This is the first in a series I will be doing of home coffee brews. We travel around the US and look for a taste of some of the best indepedent, local roasters! The ones we really like at the shop we will purchase and bring home to brew. I keep a journal with the stats and some of my flavor and boquet notes.

Brew Setup

My home brewing setup consists of a Kalita Wave with a Kalita carafe using a hand-crank burr grinder/mill. All of the brews are made at a roughly 15:1 ratio (33g beans with 500 ML water) with a medium course grind and took about 3 minutes to brew, unless otherwise stated.

Hanza, Ethiopia - Celinga

Hanza is a roaster based in Libertyville, IL (check out my Chicagoland post for more info and pics). It was a delight to go here for for a lunch pour-over on those cold Chicago winters. Brought this one home from work one week.

Hanza, Ethiopia- Yirgacheffe; Gedeo Zone

Roasted 12/16/2016
Ratio 1:20 at 600 mL, 30 g grounds
Grind Medium-course
Process Natural
Tasting notes Sweet Berry, Jasmine, Lemon Curd

My take Light color, full flavor with a hint of the roast (not really sure what I was going for there!)

Intelligentsia, Columbia - Santuario Red Bourbon, Limited

Intelligentsia distributes around the US, but they have Chicago listed as one of their home bases, so I wanted to give them a try since I had a good brew of theirs at a small coffee at Glenco Roasters (which seems like false advertising since they do no roasting).

Intelligentsia, Santuario Red Bourbon, Columbia Limited Release; Direct Trade

Roasted 1/18/2016
Ratio 1:15 @ 33.5g w 500mL
Grind Medium-course
Tasting notes Cherry and Peach Cobbler

My take  Beans were pretty fresh, they bloomed like a muffin, roughly doubling in size to look like a mushroom cloud!

PT's, El Salvador - Kilimanjaro

PT's Coffee is a staple in our house.  Ever since I first visited their shop in Topeka, KS I have been hooked.  There is no one I have had that does it better.  Some match them, but PT's practices (Direct Trade, working with farmers, etc.), excellent beans, and superior roast keep them on top for pour over coffee!

PT's Coffee, El Salvador - Kilimanjaro - Natural; Aida Batlle; Direct Trade

Roasted  Unknown
Elevation 5600 ft
Varietal Kenya & Bourbon
Tasting Notes Chocolate, Grapefruit, Bluberry Jam

My Take  No notes on this one...

Featured Image

Roasted coffee bean dispensers from a small street-side roastery we visited in Athens Greece by Matt Zajack.