December in Java

1000 Faces is proud to present our first offering from the Indonesian island of Java.  In December, Benjamin Myers traveled to Java to begin searching for a coffee to bring forward from this remote source.   Here are some notes from Ben’s journal.

I am staring into the eyes of a snake.   I can’t stand snakes.   I once ran a quarter a mile from one.   They send a shiver up my spine that somehow activates all the chakra’s like a fire alarm in theater during a silent film.

The road here was not easy. I indulged in sleeping pills somewhere in midnight layover in Malaysia in order to find some semblence of memory and time. By the time I arrived in the city of Surabaya I stumbled for cell phone reception and currency like a baby for a bottle. Not knowing where I was or whom the stranger was whom would be acting as my translator.

The first hazy sights in Surabaya are of endless shanty tents lining the streets.  Kiosks filled with gawkers and kids hunching on motocycles.   I find this culture to be riddled with walls by which I could not seem to see over, a spirit by which my access was seemingly embraced and denied.   The warm breath of a land so distant from mine own is constant.

I spend a day in a foggy warehouse drinking coffee after coffee that has been poorly sample roasted.  Dark charcoal like smoke plumes out of the small drum as I try to decipher what it is I am learning.  There are muslim prayer mats on the floors in seperated rooms and clocks reading numbers that make no sense to my sense of time.

Everything I tasted during this visit is obscured and I realize I have a long way to go in understanding Indonesian coffee’s.   When you stare into the eyes of a snake, like the great serpant that looks deeply into my own private mythology, you are present with mirrors which reflect against mirrors.   I have to embrace confusion as I board a plane out of Java.   I have endless notes of potential sources which I will continue to seek further understanding of.

Some months later, after spending months searching through numerous small lots from Java we were find a coffee gem in small warehouse in Oakland the days preceding our acceptance of 1000 Faces’ 2013 Good Food Award.   Time, memory, and place all fell into the catagory of the unexpected, though we had found our reward through the persistance of seeking thoughout the dim shadowlands of dire prospect.

We are always searching for coffee’s that are emblematic of the unique qualities that speciality coffee embraces.   The coffee from the Mayang project in Western Java is just that.  The Mayang has a remarkable flavor profile of dried peaches and hazlenut with a luscious creamy body…it is hard to even begin to describe this coffee as being “Indonesian” as it challenges all the preconceptions coffee drinkers have when it comes to what we expect out of this region.  Absent is the wet earth, vacant is the spice.    

The journey of seeking isn’t linear.   A key quality in establishing something great is learning how to collaborate and how to throw yourself into the well of the unfamiliar.    We hope that when you drink this coffee, you feel the a similar sense of wonder that it inspires in us. 

Fresh Arrivals // Spring Menu

Our new menu will start rolling out April 1st. We are super excited about offering such an amazing line-up of coffee. Here is a sneak peak of what is arriving into our roasting facility in Athens.

Nyamasheke
RWANDA

Narrative:
The Nyamasheke growing region is located on the Southwestern portion of Lake Kivu in Rwanda. The wet mill is tucked away in a valley surrounded by majestic mountain peaks where small holder-producers are growing coffee cherries at altitudes often exceeding 2000 msl. We find sweet cacao aromatics lacing the fragrance of this coffee’s dry grounds. A creamy, somewhat weighted mouthfeel. Sweet spice in the front end of the coffee, red honey and brown sugar round out the finish.

Producer: Nyamasheke Washing Station
Region: Nyamasheke District
Country: Rwanda
Coordinates: 2.3615° South / 29.1479° East
Varietals: Bourbon
Process: washed
Altitude: 1700 msl – 2100 msl
Harvest Season: Oct-Jan

Gitesi
RWANDA

Narrative:
Under the leadership of Alexis Gahiza, the Gitesi coffee washing station won 1st place in this year’s Cup of Excellence for Rwanda. This coffee is composed of Bourbon varietals, harvested at rather high altitudes for coffee production. Coffees harvested at higher altitudes mature slowly. This enables the cherries to maximize sugar development, leading to a refined sweetness, and brilliant cup qualities. As the coffee cools it really opens up. Hints of floral notes and accents of Mandarin orange begin to come forward.

Producer: Gitesi Washing Station
Region: Karongi
Country: Rwanda
Coordinates: 2.1296° South / 29.36172° East
Varietal: Bourbon
Process: washed
Altitude: 1830 msl
Harvest Season: Oct-Jan

Mayang
JAVA

Narrative:
Located south of Bandung, the capital city of West Java is the small township of Ciwidey. It is here that the Mayang Coffee Project is centered. Modern vehicles and traditional horse carts share the roads and the natural landmarks of Mount Patuha and Patenggang Lake are visible in the distance. This is the oldest growing coffee region in Java. Farmers here tend to small plots where coffee is grown amongst their many other food crops. Taste notes from this region include dried peach, hazelnut, and semi-sweet chocolate. A juicy mouthfeel, finished with a savory sweetness.

