INTRODUCTION Coffee doesn't get more storied than this. It was picked, prepped, and roasted by Pete Licata, then pulled by him at the US Barista Champions, where he won, and at the world Barista Championship, where he came second. The coffees he used are from Hawaii, mostly known as the home of boring and overpriced vacation coffees. But these coffees are from Rusty's in Ka'u, and Kona Coffee & Tea in Kona, both of which have had steller results in the SCAA cupping pavilion, and which are supervised by Miguel Meza, the wunderkind of 3rd wave coffee. The price of coffee with such bloodlines is steep, around $60 per pound. But a coffee with this much provenance only happens once in a blue moon.

OVERALL TASTE Brewed, the taste is both surprising and comforting -- ginger snap cookies and lemon-vanilla jelly. It has the typical sweetness of Hawaian coffees, but instead of the normal coffee flavors, you are transported back at the speed of nostalgia to being a five year old in grandma's kitchen.

So how could this win at the USBC and WBC, with the most intimiating and snooty judges of espresso in the world (with the possible exception of HBers)? Imagine you've spent all day drinking exotic microlots from Ethiopia, Kenya, Panama and Guatemala, you've been flooded with exploding complexities and clarities, and then ... ginger snaps and jelly. I can imagine that it hit the spot perfectly

SHOT PULLING INSTRUCTIONS While the taste is more comfort food than challenge, pulling this coffee properly is hard. Grind too fine, or pull too hot, and the ginger flavor will turn into an astringent monster. This coffee needs a coarse grind, an appropriately high dose for a 60% to 70% brew ratio, and cool to medium temperatures. Cool will accentuate the lemon, medium the ginger. Keep the brew ratios high enough to get the creamy mouthfeel.

WHO SHOULD BUY IT If you like coffee with a great back story, you may never find a better one. Moreover, while this coffee will not send 3rd wavers to their blogs, it's simultaneously exotic and crowd pleasing taste will wow everyone else. Are you having a party where espresso is part of the proceedings? This coffee would be perfect for that. It is available in limited quantities from Roaste.

another_jim wrote:The coffees he used are from Hawaii, mostly known as the home of boring and overpriced vacation coffees.

Is that what Hawaii is mostly known as? Time to change the Wikipedia entry then.

Just fyi, there's a 15% off coupon for this on ROASTe today (free shipping within CONUS): http://www.roaste.com/newsletter/Nation...ok09292011

jbviau wrote:Just fyi, there's a 15% off coupon for this on ROASTe today (free shipping within CONUS): http://www.roaste.com/newsletter/Nation...ok09292011

Thanks!!! I just wonder how "rested" my beans will be when they arrive here in south Florida!!!

Sure thing. Not very rested, I'll bet. 2-3 business days via USPS Priority is my guess.

Pete is at the Honolulu Coffee Company -- that's Oahu -- though I doubt that he works a daily shift. Lots of locations -- I would try the downtown shop and ask: http://www.honolulucoffee.com/v2/index....rm=desktop. Better yet, email ahead.

jbviau wrote:Sure thing. Not very rested, I'll bet. 2-3 business days via USPS Priority is my guess.

Took 8 days to arrive in Philly with a prime flavor window of 7-9 days post roast.

^^^ Really? Ouch. I don't see how that's possible if the package came by air unless they sat on the beans before shipping them. I wouldn't be thrilled.

Well, if it arrives in 8 days I will be drinking a lot of espresso in 2 days. For $40/12oz it should get to us faster than that.