In the online coffee community, it is well known  that Mark Prince, the founder and mastermind of www.coffeegeek.com, has never been a fan of single origins as espresso.  These coffees have always seemed a little thin or lacked the complexity of well-crafted blends.  Despite this preference for blends as opposed to single origins for espresso, we decided to send over a sample of our Ethiopian Sidamo Espresso Roast to try to convert him.  To our delight, Mark thoroughly enjoyed the sample.  He said it was “easily the best (and most versatile) I’ve tasted for some time…. lots of body, and blue fruit throughout. No surprises, but quite good!”  

Coming from a SO Espresso skeptic, we take this as a huge compliment.  If you have not tried this coffee, either as an espresso roast or as a light roast, you are truly missing out on an amazing coffee.   When pulled as a single origin espresso, it is as sweet as can be, but it seems to provide something different with almost every shot.  Sometimes it has great deep Cabernet notes, while other times it is dominated by a sweet spice.  As a light roast and brewed through a French Press or regular drip, you will immediately taste the strawberry and blueberry notes, but as the cup cools, a smooth, sweet creaminess comes to the forefront.

Try Organic Ethiopia Sidamo Espresso Roast here!

Try Organic Ethiopia Sidamo light roast here!

Some of you may have noticed that yesterday our server was down due to maintenance issues. We apologize about the downtime, but we are now back up and better than ever.  The new server should give everyone better service through faster response times and less hiccups in service.  We hope that you notice the improvement, and let us know if you find anything amiss.  Thank you for your patience during the upgrade!

We have put together a special United States Barista Championship Equipment Package that will give you the best of the best AND save you money!  This package contains a 2 Group Nouva Simmonelli Aurelia Semi Auto Espresso Machine, an Anfim Super Caimano Espresso Grinder, a Nouva Simmonelli Gold Service Plan, 20 lbs of Award Winning La Bella Vita Espresso, and FREE SHIPPING!   The price for this amazing package is only $7895!  This price is barely more than the list price of the 2 Group Aurelia by itself. Do not miss out on this incredible money-saving offer.  Pictured below is a 3 Group Aurelia and Anfim at work in the Midwest Barista Championship!  Check out the details of this offer here!

Last weekend in Portland, Oregon baristas from around the country gathered to battle for the title of United States Barista Champion. Among them were PT’s own Robin Seitz and Chris Weber. Chris had to start in the preliminary round, which consisted of 51 baristas vying for one of 15 spots. He had a great run and advanced to the semifinal round, where he joined the 10 regional champs including Robin. The level of the competition this year was fierce and amazing.

Several people were scoring higher than anything ever recorded. Among them were our guys, earning 74 and a whopping 75 points out of the possible 77 in the technical category. Chris Weber has the highest technical score in the history of the competition, even accounting for changes in the scoring system. We are extremely proud of Chris (and Robin as always!) for showing working hard to be the most consistent barista he can be.

Technical scores are based on the barista’s command over their coffee and their equipment. The judges are looking for them to consistently be performing actions that not only achieve the tasting coffees, but also show care and attention to the equipment as well. These concepts are not hard to integrate into daily work in a café. They just take training and an understanding of how each action impacts the end result. At PT’s, our training program is geared to help each trainee understand the details and produce a great tasting product. If you are interested in more training, please call 888-678-5282 or email at holly@ptscoffee.com

Our Kenya AA Ndaro-Ini received a 92 and our Panama Finca Lerida received a 91! Here is what Ken Davids had to say about these wonderful coffees:

PT’s Coffee

Kenya Ndaro-Ini Top Auction Lot

Topeka, Kansas

Reviewed: February 2009

Aroma              9

Acidity             8

Body                8

Flavor              9

Aftertaste         8

Roast (Agtron): (48/64)

Origin: South-central Kenya.

OVERALL RATING: 92

Notes: Despite stresses brought on by social unrest, charges of corruption and a confused transition toward an open market, the famed Kenya coffee auction system and its participating cooperatives continue to produce some of the world’s most elegant and distinctive coffees.  PT’s is a quality-oriented wholesale/retail specialty roaster with a wide and refined selection of coffee blends and origins. The PT’s motto is “without the love, it’s just coffee.” Visit www.ptscoffee.com or call 888-678-5282 for more information.

Blind assessment: Complex aroma: flowers, citrus, black currant and fresh-cut pine. Bright acidity, juicy mouthfeel, balanced, round flavor of sweet orange, strawberry, lavender and continued black currant. Finishes cleanly, with mild fruit tones and a suggestion of caramel.

Who should drink it: A well-balanced Kenya, redolent with complex fruit notes.

PT’s Coffee

Finca Lerida Honeyed Panama

Topeka, Kansas

Reviewed:  June 2008

Aroma              8

Acidity             7

Body                8

Flavor              8

Aftertaste         8

Origin: Boquete growing district, western Panama.

Roast (Agtron): (52/81)

OVERALL RATING: 91

Notes:  “Honeyed” refers to a processing and drying method usually called pulped natural, in which the skins are removed from the coffee but the sweet, sticky fruit flesh, or “honey” is left on the coffee as it is dried. Finca Lerida is among the most celebrated of the many fine Panama farms in the Boquete region. Tactfully roasted at PT’s Coffee, where the motto is “without the love, it’s just coffee.” Visit www.ptscoffee.com or call 888-678-JAVA for more information.

Blind assessment:  Simple, balanced aroma: hints of tart cherry, cocoaish chocolate. In the cup soft acidity, silk mouthfeel, with intensifying crisp chocolate and nut notes haloed by a continued tart cherryish sweetness. Rich, sweet finish.   

Who should drink it:  Unusual processing method appears to promote a simple but pleasing cup character combining fresh, tart fruit and dry nut and chocolate notes.

Yesterday’s issues with our shopping cart system are now resolved.  Thank you for your patience while we sorted out the problems!  

So, the scores from round one have been tabulated and our very own Chris Weber (”Pappy”) made the cut to move on to the semi-final round of the SCAA’s United States Barista Championship. Chris was one of 15 stellar baristas to be selected to advance out of 51 in the preliminary round, and they will join the 10 regional winners (Robin as one of them) in the challenge of attaining one of the 6 finalist slots. We will try to keep everyone posted as to the goings on tomorrow, but for the most up-to-date information visit www.usbc2009.com. Robin is scheduled to go at 10:20am (Portland time), and Chris will be starting at about 1:20pm. Check out the live feed and cheer them on!

 Signing out from Portland!

Holly

Unfortunately, we are experiencing some technical issues with our shopping cart at this time.  We are in the process of working through these issues and hope to have a solution very soon.  Thank you for your patience while we sort out the problems.  Please check back again to place your order.

If you would like to follow this week’s United States Barista Championship, check out their official website, here.  They will have a live streaming feed during the event, starting at 7:00 am CST on Thursday, March 5th.  You can watch PT’s Coffee’s own baristas work their magic live!  Chris Weber will compete in the first round at noon CST on Friday, and Robin Seitz will go straight to the semi-final round that is being held on Saturday between 7:00 and 3:00 CST.  Both baristas will be using a slightly modified version of La Bella Vita Espresso Blend in the competition.