Three Rivers
Coffee Roasters
Coffee Types:
Typica - This is the base from which many coffee varietals have been developed. Like the other Coffea Arabica varietals that have been developed from it, Typica coffee plants have a conical shape with a main vertical trunk and secondary verticals that grow at a slight slant. Typica is a tall plant reaching 3.5-4 m in height. The lateral branches form 50-70° angles with the vertical stem. Typica coffee has a very low production, but has an excellent cup quality.
Bourbon - Bourbon coffee plants produce 20-30% more coffee than Typica, but have a smaller harvest than most coffee varietals. Bourbon has less of a conical shape than Typica coffee plants, but has more secondary branches. The angles between the secondary branches and the main stem are smaller, and the branch points on the main stem are closely spaced. The leaves are broad and wavy on the edges. The fruit is relatively small and dense. The cherries mature quickly and are at a risk of falling off during high winds or rains. The best results for Bourbon coffee are realized between 3,500-6,500 feet. Cup quality is excellent and similar to Typica.
Caturra - Caturra is a mutation of Coffee Bourbon discovered in Brazil. It is a mutation with high production and good quality, but requires extensive care and fertilization. It is short with a thick core and has many secondary branches. It has large leaves with wavy borders similar to Coffee Bourbon. It adapts well to almost any environment, but does best between 1,500-5,500 feet with annual precipitation between 2,500-3,500 mm. At higher altitudes quality increases, but production decreases.
Catuai - Catuai is a high yielding coffee plant resulting from a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra. The plant is relatively short, and the lateral branches form close angles with the primary branches. The fruit does not fall off the branch easily, which is favorable with areas with strong winds or rain. Catuai also needs sufficient fertilization and care.
Pache comum - Pache comum is a mutation of Typica coffee first observed on the farm El Brito, Santa Cruz Naranjo, Santa Rosa, Guatemala. Many consider the cup to be smooth or flat. This coffee varietal adapts well between 3,500-5,500 feet.
Pache colis - Pache colis was found in Mataquescuintla, Guatemala in a farm consisting of Caturra and Pache comum. The coffee fruits are very large and the leaves are roughly textured. Pache colis provides some resistance to phoma. It has secondary and tertiary branching, and typically grows to 0.8-1.25 m. It adapts well to altitudes of 3,000-6,000 feet with temperatures between 20-21°C.
Catimor - Catimor is a cross between Timor coffee (resistant to rust) and Caturra coffee. It was created in Portugal in 1959. Maturation is early and production is very high with yields equal to or greater than the yield of other commercial coffee varietals. For this reason the method of fertilization and shade must be monitored very closely. The Catimor T-8667 descendants are relatively small in stature, but have large coffee fruits and seeds. The Catimor line T-5269 is strong and adapts well to lower regions between 2,000-3,000 feet with annual rainfall over 3,000 mm. T-5175 is very productive and robust, but can have problems at either very high or very low altitudes. At low altitudes there is almost no difference in cup quality between Catimor and the other commercial coffee varietals, but at elevations greater than 4,000 feet Bourbon, Caturra, and Catuai have a better cup quality.
Kent - Kent is used for its high yield and resistance to coffee rust.
Mundo Novo - Natural hybrid between Typica coffee and Bourbon coffee. The plant was first found in Brazil. The plant is strong and resistant to disease. Mundo Novo has a high production, but matures slightly later than other kinds of coffee. It does well between 3,500-5,500 feet with an annual rainfall of 1,200-1,800 mm.
Maragogype - This coffee varietal is a mutation of Typica coffee and was discovered in Brazil. The Maragogype coffee plant is large and is taller than either Bourbon or Typica. Production is low, but the seeds are very large. Maragogype adapts best between 2,000-2,500 feet. The cup characteristics are highly appreciated in certain coffee markets.
Amarello - This coffee varietal, as its name indicates, produces a yellow fruit. It is not widely planted.
