It has been a long road to hoe finding that traditional big-cup o' chocolate Guatemalan coffee from ANY of her many growing regions,but I think we have it, and readily available!  Hats off to the FEDECOCAGUA assemblage for this offering of Genuine Antigua Pastoral, which jolts me back to the old paradigm of such rich taste associations with that country.  BIG body, BIG chocolate and spicy notes, at last....exciting & thick cup texture, moderate acidity and complex, creamy espresso shots. 

FEDECOCAGUA is a second-level co-operative founded in 1969 to improve the position of small-scale coffee growers. It is the umbrella organisation for 19,354 coffee farmers belonging to 37 affiliated farmers’ organisations. FEDECOCAGUA provides a range of services including access to a credit scheme, technical support, transport, warehousing, and the purchase, processing and export of members’ coffee beans.  This is an exceptional coffee not to be missed.

I will be using it in This is My House! blend FOR SURE, and in fact will dig into a cup tomorrow from today's roast.....

The hedonist in me pointedly differs with the assessment appearing in the December online Coffee Review (www.coffeereview.com) of exotic offerings.  The aroma of this blend of Mexico Terruño Nayarita natural and India Anokhi liberica is defiantly unique, IMHO, and an exceedingly rich and balanced cup of coffee with great mouthfeel.  I have prepared straight espresso shots of this blend and it has serious legs!  Arguably the best way to experience the Anokhi (in a blended format), although I absolutely love it straight up, as do several of my customers who find it to be one of the world's great java experiences.  The Anokhi aromatics appear as well in the Deep Cello espresso.  Try it yourself!

It's always about the sweaters, no?  For the upcoming spectacular at the Aladdin Theater Dec. 5, the peaches n' regalia set that is PCP and collaborators will rock your world.  Tix are going superfast.  First-time collab with the fab Mirah, Justin Power.  Debut of Halo?!  Justin K. playing a movement of Shostakovich Concerto?!  Quelles autres surprises?  Get your assssses there and bring the tackiest seasonal vestments you can find to wear...you won't go unnoticed!

"Another tricky Day, For You"

Come hear Beta Collide at the White Stag building atrium in Portland this Friday, Oct. 17.  Trumpeter etc/general genius Brian McWhorter and flutist Molly Barth's (of Grammy-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird) pet project, this night presenting the landmark Folio by Earle Brown, me on cello, and a dybbuk's-ful of intense musickians, troublemakers and artists partaking.

Willie Week announcement and article

http://wweek.com/editorial/3449/11640/

Noting the untimely passing of visionary David Lett, without whom Oregon would have no serious wine industry.  Eyrie is certainly in fantastic hands with son Jason and family but clearly we lost one of the giants in American wine.  Buy some of their Pinots for starters and raise a glass to David Lett tonight!

NY Times obit:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/dining/14lett1.html

 

First submittal to Coffee Review (www.coffeereview.com), industry demi-god Kenneth Davids's tasting forum website, seems to have raised eyebrows to one of our excellent and very affordable Indian javas, Thogarihunkal Estate.  The review gave it 88 points and notes all of the salient cupping characteristics which sold us on the coffee years ago.  Our feeling has always been that Indian specialty coffees are vastly underrated and often overlooked...this despite the fact that some estates have been around since the mid-1800s!  Most serious roasters have Indian coffee offerings and we hope that more join us!

A near drive-by on Friday for the CoffeeFest kickoff day.  Had an awesome ride up with LavaJavans Phuong and Cam and what a treat getting to know them a lot better.  We need seriosity like theirs in this business!

All the usual suspects at the  convention center, and nice to see Mercanta-ites Grant Rattray, Christian Schaps and Leah Warren anhd be included in the Mercanta fam, having roasted coffees for the show.  Overall response to the new El Salvadors (Finca Alaska, Finca Montañita and Finca Suiza, roasted by Badbeard's for the show) was special and there will be orders aplenty.  After a lengthy hang at Seattle Coffee Works catching up with Sebastian got to see the handiwork off Polina Notic of SCW, who had placed 3rd after the prlims of the latte art competition at the show.  Talented playuh! 

Nice meal at  Icon on 5th, with its amazing assemblage of Dale Chiluly "balloons" all over the friggin' place. Nice to be back in PDX.

Phuong Tran, master barista (2005 US Champion) and her cupping staff couldn't have been nicer and more thorough in assaying some recent Badbeard's offerings.  Full disclosure; I sent these off to her after a recent visit to Lava Java (just off the I-5 at exit 14, Ridegefield, WA), where I enjoy the ambiance, good laughs, and total coffee geekiness!

From her phone report yesterday:

Brazil yellow bourbon decaf Marzocco shots); smooth, nice body and color.

Kenya Thangathi microlot: smooth, full-bodied, nice gentle acidity, tomato skin, grapefruit

Friday shots of Deep Cello espresso with Kenya Thangathi: Sweet from 1st sip, classic, dry finish, fruity, toasted bread

Sunday shots: Nice creamy body, clean finish, sweet, dark chocolate, aromatics of grapefruit, pomegranate,alder smoke.

 

Sunday capuccino (prepared by Cam) ["should've been hotter, dude!"] Dark chocolate pops through the milk!

This should be fun as usual, though sadly the predominant trade show themes appear to have almost nothing to do with coffea per se, 98% ancillary stuff.  amazing to see how much evolution and pure product/marketing has taken over.  Can't forget that Andrea and I first encountered Mercanta and their exceptional green and great people just last year, and have enjoyed Finca La Perla, a host of great Brazils, and recently the exceptional Kenya Thangathi microlot.

Rumor has it the barista competition might not even transpire there this year, although it's always a pleasure to see the baristi maestri at their best. After last week seen her shining-smile best, Phuong Tran and Cam and the Lava Javans of Ridgefield, WA are always a treat to be with and talk coffee.

Tomorrow night, 4 of us PCPers will be playing with local indie/Celtic/postpunk faborama Amadan at the Doug Fir, show starts at 9 PM and Amadan will commence around 10:30ish.  Master fiddler Chad Marks-Fife wrote us into Pishi and Coming Home, and we'll be thrilled to rock with them

Saturday is PCP at Livewire!, playing before a live audience for future broadcast...rumor has it the Dandy Warhols are nigh....

Then the evening concert at the Gerding Theater @ 8 PM, Saturday, what a day.

'twould be excellent, since a PCP4tet will be recording with the DW's on Sunday....they're awesome.