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Weekly Newsletter: 24th April, 2015

Posted on April 24 2015 by Holly Fike

Chalk Art Header Kenya AA Nyeri Kiamabara

On Wednesday my son’s class created a chalk art mural of Wolf Creek, depicting what it might look like if it wasn’t underground. There was an article in the local paper here. It’s a beautiful creation, and he was proud to show us his part. Last night I woke up to thunder and lightning and the rain pouring down, so their art may have disappeared, but they will remember.

One from the archives . . . the 2012 Car Show

It was cloudy and a little cooler this morning, a perfect day for coffee. Hopefully it will clear up for the Downtown Grass Valley Car Show tomorrow. If you don’t have plans, come see the cars at this free event. It’s family friendly–my kids love to walk around and look at the vintage vehicles. They each choose a favorite, usually based on color. Those of you with more car knowledge can probably really appreciate the entries.

I did post a giveaway of mugs and t-shirts on our blog. You can read all about it (and enter to win) here. We’re thankful for thirty-three years of business in downtown Grass Valley!

This week our coffee is our Kenya AA Nyeri Kiamabara. Nyeri is a county in central Kenya, and Kiamabara is the factory which processes the coffee. Kenya coffee is known to be meticulously processed. It is a cooperative system, where farmers are rewarded for quality and coffee is brought to auction weekly. It even gets its own Wikipedia listing.

Great Kenyan coffees are known for their bright acidity and complex flavors. This one has citrus flavors, almost floral, like a meyer lemon or a grapefruit with sugar. If you prefer African beans you’ll love this Kenya AA. AA, by the way, is a grade of coffee, related to the size of the bean.

Another reason Kenyan coffee is so wonderful is the high elevation at which it is grown. These beans come from the land around Mount Kenya, which towers at over 17,000 feet. It has ancient volcanic soil, which coffee loves, and these beans are found between 4000 and 7500 feet. Higher elevation gives the coffee lower yields and better quality.

Whether or not you make it to the Car Show, enjoy your weekend. Stop in and try a cup of this Kenya on us with the code citrus flavor*. Our weekend will be full of baseball and family parties. I hope that yours is full of fun also. No matter what, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Kenya AA. Code expires on 4.30.15. 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, Downtown Events, Giveaway | Tagged Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Downtown Car Show, Downtown Grass Valley, Free Coffee, giveaway, Kenya AA, Kenya AA Nyeri Kiamabara, Kenya coffee, Weekly Newsletter | 2 Comments

2015 April Giveaway

Posted on April 21 2015 by Holly Fike

store with wagon, old Edited on 5-1-15 :: Comments are now closed and all winners have been notified.

Do you recognize the above photo? I can’t imagine that many of you can remember that long ago. It looks pretty different in here today.

This month we are celebrating 33 years in business. We are here because of you, the best customers. Thank you for supporting us all these years.

In appreciation of all of you, we are giving away some of our mugs and t-shirts. Leave a comment telling us about your favorite Carolines memory, and you’ll be entered to win.*

There will be two of each of our logo’d mugs (that’s eight different styles–see this page) and two t-shirts up for grabs. All winners will be chosen on the last day of April–next Thursday.

*All the details: no purchase necessary to enter or to win. Giveaway is limited to residents of the United States. Entrants must be 18 years old or older. Duplicate entries will only be counted once. Winners will be chosen at random and notified via e-mail on April 30, 2015. Prize must be collected by May 15th, 2015 for Nevada County residents, or a shipping address must be provided by that date if winner is out of county.

Posted in Celebrations, Giveaway | Tagged anniversary, Carolines Anniversary, Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, free mug, Free T-Shirt, giveaway | 23 Comments

Weekly Newsletter: 17th April 2015

Posted on April 17 2015 by Holly Fike

Sulawesi (Celebes) Toarco Jaya

Happy Friday to all of you. I hope you have been taking advantage of the good weather to get outdoors. I suppose that if you are in the tax business you haven’t had a break, so maybe next week? Around our house it sure looks like spring. I can’t believe the roses on the trellis. It’s a joy to walk under them each morning, while they bob and say hello in the breeze.

