Guatemala HueHuetenango
This latest Micro Lot offering from Guatemala is a result of our trip this past spring. While Cupping through almost 100 samples, we were able to Identify this Lot as one we wanted to bring home! The road to HueHuetenango is an arduous one! There is no airport close by, so no matter how you get there, you are looking at many long hours in a bus and bumpy, windy roads. However, once you get there you are in the center of the most famous coffee growing region in Guatemala. A region that French Truck has been buying from for the last 5 years. This particular harvest was a very good year for Guatemalan coffee’s and the region of HueHuetenango, specifically. Many of the Microlot samples we tried early on that were cupping at 86-87 are now cupping at 88-89. After a few months post-harvest, they have settled down and are cupping very high!
This year we are proud to offer an exciting micro lot from the producers at Agrobasa. Agrobasa is run by a young couple with a long history of growing coffee in the family. We were able to visit their farm, see them harvesting first hand, and get a sense of their farming practices. For Instance, they built a small reservoir on the farm to enable irrigation of the coffee plants. By doing this they ensured the coffee trees would get the right amount of water and at the right time, to help strengthen the harvest and consistency of flowering. Maybe the most interesting thing about the farm, was they had a herd of goats on the farm, working to help clear the land. Goats are great browsers and they love to eat weeds and invasive plant species. Assuming they don’t eat all the coffee cherries this is a very cool idea!
Finca Buenos Aires sits at a very high altitude, with dry air, and it was previously thought that the altitude was too high to grow coffee. However, with some innovative farming techniques and a lot of hard work the coffees from Agrobasa have been stellar. Another interesting note about this coffee is it’s a Maragogype Varietal. Maragogype is a variety of Arabica that produces a very large bean. It may sound familiar because it is half of the genetic makeup of Pacamara. It is a natural mutation that appeared spontaneously near the town of Maragogype, in the Bahia state of Brazil. The Maragogype is known for its big body and smooth mouthfeel, many famers in Huehue will keep a small amount of Maragogype to drink for themselves!
After Picking, cherries are depulped the same day and fermented dry (without water) for 36 hours. Then they are washed twice, and dried on raised beds for approximately two weeks or until they reach 10-12% moisture. Again, as with many of our previous Micro-lots, this is a fantastic example of a fully traceable farm to cup coffee. We are very excited to be showcasing the hard work from the producers at Agrobasa
French Truck Goes Back To Nicaragua
We visited our friends in Nicaragua earlier this year and we are pleased to bring back more great coffee from the Lovo family and their farm, Bella Aurora.
We are also excited to offer a great Javanica varietal from the Mierisch family. Finca Las Delicias is one of their newest farms and this washed Javanica placed 4th in the 2017 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence! This is not one to be missed.
Truckin' around central america
Earlier this year, we had an exciting opportunity to visit three prominent coffee growing regions in Central America: Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
In Nicaragua, we visited three main growing regions: Matagalpa, Jinotega and Dipilto. We met with estate owners, small landowners and local co-operatives.
All regions had much to offer but it was in Dipilto, one of the highest regions in the country, that we found the coffee we wanted to bring back to New Orleans.
We are excited to be working with such exceptional coffee from an award winning family.
As French Truck continues to grow, we hope to make the Lovo's coffee a staple at French Truck.
Next, we moved on to Costa Rica...
This Coffee was hand selected by a few members of our French Truck team in Costa Rica back in March during the Harvest Season.
We visited Don Cesar Urena's Farm's in San Isidro de Leon Cortez, and were really impressed. The area has its own Micro-Climate that is ideal for coffee growing, and its own natural water source. All of this makes for a very special place that is lush and tropical. Don Cesar only picks the ripest of cherries, which in costa rica is known as Toro de sangre or bull's blood. He also has raised beds that the coffee's are dried on, allowing for greater airflow, which help the drying process.
Don Cesar is a very kind man, who takes great care of his coffee's, and we are really excited to be working with him and offer this Natural Coffee from his farm. We were blown away by his attention to detail and the raw beauty of his farms.
The result is a fantastic naturally processed coffee that is very sweet and creamy. His ripe picking techniques and raised beds also make this a very clean natural that is unusually refined for a naturally processed coffee.
French Truck Goes To Brazil!
"What struck me was the sophisticated organization of the farms. The coffee trees were easily 16 feet tall in places and in very organized rows. This creates very large yields and easy picking compared to some South American countries I've visited. The sophistication of the wet mills and drying beds also was impressive."
- Geoffrey Meeker
New Grand Cru's Have Arrived!
We are very excited to bring three new Grand Cru's to French Truck. It is always our goal to offer the highest quality coffee and these are no exceptions. We are offering two unique coffees that we tasted and selected during our origin trip to Costa Rica in March.
Don Carlos' SL28 is unique because it is traditionally a varietal found in Kenya. Notes of complex fruit, green grape and apple make this special coffee a must have!
We are also offering an exceptional Yellow Honey Villa Sarchi from Don Carlos' Finca Flor Del Cafe, another coffee that we tasted and selected in Costa Rica earlier this year.
Finally, we are offering coffee from El Salvador for the first time. This Pacamara varietal is also a Honey process, giving it unique fruity notes. Currently, El Salvador is producing some of the best coffee in Latin America.
Public Cupping This Saturday
Try all three of these coffees and more this Saturday at our roastery located at 1200 Magazine Street in New Orleans, LA.
Cupping begins at 10AM / Space is limited!
Click here to sign up
Welcome!
Thanks for being a loyal French Truck customer. We have undergone a website change and there are a few new things...
- We will no longer be offering subscriptions. If you have a subscription with us currently, you will be hearing from us soon about maintaining your subscription thanks to your continued support.
- If you had an account on our previous site, the account has been deactivated. Our new check out option is quick and easy without having to log in and out!
- Our coffee, merchandise and shipping prices have all remained the same. You can still order all of our great coffee, ground or whole bean, and if you are in New Orleans, you can still place an order for in store pick up.
Thanks again for your continued support. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and please sign up for the mailing list or follow our Journal to keep up with everything French Truck!
Cold Brew Season
You have heard about our NOLA Style Iced Coffee, New Orleanians' preferred summer drink.
We blend our Premium New Orleans Dark Roast Coffee with fresh Chicory, and immerse it in water over night. The result is a highly concentrated, smooth tasting Cold Brew Concentrate. You can make it however you would like, dressed with fresh whole milk from Mauthe's Farm or Califia Farms Almond Milk along with a little homemade simple syrup.
Our Premium Cold Brew Concentrate, available at both of our locations or in your favorite Whole Foods, Rouses or Langenstein's, is an easy way to start your morning from home!
If you are not able to purchase our concentrate bottles, you can make it at home with any traditional home cold brew process, using our Nouvelle Orleans Chicory Blend.
If you have been to our cafes, you have noticed our science-like contraptions sitting behind the espresso bar. The Oji slowly drips water over the coffee throughout the night, creating a unique tasting Cold Brew Concentrate. This slow drip method cuts down the acidity in coffee, making way for a very drinkable iced coffee. Our Oji Drip is the best way to enjoy your Iced Coffee, black with no milk or sugar.
We rotate our offerings daily, focusing on our Single Origin Coffees from across the globe. If you want a little sweetness, an Ethiopian Sidama Ardi Oji is for you. For chocolate and a full body, our washed processed Latin Americans will give you that bold flavor. The Oji is a great way to try new coffees from across the globe and no two are ever the same!
Stop by 1200 Magazine St. or 4536 Dryades St. and try our Oji Iced Coffee for a new Iced Coffee experience!