The throes of summer are exactly the time to begin mulling over holiday coffees — especially with shipping delays now demanding four months of advance planning. So, we once again asked Trader Ed Kaufmann, a former green buyer and roaster in New York City, to consider what might make a perfect holiday blend. He headed into the QC lab with Daniela Altamirano and shares his thoughts below.
The ideas for these holiday coffees came from the many different holiday scenarios I’ve personally been in, where there were different types of coffee drinkers — whether customers queued up in the shop or family members waking up in one house. Daniela and I discussed a list of ideas, and we came up with a lineup that nicely covers the different kinds of demands for “holiday coffee.”
The Crowd Pleaser
We called this one the Crowd Pleaser. It’s a blend of Brazil Oberon 17/18 and Mexico HG Turquesa, and it’s neither dark nor light. The target profile was a medium roast with mid-sugary tones (vanilla, brown sugar, graham cracker). This one is perfect for mornings with houseguests slowly rolling out of bed. It’s sweet and simple — the kind of coffee you can drink all day, until it’s time for evening beverages.
Shiny and Bright
We both wanted a lighter roast of some very bright coffees to appease the serious coffee drinkers. This might not be the grandparents’ favorite, but it would be a go-to for anyone who travels with a hand grinder. This 50/50 blend of Guatemala Coffee Kids Huehuetenango and Kenya Nguvu gave us some serious zing, but not out of balance. The brightness is supported by some integrated sweetness.
The Closer
For those holiday revelers with espresso machines, or anyone who like a more Italian-themed coffee, we came up with a blend that includes Robusta. It’s equal parts Brazil Oberon, Guatemala Santa Margarita and Mexico Agata Robusta. We cupped it and also drank it as espresso shots. It’s rich and sweet with a syrupy body, and we agreed it would be a perfect finish to a long dinner and dessert.
Daniela adds: “The Robusta gives the cup more body, more chocolate and more caffeine — which is definitely needed after long family visits!”
Dark and Bold
For those who like their coffee dark and strong (i.e., my parents, always), we suggest Indonesia Sumatra Kerinci taken into second crack (and maybe beyond) on the roasting machine. This coffee offers consistently clean and earthy tones with soothing notes of molasses, tobacco and cacao.
Sugar Plums
Lastly, we came up with “the fruit bomb,” which is a blend of two Ethiopias — Misty Valley and Mokamba. Together, they create these deep, baked-fruit notes — think Linzer tarts! My tasting notes were: blackberry, blueberry, prune and maple.
“Since I cup every arrival as a single origin, it’s always super exciting to see how these coffees taste and change when they’re blended,” Daniela adds. “These combinations really created some nice complexity and depth, and I would definitely look forward to drinking them in the imagined scenarios.” •