Finding the island of Celebes on our wall map.

I realized today that we are more than halfway through April, and I have yet to mention that we are celebrating 33 years in business this month. Thirty-three has such a nice ring to it that we decided to commemorate it with a giveaway. So from now to the end of April, watch our blog and our Facebook page for the opportunity to win coffee, mugs, t-shirts, and anything else I come up with.

This week’s coffee is our Celebes, or Sulawesi. Sulawesi is an Indonesian island, to the west and north of Java. It’s an odd shape, like a four-fingered hand, so it’s easy to spot on a map. This is a washed, or wet-process, coffee, which is hard to find in Indonesia.

PT Toarco is an Indonesian and Japanese partnership that works with Sulawesi farmers to produce quality coffee. They offer free training and distribute seedlings to local farmers to keep arabica cultivars available. They have built mills in rural areas so that the beans can be optimally processed.

Their website is here, and although the translation is a little rough, it is very clear how much care they take with this coffee. They even have their own model estate, called Pedamaran, which is Utz and Rain Forest Alliance certified. This Sulawesi roasts beautifully, and in the cup you taste the full body, and a nutty sweetness reminiscent of central American brews.

This is a stellar coffee, one of the more expensive beans that we buy, and you can try a cup on us this week with the code rich brew*. Enjoy your sunny weekend if you’re local, and remember to watch for our giveaways this month. Above all, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Sulawesi Toarco Jaya. Code expires on 4.23.15. 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 Giveaway, Local Beauty, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Celebes Kalossi, coffee, Free Coffee, giveaway, PT Toarco Jaya, Sulawesi, Sulawesi coffee, Sulawesi Toarco Jaya, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

Weekly Newsletter: 10th April, 2015

Posted on April 10 2015 by Holly Fike

Colombia South Huila Albania

The last two weeks have been busy in the best of ways. Last week we headed to the coast for spring break, and all of us enjoyed the chance to get away and relax. We spent time at the beach, explored tide pools, visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and golfed (the boys), shopped (the girls), and generally ate good food and enjoyed life with no schedule.

From the beach to the snow in one week.

We were home again for Easter last weekend, and had a great day surrounded by friends and family. Then we jumped right back into school, work, and our other daily commitments. So far the highlight of this week was the Tuesday weather. We got snow in town for the first time this winter. My kids were so excited that we cancelled everything that afternoon to play in the snow.

All the snow was gone in time for our Wednesday night baseball game, but it was certainly chilly with a 7 pm start time! Luckily I had hot coffee to keep my fingers warm, and this week we have a new coffee to share with you. This is a micro-lot Colombian, from the south of Huila department.

This area is part of the Andes mountains, and this coffee is grown at elevation in volcanic soil. The growers are Carlos Ramon Diaz and Sebastian Diaz. That is the cool thing about a micro-lot: you’re buying directly from the farmer who grows the coffee. The Diaz’ are able to mill their coffee themselves, which allows them to use great care in the processing of this washed bean.

This Colombia South Huila Albania is sweet in the cup, with tones of honey and more light citrus flavor as it cools. It has a nice acidity. I had my daughter try it (she loves coffee–yikes!), and she said it tasted like “spice.” While I wouldn’t use that term, it does have an herbaceous quality to it. By the way, Albania is the town in Huila closest to where the coffee is grown, and has nothing to do with the country in Europe.

This week you can try a cup on us with the code only snow.* While the snow has disappeared already, we’ve had a few frosty mornings, perfect for warming up with a cup of coffee. This Colombian would be a great way to start your day. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Colombia South Huila Albania. Code expires on 4.16.15. 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 Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, coffee, Colombia South Huila Albania, Colombian Coffee, Free Coffee, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

Weekly Newsletter: 27th March, 2015

Posted on March 27 2015 by Holly Fike

Washed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Tonight is our first little league game of the season, and since Trace is managing Jack’s team, we’re all involved (team parent here, in charge of rounding up those volunteers). There is always an added level of excitement to the games, and it will be fun to see their practicing pay off.

