Jul 24 2008
Panama Boquete Golden Peaberry
Ahh, Yes. There is nothing like a little vacation to make one appreciate the comforts of home, especially when you forget to bring any coffee you. The girlfriend and I took a little trip to dah U.P. of Michigan to visit my family this past week. It was fun, we took a lot of pictures and she got to meet my nieces, nephews and grandparents, but I must say I was sure missing my Nesco coffee roaster after being forced to down the swill that my old man concocted for me in their filthy little coffee maker. Okay, do not get me wrong, I did have some decent joe while I was there. Both my mom and my grandmother have the seemingly miraculous ability to produce a good cup of coffee from the canned stuff (my mom uses an old percolator and gets good results) and there is even a place up there that sells some decent roasted coffee, yet it was still not the same. I guess the worst of it came on the drive home when I was forced to down some horrible, watered down garbage from subway in order to keep myself awake as I traveled down the deer addled highway on my way back to the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport. The stuff made me outright cranky.
It was such a relief to come home and brew up a good pot of the Panama Boquete Golden Peaberry. I had had some of this coffee before I left and did not really think to much of it (it tasted a little too citrusy) but now it tasted as if it was manna from heaven. Oh how I missed the flavor of freshly roasted coffee, so subtle yet full of complexity. I savored the initial lemony peach taste of this Panamanian offering and mellowed in its lingering chocolate aftertaste. Mmm, so good. I had roasted this bean very light (around 23 minutes in my Nesco) and brewed it in my chemex coffee maker. It is a very bright bean with lots of acidity and just enough body. It would make an excellent breakfast blend.
Next time I travel I will probably consider packing some beans to take along with me. I do regret not taking any with me to the U.P. and turning my family on to the joys of homeroasting. But, then again, the little break away from the old coffee labratory made me fully appreciate my hobby.
