Ethiopia Bekele Heto Natural

Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery. 

Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!

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Where it’s Grown

Our Bekele Heto natural coffee is named after its illustrious farmer, Bekele Heto with over 14 years of cultivation experience. In recent years, with the help of the single lot program, Heto has been able to sell his coffee as a micro-lot and he uses these proceeds to support his family of 14. Bekele Heto coffee is grown on a 38-acre farm near the town of Worka-Sakaro. This legendary coffee-growing region is tucked in the south-eastern corner of the coveted Gedeo Zone. This area is known for producing unbelievably sweet, and some of the most fragrant coffees in all of Ethiopia. The surrounding communities reach up to the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world.

Ripe cherries were carefully hand sorted and floated to remove less dense coffee beans for this natural processed coffee. Next, the cherries are dried on raised beds for 15-20 days, turned regularly. Cherries are covered during the afternoons—where the midday sun is searingly intense, and once the cherries finish drying, they are transported to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to be milled and prepared for export through the YCFCU.

• Altitude: 1,800-2,100 meters
• Processing: Natural/Dried on raised beds
• Farmer: Bekele Heto
• Varietal: Indigenous Heirloom Cultivars

Delicious Peace Coffee from Uganda

Single Origin coffeeare from a specific farm or group of farms that make up small cooperatives. You’ll find that most of our Single Origin coffees are light roasted, making this medium roast especially unique.

This month we’re sharing our Delicious Peace medium roast, grown in Mbale, Uganda by the Naminyoni Cooperative.

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About the Farm

“Delicious Peace coffee is produced in Uganda by 250 coffee farmers of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths who work together in their newly reformed cooperative after the last one they belonged to was corrupted by their founder who took all the coops property and a portion of their financial resources. In 2016, after a decade of belonging to the original cooperative, Mirembe Kawomera, they parted ways from the original and perhaps the only Interfaith Cooperative in the world that was fully composed of Jews, Christians and Muslims. We at Thanksgiving Coffee spent from 2006 to 2016 happily buying their coffee and telling their Interfaith story. The story of how it all ended can be found in this 10 part series “A Trip to Africa”.” -Full story by Paul Katzeff can be found here. 

• Cooperative: Naminyoni Cooperative
• Altitude:1,400-1,800 meters
• Processing: Wet / Washed
• Varietal: Typica

Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Ugandan Medium Roast.

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Holiday Blend

Holiday Blend has delighted our taste buds since 1980, and is one of our most anticipated coffees each year. We have always used the same three origins to create this magical blend: Nicaragua, Colombia and Sumatra.

Never exactly the same because climate, weather, and even volcanic eruptions create unique growing conditions from year to year, but always the perfect blend for the decadent foods of the Holiday Season

Our Holiday Blend tasting notes from Roastmaster, Jacob Long: The Colombian origin shines in the first sip with a hint of dark chocolate, followed by a little bit of cedar from Sumatra, with bright and lively notes from Nicaragua, ending with a ripe plum or raisin sparkle and a long wet finish. This blend is perfect for your Holiday gatherings, and they make lovely gifts.

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Chanukah Blend

Chanukah is the eight-day “festival of lights,” a Jewish holiday in the wintertime. It’s celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods.

We hope this brew will warm body and soul. When it’s time to send a gift to the special people on your list, give the gift that keeps on giving! Share the warmth of the Holiday season with a cup of delicious Chanukah coffee.

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Christmas Blend

Every year since 1980, we have been creating this special blend to celebrate the holiday season.

This medium roast features some of our favorite coffees from around the world. This is a perfect coffee to enjoy on those cool winter mornings or pair with the rich, traditional foods of the holidays.

Tasting notes from Roastmaster, Jacob Long: Milk chocolate at first sip, followed by a hint of berries, ending with a smooth finish.

When it’s time to send a gift to the special people on your list, give the gift that keeps on giving! Share the warmth of the Holiday season with a cup of delicious Christmas coffee.

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We can ship your gifts directly to multiple family, friends, and business contacts in one order.

Just add products to your cart and choose “Ship To: someone else.”

Then when you check out you can enter their shipping information, making it easy to ship to multiple people within the same order.

To order a gift certificate, give us a call at (800) 648-6491.

Sumatran Medium Roast

What is a Single Origin coffee? Simply put, these coffees are defined by the place they come from.

Single Origin coffees are from a specific farm or group of farms that make up small cooperatives. You’ll find that most of our Single Origin coffees are light roasted, making this medium roast especially unique.

This month we’re sharing our Sumatran medium roast, grown in the Takengon Highlands by Garmindo Cooperative.

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About the Farm

Our Sumatran coffee was grown by members of the Garmindo Co-op, formerly known as ASKOGO. This cooperative currently has 760 members, growing Fairtrade and Organic coffee in the Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah regencies of Sumatra which are renowned for producing excellent coffee. The small farms are tucked into the dense tropical forests of the Northern Gayo Mountains, from 1000 to 1500 meters above sea level.

