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Grand Cru Coffee Selections

Grand Cru Coffee

These are all coffee you just can't find many places.  We uncover small batch, exceptional coffee that stand out in their categories as Best in Class.  Often called 'Competition Class', these are coffees used in international cupping challenges and to showcase individual barista skills.  While perfectly suited to regular drip preparation, these coffees shine when prepared as a pour over or French press.  Usually roasted light or medium these coffees typify the very best flavor profiles found in the world today.

 

Some of the different varieties found:

LAURINA

The Laurina coffee tree is distinguished by its long and pointy beans that vary from 12 to 15 inches. The tree is an iconic Christmas tree like shape with massive concentrated leaves; the beans usually grow from the inside and can barely be seen.  

History:

Laurina, also known as Bourbon Pointu, appeared on Reunion Island as the result of a spontaneous mutation of the Bourbon coffee variety. Under Louis XIII, the Island once called “Santa Apolonia” was changed to Bourbon Island.

In 1771 Sieur Leroy discovered that this much loved coffee by the French court was actually a mutation from the arabica coffee that came from Yemen. Its name, Bourbon Pointu, is to honor the Bourbon Island and Pointu because of its elongated and pointed beans.   Around 1878, an outbreak of a deadly coffee tree fungus called Hemeleia Vastatrix struck the island This fungus affected all the coffee reducing the production by large quantities.  1950 saw the last official exportation of this variety. For more than half a century, the Bourbon Pointu coffee variety ceased to exist. However in 2002, efforts to revive the variety were successful allowing the Bourbon Pointu coffee variety to recover with a resultant huge impact on the economy.  

 

EUGENIOIDES

The Eugenioides variety is a medium tree with small leaves and beans.

History:

More than 60% of the commercial coffee grown internationally is of the Eugenioides variety. It is a autogam, which means that it pollinates and fertilizes by itself. Its originally from the southeast of Ethiopia, south of Sudan and north of Kenya. It's a tetraploide species (44 chromosomes) that comes from two old diploide species known as Eugenioides (Probably mother) and Canephora (Probably father) both of them having 22 chromosomes. Studies show that it's a "young" variety that appeared less than a million years ago. It is considered to be a high altitude coffee that is best harvested in temperature between 18 and 23C. In Colombia the plantations are concentrated in the areas between 1200 and 1800 MASL. The caffeine that this coffee holds is between 1,0% and 1,4% when dried and is less bitter that other varieties.

 

GEISHA

The Geisha tree or Abisinian has leaves that are oblong and narrow. The cherries and seeds are big and can be easily recognized.

History:

The geisha arabica coffee, also known as Abisinian, like all the other arabica varieties, is originally from Ethiopia, known by its locals as Geisha. The beans were first brought to Kenya and later to Tanzania. From there they were brought to Costa Rica in 1953 and finally to Panama in 1963 in the hands of coffee producer, Don Pachi.

This variety is considered to be the most exclusive coffee in the world today,  The unique, delicate profile smells and tastes like nothing noticed before; flavors of mandarin, ginger, mango, cinnamon and lots of flower aromas like jasmine. So far, only at the highest point of Chiriqui Panama, has the geisha been cultivated to release its full potential.  This could be due to the weather, volcanic soil, altitude or local agricultural techniques and traditions. Many producers have tried to replicate this variety in different parts of the world because of the high market prices this coffee variety commands on the international market. 

 

SUDAN RUME

The Sudan Rume tree is a tall tree with a Cup Quality characteristic.  Considered by many to be in the same class of coffee as the Geishas and Laurina, Sudan Rume performs well in international coffee cupping competitions.

History:

Discovered in 1940, the Sudan Rume is a variety of the arabica coffee that was once found in a wild state in the forests of the inter-tropical mountains of Marsabit in the Boma Plateau in Africa, in the south east of Sudan. This variety is known to be resistant to the coffee cherry disease.

 

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