Brazil Bourbon Santos
The best grade is Santos grown in Minas Gerais. Because it is less dense than Central American coffees, due to cultivation at lower altitudes, it prefers to be roasted on the lighter side. It is hulled and milled by the dry or natural process and nothing can touch it as a base in Espresso blends. It produces more crema and body, adding sweetness and providing a great backdrop for any other coffees. Brazil is nutty and sweet with almost no acid, and develops an exceptional bittersweet chocolate roast taste.

Colombia Supremo
Colombia is credited with one of the most successful marketing campaigns ever and subsequently has made Colombia synonymous with coffee. Most of what's being sold on the market is average at best, since Supremos are usually pooled from many farms in the region, the resulting cup suffers from the effect of the "lowest common denominator" and that's if it is fresh roasted. Growing regions to look for are Popayan, Huila, Antioquia, Armenia, Santander, Bucaramanga, and Magdelena.
The best grade is Supremo, followed by Excelso, which refers to the bean size only. It has a full open aroma, light body and balanced acidity. There is a sweet caramel-like body with gentle winey to fruity acidic notes.

Costa Rica Tarrazu
Tarrazu is the most densely planted high altitude region in the southern pacific region and is celebrated as the region in Costa Rica for the best soils and highest altitudes. The coffees from Tarrazu show a wide range of flavors in the cup. It is an extremely well balanced coffee with medium to heavy body. You will note a distinct floral and hazelnut fragrance, along with a mild secondary aroma of caraway seed. The aromatics are dynamic, with citrus-flower blooms and the smell of sweet bread baking. The cup has a light body and a mild intensity to match, a beautifully delicate and refined cup. It has nippy tangerine flavours with just a twist of rind, sugar sweetness, and a beautifully sweet finish.

Guatemala Antigua Iglesias
Guatemalan coffee is revered as one of the most flavourful and nuanced cups in the world. Antiguas are well known and highly rated. Huehuetenango from the north highland can be exceptional and have distinct fruit flavors. The aromatics fill your nose with milk chocolate, vanilla, and nuts. The acidity is impressive and not too high-toned or shrill, and it perfectly punctuates the luxurious, buttery, creamy-custard body.

Peru
The most notable are Chanchamayo and Ayacucho. It has spice hints and a good acidity that doesn't bite but balances the cup. The body is not huge and the aftertaste is not going to linger for hours. The aromatics are malty-sweet, and the cup has a bright, sweet acidity. There is a nice fruity apple note with a hint of cinnamon in the top-end of the cup flavor. The organic herbal aftertaste disappears quickly leaving a rustic memory in your mouth.

Ethiopia Harrar
Harrars are wild, natural coffees (dry processed) that can produce incredibly intense cups but can vary greatly, not just year-to-year, but lot-to-lot and sometimes even bag-to-bag. The best are medium bodied with fruity wine like notes of blueberry and apricot. The aroma smells of jasmine, wood, and fresh leather. You will be able to taste a chocolate flavor and a range of winey to fermented fruitiness. The cup has a dark brown sugar sweetness, which gives way to dried black figs and a cardamom spice note with a distinctive earthy background.

Ethiopia Sidamo
A wet processed coffee originating in the south-central mountains south of Addis Abada. Not as wild and earthy as the Harrars, but reveals highly penetrating floral sweet aromatics, a clean cup without taints, tastes of plum and raisin in the cup, black pepper in the finish. It has a medium body with a substantial mouthfeel and good acidity.

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
Yirgacheffe is a town in the Sidamo region, a high plateau north of Harrar. The beans are wet processed producing a cup with a pronounced winey flavour, floral aroma, medium body and a unique soft toned acidity, which is more like a wet processed Central American. The dry fragrance from the grounds is sweet and caramelly; the aroma from the brewed cup is more citrus and complex with tangy bitter sweetness.

Kenya "AA"
This east African coffee has the distinction of being one of the best coffees in the world and it comes as no surprise since every facet of production is treated with the utmost care and scrutiny. In general, this is a bright coffee that lights up the palate from front to back. It is not for people who do not like acidity in coffee. The dry fragrance is a blend of sweet and sour, with caramel and floral hints. The aromatics are powerful, of citrus and accompanied later by sweet floral smells and sharp spice hints. The cup has a medium heavy body with the flavours of berries and citrus that alternates between light sweet syrup and beautiful winey notes. The aftertaste is long and lemony with a subtle spiciness

Galapagos Island San Cristobal
Hacienda El Cafetal
San Cristobal, The largest island in the archipelago is a national park and has been declared a Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO. As a result, law strictly prohibits the use of fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides or any other chemicals The volcanic soil is rich with minerals and is fed by fresh spring water from "El Junco", a volcanic lake 1350 feet above sea level. The first trees were planted in 1875 but were abandoned until 1990 when the Gonzalez family purchased Hacienda El Cafetal and revived the plantation. The cup is a perfect balance of a cranberry fruity acidity followed by an allspice note and finally finishing with a big body of chocolate. This is an exceptional coffee and rare indeed.