The Garmindo Cooperative offers regular training activities to each of the farmers in their co-op, in order to improve the quality of their coffees, learn new harvest techniques, and implement more beneficial farming practices. This group was founded in 2008, and has continually improved their coffee in the subsequent years. We have been purchasing coffee from Garmindo Cooperative, FKA ASKOGO, since 2015.

• Cooperative: Garmindo Co-op, FKA ASKOGO
• Altitude:1,000-1,500 meters
• Processing: Wet Hulled
• Varietal: Catimor

Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Sumatra Medium Roast.

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Guatemala Orange Bourbon

Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery. 

Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!

JOIN THE CLUB

Where it’s Grown

Located in the temperate climate and mountainous terrain of southwest Antioquia, Finca las Mercedes has the perfect altitude and climate for producing excellent quality coffee as well as playing host to a diversity of native flora and fauna. In this ideally situated terrain, the Guerra family have dedicated 150 of their 384 extensive hectares to coffee. The rest of the farm lies under native forest – some 234 hectares devoted entirely as nature and watershed preserve. The farm’s diligent environmental and social practices have led them to achieve Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Kapeh and 4C certification. -CoffeeHunter.com.

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• Altitude:1,750-2,050 meters
• Processing: Fully Washed
• Family Farm: Finca Las Mercedes
• Region: Antioquia

Grinding Coffee

The internet will tell you itself, there are about a million different ways to make the “perfect cup of coffee”. It’s really all up to you, because your taste buds are unique. We just want to help you find your own way, without telling you what to do. 

You might be thinking, “coffee grounds can’t be THAT particular, you just grind them and go, right?” oh, but they can. Every step of the coffee-making process plays an important role in how your coffee comes out to be exactly how you want it. From the water quality and temperature, to time spent steeping, it’s important to make everything count. To see our last blog post, on selecting the right roast color for you, click here.

Now, let’s go over a couple of the basics of coffee grinding, shall we?

1. Grind Size

In general, a finer grind will produce a more intense brew and a coarser grind will produce a less intense brew. At the same time, a grind that is too fine will produce an over-extracted, astringent brew, and a grind that is too coarse will produce a weak, under-extracted brew lacking flavor. Again, it really all depends on how you like your coffee. So play around with some different sizes, maybe try something in-between fine and course, and see what you prefer.

COARSE (looks like Kosher or sea salt)
Cold Brew Coffee, French Press, Percolator, Coffee Cupping

MEDIUM (looks like sand particles)
Pour-over Brewers, Auto-Drip Coffee Machines, Aeropress (with 3+ minute brew time)

FINE (looks a bit finer than granulated sugar)
Espresso, Moka Pot (Stovetop Espresso Maker), Aeropress (with 1 minute brew time)

2. Consistency.

The size of the grounds should be consistent or uniform, meaning you don’t want to see large bits and super tiny bits in your grind. The reason: it is easier for smaller particles to become water soluble than larger ones. If there is a wide variety in the size of the particles in your coffee grinds, there will be a wide variety in the extraction time of your brew. The more consistent your grind size, the easier it is to extract the full flavor from your brewed coffee.

Now that we’ve got the basics covered, the next step is how to get the best grind with the supplies that you have.

How to grind your coffee

How to grind your coffee

Burr grinders are made of two burred plates with ridges that draw in and crush / grind the beans to a uniform size. This is what the pros use, and with good reason. Burr grinders deliver the most consistent grind with the least amount of work on your part. Just fill up the hopper, turn the dial to your desired grind setting, and turn it on. A burr grinder will cost between $60 — $250 depending on what features it comes with.

Blade Grinder

While not ideal, a blade grinder will do a fine job if you put in a little effort. The first thing to remember is to pulse grind. Don’t grind all the coffee beans needed for your brew at once, instead, grind smaller quantities and pause regularly to shake the grinder. This will loosen all the bits and help you get a more uniform grind.

Take your blade grind to the next level: Got a sieve?
Sift the grounds through your sieve until you are left with just the large pieces. Then grind those large bits again until you are left with just medium and small grinds.

Pro-tip: Use a paper towel to get rid of the ‘fines’
‘Fines’ is coffee lingo for the tiniest powdery particles in ground coffee. Too many fines will leave your coffee tasting bitter and over-extracted. A nifty trick to get rid of them is to dump all of your grinds onto a paper towel and then rub them down into the paper towel with your fingers. A few passes is all it will take. Then gently transfer the grinds onto a plate (or right into your brewer). This will trap the powdery fines on the paper towel, leaving you with the best (most uniform and consistent) grind possible from a blade grinder.

Photo from Cook’s Illustrated.

Well, you’re on your own now! Not really, though, because we’re here for you if you’ve got any questions for us. Have fun, experiment with the supplies in your kitchen, and good luck on your journey to the “perfect cup”.

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Where it’s Grown

• Altitude:1,500 meters
• Processing: Honey Processed
• Family Farm: Finca Los Piños
• Region: Matagalpa, Nicaragua

Guatemala Guaya’b

What is a Single Origin coffee? Simply put, these coffees are defined by the place they come from.

