March 2012’s pick

Cuba Serrano Superior

Intense and sweet: a hard-to-find coffee that’s as unique and authentic as Cuba itself

Cuban coffee is all too rare in the UK. Just a small crop is produced each year, and Asian and European markets typically snap it up in moments. This month we had an unexpected opportunity to bring you something special – Cuba Serrano Superior.

Our coffee experts’ personal verdicts

Jim, 35 years in the coffee trade
“I love the flavours of this coffee they’re so redolent of the colourful and vibrant image and atmosphere of Cuba… the crumpled linen suit at a pavement cafe, cafecito, Havana cigar, Cristal beer…”

Geoff, 35 years in the coffee trade
“When I sip Cuban coffee, it still brings back the iconic images of Fidel & Che from my youth in the 60’s – Cuba may be a small producer now, but it is a massive favourite of mine.”

Cuban coffee origins

Cuban coffee production is about tradition. Under the dappled forest canopies of the Sierra Maestra Mountains, gourmet coffee is produced in small batches, without the use of any chemical products.

Cuban coffee offers an unusually specific degree of provenance. Every batch can be traced to a single plant introduced by Jose Antonio Gelabert in 1748, and the methods of cultivation have changed little in the years since: after slowly growing sweet in humus-rich soil, coffee is picked by hand and set out to dry in the warm Cuban sun.

Coffee production in Cuba

Politics and weather patterns have made this a difficult half century for Cuban coffee growers: from a high of 20,000 tons a year just before the 1956 revolution, production for export has plummeted to just 8,000 tons annually. Even the coffee that stays in the country is strictly rationed: two ounces per adult, every two weeks. (We’ve managed to skirt this issue with your subscription.)

Despite its low production levels, Cuba has earned a well-deserved reputation as a leading producer of world-class coffee beans. In Asian and European markets alike, gourmet Cuban coffee is a sought-after commodity that goes quickly and at a high price, whatever the year. Quantity, it would seem, has nothing whatsoever to do with quality.

This coffee comes from the 2,700 tons harvested since the start of January. While it’s rare for UK markets to get a look in at small-batch coffee like this one, with regional production expected to hit 6,700 tons this year, luck appears to be on our side.

Cuban coffee culture

Coffee and Cuban culture are forever interlinked, and sharing a coffee is a gesture of welcome and hospitality across Cuba and the diaspora. Even though Cuban coffee cannot be legally imported into the US, the country’s traditional coffee drinks are revered by stateside exiles.

Cubans take their coffee strong and sweet. Arabica coffees like this one are known for a dark flavour and for smooth caramel notes that are brought out when served con leche – with milk.

Try a Cafecito by dripping espresso into a pot sweetened with demerara sugar. You’ll need a proper espresso machine or an Italian Moka pot to get it right: the heat from the coffee-making process transforms some of the sucrose, creating a taste unique to the process. Milk is added hot and a gorgeous layer of espumita – a creamy, golden foam made by whipping the first few drops of espresso with sugar – typically caps a Cafe Cubano.

Tasting notes

Cuban coffees offer an intense, fragrant experience. This is a slightly-darker-than-medium roast with a sweet aroma, evocative of honey and demerara sugar. While the initial taste is rich and smoky, there’s a mild, fruity acidity in the background that offers balance and body. This coffee is a treat – luscious, full-bodied and velvety, like an after-dinner liqueur.