Brasil Carmo de Minas Condado Estate- A Victrola Farm to Cup Coffee

The Condado Estate is a real crowd-pleaser, with a big lush body, mild acidity, and deep, rich flavors of almond milk and cocoa. If you are looking for a great coffee that is just a tad darker than some of our other single origin roasts.

For the last 3 years we have bought various coffees produced by Sergio Diaz and his family, who run individual “farms” that are part of the larger Estate in the Carmo de Minas region. This coffee is sourced from the Condado Estate which is owned by Sergio’s uncle, Ibraim Sousa, and run by his cousin Pedro Sousa.

We all agree that this year’s super-fresh crop coffee tastes exceptional. In fact, we just found out that a natural lot from this estate just made the Brasil Cup of Excellence finals.

I promise, you will love this Brasil!

For more information or to buy this coffee, check out our webstore!

{Coming soon}

Colombia Huila Monserrate

We just tried our first batch- and it was great! Look for this exceptional single-lot coffee produced by Yaneth Gil. It is juicy and spicy with dark fruit in the cup. Our expected release date is next week (and we can’t wait!). 

 A Victrola Farm to Cup coffee.

Fresh from the farm with a beautiful view, or Finca Vista Hermosa, this single origin espresso is sweet and rich with a violet aroma and a tantalizing mix of toasted hazelnuts, orange and cocoa in the cup. The Martinez family has been growing exceptional coffees on their family farm in the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala for three generations. We are delighted to serve this coffee at our cafe bars. For a very limited time, also available in special one pound bags at our webstore. Learn more about the farm or coffees from Guatemala.

The Perfect Holiday Blend

Crafted with comfort in mind, The Victrola Holiday Blend is the perfect antidote to the dark, chilly season. Bold, rich and full-bodied, this carefully selected blend of three exquisite coffees (a Guatemala, Harrar and Papua New Guinea) come together to create a cup bursting with spice, cocoa, and hazelnuts. For a superb end to a holiday meal pair with rich desserts and good friends.

Buy it in stores or online. $14.50 for a festive 12 oz bag.

“BIG Nic” you say? Why yes. Have you seen the size of these beans? Just how big are the Nicaragua Dipilto – Suyatol, Las Segovias beans? Well, they are huge, but don’t take my word for it, stop by the roastery on a Wednesday for one of our free public cuppings (or buy a bag) and see the Maracaturra hybrid yourself. With its large leaves, fruit, flowers, and beans the distinctive Maracaturra cultivar is a hybrid of the Maragogype and Caturra varietals.

This distinguished coffee hails from the Dipilto region of Nicaragua near the city of Ocotal in Nueva Segovia. In recent years, after producing a majority of the prized Nicaragua Cup of Excellence (COE) coffees, the Nueva Segovia growing area has earned an excellent reputation.

The small farms that make up the Suyatol producer group send their coffees to the Beneficio Las Segovias wet mill for processing. The mill is run by Luis Alberto Balladarez Moncada, and has prepared numerous COE coffees. Drying of the coffee is done carefully and slowly over eight days, thinning the layers on the patio as it dries.

For the second year running, we are delighted to have the Ethiopia Sidamo Ardi on our retail coffee menu. The Ardi, named for the 4.4 million year old hominid, Ardipithecus ramidus, found in the Aramis region of Ethiopia, was a knockout hit last year. This year’s crop will not disappoint. It is intoxicating, sweet, and complex. The Sidamo begins with the marriage of rose water, cocoa and huckleberry and finishes with subtle cedar. High-gown and processed naturally with care, this coffee is a unique and delightful find.

You should grab a cup of french press or a bag to bring home!

Want more info? Read it here.

This time it’s Canada…But next time, who knows.

If you stepped into our backroom, you would see chaos (no really, more than usual). There are blueberries, a burner for balsamic reduction, and a sleek bamboo tray with three small bowls. Why? We are getting ready to compete in the Canadian Regional Barista Championship. While, being relative Yankees, we can’t win the competition, we can practice and hone in our skills for the next big US regional competition.

Baristas compete by preparing and presenting an exceptional espresso, cappuccinno and an interesting concept drink. The competitions were originally designed to elevate and showcase what makes a great barista. How could we not stand behind that.

Best of luck in Vancouver!

Maybe you were there? The 90′s, remember, the era of ripped tights, baby dolls, over-sized flannels, and Doc Martens.

