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Our Ethiopia Amaro just received a 93 point review from Coffee Review.
“Blind Assessment: The edge of fruit ferment typical of this style of dry-processed coffee richly complicates the profile. Sweet cherryish fruit, distinct brandy-like notes and a hint of chocolate in the aroma. In the cup quietly vibrant acidity, full mouthfeel, continued rich brandy and chocolate notes with a suggestion of lemon. All carry into a surprisingly clean, balanced but deep finish.” (Kenneth Davids, Coffee Review, December 2009)
Read the whole review here: http://www.coffeereview.com/review.cfm?ID=2021
You can purchase this coffee here: http://www.bullrunroasting.com/shop/ethiopia-amaro-natural/
*photo by Ninety Plus Coffee
We are so excited about our new reserve coffee labels. We worked with Jeff at http://www.holmbergdesign.com/ on the design of the labels and had them made by Ben & his crew at http://studioonfire.com/ , an amazing letterpress studio here in Minneapolis. They really turned out great and add an extra hands-on touch to a few exceptional coffees that we have. We currently have the Ethiopia Beloya #10 and Rwanda C.O.E. #16 as our Reserve coffee selections.
Here is a link to Studio on Fire’s blog post about the labels: http://www.beastpieces.com/2009/12/reserve-collection-coffee-package-labels/
Here are a few photos of the Letterpress production:
 
 
Eric Faust, at Heavy Table, wrote an article about us and our new coffee bar.
http://heavytable.com/bull-run-roasting-companys-new-cafe/
At Bull Run, we view coffee as a journey. Our goal is to meet people where they are at, and encourage them forward in their journey. For some, it may be learning a new trick for brewing great coffee at home. For others, it’s geeking out about roast profiles on a home roaster. There are so many facets to coffee and so many steps involved from seed to cup. There is so much to learn. One of the great aspects of our industry is it’s collective tone of collaboration. As we set out with our new online and retail presence, it seems only appropriate to acknowledge some of the people who have directly impacted our coffee journey. So from Bull Run, we give a collective thank you to:
Counter Culture, Tracy Allen, Tim Schilling, Rwashoscco and the farmers of Rwanda, Intelligentsia, Sweet Marias, Terroir, Ninety Plus, John Puckett, Ken Davids, SCAA, Marty Curtis, Cup of Excellence, Metropolis, Aleco Chigounis, Emily Naber Spende, Carlos Palacios, Cafe Imports, Francisco Mena, Gina Palandri, Brent Ringate, and Andrew Kopplin.
We also have a very special thank you to AJ and Kevin at GoKart, Jeff at Holmberg Design, Marianne – our tea journey guide, and the whole crew at Bull Run for contributing so much to this site.
Siphon Coffee Brewer
In all of my time being a Barista, I’ve experimented with just about every brewing method there is, more specifically with those that are intricate and easily controllable, from espresso to press pot, and stovetop to Siphon.
By my taste, I’ve found that using a cloth filter, and more specifically a coffee siphon brings out exactly the flavors that I enjoy so much in a particular coffee. I’ve most certainly found it to be a very clean brewing method in terms of the coffee flavor, and I’ve noticed a really nice savory almost salty body that quite simply enhances any coffee to a fantastic level!
In the quantity of time that I’ve played around with using the siphon brewing method, at home and in the work place, I feel I’ve found a pretty decent method of going about using it. (With modifications to be discussed after)
1. Bring fresh filtered water to a boil
2. Place 8oz. or 12oz of boiling water in the lower chamber
3. Place heat source underneath and adjust so that the flame is the same size as the tube of the upper chamber
4. Place upper chamber into lower chamber so that it is at an angle and not sealed
5. Weigh 15g or 20g respectively for each quantity of water
6. It is best to grind coffee using a burr grinder, though blade is acceptable (grind to a medium setting or just slightly finer)
7. Once water is boiling in the lower chamber, place the upper chamber so that the seal is created
8. The water should rise into the upper chamber at this point and not be bubbling, if it is the flame is too hot. Turn it down and wait no more than three minutes for it to settle
9. Place coffee grounds in upper chamber with the water, stir
10. Wait 1 minute
11. Remove heat source from under the siphon, stir
12. Wait for coffee to be pulled into the lower chamber (this isn’t from gravity it’s from a vacuum, if it stalls for more than 1-1/2 minutes, the grind setting is too fine, try again. That’s okay
