Colombia Villa Maria Caldas Supremo

In December 2012, we began selling a great new coffee: Colombia Villa Maria Caldas Supremo. When it's clear that a coffee is so extraordinary that it's worth offering it to our customers, I begin to investigate the coffee plantation and learn everything possible about the coffee.  There are so many variables that are involved in the flavor of the coffee beyond the country origin or continent. It's impossible to accurately explain every variable, but here are a few reasons why it's important to know where your coffee comes from.

Don Balvino and his Maragogype Coffee Trees

1. The word Terroir is well-known among wine connoisseurs to describe the region, the soil, the altitude, and climate in which the wine is grown. This Colombian Coffee is grown in Villa Maria, Caldas, Colombia.  The farm, Estate La Meseta, is well known for its good farming practices.

2. When you see the word, Supremo, you might think, "Hey, this coffee must be SUPREME." It may be, but supremo really tells us the size of the beans. Our Colombia Medellin Excelso  is another example of bean size. Supremo is the largest of the beans except for a natural mutation called Maragogype, also called Elephant beans. Excelso is the next size of beans. Specialty coffee beans are separated according to their size because each size bean will have different flavor profiles. In order to retain consistency, it's important to have a bag of coffee with the same screen size. Often the larger beans have greater complexity, but it's important to not judge a bean by its size only. There are a plethora of variables that go into an awesome cup of coffee.

3. The Altitude:
This special coffee is grown over 3300 ft. above sea level. Coffee grown at higher levels are denser beans that often have greater complexity, acidity, and exhibits floral and fruity notes. Denser beans that are often characterized  as SHB (semi-hard beans) or SHG (strictly high grown), can be stored longer and retain their flavor characteristics longer.

4.  The coffee varietal:
Each coffee cultivar (varietal) has different flavor profiles. Some popular cultivars are bourbon (pronounced boo-rbon (with a french pronunciation of the "on"), caturra, and typica. Bourbon, sometimes called Yellow Bourbon, is planted all around the world- in Brazil, Rwanda, and Indonesia. The different cultivars, the different altitude, and different soil quality will all contribute to the quality of the cup. There are problems with monoculture- when the same cultivar is planted in the same field. Monoculture invites coffee pests that find one tree interesting and then destroy the entire crop. Below is the family tree of the Colombia Villa Maria Caldas!

The Colombia Villa Maria Caldas Supremo is one of my all-time favorite coffees. With notes of peanut butter, chocolate, and almonds the mouthfeel will remind you of peanut butter because it seems to stick to the roof of your mouth. It's best brewed in a French Press or drip.

La Nubes Andrea Costa Nicaragua Maragogype

You know that we have over 40 different single origin coffees available and another 15 blends. I look for the best specialty coffee available. Smart farmers sample different areas of their farms that may cup at a different level than the rest of the crop. Here's the problem: If a farmer has 50 hectares (2.471 acres) of coffee trees and discovers that 1/5th of the crop contains coffee that has a superior flavor profile, should the farmer seek to sell the portion of the crop at a higher price and possibly lower the quality of the entire crop? That's a tough question.

You've enjoyed some of our awesome microlots like Brazil Moreninha Formosa, Honduras Cup of Excellence, Yemen Mocca Sanani, and Honduras Finca Las Canas. We have now secured some incredible microlot coffees from Nicaragua. The first selection is an Andrea Castro Nicaragua Maragogype. They produced only 38 pounds of coffee and picked out (by hand) only the best beans for us! This is an extremely small offering, now, of 32 pounds. (Did you know that 32lbs. of unroasted coffee beans produces only 25.6 lbs. of roasted coffee.)

Maragogype is a large bean that is a mutation of a typica coffee tree. Each of the farms in the Las Nubes (The Clouds) Cooperative is managed by women. How cool is that?

Our 32 lbs. of coffee...

Just wait until you taste this coffee! It will become part of your bucket list.

The "Americano"

Recently, I have been experimenting with the "Americano," half espresso and half hot water. Many of you have been ordering this beverage and commenting on how great it tastes and how wonderful the crema looks. From where did the name "Americano" come? During WWII, our GIs in Europe were not used to the small cup of coffee that was extremely strong, the espresso. Some may have been given a "ristretto" which is the first couple of seconds of the espresso pour. Remember, espresso bars and specialty coffee roasters were not the norm before the advent of Starbucks. Therefore, the baristas diluted the espresso with hot water to make it more palatable to our men and women in the armed forces. When they came back from the war, they began to ask for an "Americano."
The perfect recipe for an "Americano" is freshly roasted coffee for the espresso, followed by a perfectly pulled double shot of espresso. What temperature should the hot water be and what is the ratio of espresso to hot water desired? Let us know if you have a particular way that you like your "Americano."

