Why coffee you ask? Several years ago, I read an article about the growing number of people roasting coffee at home. Since my baking hobby had started shrinking my pants, I found the idea of roasting coffee interesting. After all, I have always loved coffee, and many of my fondest memories and deepest thoughts have been shared with family and friends over a steaming cup of coffee. So, I took an introduction to home roasting class, and I was immediately hooked! My new hobby quickly became an obsession. I found myself spending hours reading and learning about the different varieties of coffee plants, the regions where they grow, and the people that passionately plant, nurture, and harvest these plants. I realized that coffee for them was not just a vocation, but a way of life that is deeply imbedded in their culture, economy, and society. Whether it be a large finca in Guatemala or the tiniest micro lot farmer in Ethiopia, they all share the same life-long pursuit of growing the perfect beans that will ultimately become the perfect cup of coffee. And, from that coffee plant, the farmers have grown families, communities, churches, schools, health care clinics, as well as saving our rainforests. I ask you, “can coffee save the world?” Perhaps! It certainly has changed mine for the better!
-Kirstie
My mission is simple. It is to bring to my community premium specialty grade coffees from around the world. My promise to you is to always source beans that are responsibly grown and harvested. I promise to take great pride and care into roasting every batch. I promise to continue to learn and grow as a nano roaster so that I can roast the best darn coffee you have ever tasted!
Surrounded in mystery, peaberry coffee is one of the most highly debated coffees. A naturally occurring phenomenon, peaberry coffee is a fun challenge for any roaster to tackle. With new, distinctive flavors and a bizarre shape, it’s essentially a rite of passage for roasters to try their hands at roasting peaberry coffee. But what makes peaberry coffee so different from its non-peaberry counterparts? More importantly, why should you care? Hold on to your hats, and let’s find out!
What Is Peaberry Coffee?
Called “caracol” for snail in Spanish, peaberry coffee is a natural mutation that occurs inside the coffee cherry. Rather uncommon, this mutation makes up only 5-10% of the world’s coffee beans.
The rarity of these beans makes them more expensive. If they're actually worth the higher price point is a highly debated topic.
So, what sets peaberry beans apart from other coffee beans? Instead of developing with two halves, they develop into one whole bean. Because of this, they’re generally smaller, denser, and a rounder shape than average coffee beans. How and why this mutation happens is still a mystery. All we have, currently, are theories. A couple of popular ones involve specific environmental conditions or insufficient pollination. But, so far, no one's been able to replicate the mutation. It’s important to note that peaberry describes the actual coffee bean itself, not where it’s grown. This mutation can occur anywhere in the world!
Sorting peaberry coffee beans takes a lot of extra work. From the outside, you can't tell if a coffee cherry is hiding a regular coffee bean or a peaberry. Once the coffee cherries are harvested and dried, coffee farmers hand sort them. The additional labor required to sort out peaberry coffee beans, along with their scarcity, doubles the price of the beans. But the real question is, are they worth the extra money?
People go back and forth about this question, and there’s no easy yes or no. By itself, a peaberry coffee bean isn’t superior to your average coffee bean. Like normal, the growing conditions, altitude, processing method, and variety (i.e. Arabica or Robusta) play a huge role in the flavor and quality of the bean. However, some say that peaberry beans taste sweeter and richer than other coffee beans.
Because peaberry coffee beans are rounder and denser, it can also be harder to get a consistent roast. So it’s a lot harder to dial it in, but once it is I say it’s worth the extra effort!
Many believe, because there’s only one coffee bean produced, it gets all the nutrients that would’ve been split between the two coffee beans. They claim this gives the bean a little more caffeine, richer flavors, and a sweeter taste. The jury’s still out on this, so you’ll have to let me know what you think.
Mainly, peaberry coffee beans grab their flavor from their growing region. The altitudes, soil quality, and processing methods affect them just as much as any other varietal.
One type of peaberry coffee you must try is the Tanzania peaberry. It’s a rare African coffee varietal that has a distinct aroma, fruity flavor, medium acidity, and clean finish. Best as a light roast, the Tanzanian peaberry coffee has notes of lemon, peach, and black tea. Each origin offers an unique expression of the peaberry bean, adding to its allure and desirability. If you’re really down to experiment, you should try the Kenya peaberry vs. the Kenyan AA. You’ll be surprised at the difference that the peaberry mutation makes.
Is the peaberry worth it? You’ll have to try it yourself to answer that question. But it’s definitely a fun challenge to tackle while bringing something new and interesting to the table.
Finca La Esperanza (RFA) - Santa Ana
Brown sugar, cherry, and green apple with hints of chocolate and a high acidity, medium body, and above average sweetness.
Gerbicho Rogicha
Notes of jasmine pearl tea, rose hard candy, pink bubblegum, notes of satsuma orange, limeade, and black tea in finish.
Organic Huehuetenango ASOPCE
Notes of hazel and hickory nuts, caramel, and milk chocolate.
Altura Chiapas/Oaxaca
A very chocolaty cup of coffee, fuller bodied with low acidity, with some nutty & herbal accents
Organic Granjeros de Chiapas
Clean sweet flavors of caramel and brown sugar, with creamy accents of praline nuts, and candied pecans.
Carpenter Estates - Sigri- Kula Peaberry
A silky smooth coffee that is clean tasting, fuller bodied, and has a creamy mouthfeel. It is a lower acidity chocolaty cup with a sweet edge with some cool nutty and herbal/spice accents.
El Diamante Doña Luz
Notes of honey, berry sherbet, and dark drinking chocolate.
Organic Decaffeinated SWP
A smooth medium-bodied coffee with notes of malt, dark chocolate, cola, and citrus.
Milles Collines Peaberry
A coffee with lively and bright flavors, fragrant notes of loose leaf tea and whole spices, hints of dark grape and cherry, orange peel, and creamy chocolate.
Nyamasheke Gitwe
Caramel sweetness accented by aromatic spices, with dried apple and orange notes. Dark roasts pull out cinnamon-laced dark chocolate.
Raja Batak Peaberry - Lintong
A brisk acidity, heavy body, and sweet and clean with notes of pipe tobacco and cedar and a long, rich finish.
Robusta - Central Highlands
A heavy-bodied Robusta offering with a stout body and a balanced cup with a clean finish.
Kateshi Estate AA
A fuller bodied cup with a sweet lemony crispness balanced with a chocolaty dark tone and hints of nuttiness and spice in the aftertaste. When roasted dark, it is smoky and chocolaty with hints of spice.