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Weekly Newsletter: 31st January, 2020

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Burundi Mbirizi Gatara Kayanza Province

I saw a New Yorker magazine cartoon this week that showed a pie chart of all of the months of the year, with December pretty much invisible, and January taking up at least a third of the circle. That’s how January often feels to me. After the hectic pace of December, it seems like January lasts forever. Tomorrow we turn the page into February, and while winter continues, there are signs of spring peeking out.

Yesterday I was walking and heard the distinct sound of sandhill cranes bugling overhead. It took me a moment to spot them, even with the calls to guide me. They were flying high, in an ever changing V formation. I know that they winter in the Central Valley, and head north to Alaska, so it seemed like another sign that spring is coming. I’m still waiting on the first robin, but it’s sure to happen soon.

Last night we had a staff meeting, and at one point I was talking about the seven steps that coffee takes from seed to cup. You could certainly divide this into more parts, but we listed these seven:

  1. Plant & Grow
  2. Harvest
  3. Process (dry/natural or honey/semi-washed or washed/wet)
  4. Export/Import
  5. Roast
  6. Grind
  7. Brew

The last three we all know intimately–we roast in store, and get to see the green beans turn into brewed coffee daily. But so much more goes into your cup of coffee, and this week we have a unique one for you.

We are featuring our Burundi Mbirizi Gatara Kayanza Province this week. Burundi is a landlocked African country, surrounded by Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This coffee is the result of a partnership that Royal Coffee has set up with the Coffee Processing Company in Burundi, owned by Salum Ramadhan. Mr. Ramadhan was born and raised in Kayanza Province, and operates four washing stations there. He is committed to his community, and pays well above the government minimum. This coffee comes from family farms at high elevation, and each lot is carefully processed for maximum traceability. This lot is from the Mbirizi Gatara washing station, where it undergoes a “three-part fermentation process, 16 hours of dry fermentation, then another 14 hours of fermentation with water, and then washed and soaked in fresh water for 10 hours. The parchment is gently dried on raised beds until the moisture reaches 11 percent, after which the coffee is stored until it is time to prepare for export (source: Royal Coffee).”

Learning about this Burundi is a good way to remember ALL the steps that go into a cup of coffee. It’s an elaborate and meticulous process, that starts with farmers across the world planting a seed, and caring for it as it grows. The green coffee that we receive is the end result of a lot of time and care. In the case of this Burundi, all of this shows in the final cup. This is a sweet drink, with notes of melon and caramel. It’s delicious and easy to drink. Enjoy a cup on us with the code below. I’ll be drinking to all of those who worked hard for this coffee. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Burundi Mbirizi Gatara Kayanza Province? Use the code wup at the register (nonsense word alert)

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Burundi. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 2.6.2020

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Weekly Newsletter: 24th January, 2020

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Guatemala Finca San José Ocaña

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a few days away in Calistoga, at a lovely resort with multiple mineral pools. Our reservations were this week, and Trace and I had a completely tranquil getaway, just the two of us. The Napa Valley was empty–we felt like we were the only vacationers there. It was relaxing, with delicious food and good wine, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. A highlight was discovering that a friend’s son was our sommelier–it felt serendipitous.

The rain made for moody scenery on our drive, and during our time there. The sun painted the clouds at sunrise and sunset, in shades of pink and red. On our way across the valley on Wednesday, we came around a corner to find hundreds of paper whites blooming, bobbing their heads in dappled sunshine. It was such a hopeful sign that spring is coming, and I captured it in my memory to draw upon when winter days seem to drag.

We have a beautiful coffee for you this week, one that we haven’t had in a couple of years. This is our Single-Estate Guatemala Finca San José Ocaña, from the San Juan Sacatepéquez region of Guatemala, high in the central Guatemalan mountains. The finca has been owned by the Sanchez family since 1905, and they have grown coffee for over one hundred years. They have 150 acres planted to coffee, and another 260 acres that they have preserved as natural forest. They have their own mill on the property, and the coffee is fermented underwater for 12-24 hours, washed with clean spring water, soaked for another 12-24 hours, and dried on patios. They are able to take meticulous care of the coffee from start to export.