New "Frank's Late Night Special Espresso Blend"

We are introducing a new Espresso Blend that we like to call "Frank's Late Night Special Espresso Blend." "Late Night Special" is appropriate because anyone who knows me well, knows that drinking a few shots of espresso at midnight has no negative effect on my sleeping habits. This is an interesting blend of some awesome single origin coffees from Indonesia, Brazil, and India. I love cupping coffee and experiencing the surprise and wonder that comes from blending coffees with their own specific taste profiles. With this new Espresso Blend, you will enjoy a complex palate of dark chocolate and blueberries. Of course, there are many single origin coffees that are wonderful all by themselves as espresso. My favorites include- Mexico Chiapas and Sumatra Mandheling.

Chazzano Carefree Coffee Club has arrived

The Chazzano Carefree Coffee Club is here!

Every month, we will automatically ship fresh, delicious, expertly roasted Chazzano coffee to your door. Just tell us how many pounds, and if you prefer a specific coffee or would rather we surprise you, you will always have delicious Chazzano coffee on hand. Never again will you face that moment when you realize that you have just scooped out the last bit of coffee in the bag and may settle for someone else's coffee. With the Chazzano Carefree Coffee Club, there will always be more of your favorite, "singing good" coffee.

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Technivorm Moccamaster CD coffee maker

As I have stated before, the french press or press pot is the easiest, cheapest, and simplest way to brew incredible coffee. However, a month ago, I purchased my first Technivorm coffee maker. I have no faith in the majority of drip brewers because they are notorious for low temperatures that cause an under-extraction of the coffee and a loss of the many flavors that specialty coffee offers. Technivorm brews the coffee at temperatures of 195-200 and even soaks the grinds like a french press. If you regularly drink great fresh roasted coffee, this is one of only a few machines made for perfect coffee.

New Single Origin Coffee Offering

The description below can not describe the depth of flavors that come from a full city roast of this Peru La Florida. I have cupped this coffee several times and have found sometimes nutty and chocolate flavor profile. This is my favorite coffee available. There is something very shocking when I taste this coffee. I explain to everyone who will listen that great coffee does not need milk, sugar, or flavoring. It would truly be a shame to add anything to this coffee.


Below from www.freshcoffeebeans.com

PERU LA FLORIDA ORGANIC FAIR TRADE
La Florida was founded in 1966. Initially the cooperative consisted of 100 farmers who hoped to combine and market their coffee at better prices and thereby attain a greater level of development. Today the cooperative has over 1500 producer associates, all small coffee farmers, representing 36 communal groups, including Peruvian Sierra colonies and indigenous communities. The coffee comes from the slopes of the Andes Mountains in the region of Central Peru. There are 183 certified organic producers participating in La Florida’s organic program. These members are now training their neighbors to improve their harvest using sustainable agriculture practices. The coffee boast USDA and TransFair USA certifications. A European Preparation grade coffee, grown at 4800 - 6000 feet. Spicy floral aroma with hints of citrus. Full flavored with light creamy body and a clean finish.


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About Chazzano Coffee

About 5 years ago, my mother-in-law asked me what I wanted to for my birthday. I had been searching about coffee on the web and I spotted a Fresh Roast home coffee roaster and a few pounds of beans for $65. I was used to ordering through Starbucks Encore program several pounds of coffee every month. After the first roast using the Fresh Roast roaster, I was hooked. Up to that point, that was the best cup of coffee that I had ever tasted. Throughout the years, I used the Fresh Roast Plus, Fresh Roast Plus 8, Cafe Rosta, Nesco (formerly Zach & Dani's) and then the I-Roast and I-Roast 2 with great success. After several years of roasting for myself, I needed a larger roaster so that I could share my passion for specialty coffee with my friends.

I began to use the AeroRost which roasts about 2 lbs of beans. When I was working in Chicago for two years, about 30 people came over to my house to drink my coffee. It became an incredible time to spend quality time with friends, an easy cupping party and a way to experiment with different blends. During my first year in Chicago, a great friend, Eric Diamond, designed the Chazzano logo for me as a present. The logo and graphics were so clever and connected to my personality. That was when Chazzano Coffee LLC was born. (The "ch" in Chazzano is pronounced like the "ch" in "Bach" or "Loch.") The logo provided the impetus for me to found Chazzano Coffee (tm). I invested in a 4lb roaster from cafecoffees.com called the MicroTosta Cafe and then the 8lb Tosta Caffe. I have over 300 lbs of green coffee from different countries throughout the world. I am enjoying the adventure in the world of coffee roasting and specialty coffee.