I know, bad picture, but it’s good to see this tall guy again.

This last week was a busy one in our family. On Tuesday Caroline was a darling actress in her class musical, and Jack had a field trip to Sutter’s Fort and Old Town Sacramento. He got to experience a classroom as it would have been in 1854 at the Schoolhouse Museum. It was fun to observe, especially when the boys and girls had to bow/curtsy before answering the teacher.

We had a number of other things going on this week, so that I’m glad it’s Friday. The best news is that Andrew is here right now, on leave after graduating from submarine school. We had a family dinner last night, and a house full of my favorite people makes my heart happy.

This week we are featuring another Ethiopian, so that you can see the difference in processing. This is our washed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, meaning that the fruit and mucilage is washed off the bean, using water. The Ethiopian which we highlighted last week was a natural, and it was dried with the fruit intact. The natural, or dry-processed method, is the way coffee was originally processed.

Most coffees these days are washed: it allows you to taste the flavor of the bean over the fruit of the cherry. Which processing you favor, however, is personal preference. This week we wanted you to be able to taste these side by side, so you can see the difference. You can use the code side by side* to try a four ounce cup of each. We’d love to hear which you prefer.

I wish all of you a lovely spring weekend, whatever you are doing. We’ll be enjoying the beginning of the baseball season, and some good family time. And of course we’ll be drinking good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for a free four ounce cup of our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and a four ounce cup of our Natural Ethiopian Sidamo. Code expires on 4.2.15. Limit one use 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 Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Ethiopian coffee, Ethiopian Sidamo, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Free Coffee, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

Weekly Newsletter: 20th March 2015

Posted on March 20 2015 by Holly Fike

Green Coffee Photo Natural Ethiopian Sidamo

Happy spring to you! We’ve had so much sunshine this winter that it’s not hard to believe spring has arrived. Last weekend we attempted to go ice skating at Northstar, per the birthday girl’s request, only to discover that it’s so warm that they’ve switched to roller skating. After a moment of disappointment, we all enjoyed skating, and Aunt Becky even joined in on the fun.

Happy roller skaters.

Yesterday we finally got our green coffee delivery. With the new floors last week we intentionally ran low so that there wouldn’t be so much to move. By this week however, we were getting desperate for our shipment to arrive. It’s good to see green coffee filling the front of the store again. And with the rearranging we’ve been doing it still looks open, even with 64 bags of green coffee in stock.

This week’s coffee is a Natural Ethiopian Sidamo. When we opened the bag yesterday, it was like being hit in the face with the aroma of blackberries. In a natural, or dry-processed coffee, the beans are dried with the fruit still intact, and it gives an amazing fruit flavor to the final product. This is a grade 1 Ethiopian, handpicked, from the southern part of the country.

Ethiopia is generally considered to be the birthplace of coffee. You can read about the legend of coffee being discovered in this blog post. This Sidamo is a blend of indigenous heirloom cultivars, maybe even the same variety that Kaldi and his goats tried. It’s certain that the original coffees were sun dried in the same manner.

If you like a dry processed coffee, you will love this Ethiopian. It is fruity with sweet citrus tones, and finishes with berry flavors. The contrast to last week’s Fair Trade Organic Peruvian is striking. You’re welcome to sample both this week to see the difference. The code for this week’s free cup is coffee’s birthplace*.

Enjoy the official beginning of spring today. At our house the apple trees are blossoming and new tulips open daily. Spring is a great time to be alive and outdoors. And of course, a great time to drink coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Natural Ethiopian Sidamo. Code expires on 3.26.15. 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 Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Ethiopian coffee, Free Coffee, Natural Ethiopian Sidamo, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

Weekly Newsletter: 13th March 2015

Posted on March 13 2015 by Holly Fike

New Floors 2 Fair Trade Organic Peru

Yes, it’s true. As you can see in the header picture, we’ve replaced our carpet. That’s the thing about owning a business, and I suppose that it wouldn’t matter if you are big or small: there’s always updating to do. We’ve now got a rustic wood look going on, and we’re excited to try it out in upcoming days. A big thanks to Packard Carpet, our neighbors, who were willing to work when we were closed to get it done.