We have roasted this light, and in the cup it has a clean taste with notes of chocolate, pecan, and light stone fruit. It’s a delicious option, and I’ll be taking some home to drink this week. Enjoy your weekend, and I hope you all have a chance for some winter relaxation, however that looks for you. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Single-Estate Guatemala Finca San José Ocaña? Use the code vineyards at the register

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Guatemalan. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 1.30.2020

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Weekly Newsletter: 17th January, 2020

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Monsooned Malabar

Yesterday was so much fun, at least if you enjoy snow, like I do. It started snowing in town around 10 am, and continued for the rest of the day. While it is a pain to drive in, it is sure beautiful to watch fall. I kept getting up from my desk to check the accumulation. By the time I was driving home, there were probably four inches in town, although most of it is gone today. This morning was a pink streaked sunrise as the sun came out from the clouds for a bit, and lit up the remaining snow.

Our coffee this week is in honor of a dear customer and friend, Rock Meade. Three of his daughters worked here over the years, and he often came in to grab a cup of coffee and chat with them or anyone else around. I remember when he came to talk to me wondering if his youngest daughter could apply, even though she didn’t have her drivers license yet. He told me that he would always be available to drive her to work–that’s an impressive commitment as a father. In more recent years, he often came in with his grandchildren, and when I talked to him he loved to tell me about how his kids and grandkids were doing.

Earlier this week I pulled out a CD that Rock made and gave us. It’s titled Reverend Otis and the Creatures, after another beloved customer, known around here as Big Dave (aka Reverend Otis). Dave was a local fixture, often found with a cigarette and a cup of coffee (or a can of Natty Ice), sitting outside the store. Rock had a big heart, and he would smoke and talk to Big Dave out front. The songs Rock wrote have titles like “Cigarettes & Coffee,” and “2 points on Bank Street,” and perfectly capture the essence of our friend Dave. Rock was a talented artist in many mediums, and had a great sense of humor.

Rock loved our Monsooned Malabar. We wanted to run it as a special this week, in his memory. When we have it in stock, Rock always came and bought some. This coffee comes from the Chikmagalur hills in southwestern India, but it is extra special because it is left in open sided warehouses during the monsoons. The green beans swell and turn almost white as they soak up moisture, replicating what used to happen when coffee was carried around the horn on sailing ships. It has an unusual flavor, sweet and mellow, and it also pulls a great shot of espresso.

If you’re local, enjoy the snow this weekend. You can read Rock’s obituary in The Union here, and drink a cup of coffee this week thinking of him. At least that is what I will be doing. We’ll miss you Rock. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Monsooned Malabar? Use the code skydiving at the register (Rock went when he was 70)

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Monsooned Malabar. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 1.23.20

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Weekly Newsletter: 11th January, 2020!

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Fair Trade Organic Honduras SHG COCASJOL

A week ago we had our staff Christmas party. We always celebrate after the holidays since it’s sooo busy in December, and most of us have a lot of other commitments. This way we can close early, and enjoy the time together without the stress. As usual, it was a lot of fun, complete with Chewbacca onesies and the usual epic Secret Santa gifts. I received some beautiful handmade art from Emily: wow! Thanks Em.

We are starting to get used to a slower pace around here, and we’re back to getting updates done. Last week I got carried away revamping some of our labels, and ran out of time to write and send this newsletter. And the previous week with the New Year’s holiday it didn’t get done either (plus I took a day off to take my kids skiing). So I thought that I’d hop on here today to send out a quick email about this week’s coffee.

Today we have a new Fair Trade Organic Honduras SHG COCASJOL for you. This seems to be one of those “what’s in a name?” coffees. It’s a long name–what does it mean? Well the first bit we’ve talked about a number of times, so I bet most of you are aware of what Fair Trade Organic means. In short, that this coffee is certified to be organic and to pay the farmers a fair wage. How about SHG? That stands for strictly high grown, which is sometimes also marked SHB or strictly hard bean. Although two different abbreviations, they both indicate that the coffee is grown at high elevation, which means that the beans are denser (thus “hard bean”), and with a lower yield that produces a higher quality.

The final word of the name, COCASJOL, is an abbreviation for the co-op, Cooperativa Agropecuaria Cafetalera san José Limitada, an association of 206 members within the municipality San José de Colinas in the department of Santa Barbara, Honduras. COCASJOL, according to our broker, works with these farmers on organic practices, and has their own cupping lab to maintain quality control. This has meant better prices for the producers as they create a higher quality product. This coffee is hand-sorted to pick out defects, and you’ll see that they are clean and beautiful beans.

