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by Geoff Watts
April 4, 2008 |
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Regions: Central America, East
Africa
Varietal: Bourbon
Altitude: 1500 - 1900 m
Harvest: April - June
Characteristics
Acidity: Balanced, crisp
Flavor: Honeydew melon, pear
Finish: Hazelnut, butterscotch
Tasting Notes
With the emergence of spring comes our first-ever
offering of Persephone & Alchemy blend. Created to embody the spirit of
the season, this blend will refresh any winter-worn palate with its crisp
acidity marked by honeydew melon and pear. The body is clean and silky as
it leads into a finish of creamy hazelnut and butterscotch. Suitable for
all day sipping, this blend is sure to sustain you ‘til the arrival of
warmer days.
Marc Johnson's Notes
This past year we have launched offerings to
celebrate almost every season. Summer Solstice, Otono Blend, and
Celebration Blend have welcomed summer, fall, and the holidays. While Old
Man Winter slept through January and February (look for it next year), we
are pleased to introduce Persephone & Alchemy for Spring 2008.
OK, I am certain that you are thinking: “Where does the name come from?”
Glad that you asked, and with the help of our friends over at
wikipedia.com we have an answer…
Persephone was a goddess of Olympus. According to Greek mythology,
Persephone was gathering flowers with nymphs in a meadow when the earth
opened and Hades, god of the dead, appeared and carried her off to be his
queen in the world below. Torch in hand, her mother Demeter, goddess of
the earth, sought her through the wide world. When she could not find her,
life came to a standstill.
For a whole year not a living thing would grow and all would have died of
hunger if Zeus had not persuaded Hades to let Persephone go. Before he
freed her, however, Hades made her eat the seed of a pomegranate, and thus
she could not stay away from him forever. So it was arranged that she
should spend part of every year with her mother and the heavenly gods and
the rest of the year with Hades beneath the earth. The time that she spent
in the underworld became winter and spring arrives when she returns to the
earth.
And the alchemy? I always think about alchemy as a magical transforming
power… like when straw is spun into gold. Alchemy in this sense applies in
two ways. Firstly, the transition from winter to spring seems kind of
magical. After a long hard winter (which, by the way, still isn’t over
here in Chicago), it sometimes seems like spring will never come. And
then, mysteriously, it somehow does. Secondly, turning hard, inert green
coffee pebbles into deliciously flavorful roasted coffee seems like as
good an example of alchemy as you can find.
So, ultimately our Persephone & Alchemy Blend speaks to the period of
transition that occurs at this time of the year. Persephone is back and
she’s bringing her magic with her. There is no better way to toast her
arrival than by drinking a cup of her namesake coffee.
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