The birthday princess.

This was a busy week. Despite the sunshine today, we had a rain day on Wednesday, and yesterday was little Caroline’s birthday. Happy birthday to my sweet girl! We baked carrot cake cupcakes together per her request, and she dressed up fancy and wore a birthday tiara to school. We’ll keep celebrating as the weekend goes on.

Our coffee of the week is our Fair Trade Organic Peru. I know that we’ve featured this a number of times before, but it’s always good to remember old favorites. As the camp song goes, “make new friends but keep the old, one is silver but the other is gold.” This is a gold coffee, and always enjoyed around here.

This coffee comes from small family farms, in the Amazonas region of northwestern Peru. When you look on Google Maps, satellite view, this is an entirely green mountainous area. This is high grown coffee, where the valleys are over a mile high, and it goes up from there.

Trace roasted this coffee light, and it we enjoyed it at home this morning. It tastes of nuts and chocolate, and it’s easy to drink, especially if you stayed up late last night celebrating the birthday girl. Fair Trade Organic Peru will get you going in the morning–I can verify that.

You can try a cup of Peru on us with the code morning brew* this week. We’re going to try to find some snow this weekend, per little Caroline’s request. She is missing winter. Perhaps a north slope will be our friend? May you have a splendid weekend, whatever you are celebrating, and drink good coffee. Oh and happy pi day tomorrow!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Fair Trade Organic Peru. Code expires on 3.19.15. 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 Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Fair Trade Coffee, Fair Trade Organic Peru, Free Coffee, Peruvian coffee, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

Weekly Newsletter: 6th March 2015

Posted on March 6 2015 by Holly Fike

EE Church Rwanda Akagera Bourbon

I went for a walk earlier today, and with apologies to all of you on the east coast, it sure looks like spring out there. The header picture was taken in front of the local historic Episcopal Church and I think every plant on their grounds was blooming. I’ve seen sandhill cranes flying north, and this morning there were thirteen robins outside my bedroom window. Sure signs that spring has sprung.

Becky serving our coffee-rubbed tri-tip at last years Foothills Celebration

Oh and welcome to March! In our family this is quite a birthday month. My daughter will be celebrating next week, and she is counting down the days. Who doesn’t love to be the princess for the day? Actually she requested a family trip instead of a party, and she informed us that she will be wearing her birthday crown all weekend. So make that princess for three days.

The downside to all of this blooming and blossoming is that it’s a good indicator our drought forecast hasn’t changed. But on the bright side, the outlook is good for the Foothills Celebration tomorrow: it’s supposed to be a high in the 70’s! It will be a good day for food and wine tasting.

This week’s coffee is our Rwanda Akagera Bourbon. This was one part of our popular Christmas Coffee this year, but I don’t think that we’ve featured it solo since last November. It comes from a cooperative in Rwanda where over half of the members are women. Together they are able to provide fertilizer to their farmers and offer medical insurance.

This Rwandan is roasted light and has lovely floral tones. It’s sweet and the acidity almost bubbles on your tongue. For such a light coffee the flavor lingers, and it finishes with nutty tones.

You can try a cup of Rwandan on us with the code March blossoms* this week. Enjoy your sunny weekend and stop in and say hello if you’re in town tomorrow. And always be sure to drink good coffee. Cheers.
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Rwanda Akagera Bourbon. Code expires on 3.12.15. 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, Local Beauty, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Free Coffee, Rwanda Akagera Bourbon, Rwanda coffee, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

Weekly Newsletter: La Esmeralda Panama Boquete Palmyra

Posted on March 6 2015 by Holly Fike

flowers header La Esmeralda Panama Boquete Palmyra

Happy Friday you all. Our winter weather is predicted to return today, and while I’ve enjoyed all the flowers blooming (see the header picture), it’s good to see cold temperatures coming back. It is only the last week of February after all. On top of that, the Little League baseball season has started around our house, and it seems like it always rains when baseball starts.

