Peppermint mochas have always been my favorite, and out of all the VIA latte flavors, this one is the one I stock up on and always try to keep on hand (although it generally doesn’t make it to the new year!). Every year I make cupcakes with these via sticks, but this year I decided to switch it up and make brownies. …
Sometimes planning a coffee tasting is very methodical and can take months of planning. Sometimes I know what I want to pair with it after the first sip.
The first time I tasted Nicaragua el Suyatal, I fell instantly in love with the sweetness and the distinct notes of hazelnut. The timing of this release couldn’t be more perfect, November, heading into Holiday season, where each year I make peanut brittle for everyone. I knew the el Suyatal would be perfect with a brittle, with a little twist….
First I have to apologize for the horrible pictures. November has been keeping me very busy. I actually made these marshamallows at midnight, and cut them early the next morning before I took them to the new Teavana store in south center mall.
A few months ago, I met with Naoko, Teavana’s master teaologist, and we bonded over our love of food and constant inspiration. Knowing that I was going to meet with Naoko again, I wanted to create something festive to bring her.
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Christmas came early this year. The roastery had a very limited amount of the second crop of Hacienda Alsacia on the scoop bar. This went insanely fast, and I was lucky to grab several bags for me and my fellow partners. This is one of my favorite coffees to do tastings with. Not because of it’s sparkling acidity and bright floral and meyer lemon sweetness (which I adore) but because of the story behind it.
Hacienda Alsacia is the first farm Starbucks has owned and operated in it’s history. This coffee is grown by partners in Costa Rica. From partners for partners.
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This is the first year that Starbucks has offered a Christmas Blend Reserve coffee. This inspired coffee is a fusion of Aged Sumatra and the second harvest of Hacienda Alsacia, and features a balsam aroma and a sweet brightness with holiday flavors of orange and mulled spices.
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Hands down, one of my favorite reserve offerings is aged Sumatra. When I heard it was coming back, I immediately made a trip to the Roastery and grabbed several bags from the scoop bar. Aged Sumatra has never stuck around long enough for me to do a coffee pairing with it, and I was determined to do it this time around.
This lot of aged Sumatra was resting for three years. The aging process is methodical, as the beans must be handled carefully and tasted regularly. Time and effort are well rewarded in this case. The result, intriguing saddle-leather aromas with flavors of butterscotch and maple….
I try really hard not to duplicate pairings, but every so often a coffee will come around, and I’ll be reminded of a coffee of the past. Kenya Kaganda has a vibrant lime acidity, that reminded me of a reserve coffee from last year, Malawi Sable Farms.
Kaganda’s Farmer’s Cooperative Society has 1,300 members who deliver the cherry to the wet mill the same day the cherry is picked. There the coffee is sorted and pulped, using water from the Kihuti river. Once fermantation is complete, the coffee is sun-dried and delivered to the mill for secondary processing. This coffee is fully washed and sun dried, giving this cup a lime acidity, with flavor notes of peach and strawberry.
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Making marshmallows holds a special place in my heart. In fact, marshmallows were the first thing I actually made from scratch. I have always been a foodie, but I never entered the kitchen. One day I was watching Good Eats, and there was Alton Brown making marshmallows. I had no idea you could make marshmallows, and suddenly I had to make them too.
Making marshmallows always brings me back to that moment, and I love looking back and taking in that bit of nostalgia. I am very glad I watched that episode of Good Eats, because without it, who knows if I ever would have taught myself to cook.
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I have been tracking Ethiopia Bitta Farm at the roastery. To see it unloaded, destoned, roasted and bagged for reserve stores is incredible. To see how many different hands touch the coffee in this final stage, before it reaches us at the store. These are my favorite kinds of tastings, to piece together a story, as I am watching the coffee unfold in front of me.
Sometimes the coffee stirs you…
This coffee comes from the Kaffa region, where legend has it this is where curious goats gnawed berries from shrubs and experienced a surge of energy. When the goatherd tried the berries himself, coffee was discovered. Each bean is a direct descendant of legend.
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There is a new VIA latte in town – White chocolate mocha!
When I participated in the VIA innovation summit, I said I wanted to see three new types of VIA’s; Sumatra, chai tea latte, and white chocolate mocha. I’m certain that my suggestion had absolutely nothing to do with this product now being available, but hey.. It’s still pretty cool!
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