Black White Roasters - Esteban Zamora, Cinnamon Anaerobic
Origin | El Rodeo, San Marcos, Tarrazu, Costa Rica
Producer | Esteban Zamora
Farm | El Cedro
Process | Cinnamon Anaerobic
Variety | Caturra, Catuai
Elevation | 1600-2000 masl
NOTES | Baked Apple, Blackberry Compote, Cinnamon Sugar.
There are those of us who long for summer to go on and on forever, who actually dread fall as it threatens to take away our pool days and warm, sunny evenings. And then there is, well, the overwhelming majority of everyone else, who start buying up pumpkins and breaking out chunky sweaters the day after Labor Day. For these people - including yourself, I imagine - we are pleased to announce the arrival of a Fall menu favorite around here: Esteban Zamora's ubiquitous cinnamon coffee.
MEET THE PRODUCER | Esteban Zamora is no stranger to our menu - we've been sharing his cinnamon co-fermented coffees with the world for over three years now. Esteban, a mechanical-engineer-turned-coffee-producer processes all of the coffee grown on his family's five-hectare plantation by hand! Cinnamon coffees really got their start in Costa Rica, and Esteban is one of the best in the game. The process for fermenting a coffee anaerobically with cinnamon is tedious and long, but he sees it through beautifully.
TRUST THE PROCESS | First, fresh coffee cherries are brought to the wet mill where the fruit is pulped, but mucilage is not washed from the seed. Everything but the cascara (coffee cherry skin) is added to GrainPro bags and combined with 1 kg of cinnamon powder for every 46 kg of coffee cherries. This mixture is left to ferment in an anaerobic environment for six days before finally being moved to concrete patios to begin drying. This drying process is finished in stationary mechanical dryers at the mill because reactions between the cinnamon powder and the mucilage form a seal around the coffee seed, making it more difficult to dry and requiring the use of mechanical dryers.
TAKE A SIP | More so than in previous lots we've enjoyed from Esteban, this year's offering really showcases the coffee itself, rather than just the aforementioned cinnamon. This cup is very clean and incredibly balanced, making it one of the most delightful things we've tasted this Fall. Flavors like baked apple and blueberry compote further drive home the "It's Fall, y'all!" point. Cinnamon sugar wraps everything up in big, flannel hug, culminating in an experience that reminds us, not just of Fall, but also of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.