Hawaiian Kona Greenwell Estate Extra Fancy
The cup is complete and classic with a touch of the green tea taste. It's dry and acidy, but the acidity is held inside a deep, resonant matrix and complicated by richly wine tinged fruit tones. It sweetens exquisitely in the finish.

Hawaiian Kona Purple Mountain Extra Fancy
Coffee is grown on most of the Hawaiian Islands, but Kona's well- drained basaltic soil is perfect. The trees grow in the slowly decomposing lava flows along a 25-mile-long piece of land stretching from Holualoa south to Honaunau. The climate pattern is perfect, with sunlight in the morning and cloud cover in the afternoon. A natural canopy of indigenous trees blocks out the day's most intense heat. Rainfall is perfect between 60 to 90 inches a year at 1,100 feet, compared with 2 inches on the beaches only a mile away. Extra Fancy is the highest grade of Kona coffee based on bean size. Purple Mountain, grown in the Honaunau region of Kona, has 25 years of experience cultivating coffee, pesticide-free (not organic certified), and sun-dried. The farm is only 8 acres in size and owned by the Stiles family who believe in quality rather than quantity.
The cup has a magnificently full body, a little creamy and buttery like macadamia nuts, with a distinctive green tea taste. The acidity is mildly tangerine, and the roast taste is malty-barley.

Indian Monsooned Malabar
These beans are dry processed and are exposed to monsoon winds in special warehouses on the southeastern coast of India before being exported. This “monsooning” process is carried out in order to simulate the tastes that were imparted into the beans when they were exported in the hulls of wooden sailing ships. The monsooning process takes around 12 to 16 months, where in the beans swell to twice their original size and turn into a pale golden colour. Any bean that does not expand properly is removed by hand.
The aroma is a complex blend of cinnamon and cedar. The cup is a potent combination of earth, must and wood with a deep, full body that you can roll over your tongue. There is very little acidity and it finishes with a caramel note.

Jamaica Blue Mountain Wallenford Estate
This is one of the most controversial coffees in the world. Because of the reputation of the Wallenford Estate and the price it fetches, there is much coffee sold from Jamaica that is suitable for filler only (sold as High Mountain or Blue Mountain blend). Wallenford is one of only four trade names that can legally call itself Blue Mountain. True Blue Mountain is an unusual coffee; it has good body, and some very interesting mild nutty flavors with herbal notes of chamomile or sometimes of spice. Even though it is grown at higher altitudes than most other island coffees, it still has the soft cup profile. The quintessential classic coffee with everything: rich flavour and aroma, full body and moderate acidity in perfect balance. Whereas Kenya is noted for its acidity and Sumatra for its body, Jamaica Blue Mountain is noted only for its perfection.

Aged Sumatra Mandheling
This coffee is held in Sumatra 3 years for the aging process. The process is carried out in a controlled environment in the country of origin with appropriate climate to prevent the coffee from drying out. The bags are turned and rotated in their stacks every so often, and then rebagged before shipping. The body is huge. The sweetness of the cup is very unique and can be compared to buttered toast with caramelized molasses. The sophistication of the finish and aftertaste really sets it apart.

Yemen Mocha Matari
Commonly referred to as Mocha, which is the port that it was originally shipped through. Best are Matari, Sharki and Sinani. Yemeni coffee is one of the most distinct and prized coffees in the world and is referred to as a "wild" or natural cup. The aromatics are intoxicating and so intense that other coffees seem to pale in comparison. The cup is earthy, complex with deep pungent notes of sage, tobacco, leather, dry fruit, cardamom and wood. The acidity leaves an unmistakable, dry wine-like aftertaste on the palate

Colombia Flor de mi Tierra (Flower of my Land) solar dried
This regional coffee from Tolima was created in partnership with a group of local growers as the first sustainable and socially responsible project in conjunction with FNC (Federacion National de Cafeteros de Colombia). For every pound sold 2 cents is reinvested into community infrastructure as well as quality development and assurance. The first reinvestment of money went to constructing parabolic solar dryers. Quality control is much higher than traditional processors with particular attention to hand selection and cup profile. The sweet, delicate, floral-toned aroma has hints of lemon and buttery chocolate. In the cup, the acidity is low-toned and the mouth feel syrupy, with an almost sugary sweetness of butterscotch, caramel, honey, and ripe orange. The finish is rich and sweet.

Sulawesi Kalossi Torajah
Best is grown in the Toraja region (formerly marketed as Celebese Kalossi which was the old colonial Dutch name for the Toraja region) located on the southeast finger of the island. It has unusual depth and complexity with a full rich maple syrup body (but slightly less than Sumatra). It’s moderate, well-balanced acidity and a multi-dimensional aromatic character has prominent herbal, nutty, and pleasantly sweet woody notes. When it cools, there is caramel in the secondary wave of flavors that reach the palate.

