Corduroy Espresso #37
Price range: $22.00 through $100.00
Wow, how flies! Maybe four or five years in, and this is the 37th iteration of our Corduroy espresso blend. I suppose having blends like Bird Dog that are seventeen years old keep this seeming “new.” Or maybe it’s just the premise, doing its job: a coffee with ever-changing components blended specifically with espresso in mind, in order to better acquaint ourselves with familiar coffees and flavor profiles, and to push our understanding of what espresso can be, within reason.
Our current iteration of Corduroy is equal parts Brazil Donas do Cafe, a natural from Sul de Minas, and Rwanda Kawa Yaku natural. Both coffees are lots grown by women, though this was not the “theme” for this particular blend. Rather, we went back to Brazil because it’s just such a delicious and sweet and versatile origin for an espresso base, and to make sure that this particular version would not be overly acid-driven. We liked the Kawa Yaku for the dark fruited depths that it hinted at, and immediately thought it might shine in the small cup. But Rwandas also often have a fair amount of citric acidity which, generally speaking, does not lend itself to easy going shots in the small cup (or easy going milk drinks, for that matter). But in combination with the Brazil, it works really well. There are also smaller percentages of washed Peru and Colombia, adding their own mid-range dimentions of light chocolate and mild fruit, to round out the blend. The result is a pretty versatile all-around espresso that excels in just about any application.
In our shops, we are using 19 grams for a 40ish gram yield, with a long (10 seconds) pre-infuse and a total brew time of 40+ seconds. (We are running Synesso Hydras in most shops, with ramp up and ramp down.)
about the series:
“Corduroy” is a term for a stretch of road or path built with small logs laid perpendicular to the direction of the road itself. In the Maine woods during the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, these road sections were usually dropped over low-lying swampy areas in order to access tree stands that would be cut in the winter. After these roads were covered with snow and ice, the logs were twitched, or skidded, out of the woods with horses to the banks of streams and rivers that would float them down to the mills in the spring, after ice out. Corduroy roads were never designed to be a permanent or lasting solution, but rather a means to provide temporary access into a new territory.
- Location: Brazil, Rwanda, Peru, Colombia
- Elevation: 1100-2100 meters
- Varietal: numerous
- Process: natural and washed
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Wow, how flies! Maybe four or five years in, and this is the 37th iteration of our Corduroy espresso blend. I suppose having blends like Bird Dog that are seventeen years old keep this seeming “new.” Or maybe it’s just the premise, doing its job: a coffee with ever-changing components blended specifically with espresso in mind, in order to better acquaint ourselves with familiar coffees and flavor profiles, and to push our understanding of what espresso can be, within reason.
Our current iteration of Corduroy is equal parts Brazil Donas do Cafe, a natural from Sul de Minas, and Rwanda Kawa Yaku natural. Both coffees are lots grown by women, though this was not the “theme” for this particular blend. Rather, we went back to Brazil because it’s just such a delicious and sweet and versatile origin for an espresso base, and to make sure that this particular version would not be overly acid-driven. We liked the Kawa Yaku for the dark fruited depths that it hinted at, and immediately thought it might shine in the small cup. But Rwandas also often have a fair amount of citric acidity which, generally speaking, does not lend itself to easy going shots in the small cup (or easy going milk drinks, for that matter). But in combination with the Brazil, it works really well. There are also smaller percentages of washed Peru and Colombia, adding their own mid-range dimentions of light chocolate and mild fruit, to round out the blend. The result is a pretty versatile all-around espresso that excels in just about any application.
In our shops, we are using 19 grams for a 40ish gram yield, with a long (10 seconds) pre-infuse and a total brew time of 40+ seconds. (We are running Synesso Hydras in most shops, with ramp up and ramp down.)
about the series:
“Corduroy” is a term for a stretch of road or path built with small logs laid perpendicular to the direction of the road itself. In the Maine woods during the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, these road sections were usually dropped over low-lying swampy areas in order to access tree stands that would be cut in the winter. After these roads were covered with snow and ice, the logs were twitched, or skidded, out of the woods with horses to the banks of streams and rivers that would float them down to the mills in the spring, after ice out. Corduroy roads were never designed to be a permanent or lasting solution, but rather a means to provide temporary access into a new territory.
- Location: Brazil, Rwanda, Peru, Colombia
- Elevation: 1100-2100 meters
- Varietal: numerous
- Process: natural and washed