In the cup, this is roasted light and tastes of chocolate and pecan tones. It’s a delicious brew, and you can try it on us with the code below. Happy 2020, and may this year bring you loads of good coffee. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Fair Trade Organic Honduras SHG COCASJOL? Use the code Chewie at the register (yep, new year, same code. Well, last time it was Chewbacca)

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Fair Trade Organic Honduran. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 1.17.20

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Weekly Newsletter: 27th December, 2019

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Costa Rica La Rosa

One of my favorite moments of Christmas Day was seeing Dave and Jack in matching Chewbacca onesies, given them by their niece/sister. Another was Archie’s delight in every present, and his offer to help Uncle Trace unwrap his gift. He even came up to me with multiple gifts, and asked if I could read the name for him–and then proceeded to hand them out. His anticipation leading up to Christmas was also magical. It’s fun to be your aunt, Archie!

We were closed Christmas Day, but we’re back to slinging drinks now. Eggnog lattes are still available, for a few more days, and we’ll serve our limited edition Christmas Coffee until the end of the year. On Christmas morning our family started the day with a carafe of Jamaican Blue Mountain, one of our favorite traditions. I hope that you were able to celebrate in a way that was meaningful to you, and I wish each of you all the joy of the season.

Today we have a new Costa Rica La Rosa offering for you, and after this we will be back to our weekly featured coffees. This comes from Naranjo, in central Costa Rica, a farming community that used to be known for its orange groves. Now a lot of the land has been turned into coffee farms, and the co-op Coopronaranjo works with these farmers. Coopronaranjo “has ecologically designed instruments to handle every aspect of the post-harvest processing and it all runs on hydropower. But it’s not just mill equipment that makes a big impression. This cooperative also has an organic fertilizer production plant that uses vermiculture to convert coffee pulp back into low cost organic fertilizer” (from our broker, here).

Coopronaranjo has the ability to put together the perfect blend with multiple farmers bringing their beans to the co-op. This La Rosa comes from seven different farmers, and it makes a delicious cup of coffee. Roasted light, it tastes of walnuts, melon, and stone fruit, with lingering citrus notes. Those of you who love the sparkle of acidity on your palette will enjoy this coffee.

This week marks the end of a decade, and we are thankful for another ten years in business. A big thanks to all of you who have supported us this decade. Here’s to another ten years of good coffee and good community. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Costa Rica La Rosa? Use the code Chewbacca at the register.

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Costa Rica La Rosa. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 1.02.20 (can you believe it’s 2020?!?!)

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Weekly Newsletter: 20th December, 2019

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Papua New Guinea Nebilyer Valley Peaberry

Today was the 136th annual Donation Day Parade in downtown Grass Valley. This is a local tradition that dates back to mining days, and the year 1883. You can read more about it on the Grass Valley Ladies Relief Society website, here, but the short version is that many were out of work, and the idea was born to have each school child bring wood and potatoes to share. Then the Ladies Relief Society distributed it to those in need.

The event has grown and changed over the years, but the Grass Valley Ladies Relief Society still march and handle distribution, and the kids still bring food to share–usually canned goods. We love to see them walk past the store every year, and this year we were even granted beautiful weather. It was a great parade.

Today I was thinking about what I wanted to write for this newsletter, and I thought that in appreciation for a good year, I would like to have a giveaway. So Emily put together a box of goodies valued at over $175, and I did a quick blog post so that you can enter to win. All the details are on the blog, here. We read every comment, so thank you in advance for taking the time to write.

My mom arrived today from Papua New Guinea, after three days of traveling. Becky and her kids were able to pick her up at the airport, and it was a joyful reunion. Grandma Jo is dearly loved. In honor of her arrival, our coffee of the week is our Papua New Guinea Nebilyer Valley Peaberry. This coffee comes from small farms, and an area where two tribes have been historically antagonistic. According to our broker, “the coffee is fully washed and sun dried at the Kuta mill, which has been in operation for over 40 years. The Kuta mill operates between the Ulga and Kolga tribes and has become a place of common ground for producers who have traditionally been in conflict because of tribal differences. The mill owner, Brian Leahy, makes a bonus payment after the harvest to farmers who consistently deliver quality cherries.”

