The Drink: Guatemala Finca Liquidambar From Velton’s Coffee
Type: Single Origin Whole Bean
Overall Rating: Four Out Of Five Coffee Mugs
The first coffee that I sampled from Velton’s Coffee Roasting Company was excellent, so I was a little nervous that the Guatemala Finca Liquidambar was going to be a let down. However, this coffee proved to be even better than the first.
From the first hint of aroma, I knew that this was going to be a special coffee. It had a sweet, sugar like aroma, with an orange flavor around edges and a smooth nutty scent underneath it all. There may have been a hint of french toast flavor mixed in.
The taste completely won me over. From the first sip to the last, this coffee was full of life. It kept developing more and more on my tongue. It started with a mellow nutty flavor. Then a sweetness mixed in, followed by a hint of a dark, dark cherry flavor. The after taste had a dark roast flavor, with a cinnamon edge to it. Around it all, was an orange/citrus flavor the completed the taste.
Brewed in the French Press, Guatemala Finca Liquidambar had a medium body.
A 16 ounce bag of this coffee sells for $14 on the Velton’s website. Of course, it’s not the cheapest coffee around, but it’s definitely worth the price tag.
Overall, this coffee earned a solid four out of five on the Daily Shot Of Coffee scale. It’s a very drinkable coffee, that I think just about any coffee drinker would like.
—
{ 8 comments }
you’re killing me Mike.
all this news about flavor and taste.
i am going to order a bag and see for myself.
looking back when i first had a taste of
‘black coffee’ i thought that the only flavors
it had were black coffee or sugar and cream and
black coffee. this roast sounds like another world.
LOL, but I’m right there with you. It seems like forever, but it wasn’t long ago when I thought coffee flavor meant sugar and cream.
oh well, another few minutes online and what’s the difference.
i checked and found at least a few other accolades
about this regions coffee and the exotic tastes.
i’m in for a treat.
———————————————————————————————–
http://www.fontecoffee.com/product79.html
while they don’t use the word organic it seems
pretty darn well raised….
‘… Finca Liquidambar has been in the Zelaya family since 1989. The Zelaya family has kept the original planted plots as well as extending to new areas, developing the farm to its current size. They also built the washed mill to keep up with the larger harvest and maintain quality control in house.
The farm is located in Sierra de las Minas, a region possessing a unique, mist laden microclimate bordering mountain national park reserves. The mountain range protects the farm from harsh weather conditions, absorbing most of the high winds. The farm maintains a priority to keep balance with the eco-system of the area and for this reason the management of the water at the mill is properly treated. For the last 6 years new plantings have been placed under pine forest, preserving the forest and protecting the coffee plants with shade canopy.
This year’s lot of Finca Liquidambar has a refined vibrant citric acidity, the mouthfeel is very juicy with delicate floral notes and lime, the lingering aftertaste is zesty and crisp….’
===========================================================
===========================================================
http://www.coffeehunter.com/green_coffees/guatemala/finca_liquidambar
‘…Farm: Finca Liquidambar
Varietal: Bourbon, Caturra, Paché
Processing: Fully Washed and dried on patio
Altitude: 4,200 to 5,300 feet above sea level
Owner: Selvagro S.A.
Region: San Cristobal de Acasaguastlán, Zacapa
Warehouse: North American,
Finca Liquidambar has been in the Zelaya family since 1989. Its previous owners started the coffee plantation at the farm in1975.
The Zelaya family have kept the planted plots and have extended to new areas, developing the farm to the size that it is now.
They also built the washed mill to keep up with the higher harvest and maintain the quality in house.
The farm is located in Sierra de las Minas, a region that has a very adequate microclimate and vegetation and it is next to the mountain national reserves. The mountain range protects the farm in terms of weather conditions absorbing most of the high winds.
It is a priority to keep a balance with the eco-system of the farm and for this reason the management of the water at the mill is properly treated.
The residual waters are treated in a small lake and none is diverted to the surrounding rivers.
The harvest takes place from January to April, from May to September the maintenance period starts: Stumping, fertilization, pruning and re-planting.
From September to December: control of plant diseases and new plant nurseries.
Stumping is executed in a three year cycle per plant. Fertilization takes place three times a year with the used of a small quantity for a more efficient absorption.
During the harvest the number of temporal employees is between 100 to 250 people, the rest of the year the farm employs 20 fixed workers.
For the last 6 years new planting have been done under a pine forest, this has not affected the forest and the shade protects the coffee plants.
In the near future, there are plans to renovate the oldest coffee plants and build new patios by the most arid parts of the farm….’
===========================================================
Thanks for sharing the info. I’m always into finding everything I can about a coffee, I swear it makes it taste better.
…Finca goes LIVE in the house today….
OK …i ordered the bag of beans as Mike was over the
top on their flavor and taste. the shipment,
date roasted 03Aug, arrived super quick today
in the mail.
the bag says pourover or espresso.
i’m going to run a pourover and let you
know the results. actually to be fair i
may drink a few cups into Saturday mid
day and let you know the results.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
ok it’s a terrifically smooth coffee.
that was the overwhelming summation for it.
they don’t make any fair trade or organic representations
for it but it is a special coffee.
the beans seem extra fresh, date roasted this week,
the grounds were a very complex mix of aromas.
the sensation of the beans in the just opened
seal bag was one of a fresh wet cut hayfield in Summer.
that’s actually a good thing Mike.
i know you have better words to use, but
that’s a good thing in my book.
i’m not coffee-literate enough to describe them
the way do, but the brewed (pour over)
coffee was at another level.
many coffees mistreat my mouth somewhere
along the line but this one tip-toed over my tongue
and i didn’t taste any roasted bite or char.
one of the women in the office who enjoys
a good cup has asked to take some beans
home to try. she smiled when she stuck her
nose in the bag to sample the aromas.
i’ll report back Monday on how
that went. by the way, the shipment from
Veltons was faster than i’d expect.
someone in their office obviously pays
attention to their orders. (from the other side
of the US)
I have to say I agree with you 100 percent. This a great coffee from a great company.
Comments on this entry are closed.