Coffee

We just got three pounds of coffee over the Internet from Greencastle Coffee Roasters in Greencastle, PA. Greencastle is about 10 miles north of Hagerstown, Md on IS81. That's close to the East-West center of PA, just north of the Mason-Dixon Line. I was looking for a coffee roaster close to home so shipments would arrive in a reasonable time. They're about 160 miles from here as the crow flies.

I ordered the coffee on a Monday morning, it was shipped USPS Priority Mail on Wednesday and arrived here on Saturday. It came in three paper bags, plastic coated inside. And the three bags in another plastic bag, stapled shut. And that bag in a USPS Priority Mail box. I immediately threw the larger bag in the freezer, planning to take out one pound at a time.

Since moving to PA, we've been drinking Gloria Jeans Columbia Supremo. We got turned on to Columbia Supremo and Gloria Jeans by a Consumers Report article. We've been buying it at a GJ kiosk in the Grove City outlet mall just north of here. The coffee from GJ's is a bit inconsistent, but at it's worst, it's still good. And when it's good, it's REALLY good. So that's the gold standard we use for comparing coffees.

Well, back to Greencastle. I got three different coffees:
Columbia Supremo, Dominican Republic Barahona and Guatemala Antigua.
Greencastle's description of each is as follows:

Columbia Supremo . . .
"Colombia's coffee industry is second only to Brazil's. Unlike the majority of Brazil's coffee, though, most of Colombia?s coffee is excellent; the highest grade being Supremo. Colombian coffee beans are grown at high altitudes, carefully picked, and wet processed. The cup is full bodied, yet milder than Sumatran; and acidic, but not nearly as much as the African coffees. Colombian provides an attractive balance of nice acidity, full body, and excellent flavor. Truly a classic!"

Dominican Republic Barahona . . .
"The Barahona variety of coffees from the Dominican Republic is the best and most highly regarded kind. The cup displays classic characteristics and, arguably, is a close second to the famed Jamaican Blue Mountain."

Guatemala Antigua . . .
"Of all the regional market names in Guatemala, Antigua is the most famous. Guatemalan coffee is a nicely balanced coffee with a superb aroma that is lively and very heavy-bodied. For most people, Guatemalan Antigua would be an ideal cup of coffee. Another distinctive characteristic is the serendipitous spiciness or smokiness that offsets the high acidity."

So far we've tried the Guatemalan. Beverly was not overly pleased with it the first day and said it was OK, but she wouldn't want another pound of it. But on the third day, she was saying that it's a good coffee and we should get it again. I liked it. It certainly does have a different flavor than GJ's Columbia Supremo. It is a little more acid, giving it a little after taste that doesn't linger a long time. We'll try it again.

Overall we are really pleased with Greencastle and highly recommend them.
But then, we're still on the honeymoon with them.