KALICO SELECTION FROM BURUNDI — FULL CITY ROAST —
The Republic of Burundi is located in Central Africa, squeezed between Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s a landlocked 10,750 square mile country of hills and mountains.
Burundi has the ideal coffee growing conditions. Cherries can develop properly because of the stable and relatively low temperatures on the plains. The distinct seasons allow for a proper blossoming of the plants and a good drying of the beans.
The first Arabica coffee tree was introduced into Burundi by the Belgians in the early 1930’s. Coffee cultivation has prospered ever since. From 1980 to 1993, Burundi invested heavily in the coffee subsector with assistance from the World Bank, engaging in an ambitious program of coffee washing station construction and tree planting. The number of coffee trees increased from 90 million to over 220 million, and 133 washing stations were constructed and equipped, providing what is needed to produce a consistent supply of fully washed coffee. Today, the country boasts over 160 washing stations.
In the mid-2000’s, after more than a decade of civil strife, Burundi focused on the development of its coffee industry, rising coffee production by investing in higher quality coffee and, through the sector’s privatization and liberalization, in building stronger international ties. Coffee growers have become more organized, with smaller co-ops linking directly with the washing stations society, referred to as Sogestal. These smaller associations offer Burundi an important opportunity to produce small, high value lots of coffee with distinct flavor profiles.
Coffee is the biggest agricultural resource and makes up more than 80% of the total exports. Part of their export includes the Kalico Selection, a mix consisting of lots grown on the hills of 5 areas in the Kirundo Province. This joint effort, the blending of several small lots from different growers, showcases the great coffee traits that can be achieved by careful merging of flavors. It offers terrific acidic fruitiness and sweetness. The cup has great depth, with berry overtones and light citrus on the palate.
BRAZILIAN DATERRA PEABERRY RFA — VIENNA ROAST —
Daterra was Brazil’s first sustainable coffee farm. In 1999, Daterra became ISO 14001 certified, which means it set the standard for an environmental management system. In 2003, it became Rainforest Alliance certified, another first for Brazil!
The heart of Daterra’s quality control is their Penta System, divided into five main categories: 1) Planting, 2) Harvesting, 3) Drying, 4) Processing and Sorting, and finally, 5) Warehousing and Packaging. The Penta System is a set of technological procedures developed by Daterra engineers to ensure quality consistency. The quality delivered is the most important output of the system. Every stage of this unique processing system has been designed to only select the coffee beans that match the high quality window of Daterra. From picking to shipping, only the perfect beans remain in the process.
This selection of coffee from Brazil is a wonderfully delicious anomaly. Typically, a coffee cherry will grow two halves of a bean within that single cherry. These two halves lay together, back to back. Sometimes the coffee cherry produces a single, small, round bean rather than two bean halves. This is known as a Peaberry. Not only is its life history unusual and it’s appearance out of the ordinary, it is highly recognizable by its uncommonly rich, robust flavor. Look for crisply fruity aroma, a distinctive nut flavor, smooth body and delicate acidity.
BURN EXCESS CALORIES THE DELICIOUS WAY! Experts are now saying that drinking coffee can increase your caloric burn by up to 5-1/2%! (The only drawback: They recommend limiting intake to only 4 cups daily for best results.)
