Blog — Cupping Room

When we talk about flavor in coffee, we’re never talking about just one factor. From the varietal of bean to the soil it grew in—all the way to how it fermented and dried, and how it was roasted—flavor is a journey, a story in the making. And it ends, most deliciously of all, with a sip from your very own cup.True, we talk a lot about coffee processing: the factor we’ve found to have the most pronounced impact on flavor. And no process is richer in history and tradition than the natural process. An age-old technique mastered first in Ethiopia,...

This week, we're cheering on our resident cup tasting legend Jake Donaghy as he heads to the World Cup Tasting Championships in Athens, Greece! Jake's journey from Olympia Coffee roaster and green coffee buyer to U.S. Cup Tasting Champion has been a wild and exciting ride for us, to say the least. For those following along, you might be thinking, "Wow, what a pro!" You might also be thinking: "How can I get this kind of tasting experience for myself?" Or, possibly: "What's with all the slurping?" Whatever your questions, Jake's here to help answer them! In this quick video,...

What's it like to be the Cup Tasters Champion in the United States? For Jake Donaghy, it's back to work as usual... but with the fun memories of Portland to take with him, and even more excitement ahead to look forward to."I just wanted to go and have fun and see friends and meet people," he admitted of his reasons for entering the competition. "But I ended up winning."As the reigning cup tasting champion in the U.S. division of SCA, Jake now advances to compete on the world stage, which will unfold in Greece in June of this year. How's...

Nice Review and write from the The Coffee Review: The worlds leading coffee review site. http://www.coffeereview.com/review.cfm?ID=3321 Guatemala El Socorro Maracaturra Roast: Medium-Light Review Date: September 2013 Origin: Palencia, central Guatemala. Price: $19.95/12 ounces   Blind Assessment: Softly crisp, juicy. Complex fruit – particularly blackberry and Concord grape – roasted cacao nib, vanilla, anise in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart acidity; lightly syrupy, lively mouthfeel. Balanced, quietly flavor-saturated finish. Notes: Maracaturra is a relatively recently developed cross between the huge-beaned Maragogipe and the compact-growing Caturra varieties of Arabica. The El Socorro Maracaturra grown by Juan Diego de la Cerda has consistently...

                                                      Our Guatemalan offerings this year have been a labor of love and determination and we couldn’t be more pleased to serve them. Each of our recent direct trade projects focuses on increasing coffee quality at the farm level in order to increase quality for our customers. Ultimately, this work lays a foundation for a sustainable coffee market for farmers and creates opportunity to improve quality of life among our coffee farmers, staff, and customers.   CODECH Cooperative, Huehuetenango   ADINTHEC Reserva Aroma de Canalaj Flor de Queqhna Palo Blanco   We are featuring four coffees from the CODECH Cooperative,...