Java Blawan Estate
The best estates are Jampit and Blawan that date back to Dutch colonialism. Blawan is one of four government-operated coffee estates in the dramatic mountains of eastern Java. This coffee has a full, thick and syrupy body with a touch of earth in the cup. There is exquisite acid balance with a complex yet delicate spicy and lavender aromatic character. It has a striking smoky bittersweet chocolate taste with a slight fruity finish.

Sumatra Blue Lingtong
Lintong is a Mandheling, but premium grade. It has a darker, bluer appearance, hence the name Blue Lintong. The aromatics are sweet of candy apple and woody like sandalwood, and a hint of almond. It’s full, rich, oily body and great depth can be sensed in the back of the mouth.

Sumatra Mandheling
Coffee production in Sumatra began in the 18th century under colonialdomination. Most of the coffee is produced around the Lake Toba region, inthe subregions of Lintong Nihuta, Sumbul, and Takengon. Sumatrans are soldas Mandheling, which is simply the Indonesian ethnic group that is mostinvolved in coffee production! Dry-processed Sumatran coffees are theboldest of the Indonesian coffee-growing world. ItLl|s low in acid withdeep, complex, intense aroma of earth, smoke and spice. There is a tangybittersweet and aggressive musty tone in the flavor as well as sweetcinnamon, herby hints, and mildly winey fruit notes in the background. Itdelivers the expected heavy, deep cup with a thick mouth feel, and lingeringtarry aftertaste.

Brazil Bourbon Santos
The best grade is Santos grown in Minas Gerais. Because it is less dense than Central American coffees, due to cultivation at lower altitudes, it prefers to be roasted on the lighter side. It is hulled and milled by the dry or natural process and nothing can touch it as a base in Espresso blends. It produces more crema and body, adding sweetness and providing a great backdrop for any other coffees. Brazil is nutty and sweet with almost no acid, and develops an exceptional bittersweet chocolate roast taste.

Colombia Supremo
Colombia is credited with one of the most successful marketing campaigns ever and subsequently has made Colombia synonymous with coffee. Most of what’s being sold on the market is average at best, since Supremos are usually pooled from many farms in the region, the resulting cup suffers from the effect of the "lowest common denominator" and that’s if it is fresh roasted. Growing regions to look for are Popayan, Huila, Antioquia, Armenia, Santander, Bucaramanga, and Magdelena.
The best grade is Supremo, followed by Excelso, which refers to the bean size only. It has a full open aroma, light body and balanced acidity. There is a sweet caramel-like body with gentle winey to fruity acidic notes.

Costa Rica Tarrazu
Tarrazu is the most densely planted high altitude region in the southern pacific region and is celebrated as the region in Costa Rica for the best soils and highest altitudes. The coffees from Tarrazu show a wide range of flavors in the cup. It is an extremely well balanced coffee with medium to heavy body. You will note a distinct floral and hazelnut fragrance, along with a mild secondary aroma of caraway seed. The aromatics are dynamic, with citrus-flower blooms and the smell of sweet bread baking. The cup has a light body and a mild intensity to match, a beautifully delicate and refined cup. It has nippy tangerine flavours with just a twist of rind, sugar sweetness, and a beautifully sweet finish.

Ethiopia Sidamo
A wet processed coffee originating in the south-central mountains south of Addis Abada. Not as wild and earthy as the Harrars, but reveals highly penetrating floral sweet aromatics, a clean cup without taints, tastes of plum and raisin in the cup, black pepper in the finish. It has a medium body with a substantial mouthfeel and good acidity.

Guatemala Antigua Iglesias
Guatemalan coffee is revered as one of the most flavourful and nuanced cups in the world. Antiguas are well known and highly rated. Huehuetenango from the north highland can be exceptional and have distinct fruit flavors. The aromatics fill your nose with milk chocolate, vanilla, and nuts. The acidity is impressive and not too high-toned or shrill, and it perfectly punctuates the luxurious, buttery, creamy-custard body.

Java Blawan Estate
The best estates are Jampit and Blawan that date back to Dutch colonialism. Blawan is one of four government-operated coffee estates in the dramatic mountains of eastern Java. This coffee has a full, thick and syrupy body with a touch of earth in the cup. There is exquisite acid balance with a complex yet delicate spicy and lavender aromatic character. It has a striking smoky bittersweet chocolate taste with a slight fruity finish.

Kenya "AA"
This east African coffee has the distinction of being one of the best coffees in the world and it comes as no surprise since every facet of production is treated with the utmost care and scrutiny. In general, this is a bright coffee that lights up the palate from front to back. It is not for people who do not like acidity in coffee. The dry fragrance is a blend of sweet and sour, with caramel and floral hints. The aromatics are powerful, of citrus and accompanied later by sweet floral smells and sharp spice hints. The cup has a medium heavy body with the flavours of berries and citrus that alternates between light sweet syrup and beautiful winey notes. The aftertaste is long and lemony with a subtle spiciness