In the cup, this has lovely berry and citrus tones. It’s sweet and lightly acidic, and you can try a cup on us with the code below. I hope that you each enjoy your Christmas weekend, and from the bottom of our hearts we wish you and yours all the joy of the season. Thank you for another great year. Cheers!

–Holly Fike


Want a free cup of our Papua New Guinea Nebilyer Valley Peaberry? Use the code Christmas Peace at the register.

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Papua New Guinea Peaberry. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 12.27.19.

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Weekly Newsletter: 13th December, 2019

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Organic Biodynamic Brazil Fazenda Floresta

This is Nutcracker week in our house. Everyday is a rehearsal or a performance, so I’ve spent a lot of time driving Caroline to and from ballet. It is amazing to watch it all come together after months of hard work. Not only the dancers, but the costumers, stage managers, lights, sound, parents . . . like any endeavor it takes many hands to make it happen. And then this is the week when the magic materializes. I watched my daughter shine as she danced around the stage, and that light in her eyes is the payoff, for me anyway. She loves it, and that’s why we do it.

Listening to Tchaikovsky’s music all week definitely puts me in the holiday spirit. I’ve chatted with several people this week about holiday traditions, and it’s fun to hear how differently we all celebrate. Some people are all about gifts, and some don’t do any. Some are into food, and others keep it simple and order pizza. Some have a tree and some find it ridiculous. Some love the holidays, and for others it’s a hard time of year. Whatever your reality this December, I hope that you find some peace in your days.
This is a busy season in the store, and it is our goal to spread joy one cup of coffee at a time. Thank you all for being patient with us when the lines are long. I promise that we are making your drinks, warming your food, grinding your coffee and wrapping your gifts as fast as we can. We really do appreciate each of you who respond with a smile and make our jobs easier.

This week we are featuring our Organic Biodynamic Brazil Fazenda Floresta. This is a coffee that we’ve been privileged to carry over the years, and it is always a hit when we get it in. The question that I get the most, is “what does biodynamic mean?” I thought that our broker had a good description: “a holistic approach to agriculture where the farm is managed as an interconnected organism that generates its own fertility through diverse cover-cropping and the integration of manure from livestock raised on the farm. Biodynamic goes beyond organic practices including applications of homeopathically treated compost based on the rhythms of nature.”

You can know from that description that this coffee was cultivated with care. Fazenda Floresta is a family owned farm, near the Chapada Diamantina National Park, in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Bahia is on the far east side of Brazil. This coffee is a pulped natural, meaning it is dried with some of the pulp intact. It brews a delicious cup, and you can come try it on us this week.

Whatever your weekend plans, I hope that you enjoy good coffee. Oh, and I almost forgot to add that we have another sale for you this week. Our Jamaican Blue Mountain is $5 off per pound through the end of next week, and just for fun, I left the Panama Geisha on sale too–also $5 off per pound. So if premium and unique coffees are your jam, we’ve got you covered. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Organic Biodynamic Brazil Fazenda Floresta? Use the code spread joy at the register.

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Organic Biodynamic Brazil. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 12.19.19.

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Weekly Newsletter: 6th December, 2019

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Panama Howling Monkey Natural Geisha

You know it’s December around here when the front counter is full of premium coffees. We have our Organic Galapagos, Kona Fancy, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Christmas Coffee, and a new addition: Panama Howling Monkey Natural Geisha. We’re moving straight from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and these are the perfect coffees to gift. We have a limited amount of each, so we’ll keep roasting them until they’re gone.

Our family tradition is to drink Jamaican Blue Mountain on Christmas morning. As my kids have gotten older (much older than the cute nephew and niece of mine pictured here), they don’t get up as early on Christmas Day. They’re not at the age yet to drink coffee with us, but the later start means that I get to slowly wake up while sipping great coffee. The slow start is one of my favorite Christmas Day habits.

This week we are featuring our Colombia Cauca El Tambo AA, and you can try a cup with the code below. It’s grown by a group of twelve farmers, each with their own micro-mill so that they can carefully process the coffee. They then work with Banexport to bring this traceable community product to the international market. Banexport matched them for their meticulous processing and beautiful flavors in the cup. Roasted, this is creamy and smooth with walnut tones.