Producer: Mayang
Region: Sunda
Country: Java
Coordinates: 7.1024° South / 107.465° East
Varietals: Ateng, Jember, old-growth Typica, Djember
Process: washed/wet process
Altitude: 1300-1600 msl
Harvest season: Jun-Oct

El Meridiano
COLOMBIA

Narrative:
In 2011 we started exploring the various micro-regions of Colombia by conducting a series of roasting training courses for Colombian producers. With the guidance of Alejandro Cadena, we were able to find a small group of family farmers near the township of Rioblanco that had a quality we were excited about. This coffee has taste notes of wild cherry and ginger snaps, a lively acidity, medium body, and a pristine aftertaste.

Producer: ASOCEAS
Region: Tolima department, Rioblanco township
Country: Colombia
Coordinates: 3.52953° North / 75.6454° West
Varietals: Caturra 70%, Colombia 20%, Typica 10%
Processing: washed
Altitude: 1500-1900 msl
Harvest season: Oct-Jan

In addition to these coffee’s, we are excited by the arrival of the 2013 Harvest from our producer friends in Kochere in the Southern Region of Ethiopia. We are also giving our SAVIO espresso blend a seasonal upgrade. The new components will be:

25% Kochere, Yirgacheffe Region ETHIOPIA (WASHED PROCESS)
25% Doyo Cooperative, Lot#7 Jimma Region ETHIOPIA (WASHED PROCESS)
50% Lorving Caulderon Estate, HONDURAS (HONEY PROCESSED)

Should be coffee paradise.

Illustration by the talented and wonderful Jess Dunlap.

350 Faces

“if they would only get together, they could remake the country.”-Barry Commoner

In 1971, Barry Commoner wrote a book entitled “The Closing Circle” in which he gave his four laws of ecology. The first law says, “Everything is connected to everything else.”   This was a statement not only about ecology, but about social justice.   The central idea can be extrapolated, that via social activity we have the potential to address environmental problems.  

One significant environmental problem is global warming. To preserve our planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million to below 350 ppm. But 350 is more than a number—it’s a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.   Something we need to get together and make some noise about.  A noise which clearly demonstrates to our leaders that they need to be held accountable to the realities of science and the principles of justice.  The silence that comes by our separateness enables ineptitude on the behalf of our political officials.  If they don’t see us & hear us, what incentive do that have to act boldly and swiftly in making decisions based on reducing the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere?  We have an opportunity in Athens to get together and be part of a big live social activity that has purpose, pathos, and beauty. 

350 Parts Per Million is a marching band dedicated to being LOUD about a REVOLUTION needed in how we relate to the CLIMATE.   We here at 1000 Faces have decided to join this marching band & we invite you to as well.   Not only is it a form of political activism & civil disobedience, but it’s probably the most fun way to start a Friday night you could possibly find.  

The 350 Parts Per Million marching band dresses in fantastic colorful marching band uniforms, a mass of merry pranksters gallivanting through the streets and houses and bars of Athens, GA playing great musical instruments of all sort to the beat of “350.”  Brass instruments, hefty drums, delicate strings, rattles, wooden flutes, and little magic kazoos… evoking the spiritual energy of Mardi Gras Indians in full bloom, Rose Parade fanatics in traveling lotus, and fourth of July fireworks in chaotic harmony against the grain of silent submission.   

The band rehearsals are Friday nights from 7pm-9pm at Rubber Soul Yoga & Clown, 675 Pulaski St. in Athens, GA. 30601.   The goal is to bring 350 faces together as a marching band making societal noise that is heard loud and clearly.

We hope you will join the band.

Roaster Training

Roaster Training

1000 Faces is proud to offer training/consulting services centered around developing a roasting business and learning coffee roasting.   We tailor fit each course to meet your needs.   We are firm believers in the value of open systems & want to participate in creating great coffee from seed to cup by sharing the valuable knowledge we have acquired in our seven years of being in business.

If this is something that interests you, please contact Benjamin Myers at roasterben@gmail.com

Manifesto II

RESIST BAD COFFEE Drinking good coffee can become an act of civil disobedience. We believe the fast & the cheap over the quality & the conscious is wrenching the heart out of our communities and tearing the soul out from our land ecology. Drinking good coffee is an agricultural act of defiance, and it should follow that we think of producing good coffee as a gastronomic act of skill & intention. We believe as a society it is our responsibility to transcend the injustice of passivity and awaken to the true cost of our daily acts. Each of us is called upon to practice and disseminate a new, more precise, and at the same time broader concept of quality coffee. Resisting bad coffee means being selective in your purchasing and consumption. It means bypassing coffee at the gas-station, knowing where your money is going behind each coffee, and drinking coffee fresh rather than coffee that has been sitting ground up on the shelf for months. With each cup of coffee comes a distinct place and people. Familiarize yourself with the varieties of the coffee experience. Look at the whole bean’s shape and texture. Greet the coffee in your palate as though it were a welcomed guest. Discover the brightness. Establish the mouth feel, take silent notes on the flavors, and allow yourself a moment to experience the aftertaste. Know the true story behind the coffee you consume. Challenge us as we challenge you. Demand that 1000 Faces Coffee put greatness before success. Resisting bad coffee is an act the poet Hakim Bey would call “overcoming tourism,” and we seek little more than to overcome the passive distraction, the white noise, the bottomless consumption, and cheap representational living.

