
Corduroy Espresso #30
$21.00 – $98.00
I was going to write that Corduroy is a new concept for Speckled Ax, but at this point, about two and a half years and 29 iterations in, it isn’t. I suppose having blends like Bird Dog that are sixteen years old make it seem so. In any case, it’s a blending concept: 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 40% Ethiopia Shakiso Kayon Mountain (natural), 20% Honduras El Cedro honey process, 20% Honduras El Cedro washed, and 10% Guatemala Santa Isabel robusta. We’re particularly excited about using a small amount of robusta–a traditional espresso component as old as espresso itself, but new to us. Brewed on its own, this robusta, while fairly sweet, is a little overwhelming with its grain-like profile. But as a blend component, it lends some structure and bite for cutting through milk without having to resort to a dark roast. The Shakiso contributes sweetness and lightly fruited and floral elements, while the Honduras coffees add a sugar-browning foundation.
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: Santa Barbara, Honduras; Guji, Ethiopia; Santa Rosa, Guatemala
- Elevation: 1300-2000 meters
- Varietal: pacas, antique varietals, robusta
- Process: washed, natural and honey processed
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
I was going to write that Corduroy is a new concept for Speckled Ax, but at this point, about two and a half years and 29 iterations in, it isn’t. I suppose having blends like Bird Dog that are sixteen years old make it seem so. In any case, it’s a blending concept: 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 40% Ethiopia Shakiso Kayon Mountain (natural), 20% Honduras El Cedro honey process, 20% Honduras El Cedro washed, and 10% Guatemala Santa Isabel robusta. We’re particularly excited about using a small amount of robusta–a traditional espresso component as old as espresso itself, but new to us. Brewed on its own, this robusta, while fairly sweet, is a little overwhelming with its grain-like profile. But as a blend component, it lends some structure and bite for cutting through milk without having to resort to a dark roast. The Shakiso contributes sweetness and lightly fruited and floral elements, while the Honduras coffees add a sugar-browning foundation.
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: Santa Barbara, Honduras; Guji, Ethiopia; Santa Rosa, Guatemala
- Elevation: 1300-2000 meters
- Varietal: pacas, antique varietals, robusta
- Process: washed, natural and honey processed