I also want to tell you about this extraordinary Panama Howling Monkey Natural Geisha this week. Geisha is unique varietal of arabica, originally brought to the New World from Ethiopia. It’s a delicate bean, hard to grow, but completely rewarding in terms of exquisite flavor. Panama Geisha has won many cupping awards, and is one of the world’s most exclusive and expensive coffees.

This Panama Geisha comes from the famous Boquete region, high in the mountains near the Volcan Baru National Park, where over 550 species of birds and other animals live. Hacienda Bajo Mono is owned by the de Dianous family, and is uniquely located in the Bajo Mono valley, a microclimate perfect for coffee with natural springs, volcanic soil, and the Bajareque mist. From there you can hear the monkeys howling, one of the world’s loudest animals.

The beans are carefully hand-picked when ripe, and then expertly dried on raised beds for up to 20 days. This is a full natural process, which leaves the coffee with intense fruit flavors. We’ve roasted this light, and the flavors dance in your mouth. You taste meyer lemon and honeydew melon first, and then it finishes with dried plum and apricot tones. It has a depth and body that helps the flavors to linger as you swallow.  You can sample some this week with $5 off per pound.

In other news, we are open every Friday night for Cornish Christmas, so you can find us here until 9 pm tonight. And if you love this community like we do, go check out all the Nevada County love on the Outside Inn blog. Erin has put together another epic giveaway, and this time she’s done TEN baskets of goodies from local merchants. We live in such an amazing community that supports each other like this. Enjoy your weekend, and drink good coffee. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


$5 off this amazing Panama Howling Monkey Natural Geisha this week only. Purchase online or use code monkey in store.


Offer is $5 off per pound. Receive $3.75 off per 12 ounce bag, $2.50 off per half pound, $1.25 off per quarter pound.

Code/Offer valid until 12.15.19.


Want a free cup of our Colombia Cauca El Tambo AA? Use the code Cornish Christmas at the register.

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Colombia Cauca El Tambo. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 12.12.19.

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Weekly Newsletter: 30th November, 2019

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Christmas Coffee

Happy Thanksgiving! This week was the kickoff to winter around here, and not because December starts tomorrow. We had our first snow of the season, and it was a white Thanksgiving for most of the county. We started the day brewing coffee for those who braved the weather and showed up for the MEB2 Turkey Trot, and finished with a table full of family listing their gratitude.

It was a modified turkey trot with all the snow on the ground, but it was a hopeful and beautiful gathering. And then yesterday we were open until 9 pm for the first Cornish Christmas, as well as out at the fairgrounds for the Country Christmas Faire. We’ve been busy, and we want to tell you that we don’t take that for granted. THANK YOU, each of you, for choosing to shop local and support us. We appreciate each of you.

This week we debuted our limited edition 2019 Christmas Coffee. The front label is the above picture of Archie and Lucy, and the back states:

“Community. This year has been one of transition around here, as we had many changes in our staff, and learned to deal with new situations, like power outages. Looking back at an often chaotic year, the thing that stands out is the support of our community.

Gratitude. We debut our limited edition Christmas Coffee each year on Thanksgiving week, and it’s a good reminder to say thank you to each of you for your support. Thank you to our staff, new and old, and to each of you, for being our community.

Christmas Coffee this year is a blend of our rich, chocolate-y Guatemala San Martin Jilotopeque with a touch of our five bean French Roast. This Guatemalan is grown by indigenous people on small farms in the highlands of central Guatemala. It has been processed with care and brews a beautiful cup.

Enjoy this coffee with our appreciation for another great year.”

I’ve been drinking the Christmas Coffee this morning, and I can testify to the chocolate flavors. It’s creamy and easy to drink. All of our employees love it too, so it comes highly recommended. In other news, we roasted our Jamaican Blue Mountain on Wednesday. I know that many of you have been asking when it will be in stock: it’s here! We will continue to roast it from now to Christmas, or until we run out of the green beans. It’s expensive, but oh so delicious. Our Organic Galapagos is also fresh roasted and ready to serve at your holiday gatherings. So many great options.

You can sample the Christmas Coffee this week with the code below. And if you have a coffee lover in your family, our gift boxes are packed and ready for you to pick up. The one below is our new California Dreamin’. The Around the World coffee samplers have been popular this week. Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving weekend, and drink good coffee. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Christmas Coffee 2019? Use the code snow days at the register.

