Java Stew : Mexican Terruño Nayarita
Jonathan over at Java Stew called last week and said he’d found a remarkable Mexican coffee from La Yerba, Mexico that I simply had to taste. Naturally, I was beyond excited. After all, I truly don’t remember the last Mexican coffee I’ve tried. Especially one that was fresh roasted, by a master roaster, a craftsman who treasures his art and product.
I truly don't remember the last Mexican coffee I've tried. Especially one that was fresh roasted, by a master roaster, a craftsman who treasures his art and product.
Presently, here in Georgia, Governor Kemp has chosen us to be the first U.S. state to open up since coronavirus lock down for all those that are bold enough to venture out and participate once again in the local economy. This Coronavirus thing just doesn’t seem to go away, and frankly it’s a huge drag, which is deeply felt by everyone worldwide.
But here, in my house it’s Saturday morning, and Coronavirus is hopefully, and eternally absent. It’s my favorite moment of the week. Fortunately, I’m always the first one awake, and I have my house to myself. My thoughts are clear, my palate is clean, and there’s nothing but the whir of the house heater whirring on this slightly brisk April morning. Right now, Coronavirus fades from my awareness as my senses light up with Java Stew’s Mexican blend filling the room with aroma. The world is right again.
The freshness really leaps out and lights up the nose with a delightful pungency that I feel like I haven’t detected in recent coffees.
How good could this coffee be? Jonathan was super excited about it, and priority mailed it right over from Hermosa Beach, California, so naturally I can’t wait. Opening the bag, the aroma is rich and earthy. The freshness really leaps out and lights up the nose with a delightful pungency that I feel like I haven’t detected in recent coffees. As hard as I try to detect any notable fruity or other traits in the aroma, I don’t pick up any this morning, but it’s delightful all the same. Naturally, as any cupper should, I’m going into this cup blind. I’ve no concept of this coffee, about what it should or shouldn’t be, other than it’s a Mexican medium roast. Perfect. I’ll use a drip grind today for today’s brew of 64 oz of beans, and 8oz of water.
As I reflect on my thoughts and write this article, my Behmor Brazen Plus 2.0 beeps three times, telling me that I’m about to experience one of the happiest moments of my day.
While the formality of proper cupping is probably professionally necessary, sometimes I just value being in the moment. To be alone with my thoughts, and without the complexity and precision and science of the whole thing. But to instead, just live and experience the moment. To appreciate that first sip of morning coffee that lights up your whole being and awakens the far corners of your senses. I’ve spent a little extra time this morning putting my thoughts into words, waiting on the coffee to cool just a bit, so that all the range of flavors can be experienced full-range.
This coffee strikes me wonderfully as an inspiring, lively, and lightweight start to my morning...
Meanwhile, Java Stew’s bag catches my eye. Brilliant and dramatic. The personal touches abound. A red inked date stamp tells me that this bag was personally roasted for me on April 18th, 2020. 8 days ago. Nice. It’s still perfectly fresh and had its time to develop in it’s rich, and wonderfully organic sealed bag. Black pen ink on the bag tells me that Java Stew cares enough about their product to write hand written notes on it to identify their selection. It truly doesn’t get more personal than this. Certainly one of the best coffee experiences you can get.
I’m going with my thoughts on this one. This is a medium roast, light-bodied coffee with low acidity, and has a wonderful, delicate hints of chocolate, faint cherry and raisin. This coffee strikes me wonderfully as an inspiring, lively, and lightweight start to my morning that doesn’t carry some of the heavier notes of some of the further south Guatemalan offerings that would be better experienced after dinner or with a dessert. But it’s early morning and this is a really great breakfast coffee that Java Stew was right to share with the world, and with you! Now I’m curious. What is this coffee that I’m drinking now that I’ve written down my perceptions? I’m going to head over to their website and see what it is. Up till now, I only knew it was a Mexican coffee.
Grown in the soil of an extinct volcano, Terruño Nayarita farmers take great pride in their coffee, cultivated from native heirloom trees. This certified all-women produced microlot from the community of La Yerba draws from eleven women-owned farms and unsurprisingly has the highest cupping scores of the region's offerings. Full-bodied, sweet and with notes of chocolate and ripe fruit, this coffee is arguably the best in Mexico, and one of our favorites from around the world.
Very cool, and apparently with some pretty remarkable scores. I’d recommend that you to give Java Stew’s Mexican offering a try. Head on over to their website and pick up a bag, they’ll rush it over to you fresh and with that personal touch that is so hard to find in this day and age. You can count on it to light up your morning as it did mine.
About RK Drums
RK Drums has been providing roasting advice for coffee aficionados and small business owners for over 15 years. We specialize in making coffee roasting accessible to anyone who wants to roast, and sell complete solutions to roast coffee using a barbecue grill.
