First Crack Podcast with Garrick Van Buren

This is the third in the monthly coffee review series at the First Crack Podcast.

This month, I’m reviewing Miguel Moreno Leiva - El Filo as roasted by 49th Parallel Roasters.

It’s a very subtle and floral cup with powerful aroma off the grind. Andrew described it to me as, “technically good.” I quite agree. It’s a perfect example of a good cup of coffee.

As always, special thanks to Andrew Kopplin at Kopplin’s Coffee for putting this Cup of Excellence on my table and resetting my coffee judgement scale.

Listen to Coffee Review - Honduras: El Filo [9 min].

This is the second in the monthly coffee review series at the First Crack Podcast.

This month, I’m reviewing George Howell’s Terroir Coffee: El Salvador: Finca La Montaña

The 2007 Cup of Excellence winner that was completely devastated by near hurricane-strength winds in January. Pushing the next harvest out to 2010. In response to this tragedy, George Howell doubled the price of his last 70lbs and sent all the proceeds to aid the farms recovery:

“This is a farm which won 5th place, then 4th place, then 1st place in succession over the last three years in Cup of Excellence. Preliminary estimates indicate he will not have a crop until 2010! How does a farmer with less than 14 acres survive? The 3rd place and 4th place winners of last year’s Cup of Excellence are his neighbors, and all three use the same mill to strip their fruit and dry their beans. We have yet to hear about them. We want to help in a meaningful manner.”

“La Montaña is scheduled to be roasted on Monday, January 28. We will be offering this coffee, which in my opinion is the purest coffee expression we have, bar none, at $50 for eight ounces (versus the usual $27.95). Terroir Coffee will donate the entire price to Mr. Ochoa primarily and to the mill, his critical support, which may also be facing very bad times from these events. Not a penny will be spent on any bureaucracy. We have approximately 70 pounds of his coffee left. $50 dollars per half-pound would result in $7,700, if all is sold.”

Special thanks to Andrew Kopplin at Kopplin’s Coffee for putting this Cup of Excellence on my table and connecting the world economy.

Listen to Coffee Review - El Salvador: Finca La Montaña [9 min].

Elsewhere:
Cup of Excellence Winning Farm 2007: Raúl Ochoa Hernández - La Montaña
CoffeeReview.com: El Salvador La Montaña - 93 points

This podcast kicks off a new monthly coffee review series at the First Crack Podcast.

This month, I’m reviewing: George Howell’s Terroir Coffee: Kenya Mamuto Kirinyaga

First, it took me a while to tweak the grinder back for a good press pot. In that time, the time was ticking on the coffee itself. Lesson learned for February.

This is a great bean, Andrew called it his favorite bean in the past 3 months. In the press pot I tasted heavy blueberry and banana notes with a trace of cherry and just a whiff of cocoa.

In the Mocha Brew, the cup was sharp and thin, very little flavor or mouthfeel. So, while I had two cups in front of me, I avoided that one.

Special thanks to my wife and Andrew Kopplin at Kopplin’s Coffee for inspiring this series and selecting this month’s coffee.

Listen to Coffee Review - Grand Cru Kenya: Mamuto, Kirinyaga [7 min].

Elsewhere:
CoffeeReview.com: Kenya Mamuto Kirinyaga - 96 points

Sam Buchanan follows up our home roasting with a cupping and tasting of the Indian Monsooned Malabar. He walks you through the cupping ritual and provides his impression of this unique coffee.

Listen to Sam’s Cupping of the Malabar [11 min]

Sam Buchanan and I roast up a couple of batches in my garage and talk about home roasting and coffee tasting techniques.

Oh, and I celebrate Uchenna and Joyce, the winners of CBS’s Amazing Race 7.

Listen to Home Roasting with Sam Buchanan [9 min]

We’re tasting honey wine, or mead, with homebrewer-extraordinaire Christopher Hadden. We taste the Dry Mead from White Winter Winery and discuss mead’s history, brewing process, where you can pick some up.

For more about mead checkout:
• About Mead
• The Complete Meadmaker : Home Production of Honey Wine
  “this *the* modern reference on the art and craft of meadmaking.” - Chris.
• A sip through time: A collection of old brewing recipes
  “An interesting look at how mead was made in the middle ages. This book is a collection of medieval recipies.” - Chris.
• honeywine.com
• Liquid Solutions
• Got Mead

Listen to Honey Wine Tasting with Christopher Hadden [32 min]

Got questions about coffee or comments about the show? Call: 206-20-BEAN-1

Like the show? Support the First Crack Podcast

Mindy Kelly from Mrs. Kelly’s Tea and I talk selection, brewing, and finding the right tea.

Listen to the Tea Episode with Mindy Kelly [16 min]

Got questions about coffee or comments about the show? Call: 206-20-BEAN-1

Like the show? Support the First Crack Podcast

Tim Elliott, from winecast.net, and I met at Bev’s Wine Bar and talked wine, coffee, and technology.

Links mentioned:
• WordPress Plugins; WP-iCal & WP-CaTT
• winecast.net
• Bev’s Wine Bar (CityPage Review)
• Haskells, The Wine People
• Surdyks, Liquor and Gourmet Cheese Shop
• Coffee Geek Reviews of the Philips Senseo
• Designing Disney’s Theme Parks : The Architecture of Reassurance
• Tapwave Zodiac 1
• PearPC & CherryOS

Listen to the Wine Episode with Tim Elliott [32 min]

Got questions about coffee or comments about the show? Call: 206-20-BEAN-1

Like the show? Support the First Crack Podcast

Greg Beale, a Dunn Bros. Coffee roastmaster, and I roast 8 pounds of Colombian beans, discuss holiday brewing tips, and the local flavors of the Dunn Bros shops.

Intro: PodCat from PodCat’s Daily Best of Podcasting.

Listen to Interview with a Roastmaster: Greg Beale [38 min]

Got questions about coffee or comments about the show? Call: 206-20-BEAN-1

Like the show? Support the First Crack Podcast