Blue mountain - Blue mountain is a famous coffee varietal favored for its resistance to the coffee berry disease and ability to thrive in high altitudes. It was first grown in Jamaica and is now grown in Kona, Hawaii. Blue mountain coffee, however, cannot adapt to all climates and maintain its high quality flavor profile.
Other definitions:
Acidity: A primary coffee sensation, created as the acids of a coffee combine with the natural sugars, to increase the overall sweetness of the coffee. A pleasant quality that points up to a coffee's flavor and provides a liveliness, sparkle, or snap to that drink. It is tasted mainly on the tip of the tongue. The acidity of a coffee may be assessed as lively, moderate, flat or dull. Acidity is a characteristic of coffees grown at high altitudes such as Guatemalan, Costa Rican, and Kenyan. It is NOT, however, the same as bitter or sour. Coffees are low in acidity, between 5 and 6 on the pH scale.
Coffee Facts and Myths
Facts About Coffee:
- Fresh roasted coffee needs time to “breathe”. This allows the chemicals to react inside the bean.
- Roasted coffee reaches “Peak Flavor” about 2-3 days after roasting. In general, this is the case. Some beans are ready a day after or even an hour out of the roaster.
- Oxygen is the enemy of roasted coffee beans. For long-term storage (over 2 weeks) store your beans in an Air-tight container and place them where you would store your cereal. You shouldn’t buy more coffee than you intend to drink in a period of two weeks.
- The clock starts ticking, the moment the beans are ground. The degradation rapidly increases when beans are ground. There is more surface area exposed to air when coffee is ground. Because of this we highly recommend grinding just before you brew.
Myths about Coffee:
Dark, shiny and oily beans are the best indicator of good coffee. Not always the case. Some coffee beans are better with a dark roast. For espresso, dark beans are favored.
Other beans are much better roasted light (“City”) or medium (“Full City”). It all depends on personal preference. With our coffee, you will see a recommended roast, but feel free to request what you want!
Coffee should be stored in the refrigerator/freezer. When coffee is stored in a cold place, then brought out into an area that is room temperature, condensation can occur. When this happens several times, the flavor in the beans depletes. It may not be noticeable because the change in taste will be gradual. It will be immediately noticed when you drink a cup from fresh beans that have been stored in an air-tight container.
Definitions
Our selection changes with the seasons. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
Please check back often to see what little gems we have to offer you!
Microroast:
One Batch = One bag. -Quality not quantity.
“Coffee can only be as good as how well the beans have been prepared.”
“A container of ground coffee is stale coffee.”
There are two types of Coffee Grinders: Blade and Burr.
Blade grinders are the most common and economical. If you have a Blade Grinder, be sure to not overfill it. The spinning blade rotates at very high rpm’s and it can actually burn the beans. A good way to prevent this is to run it in quick pulses and not let it get up to full speed. This also lets the grounds move about in a more random fashion. We also recommend holding the grinder in your hands and shaking it to further randomize the “flow” of the grounds to provide a more consistent grind.
Burr Grinders are becoming more popular in the home and the starting prices aren’t much more than a Blade Grinder. You may pay a little more for one, but it is money well spent. Prices can start at $20 on eBay and quickly climb into the $200 range. ~no need to get crazy! Moving from a Blade to a Burr may seem strange at first, but you’ll quickly adapt.
Why so popular? Consistency! They can be adjusted from the finest ground needed for Turkish Coffee up to the most coarse ground for Flat-bottom Drip coffee makers. You select your coarseness, select a time duration and it does the rest.
The term "espresso" is derived from the Italian word for express since espresso is made for and served immediately to the customer. A double espresso is a 47-62.5 mL (1.5-2 ounce) extract that is prepared from 14-17 grams of coffee through which purified water of 88-95°C has been forced at 9-10 atmospheres of pressure for a brew time of 22-28 seconds. The espresso should drip out of the porta-filter like warm honey, have a deep reddish-brown color, and a crema that makes up 10-30% of the beverage.
