There is definitely a trend for Central American coffee producers to be trying their hands at more traditional methods of production such as dry processing. I have had some excellent examples of these over the past couple of years. This was a coffee that came and went at Sweet Marias, and I didn't get a chance to order any. I ended up trading some green coffee with someone else to get some of this to try. It is strange stuff.
Here is the roast, though it doesn't tell the story:
This coffee presented a conundrum in that it seems to race from 1st crack to 2nd very quickly. I rely on the sound of the cracks as a key indicator of how the coffee is roasting, and this one made all sorts of sounds that were hard to differentiate. Luckily the results were good, but I have honestly no idea what roast level this coffee is. Most likely Full City. Actually, I have roasted this coffee twice and had the same experience.
For those who have tried the truly bizarre Anokhi coffee, which is a different coffee variety altogether (coffea liberica v. coffea arabica), this Guatemala coffee is quite similar, but not nearly as intense.
The best analogy I can offer is Frankenberry cereal. There are odd berry notes galore, but not the clean fruit you get from say a Kenya, but fermented, slightly "off" fruit. There are some grainy notes and chocolate as well. The overall effect is slightly offputting, but not altogether unpleasant. I am glad I had a chance to try it, but I have no desire to have any more. For those who are bored by coffee, here is one to wake you up.
2 comments:
I was surprised to read your post, but that's why we say: YMMV. Still...
Anyway, this afternoon I read the newest issue of Sweet Maria's home-roast mailing list digest; in it, a reader posted about sipping a 50/50 mix of Yemen Mokha Sana'ani and Guatemala Oriente DP, roasted together to City, then rested for two days.
Well, I had some of both coffees, but the African roasted to FC, and the Guatemala to FC+. No problema!
One blue scoop of each into the grinder, and from there into my French press. Add off-boiling water (20s), steep/stir/steep, then pour. Nice!
The Guatemalan's "off"-fruit note you mentioned was absent -- over-written by the African, I suspect -- but the chocolate remains.
In the morning, I plan to roast 1/3-cup of each bean, together, to C/C+ in my WestBend P-II; I'll keep you posted!
As I'm drinking a cup of this very same lot of Guatemala Oriente (I'd stored away some of the green beans for some reason), I can't help but laugh and agree with your Frankenberry cereal analogy. I remember when I first roasted a batch directly after it was shipped to me, I tasted many more bright fruity notes (blueberry in particular), but those now are coming out as, well, Frankenberry cereal flavor.
Of course, maybe it was this way all along and I'm confusing myself with the ever popular Ethiopia Idido Misty Valley DP!
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