And then if you’ve checked the prices, and thought, “Whoa! That’s expensive coffee!”, you’d be right.

So what makes this coffee so good and high priced?

Let’s start with the growing location.
Kona coffee is cultivated in both the north and south Kona districts on the Big Island of Hawaii. This coffee-growing region, known as the “Kona Coffee Belt”, is located along the cool, fertile, and green western slopes of the volcanoes Hualalai and Mauna Loa.

This prime coffee-growing area is small: only about 1 mile wide by 30 miles long at elevations ranging from about 500 feet – 2,500 feet, and receives about 60 inches of rain during the rainy season. Only coffee grown in this region may be called Kona Coffee.

Yeah, yeah, so it’s grown in a wet place. Big deal, right?
Well, kinda. That, coupled with mild year-round temps, good drainage in the porous dark volcanic soil, low PH (slightly acidic) and high nitrogen conditions, few diseases and pests that can harm the coffee trees AND extremely great care taken in hand-picking produce something special!

So what is the exquisite flavor?
Roasting provides variations but here’s the basics.

Aroma: classified as floral, fruity, nutty, caramel-like, or chocolaty (depending on the roasting process)

Taste: considered sweet, and may have various subtleties such as being mellow or piquant (pleasantly pungent or tart in taste, spicy)

Acidity: generally considered bright and vibrant, yet mild. Gives coffee the needed bite, as well as the Body, which is noticed in the lingering aftertaste (also somewhat dependent upon the roast)

Body: full, even buttery, on the palate

Sound intriguing? It should. Give it a try while you have the chance! Kona is in stock and 10% for a limited time!

Here’s where to find us: http://twitter.com/TheUnseenBean! Free giveaway for today – sign in and follow right away to take advantage of it!

Now I don’t feel the effects of not jolting my system with caffeine. In fact, I’m one of the lucky few who just doesn’t get addicted to things. But this doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a good cup of the black stuff.

A few weeks ago, I was visiting my sister on the east coast. She doesn’t drink coffee and I opted NOT to have the dusty maker pulled from the bottom cabinet and the rubber-banded pack pulled from its lifelong place in the freezer just for the caffeine fix.

Of my 5 day visit, I grabbed a up to-go cup from Einstein’s one morning and the other, I stood in a line-out-the-door-far-into-the-farmer’s-market for what seemed to be the primo stuff.

I don’t want to bad-mouth any other coffee shop so I won’t mention the name, but I was a little concerned when I saw the diner-like pots sitting on burners. Undaunted tho – for the crowd told me otherwise, I put in my order and anxiously awaited. I guess my gut-level for coffee has been improved though, and it’s the only cup I’ve ever set back down and walked away from.

Undoubtedly, they don’t roast their own coffee and undoubtedly, poor patrons need to raise the level of their bar. For me, it was a wake-up call . . . and an appreciation.

The lesson of this story is . . . once you go gourmet, you can’t go back. And coffee is coffee is . . . not so much. I’m not saying the Bean is the only good stuff – you can find it all over. Look for Arabica beans and gourmet roasting, proper storage of newly brewed matters and: Support your local roaster.

SPRING IN THE ROCKIES has been . . . well, mostly just winter this year. Snow this late into May and many dreary, gray rainy days.

For regions where the weather is finally clearing and warming and looking alive again, and dutiful homeowners are churning sleeping soil and pulling out seeds for fresh produce, don’t forget to boost up the earth with nitrogen rich coffee grounds.

Planning to visit Boulder this summer?

Our beautiful mountain town has so many great things to offer in the summer. And, if you’re stopping through, please visit us at the cafe on the Pearl Street Mall and call the roaster to get personal tour!

Updates from The Bean

Gerry is currently in Dayton, OH at the Ham Radio convention spreading the joy of fabulous coffee and gourmet chocolate. If any of you run into to him there, we’d love to hear your story!

U.S. coffee consumption was “essentially unchanged” in the past year, with more Americans drinking at home to control costs during the recession, according to a National Coffee Association survey (not a huge surprise).

photo credit: andybullock77

It goes on to tag the US as the world’s largest coffee-consuming country (according to data from the International Coffee Organization in London). Brazil and Germany follow closely behind at #2 and #3. Read the whole article here.

Drink up America! Even if it’s a daily habit to help us deal in these trying times – I know it helps me.

Put those coffee grounds to use! Here are the how’s and why’s.

The grounds are considered by gardeners being a “green” material for compost and fertilizer. They contain nitrogen, a much needed nutrient for all green things and add acidity to the soil as well as plants and shrubs. And it provides a great recycling use of a by-product of our coffee drinking!

Coffee grounds can be used in the garden and farm:

• For a slow-release nitrogen, sprinkle the used grounds around plants before rain or watering.
• Add to compost piles to increase nitrogen balance. Even coffee filters and tea bags break down rapidly during composting.
• Dilute grounds with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer. Use about a 1/2 pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water and let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature.
• Mix into soil for houseplants or new vegetable beds.
• To repel pests, circle the base of the plant with a coffee and eggshell barrier.
• For grassy areas, hand spread (wearing gloves) the used coffee/tea grounds all over the grass, especially the “dead” places, like you might when fertilizing with chemicals, but as evenly as possible and slightly heavier than with chemicals.

So give your plants a soil a boost and cut down on waste! Go green by going brown.

If you’re unsure about espresso and the whole “fancy coffee drink” scheme, have no fear – it’s not that hard and all you have to do is pick one, order it and see how you like it and then try a different one. If you watch how your drink of choice is made, it’ll give you the base info on what makes up that specialty steamin’ cup ‘a joe! Or watch these videos and expand your coffee knowledge.

Here is:

How to Make an Americano (simply a mixture of one or more shots of espresso mixed with fresh hot water):

And How to Make a Latte (espresso with steamed milk and a small amount of foam):

Saturdays are usually quiets days of rest for the roaster. This past Saturday, however, a lively group of about 12 from the First Presbyterian Coffee Club met for a Guatemalan Trapichitos cupping and Q&A with Gerry.

We did 3 roasts: medium, dark and then light (yes, in that order) and brewed with 2 coffee makers: flat and cone filter. Biscotti in 4 flavors was from Enjoy Biscotti and complemented our tiny cups of South American caffeine!

Here’s some pics from the event:

So what is it exactly? Espresso coffee is a small 1 to 2 oz. shot of coffee brewed under pressure, finely ground and densely packed (or tamped) down into the portafilter. To get the best quality espresso, brewing should takes about 26 to 30 seconds – less means the grounds were not tamped and evened well enough and the end product will certainly suffer. A master brewer will produce an espresso that features a layer of rich dark golden cream, called crema on the surface. This crema is one indicator of a quality espresso and is pointed out in the video below. Making a great espresso is truly an art form – as well as a science.

Rose, who manages our coffee shop near the Pearl St. Mall, took the time to show us, step-by-step, the process to making an espresso shot.