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Christmas Coffee 2019. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 12.05.19.

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Weekly Newsletter: 8th November, 2019

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Organic Blue Krishna Balinese and Peru Satipo Finca Tasta

I know that much of the country has been dealing with extreme cold this week, but around here it’s been unseasonably warm. Oh the vagaries of weather. The heat has meant that the leaves have lingered extra long, and my feed is full of exuberant tree photos, but it also means that our fire danger is still high, and it makes it hard to fathom that Thanksgiving is around the corner.

Around here we’re in full prep for the holidays mode, whatever the weather. Our eggnog lattes are now available, and peppermint mochas have been added to the menu. Cinnamon lattes and Mexican hot cocoa? Check. We’ve also got some fun new teapots, a modern insulated mug with a copper bottom, a new Take a Hike gift box, and so much more. It feels like the season of giving has begun.

Last week we had a featured coffee that I didn’t get a chance to write about. This is our Peru Satipo Finca Tasta Micro-Lot. It is grown by Edith & Ivan Meza Sagarvinaga, a young brother-sister duo, who are second generation coffee farmers. Finca Tasta has about 19 acres of coffee, and over 20 acres as a preserved forest. In addition to coffee, they grow plantains, yucca, tomatoes, sugarcane, raspberries, and pumpkins. Edith is an active member of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) in Peru, and a few years ago she was awarded the opportunity to visit the SCA coffee expo in Seattle. Edith and Ivan have a goal of being self-sustaining, while taking care of the environment and the people living nearby (all information from Royal Coffee).

This week we are featuring our Organic Blue Krishna Balinese. This is a Rainforest Alliance certified favorite from the island of Bali, in Indonesia. It is also called Bali Blue Moon, for the bluish hue of the beans before roasting. It is grown in the traditional manner, using Subak Abian, the” ecologically sustainable irrigation systems developed more than 1,000 years ago by Hindu priests who practice Tri Hita Karana (the three sources of prosperity), a philosophy focused on the harmonization between the environment, humans and God” (source: Royal Coffee). In the cup it has beautiful earthy and chocolate tones, with a full-body that fills your mouth.
You have the option to have a cup of either of these coffees on us this week, using the code below. Come in and see what new items we have in the store (including some handmade coffee cards from Erin over at the Outside Inn and InnTown Campground). Whatever you do this weekend, drink good coffee. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Organic Blue Krishna Balinese? Use the code grateful at the register.

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Organic Balinese. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 11.21.19.


Want a free cup of our Peru Satipo Finca Tasta Micro-Lot? Use the same code (grateful) at the register.

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Peru Micro-Lot. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 11.21.19.

Posted in Coffee Descriptions, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Weekly Newsletter: 8th November, 2019

Weekly Newsletter: 1st November, 2019

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Sulawesi Toraja Sapan Minanga

A week ago, we were pulling in the driveway after a week of visiting National Parks in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. We didn’t spend much time in any one place, but we got to go to Great Basin, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Most of the parks that we have visited in the past are actually revisits for me, but this time it was all new. I was totally amazed by the variety of the scenery, and the gorgeous fall colors. It was cold and windy and warm and still–but we managed to escape all rain. We spent a day or two in each park (except the North Rim–that was a drive by), and were lucky enough to find campsites, even without reservations.

I can’t pick a favorite between all these parks–they were so unique. And actually, one of my favorite parts wasn’t even in a park–it was the drive down Highway 12, between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon. You leave the limestone and desert sage of Capitol Reef and drive up Boulder Mountain, covered with white leafless aspens and verdant pines. Then after descending the other side, you find yourself back in red rock canyon country, and the road goes along a precipice, with a sheer drop on one side to Boulder Creek and on the other to Calf Creek. The cottonwoods and aspens along the creeks were a brilliant yellow, making it clear where the water ran below. Then the road wound down the eastern slope until you were in the canyon, with red rocks towering over you and the aspens shimmering as you passed. It was a memorable sight.