13. Remove the upper chamber and place it in the stand, serve!
Modifications to this method:
There is some debate over weather or not this is enough time for the coffee to steep/brew/extract. I feel that it is. But some people like to make the grind coarser, lower the dosage and steep/brew/extract for 2:30 seconds. Mess around with it.
Some people think it’s too long. They’ve decided to make up the brew time with turbulence/stirring. Shorten the brew time to :30/:45 seconds, keep the grind and dose the same and stir during the whole brew time. See what you like.
It’s always best to compare two different brews next to each-other, so I would strongly recommend either making two cups, using a different brewing method as well or two different coffees, for sure to find out what you like most between the two/three/four/more.
*Author: Keith Mrotek
The past few weeks have been really crazy at Bull Run. With two months of training behind us, I think everyone is really itching to get in the space. There’s only so much you can do to organize your flow when the place you’ll be working doesn’t exist yet. We’re shoulder to shoulder dialing in coffee on the Clover and steaming milk. Speaking of milk, every couple of weeks I’ve had the opportunity to deal with what I refer to as “the milk crisis”. Perhaps it is only a crisis in my own mind, but thankfully, we were able to drop some of the milk off at the walk in fridge at the space in my jeep… which was weighed down more than it ever has been before, and now makes new noises:
This isn’t even close to the amount of milk we have right now. Other than that, a number of the baristas all have large quantities of milk in their apartment refrigerators.
I’m really excited about the milk we’ll be using at the shop, which is from Sassy Cow Creamery . We tried a lot of different types of milk in order to arrive at our decision. The farm is located just outside of Madison, Wisconsin, and is operated by brothers James and Robert Baerwolf, the third generation to farm on the land purchased by their grandfather in 1946. They take great care of their herds, and offer both the organic and traditional cows the same attention. The steamed milk is unbelievably sweet, and as Keith says “It tastes like ice cream!” Considering the fact that milk is most of what any latte or other espresso beverage consists of, it’s a pretty important ingredient. I think that everyone will be excited about Sassy Cow. We also get these awesome cow trading cards on each gallon:
I’ll trade you my Martha for your Bessie.
cheers! -stephanie
 Fifty Lanterns International is a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that partners with established humanitarian groups to provide communities in the developing world tools that provide safety and opportunity through renewable energy sources such as solar-power lights.
Bull Run is proud to call Linda Cullen a friend. Linda started Fifty Lanterns in 2004 and has diligently completed 13 distributions of solar-powered lights (including her most recent trip to Tanzania this month) from Afghanistan to Rwanda. She is a remarkable woman and we are proud to support her work.
In honor of Linda’s 13th distribution, 13% of all African coffee sales will be donated to Fifty Lanterns International.
For more information visit: www.50lanterns.org or connect with them on Facebook.
STORING COFFEE: Coffee is best kept in an opaque, airtight container or bag. Coffee needs to rest (off-gas) for 72 hours for optimal taste. Make sure your container or bag allows for the off-gassing. Do not store your coffee in the fridge or freezer. Use your coffee within 14 days of when it was roasted. The ideal window is typically 3-7 days past roast.
DOSING COFFEE: The SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) standard is 10 grams (2 tablespoons) per 6 ounces of water. Use this as a starting place and make micro-adjustments depending on brewing method and coffee. We highly recommend getting a gram scale for dosing.
GRINDING COFFEE: Grinding coffee appropriately is critical. This includes: grinding immediately before brewing, grinding with higher-quality burr set grinder, and grinding to appropriate particle size for brewing method. A great grinder should be a high priority in your coffee equipment.
