Each holiday season we see an increase in people coming in looking for a "special" coffee for their holiday meal.
We're happy to help, with the understanding that we consider every coffee we sell as "special" for one reason or another. Just about every bag of coffee we sell is either Direct Trade, Fair Trade Certified, Organic, shade-grown or some combination of the above. And they all taste wonderful when brewed correctly.
The obvious place to start for a "holiday" coffee is the recently released Celebration Blend, which is roasted specifically to exude winter spice aromatics from the Nicaraguan and Ethiopian coffees selected for the blend: sugar plum, molasses, clove and cinnamon among other flavor notes.
We believe Celebration Blend is a great coffee for company, for those with a paper or Swiss Gold filter brewer. It is a medium-bodied coffee that will appeal to just about everyone. While it tastes fine brewed in a press pot, it's our opinion that the press brewing method doesn't add anything to the taste, and in fact may subdue some of what you're looking for in the blend.
If you are using a drip brewer with a hot plate, do yourself a favor and buy a thermal decanter if you don't already own one. This allows you to keep the coffee hot without continuing to "cook" it on the coffeemaker's hotplate, which ruins the flavor and starts to stink up the house after a bit. We don't sell those decanters at the moment, but Bed Bath and Beyond has them so you can use one of those 20% coupons.
We also want to remind everyone that the starting point for brewing is a ratio of ~1:17 coffee grounds to water. If you're using a 8 cup brewer (32 fluid ounces), that would mean 3.75 tablespoons (1.875 ounces or 53.5 grams by weight) of ground coffee. Keep in mind that the scoops that come with many drip brewers are different sizes, many around half a tablespoon. If you have a decent scale, you'll want to calibrate the weight of the grounds with whatever scoop you're using. If you find this ratio strong, dilute after brewing to maintain the flavor - don't cut back on the grounds as the resulting extraction will increase bitterness.
Like wine, you might want to ask yourself what you're trying to achieve. Are you looking for a coffee that's sparkly or light, something with body and deep flavors, something fruity or a coffee that's more "all purpose"?
We normally opt for a nice Oregon or Washington pinot noir to accompany our bird (brined, if we're hosting). But we've also had turkey accompanied by a sturdy chardonnay or viognier and have been delighted. As with selecting wine, you can select a coffee to complement your dessert table. Or buy one coffee for breakfast/brunch, one for after dinner.
Here's a quick guide to what's currently in stock to help you make your decisions:
Celebration Blend: winter spices, aromatic, medium body
Aldo House Blend: light fruit and chocolate, bright, medium body
Guatemala Itznama: chocolate, dark fruits, buttery thicker body
Honduras La Tortuga: tropical and tree fruits, milk chocolate body
Nicaragua Flor Azul: sweet fruit, nutty, juicy body
Brazil Cachoeira: brown sugar, cherry, balanced, rounded body (cocoa when brewed in press pot)
Mexico Chiapas La Union Coop: candy sweet, lighter caramel body
Ethiopia Harrar Blue Sun: plum/berries, cocoa, medium body
If decaf is needed, our Decaf Colombia Supremo offers a medium bodied cup of chocolate and dried fruit notes with a clean finish. And for those serving espresso, well, you already know what Black Cat is all about. That's why you're here.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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