In the air

Coffee season smells like a fruity wine. All over Kona, the tart scent of fermenting beans, composting coffee pulp and roasting coffee mingle together aromatically. I catch the smells as I drive down the road. I'm overwhelmed by them on my farm. It has a certain romance to it, like a bottle of just-uncorked wine.

Today I roasted about 30 pounds of coffee. I'll do that every couple of days between now and Christmas, as the Holiday rush is on. Roasting coffee is my favorite part of the job, and one of the few I can actually sit down to accomplish. As the green beans transition through the roast, the smells range from grassy to popcorn-y, to a roasted nutty to a carmelly toast. When the medium roast comes out, I get a berry undertone with chestnut overtone. With a dark roast, it's carmel and vanilla. These fade quickly as the coffee cools, but I can still catch a hint of them on the first grind. yum.

Coffee has approximately 1600 flavor compounds in it, giving a mind-boggling number of possibilities across the palate and nose. And of course, flavors range wildly between regions such as Guatamala and Kenya. But also within regions even as small as Kona (2300 acres). My friend of 36 years(!!), Melanie has a farm right up the hill from me. We've cupped our coffees several times and it's always fun to note the differences. Subtle, yet distinct. In a typical 10-cup Mr Coffee you probably wouldn't even notice the difference. But in a cupping, it shows up.

Try it with your next morning cup. Put down the briefcase for a minute. Stop rushing out the door. Take a deep inhale and ponder the flavors that show up. Then a small sip. Treat it like wine. Enjoy!