Improving Quality: ASPRASAR Colombia Project Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea Co. and the coffee growers of Tolima's ASPRASAR association have come to completion on upgrades made to their facility in Colombia. In the past few years the association has made upgrades with the help of donations from VMCT and contributions from the association itself. The growers have dedicated their lives to growing coffee in the same tradition as generations before them. Now, with the help of Vail Mtn Coffee & Tea Co. and their surrounding community, the growers have been able to improve their operation for coffee production and the...
This fresh batch of beans is sourced from the Kenyan open auction system (Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where the quality of the coffee and generally transparent access has been credited for strong prices relative to other coffee regions. Most coffee is grown in the fertile foothills of Mount Kenya. Farmer plots are so small that size is gauged by the number of trees rather than the measurements of the land, which means producers often have more control to strategically pick and deliver only the ripest cherry to their local factory (wet-mill). Factories generally have an abundance of water lending to exquisite...
Oriental Beauty (Dong Fang Mei Ren) is quite the unique oolong. This type of oolong is known for the fuzzy white hairs that run up and down the tea leaf (very few oolong teas have carry the trait of fuzzy white hairs). The body of the leaf is short and fat and is commonly known in Taiwan as Peng Feng Wu Long (fat oolong) or Bai Hao Wu Long (white hair oolong). In the cup, this year's Oriental Beauty Oolong- Fancy Formosa has a lovely caramel sweetness with a long lingering finish. The processing of of these particular tea leaves...
For the consummate tea drinker, oolong teas hold a special place in their heart. While there is great attention given to the processing of all teas, oolongs require the hand of a skilled tea master to fully capture the spectrum of flavors oolong holds. The beauty of oolong, aside from the sweet- savory flavor, is that it falls somewhere between a black and green tea. So, when the afternoon sleepies start to come around and you need a little pick me up that won't keep you up all night, turn oolong. The caffeine content will be lower than black tea...
Honey & Pulped Naturals: Before we jump into the honey prepped or honey processed coffees, let's get an understanding of naturally processed coffees. The short of it is, naturally produced coffees yield a sweeter cup profile. The beans are left with the cherry, mucilage and parchment still attached to the bean when dried. When executed properly during the fermentation, the bean will garner a robust natural sweetness and well rounded profile. There are three main categories when it comes to the honey prep process; yellow, red, and black. The other sub categories are; white and gold. A de-pulper machine removes...
The Origin of Matcha Stretching all the way back to the 17th century, matcha was first enjoyed by the Tang Dynasty in China. They found that by steaming the leaves they could form bricks, which would make it easier for sellers to take on trade travels. The tea bricks were prepared by roasting and grounding the leaves then mixing the tea powder with water and salt. Around the 10th century, a Japanese Buddhist monk, by the name of Eisai, returned to his home country after many years spent studying Buddhism in China. He brought with him the much revered matcha...
