Maybe you remember our brief affair with the coffee of Finca Mauritania this last fall.  Brief because Counter Culture sold the lot quickly and here at the Canteen, we only had the chance to love and appreciate this bean for the short season of a month.  Katie Carguilo, our Counter Culture rep and friend, was invited to visit Aida Battle on her El Salvador farm a few weeks ago.  She saw some of the last harvesting as well as different processes of coffee fermentation that Aida experiments with.  Check out her album of photos and annotations here.  What she brought back with her was an amazing flight of 10 varied samplings of the same bean, each with different fermentation times and styles.

Upon her arrival home, Katie brewed her handful of each variety so that I, along with a smattering of lucky cuppers, had the rare opportunity to taste these samples side by side.  Washed, semi-washed, natural, as well as 48 hour and 36 hour fermentations, Ethiopian and Kenyan processes, and of course, the beautiful version that is Aida’s personal preference.  That version is fallen for again and again each season (this was my first season of having the pleasure), and we will see again this summer.

It was incredible.  And though this was a truly extraordinary cupping, the folks at Counter Culture provide exceptional free cuppings every Friday at noon.   Located in the Flatiron District, it’s an easy go-to.  And when you’ve finished exploring your coffee palate, you can hop over to Madison Square Park for your Shake Shack fix!

Thanks again Katie! Congratulations on your first place win at the US Barista Championship.

–Stephanie