Well, we are bringing it all back for one night only, this Saturday, September 24th. Join us for beer, greasy foods (and pixy sticks!), raucous competition, and a live band.
September 24, 7 PM- 11 at the Roastery (310 E. Pike)

Bike Polo (yes, I said BIKE polo). Maybe you have seen them play at Cal Anderson Park (I have, it is mesmerizing). If you are thinking wide open spaces, gentry, and dapper riding clothes STOP & think instead of blood, ridiculously hard card girls and guys on bikes in hipster/ messenger clothing gracefully orchestrating moves on a tennis court.

This is genius.

When the organizers of the World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship called and asked for a coffee sponsorship, I could not say no (would you??).

Check it out this weekend @ Magnuson Park & drink some refreshing toddy on us!

This past week we released 2 great new Victrola Reserve Coffees from Kenya. The Kenya Thika- Chania Estate- Natural and the Kenya Mathira- Ruthagati AB Washed are both exceptional.

The Chania Estate Natural is an extremely rare find. While naturally processed coffees are common in near by growing regions (such as Ethiopia and Yemen), this old method of processing coffee is not often found in Kenya. The natural processing adds a ridiculous sweetness to the cup (think ripe strawberry and marionberry). Rounding out the cup is a floral, almost rose-like nuance.

Juicy, medium-bodied and clean, the Kenya Mathira- Ruthagati AB provides a near perfect compliment to the Chania Estate Natural. A deep, rich, and sweet fig mingles with a brighter peach flavor in the cup.

These two coffees are around for but a twinkle of the eye, so my suggestion is to buy them both, and soon.

Retail: $15.50/ 8 oz

15th Ave Neighborhood Appreciation Day!

We love you 15th (and it is obvious that you love us back)! Thank you (and you and you)!

We can’t wait to celebrate. Neighborhood Appreciation Day: August 13th, $2 Odin beers on tap, cheep tasty food and Eric Miller playing music. It’s going to be AWESOME. Join us (wear your best gingham, you look so good in it).

Best & Love,

Victrola

Or something like that. But you may say, you guys already are some of the smartest kids I know. And it’s true, our baristas are ridiculously over- qualified (yes, I have a MA and I am not the only one). We are not content, however, merely educating ourselves in the ways of the world (Sartre or Kierkegaard or whatever). We want to be experts in the Specialty Coffee world. Last week a few of our staff became certified instructors for the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association) and this week two of our very own are training to be Q- certified cuppers.

Stop by on of our cuppings or ask us some difficult questions over the bar. We would love to share the exciting insights with you all. Of course we could love for you to tell us something that you know about too (analytics? diagnostics? bicycles?).

We all scream for the totally organic, made from scratch PARFAIT Ice Cream! The TRUCK is coming to 15th Ave East starting this Friday at 5:30 PM, until about 9:30, (the truck will also be around late Sunday afternoons) . Bring the kids, foodie friends, and lovers of ice cream of all stripes. I will be there.

Hopefully this can last all summer long. Stop by (and come in and get some tasty coffee too!).

Love,

Victrola

After personally serving this coffee on pour over to hundreds this past weekend at NW Coffee Festival I can say with a high degree of certainty- YOU WILL LIKE THIS COFFEE!

Grown in the highly respected Kochere district of Yirga Cheffe with extreme care. Juicy, sweet and complex with a flavor and aroma of key lime, fresh fir, and kiwi the Kochere is light and delightful.

Tasting Notes:
Aroma/Flavor: Key lime, Fresh fir, Kiwi
Body: Light/ Medium
Finish: Juicy
Acidity: Citric

Facts:
Region: Kochere District
Varietal: Heirloom
Altitude: 6100 to 6500 Feet Approx.
Processing: Washed
We purchased the Kochere from the our freinds a Keffa Coffee.

Brand New! El Salvador La Libertad Finca Matalapa, a delightful coffee with a vibrant citrus acidity combined with cocoa, baked apple, and maple syrup in the cup- a truly exceptional medium-bodied Central America.

The Finca:
The Finca Matalapa has twice qualified in the Cup of Excellence competition, the last time in 2008 in 10th place. The micro-lot is named for the large Amate tree in the middle lower section of the Finca.

Processing:
All of Finca Matalapa’s coffees are carefully processed in Beneficio el Paraiso to fully develop and enhance its inherent qualities. When the carefully selected cherries are picked they are processed the day they are received in the Beneficio. They are immediately passed through the de-pulping and fermenting stages. Later the coffee is sun dried on patios and stored in parchment. When a lot of from Finca Matalapa is prepared for export it goes first through a hulling machine to remove the parchment then through various classifying machines (some by weight, others by size and still others by color). The final sorting is done by hand.

Special note:
Former Victrola barista Kyle Glanville used coffee from this farm when he won the U.S. Barista Championship.

Availability: Retail, French press, Pour over and soon Single Origin Espresso