Friends from Santo Tomas visit the Roastery

So, you probably know about our deep roasted Nicaraguan coffee that we call "Southern Sister", and that fifty cents from each pound we sell goes to support activities in Olympia's sister city, Santo Tomas, Nicaragua. But in case you want to learn a bit more about this "sister city" thang, you might want to check out this link: academic.evergreen.edu/o/ocokay27/


For the next couple of weeks we are fortunate to have Maria, Facunda, and Rosa from Santo Tomas visiting Olympia. We were especially tickled that they came by the roastery for a cup of coffee and a visit (see photo below)


Olympia Coffee Roasting Company is honored to be among the groups and individuals who support the relationship between these communities. When Terry Z. and I met, our kids were in school together at Lincoln Elementary. During that time we learned about the sister school in Santo Tomas, named after the Nicaraguan poet, Reuben Darrio. One of the things we wanted to do with Olympia Coffee was to use it as a means of building and celebrating community. That's why one of our first coffee creations was "Southern Sister". The Olympia Food Co-Op was the first place to sell it.

If you have a hankering to try some traditional Nicaraguan food on Sunday the 30th...or to check out the gala event at the Capitol Theater the following Sunday...check out the link above for details on when/where you can connect with our friends from Santo Tomas, and celebrate the magic of these two communities connecting for close to twenty years now.

Samples from the Columbian Cup Of Excellence

I've been roasting up samples of the 23 winning coffees from the recent Cup of Excellence competition in Columbia http://www.cupofexcellence.org/. The majority of the winning coffees came out of the Huila district on the western side of the Andes in Columbia. These are some amazing coffees!

As done in the competition, I am roasting these coffees very lightly to highlight their delicate, floral notes. Even at this light roast, the coffees have a nice depth of body. The high end tends to come across with distinct melon notes and a chardonnay-like flavor. In some of the coffees there are hints of vanilla or rose.

In a couple of weeks, these coffees will go up for auction. The top coffee from the recent Cup of Excellence competition in Bolivia went for around $17/lb. The winning coffee from Brazil went at $50/lb (that's green, not roasted). I'll be curious to see what kinds of prices these Columbian coffees go for.

Please come by The Cupping Room for our usual Thursday Noon cupping and wrap your senses around these delightful coffees. Or, if it is more convenient, call me and we can set up a cupping at the Roastery at a different time.
Tim

Olympia Coffee at the BGA booth

Olympia Coffee will be featured in The Barista Guild of America Booth at the SCAA this coming weekend, and I will be doing a shift as a BGA volunteer. Swing by and come visit.

SCAA Charlotte 2006

Well, I'm off to the great North East and Charlotte North Carolina. This weekend is the SCAA conference. I'm excited yet worn out, from getting ready for this great event. I hope to report on the events of each day with photos as well. So keep an eye out for updates. Also check over at espressoparts.com for updates on equipment and events.