HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PASSION?
ASK DON YOUNG, OUR ROAST MASTER!

We are pleased to introduce Don Young, our Roast Master, to you. Don is an experienced craftsman—proud of his art! A Roast Master of fine coffee is a title earned over time, mostly by studying from other, more seasoned veterans. There are no formulas, time or temperature charts. Rather coffee roasting for a "micro-roaster" is a special hand trade—like glass blowing. Don Young more than fits this definition!

Here is your chance to ask an expert!

Ever wonder how so many flavors like citrus, tobacco, cedar, and blackberry—reach your cup? Or maybe you would like some pointers on how to buy, grind, or brew the perfect cup? Well, here is your chance! Simply E-mail your questions to Don Young and Don will personally respond to you! Click here to submit your questions.

OUR COFFEES

Costa Rica "La Rosa de Cafe"

Located in the lush Tarrazu River Valley about 30 miles southwest of San Jose (the capital) is a small farm called "Santa Elena". What makes this farm so unusual? It is the owner—one of the few female coffee farmers in all of Latin America—and her coffee!

The 1,300-hectare farm has several unusual microclimates, which are located at different elevations. These small areas within the farm receive cooler breezes and the morning sun—which cause the coffee to ripen at a slow, even pace (and always later than the "main crop" coffee, grown at lower elevations). One such micro-climate (about two hectares) is reserved exclusively for us. We call the coffee grown here "La Rosa de Cafe" (the rose of coffee). The strong aroma of this coffee lingers—the flavors are soft and mellow in your cup. This coffee is a fine morning compliment to a scone or bagel.

Kenya "Nyeri"

Coffee grown in the famous Nyeri region is always a treat. Not far from the wild Mara region inhabited by the famous Masai warriors, coffee from this region is grown only by "small holders", or farmers with only a few hectares to farm. The best " Nyeri" coffees are found at the Nairobi auction every Tuesday. These coffees are never blended with others, but kept pure as an estate coffee.

Once in a while, we will cup a great estate coffee. Normally more expensive, (because other cuppers will bid up the price), the coffees are grown and sold as one "lot". Well, we recently found a special "Nyeri" coffee by roasting the coffee to a lighter color. This roasting decision brought out a distinct wild blackberry flavor—bright and sharp! All the nuances and flavors of a special Kenya coffee "jump out" at you! Warning! This is a snappy coffee best consumed as a morning eye opener!

Colombia "La Vereda"

Our Colombia "La Vereda" coffee is grown high in the Andes Mountains by a tiny Indian community, called the Embera Chami tribe. These folks are so isolated that there is only one road and one phone line connecting them to the nearest town—about one hour away in the famous coffee district of Caldas.

Well, fine coffee is the only crop that these Indians grow. Each family is given between 1,000 and 3,000 trees to farm by the town elders. And does the care and nurturing of the coffee show through in your "cup". The flavor is magnificent—balanced body with rich, citrus notes. We are the only United States buyer for this crop—and it is truly "a rare find".