We came home to a whirlwind of unpacking and laundry, knowing that we had less then a day before the power was scheduled to go out again. A huge shout out to Dave, Becky, and the rest of our staff, who dealt with an outage while we were gone. For the last two public safety shutoffs, we have been able to stay open at the store, as part of the Tier 1 area that received power from a backup generator. We are grateful to have been open, but our hearts go out to the many businesses that weren’t so lucky. And in a mixed up week, with double our normal customers, and wholesale orders on totally different days than usual, THANK YOU to our awesome employees who stayed calm in the madness and to each of you who were patient with our long lines and slower-than-usual internet.

This week we have a new Sulawesi for you. This is our Sulawesi Toraja Sapan Minanga, from the southern part of the Sulawesi island. It’s grown at high elevation, over 6000 feet (that’s above Lake Tahoe level, for a local reference). The growers here live a traditional lifestyle, in unique boat-like huts. You can see pictures here, and read about their elaborate funeral rites: it’s an amazing story about a culture very different from ours. And yet we are connected by this beverage that we drink. The world of coffee brings us together.

In the cup this has the earthy tones of many Indonesian coffees, with a nice acidity to balance the nutty flavors. You can try it this week with the code below.

In the middle of all the power outages, and days off of school, we also had Halloween yesterday. Can you believe it’s the first day of November? Check out our Instagram or Facebook accounts for fun pictures of the downtown Trick-or-Treat event. We had an ancient Greece theme here this year, complete with decor. I think that I can safely say that a great time was had by all–including the deer cousins pictured above.

Enjoy your weekend, and especially the power if you’re local. Thank you all for your support–we appreciate you. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Sulawesi Toraja Sapan Minanga? Use the code Fall Break at the register.

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Sulawesi Toraja Sapan Minanga. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 11.08.19.

Posted in Coffee Descriptions, Vacation, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Weekly Newsletter: 1st November, 2019

Weekly Newsletter: 18th October, 2019

Posted on March 5 2020 by Holly Fike

Coffee Of The Week

Monsooned Malabar

Last week we spent Friday emptying and cleaning out our refrigerators after a three day Public Safety Power Shutoff. Needless to say, I did not get an email sent out. Our employees were great, and worked hard to get us back up and open. In the meantime we set a five gallon carafe outside for those who NEEDED coffee after days without. We eventually opened for the afternoon, and most people that I helped with bulk coffee sales had coffee at home, but no grinder. Life without power takes serious preparation, and it’s easy to forget something like ground coffee.

I had said that I would post pictures from Savannah and Mat’s wedding, so here they are, a week later. It was such a good time of being with current and former staff members. It couldn’t have been a better Friday night: celebrating with Mat and Savannah and catching up with everyone. Their wedding was at the historic Miners Foundry, and could not have been more picturesque. Savannah and I were talking about it today, and her favorite thing was marrying her best friend with all of her family and friends in attendance.

This week we are featuring our Monsooned Malabar. We seldom get coffees from India–most of it is consumed in country, and this one in particular is extra special. It is grown in the hills of the Chikmagalur growing region of Karnataka, in the southwest of India. According to our broker, “many of the farms have been in operation for close to one hundred years, passed down through the family from one generation to the next. These third and fourth generation producers are caring environmental stewards who grow their coffee under shade and inter-crop peppers, cardamom, and oranges. Care is taken to select fully ripened cherries that are naturally sun dried and then hulled.”

After the harvest and process, this Monsooned Malabar goes through a unique process of being exposed to the monsoon rains in open sided warehouses, until the beans swell and lighten in color. Then they are carefully monitored until the moisture reaches a more typical 11%, for safe exportation. In the cup, this makes for an especially creamy brew, with light spice and sweet plum tones. It also makes a shot of espresso with a thick crema–sometimes called liquid gold.

You can try this bean on us with the code below this week. I hope you enjoy your weekend. The fall colors are gorgeous right now, perfect for a weekend drive around the foothills. Whatever you do, drink good coffee. Cheers!

–Holly Fike

Coffee Coupon


Want a free cup of our Monsooned Malabar? Use the code newlyweds at the register.

Code good for a 12 oz cup of our featured Monsooned Malabar. Limit one per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, Grass Valley, CA.

Code/Offer valid until 10.24.19.

Posted in Celebrations, Coffee Descriptions, Employees, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Weekly Newsletter: 18th October, 2019


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 map-marker Carolines Coffee Roasters
128 S. Auburn St.
Grass Valley, CA 95945
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Saturday-Sunday: 7am-5:30pm 

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