Gourmet Coffee Beans

Volcanica Coffee recently launched several new coffees and properly tagged existing coffees that we already carried under popular coffee varieties. We now carry Organic Coffee, Fair Trade Coffee, Rainforest Coffee and Shade Grown Coffee.

We actually already have been carrying some of these new coffees but did not properly identify them on our website. In the interest of expanding these popular coffees we also added several new coffees. A full description on what distinguishes these coffees can be read on the above links.

I personally have become more interested in organic foods and the benefits. Check out some of these new coffees and let me know what you think.

The exotic coffee that Jack Nicholson drank and raved about in the motion picture The Bucket List is none other than Kopi Luwak Coffee. It truly is the most expensive coffee in the word and it’s price is $350 per pound.

This “Bucket List Coffee” originates from Indonesia. The Luwak denizen(similar to wild cats) of the coffee plantations of Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, eats only the ripest coffee cherries. Unable to digest the coffee beans, the Luwak graciously deposits them on the jungle floor where they are eagerly collected by the locals. The stomach acids and enzymatic action involved in this unique fermentation process produces the beans for the world’s rarest coffee beverage.

The flavor is very rich like a Kona Coffee but it has almost a mustiness about it. It is only available in limited quantities.

I decided this morning to change the look of this blog to make it look more like the Volcanica Coffee web site. Since 2005 when I started this blog I have been using a basic green template. At first I thought that changing the theme would be a major endeavor but Word Press has made things very easy to modify.

I also took the opportunity to upgrade and change some of the blog plug-ins so you will see a different look and new buttons. After this settles in I may open up comments since some new measures from WordPress and new plug-ins will keep the comment spam in check.

I hope you like the new look.

Shiny Oily Coffee being an indicator of freshness is a common misconception. Actuality the oily surface outside of the roasted coffee bean is caused by a degradation of the bean when oils bleed through to the bean surface. This is caused by a dark roasting process or age of the bean. These coffee bean oils actually retain the complex aromas and flavors of the bean. If the oils are allowed to escape out of the bean the coffee will become bland tasting with a strong stale odor and it happens rather quickly.

Customers sometimes get confused when looking at a coffee bean and believe that if the oils are not visible on the outside of the bean that it is old and dried out which is not the case.

It gets worse. After a period of  time, these coffee oils will then coagulate on the outside of the bean and in the bag or container where it is stored to give the coffee a more pronounced stale and  bitter flavor. Most of the coffees at Volcanica coffee are medium roasted to retain its unique flavor by preserving the aromatic oils. Some customers however prefer dark roasted coffee so we offer them in certain varieties such as the Costa Rican Reserve Coffee and the Sumatra Mandheling Coffee.

So don’t believe that shiny or oily coffee beans indicate that the bean is freshly roasted or that it provides the riches taste.

Lately I have been drinking a new coffee and I am convinced it is the best tasting coffee for the money. It is a relatively new one called Sulawesi Coffee. For only $15.99 you get a high quality coffee from Indonesia near where Kopi Luwak Coffee originates. This is comparable to other high priced coffees costing upwards of $40.

We started carrying this coffee last April on a request from a customer and the response has been remarkable. Give it a try and you will not be dissappointed.

Coffee can also freshen the smell of your refrigerator. According to this month’s issue of Health Magazine coffee grounds neutralizes the air by sucking up stinky moisture while at the same time giving off the nice coffee aroma. Just like we use to do back in the day with a box of Arm & Hammer baking soda, simply put a small bowl of coffee grounds in the rear of your refrigerator or freezer. Another method is to fill a cheese cloth sack with coffee. You can also do this in your cabinets or other areas that have odors. After a few months toss out the old grounds and put in new one to keep it smelling fresh.

My daughter stumbled across a quick and easy Eggnog Coffee recipe. Thinking that she was pouring half and half into her coffee she accidentally poured eggnog. When I pointed it out to her she thought it was tragic and was about to pour out her coffee into the sink. I stopped her and asked her to taste it and she loved it. Ever since every coffee that she drinks is topped with eggnog.

Now we sell eggnog coffee but I have to say this is a very good alternative to brewing eggnog flavored coffee. Try it and you may like it.

Try to figure out what this picture is made from.

Artist assistants stand next to 3,604 cups of coffee which have been made into a giant Mona Lisa in Sydney , Australia . The 3,604 cups of coffee were each filled with different amounts of milk to create the different shades!

The most expensive coffee in the world is also the one that has a lot of controversy surrounding it. The most expensive coffee is Kopi Luwak Coffee which sells for $349.99 per pound.

Where the Most Expensive Coffee Originates

The Kopi Luwak Coffee beans are actually excreted from an animal called the palm civet. It turns out that palm civets , which are a type of cat, like to consume the red coffee cherries which contain coffee beans. The cats carefully select only the ripest, reddest cherries so in a sense they are naturally refined coffee bean pickers for the most expensive coffee in the world. In the digestive process, the inner seeds of the berries which are the actual coffee beans are not consumed and are passed through their system. The stomach enzyme of the cat on the coffee bean gives it a bitter, complex taste which can be considered a natural fermentation process. After the civet  defecates the local pickers will collect the beans from the dung and send them to be washed to remove the impurities. The supplies are limited which also contributes to making this the most expensive coffee.

The green coffee beans are then packed and sent to specialty roasters such as Volcanica Gourmet Coffee. The roasting process significantly reduces the bitterness of the bean and retains the complex flavors. The beans are safe for consumption since they have undergone thorough processing and washing prior to packing.

Tasting the Most Expensive Coffee

The Kopi Luwak Coffee is rich and exotic in flavor. It also possesses a musty, earthy taste with a slight hint of syrupy smoothness. It contains an aroma that is rich and strong and the most expensive coffee is incredibly full bodied, almost syrupy. It’s thick with a hint of chocolate, and lingers on the tongue with a long, clean aftertaste.

Another good question from a customer.

Question:

Are real hazelnuts used in the flavoring or just a flavoring substitute? The reason why I ask is because my allergy doctor informed me that I am allergic to hazelnuts and to stay away. I am wondering if the hazelnut flavoring is something I should avoid.

Answer:

We do not use real hazelnuts in our flavoring. We only use natural substitute ingredients for our coffee flavoring. All of our gourmet flavored coffees are all made with all natural ingredients and have no sugar, no calories and no allergens. For me information and to order please visit our Hazelnut Flavored Coffee page.