This week we have a new coffee for you. This is a Panamanian coffee, from the Boquete region, and the same farm as the Panama Geisha that we’ve featured several times. This coffee, however, is composed of a different variety, the Catuai. This is not as spectacular a bean as the Geisha, but it is carefully processed coffee, and it brews a good cup.

The Hacienda La Esmeralda is a unique farm, and you can find their website here. This Palmyra is picked by a nomadic group, and the farm provides them with a nursery for their children, as well as medical care and meals. According to this page, at other estates the young children come with their parents and are exposed to the elements.

They also have a focus on sustainability and good farming practices. We have roasted this coffee light, and it has sweet tones of vanilla as you sip, and finishes with a strong nutty taste. It’s a testament to the care taken in the processing that it has such good flavor.

You can try a cup on us this week with the code winter returns*. One can always hope, right? In other news, next Saturday, March 7th, is the Foothills Celebration. It is a food and wine tasting event around town, sponsored by Sierra Vintners and the Grass Valley Downtown Association. Tomorrow is the last day to buy early tickets at a reduced price (online here). You can also win a pair of tickets on the Outside Inn blog here (who doesn’t love a giveaway?).

As March blows in on Sunday, I wish you all the best. If you live locally, enjoy the storm. We certainly need it. And as always, drink good coffee.
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Panama Palmyra. Code expires on 3.5.15. 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, Downtown Events, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Foothills Celebration, Free Coffee, La Hacienda Esmeralda, Panama Palmyra, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

Weekly Newsletter: Organic Rainforest Alliance Flores

Posted on February 20 2015 by Holly Fike

Deer Creek Suspension Bridge Organic Rainforest Alliance Flores

This week I have two coffees to share with you, since I ended up skipping the newsletter last week. I had good intentions of writing it at home, but I had four kids at home with me and a party in the evening, and you know what they say about the best laid plans . . . On the bright side, the party went great (happy birthday Mom!), and all the kids had a fun day.

Building a fort out of some downed limbs–what a great day to be outside.

One advantage of a sunny February is the opportunity to be outside. I know that those of you on the east coast might not appreciate this, but we’ve spent our free time outdoors this month. Last Sunday we went for a walk along the Deer Creek Tribute Trail, and the kids loved the new suspension bridge.

Whatever the weather, it’s a good day for coffee. Last week our featured bean was a Santa Leticia El Salvador. It comes from a family owned plantation that also features a hotel on the premises. There is a link to the English version of their website here, and I also found them on Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet. If you’re traveling to El Salvador, you could stay where your coffee is grown–how cool is that?

We are featuring our Organic Rainforest Alliance (RFA) Flores coffee this week. Flores is a small Indonesian island, located to the east of Java and Bali, and directly south of Sulawesi. This coffee is processed with care, including being dried on raised beds and hand sorted.

This Organic Flores has sweet tones typical of other Indonesian beans. It’s bold and well, I’d call it delicious, but that’s not very descriptive. It has a creamy honey flavor and floral and chocolate notes. It finishes with a light acidity that comes more to the front as it cools. It is also Rainforest Alliance certified. This means that the coffee is being grown in a sustainable manner, under the shade of native trees.

This is especially important because Flores is an ecologically diverse island, and it is one of only two places in the world where Komodo dragons live (the other is the nearby island of Komodo). Coffee from a land of dragons? Sounds pretty exotic, and we’ve got some for you to sample. Come try it on us with the code island grown* this week. You’re also welcome to try the El Salvador–we still have it brewed. Either way, enjoy your final week of February and drink good coffee.
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Organic RFA Flores coffee. Code expires on 2.26.15. 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 Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Flores coffee, Free Coffee, Organic coffee, Organic Flores, Rainforest Alliance, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

Weekly Newsletter: La Esmeralda Panama Geisha

Posted on February 6 2015 by Holly Fike

River Otter Header La Esmeralda Panama Geisha

I had a great post planned centering on the sisters trip that Becky and I took last weekend. We flew out to Colorado to visit our other sister, and spent two days in a snowy cabin just outside the west portal of Rocky Mountain National Park. Besides a few walks/hikes in the snow (and the only opportunity we’ve had this year to use our snow gear!), we didn’t do much more than sit and talk. For three sisters, that’s about as good as it gets.