Single Origin coffees are from a specific farm or group of farms that make up small cooperatives. You’ll find that most of our Single Origin coffees are light roasted since this brings out their unique aromas and flavor notes.

This month, we’re sharing our Guatemala Guaya’b Light Roast with you, grown by the Guaya’b Cooperative in Guatemala.

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Tucked deep in the rainforest of northwestern Guatemala, rich volcanic soils, antique varietals, and dense shade come together in the farmers’ hands to produce small volumes of exceptional coffee. Working as family units, the farmers of the Cooperative carefully pick each day’s ripe fruit and process the organic coffee in small batches on their farms. The result is a classic example of the Huehuetenango appellation: a coffee rich with cherry sweetness, lush floral notes, and a deep wine-like body.

• Cooperative: Asosicacion Guaya’b Civil
• Altitude:1,300 – 1,600 meters
• Processing: Wet/Washed
• Varietal: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra

What is roast color?

Like a piece of bread, raw coffee is mostly carbohydrates like starches and oils, although there are over 1600 chemical compounds in a single coffee bean.

When a slice of bread is toasted, it browns until it burns. Toasted light, you can taste the wheat. Toasted until burnt or very dark, you taste only the charred remains. So it is with our coffee bean (seed).

The flavor changes with the degree of roast. A light roast Colombian tastes more like a light roast Nicaraguan than like a medium roast Colombian coffee.

Roast color is a function of temperature and time. Relatively speaking, artisan roasters use variations of these controllable factors to create flavor. Roasting is a craft much like pottery is. Two potters using the same clay, the same glazes, and the same shapes will have different outcomes. Temperature + time in the kiln will determine what the craftsman’s effort will produce. So it is with coffee.

Generally, the coffee begins to roast at 405°F when the starches can get no hotter and they break down into simple sugars that carmelize at about 420°F. That is when the light roast is pulled or dumped. It can take from 8-14 minutes to get to a light roast color.

Between 420° and 475°F the color darkens until nothing is left to taste except burned plant matter!

Light Roast Coffee

Nuanced • Bright • Lively

In the lighter roasts (both light and medium), you can taste the nuance and impact of terroir. If you’re a single origin lover, these coffees are your go-to. With a light roast especially, the specific qualities unique to the coffee’s origin stand out. If you’re sticking with Vienna and French roasts (the darker beans), you have to work harder to tell the differences between origins. With light, it’s all there in the first sip.

For those of you that cup your coffee and take the time to taste every flavor, the lights and mediums are probably the roasts for you. Single Origins tend to be the best of this roast color – members of our Single Origin Coffee Club receive a bag of our fresh shipments each month.

Light Roast Recommendation

Our Nicaragua Flor de Jinotega is a big hit. It’s nutty, chocolaty, smooth and sweet.

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Medium Roast Coffee

Nutty • Spicy • Balanced • Fruity

Roasted about 20 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the light, the color on a medium roast coffee bean shifts into a chocolate brown. As you move from the light roast to the medium, the bright and lively acidity morphs into a smoother, deeper, and more balanced mouth feel. In every sip of a medium roast, you’ll find that a certain mellowness and maturity prevails.

Medium Roast Recommendation

Thanksgiving Coffee has many medium roasts that stand out, but our Fairtrade and Organic Mocha Java is a classic that we love more and more every time we brew it. This coffee has that balanced and nuanced flavor we referenced above, and was described as having a “delicately sweet aroma” by CoffeeReview.com, where it scored 96 points.

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Dark Roast Coffee

Bold • Spicy • Chocolaty

The coffee bean color on our dark roast (sometimes called the Vienna roast) is still more brown than black. You could compare it to the color of baker’s chocolate. When this coffee is freshly roasted, the beans will have a shiny coat of coffee oils on their surface. The greatest dark roast coffees will have hints of carbonization, but shouldn’t be described as smoky or toasty — we’ll leave those descriptors to the very dark roast.

Dark Roast Recommendation

Our Beaujolais Blend consists of Vienna, French, and medium-roast Sumatra. The dark intensity of the French Roast complements the earthiness of the Sumatra, making this one of our most popular and enduring blends.

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Very Dark Roast Coffee

Toasty • Smoky • Caramelized Sugars

Ah, the “French Roast.” This is the coffee that goes great with a splash of milk. The coffee bean color on our very dark roast is more black than brown, with rich and copious levels of surface oil. Roasted long and hot to produce deep carbony, smoky flavor notes. A well-made French roast will have caramelized sugar notes, licorice and roasted chestnut flavors, and a long wet (not ashy) finish.

Very Dark Roast Recommendation

Our french roast recommendation is Noyo Harbor French, and it just so happens to be 20% while you’re reading this, in October, 2021! This is our signature Organic French roast. It’s Distinctly smoky with hints of jammy fruit, roasted nuts, and baker’s chocolate.

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Now we’re setting you free on your roast color adventure. Don’t be afraid to try something new, and most importantly, enjoy!