Anthony Bourbain: Light Roast (SP)
Anthony Bourdain was a legendary writer and TV host, with one of the most unique voices. He was someone who you just wanted to watch, to read, to listen to, even if he was doing something as seemingly mundane as eating soup on screen. He was one of the greats and we miss him.
This coffee is in honor of him and how much he inspired our love of the food industry, even while he showcased in detail it's dark underbelly. It's an industry of long hours and lots of pressure that pushes people to their limits, and leads to the highest rates of substance abuse of any industry (20% of those in the industry have substance abuse issues). It also is a career that isn't kind to individuals' mental health.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We should add, this is a beautiful washed Pink Bourbon from Angel Ortega, and fitting for such a great chef, even when he thought this about coffee:
“There are few things I care about less than coffee. I have two big cups every morning: light and sweet, preferably in a cardboard cup. Any bodega will do...It’s a beverage; it’s not a lifestyle.”
ORIGIN + VARIETY: SINGLE PRODUCER - Colombia / Pink Bourbon
TASTING NOTES: peach ice tea + tart apple + honey
ROAST: Light
PRODUCER: Angel Ordonez
FARM: Miramar
REGION: Kennedy, San Agustin, Huila
ALTITUDE: 1680 masl
PROCESS: Washed
SIZE: Available in 125g, 227g, 340g, 908g and 5lb bags.
GRIND: Whole Bean, Filter, French Press and Espresso/Moka Pot.
More about the processing method:
Cherries are picked every 15 days when they reach peak ripeness and are then left overnight in cherry. The coffee is depulped the next morning before undergoing a 36-40 hour dry ferment. It’s rinsed three to four times and then moved to raised beds, where the coffee is dried for between 18-22 days under white mesh. Coffees are stored in parchment in Grainpro until ready to be milled.
More about Angel Ortega
Angel Ortega is a second-generation coffee grower from San Agustin, Huila who has been growing coffee since he was a teenager. He began in his youth working alongside his father and brother, Augusto Ortega, who we have also had the pleasure of working with.
Angel managed his own plot of 700 trees to begin with. In 1985, at the age of 24, he set out on his own and planted a lot of 10,000 trees of the Colombia variety. While San Agustin is now a storied coffee growing area, with nearly 6000 coffee growers across the region, in the 1980s the arid soils in the Kennedy zone where Angel set up to grow meant the area was bereft of coffee. Every summer when the heavy rains would come, the soil would wash down from the farms and cover the roads. But the Ortega brothers persisted and now are respected figures in Huila and some of the best smallholder farmers in the region.
Brewing Tips:
- ESPRESSO: If wanting to pull this light roast as an espresso, we recommend playing with you ratios a bit to ward off a shot that might be a bit too bright. Try a 1:2.5 ratio, and grind a litter finer for a longer shot. We pulled this roast with 18g in, 38g out, at 36 seconds on our Silvia and it was great. But as always play around with it!
- POUR OVER: We recommend grinding a touch medium/medium-fine for this roast, 2-3 pours (post bloom) so you get the acids and brightness of this delicate light roast. We use a 1:15 for this one and it's so complex in the cup at such a ratio. But as always experiment, you may prefer a 1:16 ratio and 3-4 pours for more body and less acid! It really does well on flat or coned filters and we've been using it almost exclusively with our Origami.
- FRENCH PRESS: We recommend the James Hoffman method for this roast: 1:16.67 ratio // medium grind (not too coarse) // add water, do not stir, brew for 4 minutes // after 4 mins break crust gently, scoop everything off that floats // let sit for another 5-8 minutes // don't press all the way, only use it as a filter at the surface of the brew.
- ICED COFFEE: Perfect as a pour over flash freeze brew. Use large cocktail ice, lower your brewing ratios and then prepare as you usually would!
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