WATER: Coffee is primarily water, so this is important. Use fresh, cool, filtered water. Reverse osmosis actually strips too much of the necessary mineral content of the water, so we recommend a solid single-phase filter for home brewing. Water temperature should essentially be between 200-202 degrees.
BREWING METHODS:
French Press – Preheat french press with hot water. Weigh out proper amount of beans and grind them relatively coarsely. Dump out the preheat water and immediately add the coffee grounds. Add hot water (roughly 200 degrees), completely covering all grounds. This will cause the coffee to bloom and form a crust on top. Leave for 1 minute then stir and add plunger-lid. Leave for another 2.5 minutes then plunge, serve and drink immediately. On each store page for coffees, we have a recommended dosage. The number after “Press” is the cup size, so “Press 3″ would be a 3-cup sized french press, etc.
Clever Coffee Dripper – We recommend the Sweet Marias method of Clever brewing. Use around 22 grams of coffee for 12 ounces of water (we provide recommended doses for each coffee within their store page). Grind coffee to a regular drip grind (middle) and add to #4 paper filter within Clever. Add 200 degree water, pouring to cover all grounds. Place a small plate on top to cover and wait for 1.5 minutes. Remove plate, stir and place plate back on top. Wait another 1.5 minutes, then place Clever on mug (10 ounce capacity) to dispense and drink immediately.
Manual Pour Over – Measure appropriate amount of beans (try 16 grams per 8 ounce mug). Place paper filter into cone and place on or above cup. Pour hot water through to rinse the filter and preheat cup. Grind beans to a size finer than drip (middle-fine). Discard water in mug. Pour grinds into filter and pour 200 degree water over all the grounds. Do not pour all the water at once, you will want to wait and add water every few seconds to make sure that all the grounds are being hit evenly. Wait for water to pour through into the mug and drink immediately.
Siphon – See blog post on siphon brewing in “Brewing & Equipment” category.
COFFEE RETENTION: Coffee is made to be consumed immediately. It will quickly break down with time. So, even though thermal carafes can keep your coffee hot for hours, you’re coffee will not taste the same. Also, never use burner plates. If your automatic coffee brewer has a burner plate, simply transport into a thermal carafe right after it is brewed.
These are just some basic concepts for coffee preparation. We will continue to post more detailed information for each of these points and brew methods. Check the “Brewing & Equipment” blog category.
COUNTRIES:
Australia – First grown in 1832, coffee production really took off in the 1880s and continued until the 1920’s when it fell off due to competitive labor costs. It was rediscovered in the 1980s and continues to seek to define it’s taste profile.
Bolivia – Historically known for lower quality coffee, Bolivia is currently making great strides towards quality. Bolivia has benefited through it’s involvement in the Cup of Excellence Competitions since 2004, seeing auction prices as high as $21.10 per pound paid directly to the producer.
Brazil – The powerhouse of coffee production. Originally brought to brazil in the mid 1700s, coffee has since made a lasting impact as a major export of Brazil. In Brazil, coffee is often grown and processed through large estates. A large majority of high-yield, low-quality Robusta coffee is produced in Brazil along with some high-quality Arabica varietals. Higher elevation Arabicas from Brazil are often used as a base component of espresso blends. Brazil received a lot of attention in 2005 when a farmer received $49.75 per pound through the Cup of Excellence program (Brazil has been involved with Cup of Excellence since 1999).
Burundi – Introduced by the Belgians in the first half of the 20th century, coffee has since struggled through many challenges and transitions up through 2006 correlating with the end of the Tutsi and Hutu fighting. Since 2006, Burundi has quickly demonstrated that it has a lot to offer in terms of high-quality Arabica coffee. In Burundi, coffee is grown by many small producers and processed through localized cooperatives. Keep your eye on this country of origin!
