky is happy to me, even if the day before was dreary.

Need a gift for your sweetheart? Call us for a custom box.

Need a gift for your sweetheart? Call us for a custom box.

I am grateful for the sunshine, but there’s not much that I like better in the winter than a snowy day. I’m pretty sure that my children would agree with me: they chose to walk to school in the snow, and it was the earliest we’ve arrived all week. They even had time to play outside and ride bikes in the snow before school. They were hoping for a snowball fight, but unfortunately it didn’t start accumulating until they were in the classroom. Even I detoured on my walk to work and went up to Mill Street to snap pictures.

This week we have another micro-lot coffee for you, this time from Colombia. Like our Organic Honduran Eriban Mendoza two weeks ago, this one also has the name of the farm and the farmer on the bag. This Colombian was grown in the west part of the country, near Buesaco, in the department of Narino. The farm is located above 6000 feet elevation–for comparison, Lake Tahoe is at 6224′. The coffee is grown by Alirio Gomez, and his farm is called El Limo.

There are pictures of Sr. Gomez from our coffee broker here. According to their notes, he has his own micro mill, so that he is able to process the coffee cherries himself, and thus ensure the quality. This is a fully washed coffee, and we’ve roasted it to right before the second crack, so that you can taste the distinct characteristics of this bean. It has a delightful walnut flavor with a light citrus finish. It’s sweet and easy to drink.

You can sample a cup of this Colombian El Limo Alirio Gomez on us this week with the code snow to sun*. Also, for those of you who enjoy Valentine’s Day, there’s a great giveaway on the Outside Inn blog here. A bag of our Valentines Blend is included in the giveaway, and you can also pick one up in our store. Enjoy your sunny weekend, if you live locally. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Colombian El Limo Alirio Gomez. Code expires on 2.11.16. 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 January, 2016

Posted on January 29 2016 by Holly Fike

Rainy Street HeaderCelebes Kalossi

The rain is coming down again today: our El Nino year has certainly been evident this January. I read the other day that Folsom Lake has risen 44 feet in the last month. All of our more local reservoirs are steadily growing, and I have loved seeing river pictures on my social media feeds. We did have a nice break from the rain for at least half this week, and I was glad to get outside without needing rain gear.

Toraja BagThe wet weather has not stopped my children from being outside and riding their bikes, and they took full advantage of the sunny days to be outdoors. I now have piles of clothing to wash with a line of mud up the back. Can you remember that from when you were a child? I’m not so likely to ride in the mud now, but I know my mom faced the same laundry when I was a kid.

This week our featured coffee is our Celebes Kalossi. This is a four fingered Indonesian island, now called Sulawesi. We’ve carried it for so many years that we still label it with its old name, Celebes. What ever you call it, this coffee comes from the Toraja ethnic group, who farm in South Sulawesi and are known for their elaborate funerals and their rather boat-like homes. The picture on the burlap sack to the right is actually of a house, and you can see more on this travel site.

I have never visited Sulawesi, but the topography is remarkable. In photographs, coffee farms are situated throughout a mountainous region, covered in green jungles. The interior of Sulawesi is highlands where coffee thrives. The farmers from North Tana Toraja come together to bring their coffee to market, and these beans are sourced from multiple families.

Celebes Kalossi has always been a popular bean around here. It’s full-bodied and earthy with a sweet finish. The flavor fills your mouth as you sip. This is most similar to our other Indonesian beans, like Sumatra or Balinese, so if you like that profile you’ll love this.

You can sample a cup of this Celebes on us this week with the code green highlands.* Notice how it almost coats your mouth–it’s a great example of a full-bodied coffee. I hope you enjoy the final days of January, whatever your weekend brings. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Celebes Kalossi. Code expires on 2.4.16. 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 January, 2016

Posted on January 28 2016 by Holly Fike

Organic Honduran HeaderOrganic Honduras Eriban Mendoza

Today I had the great pleasure of watching my daughter receive an award. Her school puts an emphasis on character traits, and she was recognized for her integrity. What a wonderful attribute for which to be honored. I was reflecting how often integrity goes unnoticed and how much I appreciate those around me who show integrity, even in simple ways like doing what they say they will. I hope that as a business we show integrity in our actions.

Proud of her award

Proud of her award

This week our featured coffee is a micro-lot Organic Honduran. I don’t know if you can see this in the header picture, but the bag is marked with the name of the farmer: Eriban Mendoza. That to me is a good example of integrity: being willing to stamp your name on your crop and thereby stand by your product. According to our broker, Eriban Mendoza has seven acres southwest of the capitol of Tegucigalpa, in the department of La Paz.

He has been improving the quality of his coffee for years, working with RAOS, a cooperative of organic coffee farmers. This is the main livelihood of his family, and being recognized for his quality means more revenue to support his four children. That is a pretty cool thing to be a part of, and we’re glad to share this coffee with you.

We roasted this light and you can taste the quality in the cup. It is sweet with a tangy stone fruit finish and it pairs perfectly with a piece of dark chocolate (why yes, I do know this from experience. Thanks for the chocolate Elyse!).

You can sample a cup of this Organic Honduran on us this week with the code integrity*. Enjoy your weekend–stay safe and warm if you are on the east coast, and for those of you locals, enjoy the rain. It’s fun to see the level of the reservoirs steadily climbing (I like to check this site). There’s not much better than a hot cup of coffee while the rain pounds down outside. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Organic Honduras Eriban Mendoza. Code expires on 1.28.16. 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.

Posted in Coffee Descriptions, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Weekly Newsletter: 22nd January, 2016


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530 273-6424 | 800 600-6424
 map-marker Carolines Coffee Roasters
128 S. Auburn St.
Grass Valley, CA 95945
clock Monday-Friday: 6am-5:30pm,
Saturday-Sunday: 7am-5:30pm 

Fridays for
Cornish Christmas: 6am-9pm