Training with Isabela Raposeiras

For the last 2 days we have had a visitor all the way from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Isabela Raposeiras is former Brazil barista champion and one of the most knowledgeable baristas we know in Brazil. She has worked with many growers and companies in Brazil and traveled around the world to learn about coffee. Isabela runs her own consultancy company in where she teaches Brazilians how to make better coffee. Although she is a coffee consultant and a teacher, she is very humble and eager to learn more about coffee. That is the reason she came to visit us, to learn more about our aproach to blending, preparing and roasting coffee. (We should all get better at learning from each other and exchanging knowledge.) It has been a great priveledge to be able to spend 2 days with Isabela. Although she came to Norway to learn, we feel that we have learned a great deal from her as well. It is very rewarding being able to work with people with such passion and understanding of coffee. Especially people from producing countries, because they have such a different perspective and knowledge about the growing part of coffee. One of our training sessions was to make a nice espresso blend and to find a nice roast profile for that blend. The end result was delicious so we decided to roast 2 batches of it to serve it in our store. The infamous Isabela Norwegian/Brazilian espresso blend consists of: 50% Cielito Lindo, no.4 Honduras Cup of Excellence 2008 30% Finca la Lomita, Huila, Colombia. 20% Aricha #32, Ethiopia. A very well balanced, sweet and fruity blend with sweet acidity and sweet aftertaste. Lovely amaretto and berry aromas too. You can get a taste of this blend (roasted by Isabela) on Saturday the 24th.