Top 10 Coffees of 2010

Last post of the year ; better be a damn good one.
So, our best coffees at Caffenation.
Grinder : Anfim Super Caimano.
Machine : La Marzocco Linea.
Baristas : Bert, Katrien, Noömi, Roeland, Isabelle, Joke, Fanny, Toon or me, myself and I.

1) On small quantities but brilliant : Bolivia Machacamarca from Hasbean. We scored two bags of this bean at the world championships in London.
Lovingly grown in the Yungas region of Bolivia, roasted in Staffordshire, this coffee was Colin Harmon's bean at the WBC in 2009 and smashing all the way.

2) Bolivia Colonia San Juan 8 Estrellas.Thanks Knopes for this beauty, and again in their line up the upcoming year, as I heard from a good source. :-)

3) Equal quality, but I didn't want to force our stuff harder then needed : Nicaragua La Pradera Cup Of Excellence. Some of our X-Mas coffee espressos were the best shots of the year. Fantastic acidity, complex, clean and great in the caps.

4) On 2 last year and again worth a podium : Rwanda Musasa. This was Isabelle's coffee at the Barista Championship Series and also roasted by Knopes. A job well done chaps.

5) Little Green Bag 4.2. Proud at the latest version of Caffenations top blend. Half Brazil Carmo de Minas, half Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, this coffee is complex, strong and works well with milk. Still on the menu till, probably february.

6) Burundi Bururi Buramba AA. A bit unregular, but in its peak an overwhelming experience. Tonloads of fruit and wild lingering spices.

7) Party Harder. A fantastic fantasy blend of Brazil Dutra (#1 last year), Nicaragua Las Nubes and some Sidamo from Bagersh.

8) Malawi Geisha Vireya. This microlot from Hasbean was the sweetest coffee of the year.

9) Dominican Republic Jarabacoa Ramirez Organico. The base for our first LGB and Isabelle's coffee for the finals. Great lemon and the base for warm chocolate cream cappuccino. We want this back, but please a bit earlier in the season.

10) Ethiopia Harar Star. The three bags we bought from this Harar were the best Harar we ever had. Very complex, earthy and sweet and also great for filter.

7 of the 10 coffee's this year were roasted at our own roastery. A break through for us and we're proud about that.

For next year on the menu : some more Cup Of Excellence and Ethiopians of course. Also we expect great coffee from Honduras, Zambia, El Salvador and Nicaragua. The winning country of 2010 Bolivia is not planned yet, but hopefully on the menu by summer.

Have a good end of the year.
And new year.
See you in 2011.
Rob