Here I sit, trying to figure out what to drink this morning. Having just went through our stock to select the October Special of the Month, I was seeking new arrival green coffees from origin. One of my other criteria for selecting the special is to see what we have not offered in a while and that which is drinking very good right now.

Having been camping this past weekend with the family up at Saddlebag Lake, at the top of Tioga Pass just east of the Yosemite National Park entrance at 10,038 ft., I had planned on crisp morning temperatures. French Roast, the ever-darkest and intense blend, seemed an appropriate choice for the trip, especially since my eldest little one, Emma, and I would be fishing from the boat.

Indeed, it was a great choice. Rich, syrupy and long in the aftertaste, the French Roast, prepared Melitta-style pour-over drip, mingled well with the smoke of our campfire, the pinch of cold morning on our cheeks and the sweet, syrupy pancakes and eggs we enjoyed to fuel us up for the day ahead.

It turns out that we have not offered French Roast as a special fo the month, either in conventional or sustainable versions, at Alpen Sierra since June, 2006. Coinciding with this is the freshness status of the blend’s ingredients. New crop arrivals of Guatemala Antigua, which we roast Full-City, and Colombia Popayan Supremo, medium roast, are brimming with high-note flavor and bright acidity, enhancing the bold intensity of this heavily carmelized blend. Check it out!

Other coffees now arriving extremely fresh, just out of “reposo” (or the “curing”) phase of processing include, Organic Peru, the new and exciting coffees of Rwanda and the ever-juicy Kenyans. Soon to arrive as fresh, new crop are the Indonesians, of which the first-arrival Sumatrans are always extra sweet and malty in their Alpen Sierra dark roast fashion.

Brew up a fresh pot of French, pull on the hoodie, grab the paper and enjoy the Autumn colors.