Virtual Tasting
Follow Driftaway educator, James McCarthy, as he guides you through tasting these three spectacular coffees!
Best Coffee Roasters in the US
A no-brainer for the extra-picky
coffee lover
TASTE THE LUIS ALBERTO BALLADAREZ BOX SET WITH US!
THE PERFECT WAY TO EXPERIENCE THE LUIS ALBERTO BALLADAREZ BOX SET
Led by 2013 World Brewer's Champion James McCarthy, you'll taste the Washed, Honey & Natural processed coffees at the same time, similar to how professionals taste and evaluate coffees.
We were also joined by Stephen Levene from Coffee Quest, who worked closely with Luis Alberto and visited his farm and processing facility in Nicaragua.
Didn't get a chance to grab a Box Set yet? We've got them for a limited time only - right here!
BECOME A COFFEE CONNOISSEUR
Learn by tasting! Experiencing different coffee processes side by side is one of the best ways to discover how coffee can taste.
WHAT YOU’ll NEED
If you received the Box Set + Tasting Kit (includes spoon & glasses), you'll need:
- A grinder
- Kitchen scale or measuring spoon & measuring cup
- The grind setting for your grinder
- You can find this by matching your grind with the "Sample Grind Size" packet provided in the box
- 1 liter/33oz kettle or pot to heat water
- 1 spoon per participant (soup spoon is best, but teaspoons work, too)
- Pen or pencil for taking notes
- 2 mugs of any size
If you received the Box Set of coffees only (no spoon/glasses), in addition to the above, you'll need:
- 3 additional mugs that can hold at least 7.5oz / 200ml (5 mugs total)
- 1 additional spoon (2 spoons total)
FAQ
A collection of multiple coffees with a common theme. This Luis Alberto Balladarez Box Set has three coffees grown in northwest Nicaragua, all processed at the same mill using three different processing methods: Washed, Honey & Natural. The Box Set includes an 8oz bag of each.
An 8oz bag of each coffee, a Tasting Form & a Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel.
An 8oz bag of each coffee, an gorgeous rainbow Umeshiso cupping spoon, 3 glasses, a small pouch of ground coffee labeled “Sample Grind Size” (you'll use this to calibrate your grinder to match what we use for this type of tasting), a Tasting Form & a Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel.
This is a very forgiving, gentle brewing method, so as long as you are as close as you can get, it’ll work great!
You don’t need a Box Set - you can watch and follow along to learn more about how to taste and the farms and regions.
You can head over to this page to purchase a Box Set Kit, or a stand-alone Box Set.
Yes, all coffees will be shipped as whole bean.
That’s got ground coffee inside that was ground on the setting we use for this type of tasting. Using this as your guide, find your grind setting that matches it using just 10 beans or so of any whole bean you have.
A gram scale is preferred, but you can also use a tablespoon and measuring pitcher.
If you have a hand grinder, we recommend you grind about 5 minutes before the session.
Absolutely!
