The last few weeks have been a very exciting time for the Dartmouth Coffee Club. At our weekly meeting on Sunday, May 18 after Green Key, members were able to sample a gourmet selection of single-origin coffees and chocolates.
The Kenya Thurungi from Portland-based Coava Coffee had a bright blood-orange flavor with a lingering maple and cane sugar finish. The Nicaraguan Honeyed Maracaturra from NYC’s Café Integral imparted an exciting flavor combination of herbs, fruits and spices. Its coffee beans were the largest the club had ever seen.
Moving onto the chocolate, we featured the Mast Brothers Origin Collection, comprised of chocolates from the Dominican Republic, Belize, Papua New Guinea and Madagascar, as well as a smooth Brooklyn Blend. While all of them were delicious, the Papua New Guinea bar was the most polarizing. Its flavors of aged scotch and hickory-smoked bacon made it the least enjoyed selection for some and the favorite for others. It is said that we eat with our eyes first. Mast Brothers has been able to tap into this idea effectively, drawing many members to comment on the chocolates’ beautiful packaging.
This past Friday, May 23, we had the pleasure of hosting Greg Hoyt, the owner and founder of Dogwood Coffee Co. He gave a talk to Dartmouth College about his experiences working in the specialty coffee industry. His comments on the coffee sourcing process were incredibly insightful, and his stories taught everyone in attendance that kindness and creativity have been key components in Dogwood Coffee’s success over the years.
For some students, Greg also held a cupping, which is the coffee equivalent of a wine tasting. He was as able to further explain Dogwood Coffee’s sourcing process. He encouraged us to identify fragrances, aromas and flavors present in his coffee samples and challenged us to note the differences among the different varieties. We really enjoyed having Greg pay us a visit and we hope to host him again in the coming years!
This Friday, May 30 from 3-5 pm in the New Hamp lounge, will be the last Coffee Club meeting of the term. We will have some great espresso from Heart Roasters, and an exciting lot of coffee from Intelligentsia. We hope that you can make it and bid farewell to all the graduating seniors!
If you’re interested in Coffee Club, you can blitz us at Dartmouth.Coffee.Club@dartmouth.edu.