A late night picture from our trip, complete with a darling niece.

I did take pictures of the snowy vistas, and even held the camera at arms length to get a shot of all three of us. But then yesterday morning we had wildlife visitors that superseded my plans. We might have an overactive love for wild animals in our family, but this was unique. There is a small man-made pond on our property, and when I looked out the window in the morning it was churning, with what I thought were diving ducks (coots perhaps)?

Maybe a half hour later I was watching again, because their movements were so unique, and two of them came out on the bank. They were clearly river otters! There were three of them playing in our pond. I grabbed my telephoto lens and got the above picture when they were leaving down the creek bed. We all shared binoculars and watched them frolic. One even caught a good sized fish (who knew there were large fish in our little pond?).

I had to share about the river otters, because they were such a treat to see. This week we also have a coffee treat for you. Rather than let the La Esmeralda Panama Geisha sit in our inventory, Trace decided to run it as a special again this week. We have a great descriptive label, with shades of red, that would make it a perfect Valentines Day gif.

We are running this as one of our brewed coffees this week, so you may come in and sample it first (use the code river otters*). To further entice you, it’s priced at $25.00 per pound (normally $39.95). If you didn’t read about this coffee when we featured it in November, you can find that post on our blog here. It truly is a unique and special coffee, and at this price it will fly out of here, so get it while you can.

It has started raining again here. The kids and I got soaked while walking back from school, especially since the gusts flipped our umbrellas inside out. I hope that you enjoy your weekend. If you live around here, I am sure that you appreciate the rain. Celebrate the drops with good coffee. Happy February!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of La Esmeralda Panama Geisha. Code expires on 2.12.15. 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, Local Beauty, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Free Coffee, geisha, Geisha 1500, La Esmeralda Geisha, Panama coffee, Panama Geisha, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

Weekly Newsletter: Burundi

Posted on January 30 2015 by Holly Fike

Yuba River Header Burundi

I filled my mug earlier today from the second pump pot, and thought to myself “I really like that Honduran.” It’s only just occurred to me that it’s not Honduran. Oops. This week we actually have a completely different coffee, that tastes nothing like the Organic Honduran. In fact, the two countries are over eight thousand miles apart. I guess that I really wasn’t paying attention to confuse the two.

This week’s coffee comes from Burundi, a land-locked country bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The coffee is grown in Bururi Province, on the western side of the country. It is grown by family farmers who come together to process their coffee in the Dukorere Ikawa Cooperative. It is a fully washed and sun-dried bean.

The water to process the coffee comes from a source in the Bururi Natural Reserve, which looks like an amazing place. In looking it up I discovered that they recently found an African frog thought to be extinct since 1949 (you can read the article here). The washing station has a “treatment facility to ensure that water leaves the wash station in the same pristine condition” (source here) as it enters.

In a country as poor as Burundi, growing and processing quality coffee changes lives. It allows farmers a living when they can export to the west. The Dukorere Ikawa Cooperative is featured here (the website is in French, but the pictures are great), and you can see the coffee being processed. It still amazes me how coffee grown around the world can end up in a mug on my desk.

This coffee brews a great cup. It’s a light roast, and as you drink you first taste sweet floral and citrus notes. As it cools the citrus flavors become more pronounced. It has a very light body and a medium to high acidity. When we tried it yesterday people spoke about orange and milk chocolate tones–which almost sounds contradictory, so you’ll have to experience it yourself.

You can come try this Burundi and let us know what you taste with the code Bururi Forest* (your guess on pronunciation is as good as mine). There are two more days of Nevada County Restaurant week, so come in and use that code too (listed here). Have a great weekend!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Burundi coffee. Code expires on 2.05.15. 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, Downtown Events, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged Burundi, Burundi coffee, Carolines Coffee, Carolines Coffee Roasters, Free Coffee, Weekly Newsletter | Comments Off

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