Colombia – Apparently Juan Valdez was born in the early 1800s when coffee was first brought to Colombia. He’s aged well. Colombia has an extremely well-organized and advanced coffee infrastructure. Associated with quality throughout the world, Colombia has built it’s brand on macro-collective strength. Recent micro-lot separation has broken free from the Colombian coffee machine and deliver some really amazing coffees. This origin has participated in the Cup of Excellence program since 2005 with auction prices as high as $21.00 per pound directly to producers.
Congo – Belgian colonialists brought coffee to Congo in the early 20th century, however, it has yet to really break through. This is an origin with great potential, but struggles through continued political instability and poor coffee infrastructure.
Costa Rica – Brought to Costa Rica in the late 18th century, coffee has played a large role in the country’s development. Costa Rica is actually the only country where by law, only Arabica (high quality) coffee can be grown. Similar to other origins, Costa Rica has seen recent success in moving from a model where producers input their coffee into large mills for processing to a micro-model where producers process their own coffee. This origin has participated in the Cup of Excellence program since 2007 with auction prices as high as $21.35 per pound directly to producers.
Ecuador – Introduced to Ecuador in the early 19th century coffee was a large export through the 1970s. Both Arabica and Robusta are grown in Ecuador with the majority grown on small farms. Ecuador still has a lot of quality-based infrastructure and support yet to develop in order to break into the specialty coffee arena. Another origin with potential.
El Salvador – El Salvador has recently risen to acclaim within specialty coffee. Coffee was brought to El Salvador in the early 19th century. It played a lead role in the country’s GDP for many years – up through the 1980s. Recent micro-level production and processing has helped encourage the coffee producers of El Salvador. This origin has participated in the Cup of Excellence program since 2003 with auction prices as high as $22.25 per pound directly to producers.
Ethiopia – The birthplace of coffee (google the story of Kaldi & his goat). This origin has a rich coffee tradition including internal consumption and ritual. Big floral (washed) and big fruit (natural) are common taste descriptors of coffee from Ethiopia. Coffee in Ethiopia is grown on small farms and collected by cooperatives and mills. Recently, Ethiopia transitioned authority to the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) to manage coffee production and export. This transition has concerned the specialty coffee industry as it has “consumed” smaller specialty lots into larger “branded” lots. Only a few specialty-focused producers have gained exemptions from the ECX for their export. Our Amaro Gayo offering is one of such coffees. Stay tuned as we go more in depth on this origin.
Guatemala – Coffee was brought to Guatemala in the early 19th century. It became an important part of the country’s development and continues to be. Guatemala has established itself as a high-quality coffee origin with a classic bright taste profile. This origin has participated in the Cup of Excellence program since 2001 with a hiatus between 2003 & 2005. In 2008, Guatemala set a new C.O.E. record with the winning farm receiving $80.20 per pound.
Honduras – Honduras has yet to really make a name for itself in specialty coffee. One of the biggest struggles is improper processing and drying techniques. A lot of Honduran coffee has also been brought across the border into Guatemala to be sold as “Guatemalan”, since there is stronger demand for Guatemalan coffee. In just the last few years, Honduras has been making strides in it’s quality. This origin has participated in the Cup of Excellence program since 2004 with auction prices as high as $18.75 per pound directly to producers.
India – Wins the award for the best named coffee…”mysore nuggets”. Smuggled into India in the 17th century, arabica coffee was primarily grown until the mid 19th century when coffee rust became a big problem. Many of the farmers switched to the more hardy robusta varietal and it remains the majority of the coffee export today.
Indonesia – The country of Indonesia is made up of several island provinces including the following coffee-producing ones: Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi. Coffee was brought to Indonesia in the 17th century and it was the first place outside of Arabia and Ethiopia where coffee was widely grown. Indonesian coffees produce a heavy, rustic, unmistakable taste profile.
Jamaica – Made famous by Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. Coffee was brought to Jamaica in 1728 and still struggles to produce a remarkable taste profile.
KENYA THROUGH ZAMBIA COMING SOON…
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