“WAKE THEM AND THEY SHALL QUIT THE FALSE GOOD” -Emerson

BREWING AS A YOGIC DISCIPLINE Keep your brewing equipment like you keep your dojo, clean and ready for action. Use fresh and clean water. Coffee peaks within a week of the roast, so try to brew within that time frame. At the bottom of each bag, we have a roast date. Use the right grind setting and for god’s sake, grind your coffee just before brewing. DO NOT BUY GROUND COFFEE! If using a paper filter, wash away the paper fines before brewing. Measure the amount of coffee you are using. Keep coffee away from direct sunlight. Don’t reheat coffee. Return cold coffee to the earth. Don’t keep coffee in the fridge or the freezer.

SENSORY AWARENESS: JUST A SIP, BEFORE ADULTERATION Good coffee has a wonderful natural sweetness to it. With a clean cup, more than 800 distinct flavor characteristics are potentially unlocked. We urge that you give these little magical coffee DNA/RNA a chance to please you before you saturate them with milk/sugar. The tongue is a cornucopia, a symphony, Vesuvius waiting to explode…we want to sing to the gods with each taste of 1000 Faces.

CAN YOU PASS THE ACID TEST? Experiencing good acidity has a lot to do with cleanliness and sweetness. Unclean brewing equipment and over-roasting don’t help. There are few worse things in this world than rancid coffee that has been roasted so much the moisture has been extracted to the cellular exterior of the coffee surface. Avoid this coffee as though it were the plague.

MYTHOS AS PATHOS Flor R. Contemplacion, the wet-nurse, the stable boy, the masseur and the masseuse, dog walker, the footman, the scullery maids of great houses, the fast fingered and still unpublished writers in rental units, the valet, the yard crew, Special Agent Dale Cooper… in every nook and cranny of life stand the hero with 1000 Faces, making the mundane sacred. Giving a sense of purpose and place to an otherwise faceless act.

Coffee as a mythological good.

We believe the power of narratives. So here is our myth…. In 2006, we began in a secluded hideout in the middle of dense gathering of Georgia pine. The forest grounds in Athens were said to be that of an elder Cherokee woman who communed with the spirit world. At the first crack of the cast iron drum in the roaster, a barn owl took flight from a surrounding tree, which we took as an omen of good luck. We began slowly. Working long days, perfecting our craft outside the influence of others in the industry. We began by living with our work, dreaming dreams the dreamers dream in a small farm house outside of Athens. Doing everything our own way and beginning to steadily toss small kindling on the embers of a new business. What began with a small project working with producers in Ecuador started to take us to the furthest edges of the world. We lost our homes and became gypsies of the coffee world. Sleeping in big hunkered metropolis caverns, drinking coffee with royal restaurateurs in red coats, studying phenomenology in distant laboratories in white hills, and sitting cross legged in small humble mountain villages guarded by men with long knives. We became new spirits via travel, ruffled in the corners of hotel rooms and scribbling notes in journals, all while the original drum in Athens kept circling and new members came into our family. 1000 Faces is a state of consciousness. A continuous process of disambiguation through open participation. Ever changing and ever evolving AND always centered on empowerment. One gestalt following the next, each one greater than the last. Unique & independent, small & mighty.

STUDY THE PANTHER! ENGAGING WITH SLOW COFFEE Taste, biodiversity, the health of humans and animals, well-being and nature are coming under continuous attack. This jeopardizes the very urge to drink and produce coffee as gastronomes and exercise the right to pleasure without harming the existence of others or the environmental equilibrium of the planet we live on. When Rodin urged Rilke to travel to Jardin de Plantes in Paris and choose an animal in the zoo to study and thus understand the world, Rilke chose the panther. We have chosen coffee by which to understand the world. From our study of coffee, we have a firm belief that the single greatest problem in our world is that it is moving too fast. We believe that slow has a power that is more valuable than currently being integrated into our systems. We have moved slightly away from using the term DIRECT TRADE. The term has been watered down and is now more of a confusing distraction than a tangible field of action. In 2009, we started a partnership with an interdisciplinary think-tank at the World Institute of Slowness in Norway to help establish the protocols, standards, and criteria for SLOW COFFEE. We felt that by trade marking the term we could help build a cathedral by which artisan producers could be held to a standard which improved the conditions of producers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.slowcoffee.com