Middle State: February 2020

German Cordoba, Colombia & Landspeed

This month, we’re excited to follow up our Denver Coffee Tour post with two incredible coffees from our friends at Middle State Coffee.

Long before Jay DeRose started independently roasting as Middle State in 2013, he earned his chops at the widely respected Happy Coffee (now closed) and as the Director of Sales for Denver importer and producer 90 Plus Coffee. Yet it was only with the 2019 opening of Middle State’s first café that many Denverites learned the story of this local legend. In his just-months-old industrial space, guests will spot all the trappings of a trendy Brooklyn shop—record player, cascading plants, neon signage, vegan waffles—while still enjoying the chilled-out friendliness of, well, a “middle state.” DeRose also runs the coffee bar at Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art, for those seeking a dash of downtown culture alongside his complex roasts.

Our Open House at Middle State in 2019 was memorable, and we’re excited to share what we—along with the rest of the Denver Home Barista community—experienced there.

About Us

Sharing great coffee is our favorite thing to do, and we’ve gotten pretty good at finding great coffee.

Our method is simple: Taste a ton of coffee. Pick our favorite ones. High five the growers and producers because their efforts are shining through every cup, and their hard work is incredible. Do our best to preserve the taste (and the feeling) that we got from that first taste, and share it with you. Oh and then high five you because you’re awesome for trusting us to bring it to you with all of the flavour, integrity, and intent that it began with.

We like coffee. We especially like interesting coffee. We like complexity, cleanliness, acidity, and the kind of sweetness that leaves you in the candy aisle trying to nail tasting notes. We like small lots from small farms. We like coffees that are an expression of where they came from, and an expression of their grower’s hard work.

We value people. We believe that all humans, and their awesome eccentricities are the reason things like specialty coffee exist in the first place. Without any of the awesome people in this crazy world of coffee, it just simply would not be as fun and as exciting as it is. So we applaud all of you for being who you are, and doing what you do.

This, is our method. Have fun. Brew Coffee.

German Cordoba, Colombia

Pineapple, Cherry, Juicy, Cotton Candy Sugar

Location: Huila, Colombia
Varietal: Caturra, Colombia
Process: Washed
Elevation: 1800 masl

WOWZA. This coffee blew us away the first time we tried it, and continues to do so each time we have roasted it. It’s vibrant, sweet, and is kinda like playing glow in the dark laser tag only instead of your annoying cousin Benny winning every round, you destroy him with your cat like reflexes and eagle eye accuracy. But enough about laser tag, drink this coffee and feel awesome. Here is a bit about German and his story.

Sr. Cordoba has been farming in a vereda of Divino Niño, Suaza for many years. His farm, La Morelia (in Alto Horizonte, Suaza), is only a short walk from the town center and often makes for a good central meeting place. At one time, German was a member of one of the associations we work with in Suaza but decided to venture out on his own. Because we had already cultivated a good relationship with him and because his coffees are so good, we decided to continue buying from him. On his farm he has a melange of varieties including Caturras and Castillos but also more obscure varieties like Cogollo Amarilo and Yellow Tabi. Pictured above is Don German Córdoba Cabrera hoisting his 1st place trophy from the recent Osito Copa Suaceña. He is amidst his wife, nine children and grandchildren on his farm.

German Cordoba Recipe

In: 22g

Out: 41g

Time: ~ 28 sec (+ 6 second pre-infusion)

Pressure: 9 bars

Temperature: 200F

Pre-Infusion: 6 sec

– Middle State Coffee

Landspeed

Toffee, Stone Fruit, Caramel, Apple Candy

Components: 50% Halo Baritit, Ethiopia + 50% Hafursa Waro, Ethiopia
Location: Halo Baritit, Ethiopia & Hafursa Waro, Ethiopia
Process: Washed & Pulp Natural
Elevation: 1900 — 2300 masl

WOWZA. This coffee blew us away the first time we tried it, and continues to do so each time we have roasted it. It’s vibrant, sweet, and is kinda like playing glow in the dark laser tag only instead of your annoying cousin Benny winning every round, you destroy him with your cat like reflexes and eagle eye accuracy. But enough about laser tag, drink this coffee and feel awesome. Here is a bit about German and his story.

DID SOMEBODY SAY “LANDSPEED”

This is always the newest and freshest edition of Landspeed. Throughout the year, we are continually changing which coffees go into making up this blend due to seasonality of the fruit itself. This always allows for some fun and interesting, yet consistent flavor profiling of the blend. This time around, with no surprise, we have a delicious washed Ethiopian, and a much needed surprise of a pulped natural Ethiopian. The Washed Ethiopian brings those nice floral, fruity, and subtle acidity notes that play and compliment it’s other half. The Hafursa Waro is the pulped Natural component this time round and it brings nice deep funky fruits, chocolates, and some deep honey undertones. Toffees, Chocolates, magic acidity, while still carrying in lots of cherry fruit flavors. Both coffees are a party in themselves, but together, they manage to create those early 90’s rave parties that only the cool kids knew about. Except in this case, everyone is the cool kid, and you all are invited to this Party.

Both coffees in the blend are pretty special in the sense that we would have bought each one as Single Origin offerings due to the fact that they are both just so good. We don’t short change our blend with more moderately priced coffees in order to make up for something that each coffee lacks, or because they are going to be a blend. Rather, we choose to spend top dollar on coffees that stand out on their own, as we would for a S.O. offering, and that are ethically grown and produced, without any sacrifice in humane practices as well. This allows the blend to be that much better than it would be with cheaper coffees. We then roast each coffee individually with matching solubilities so when they are joined in the chaos that is a portafilter, we know that they are going to play well with one another.

Landspeed Recipe

In: 22g

Out: 41g

Time: ~ 28 sec (+ 6 second pre-infusion)

Pressure: 9 bars

Temperature: 200F

Pre-Infusion: 6 sec