On the first floor of Peck’s shop in Via Spadari in Milan there is a corner reserved for coffee. Here you will find about 40 of the most prized beans produced in the world and a selection of very interesting blends.
If this is the first time you have looked at Peck’s coffee list, you will have a pleasant surprise; even the most expert of coffee drinkers can find different flavours that they have never tried before. Whoever wants to visit us can try all the varieties suited to espresso coffee and can try a cappuccino, of which we are proud, either comfortably seated at the tea-room tables or at the bar where they can observe how to extract an excellent cup of coffee from just ground beans.
Some of the coffees are rare and demand always outstrips supply.
Quality is easily recognizable and it is reflected in the price. Our selection process has resulted in this list.
>> COLUMBIA >>
Columbia produces some of the best coffees in the world which are famous for their intensity and full-body. They are produced in the mountainous regions of the Cordigliera which forms the northern part of the Andes.
San Augustin >> is produced exclusively in the Huila district, in the south-west. It is unusual in that it is cultivated on the original “Typica” species and not on the more commercially attractive species introduced recently. It is very full, round and mellow.
Colombia Supremo >> from the districts of Popayan and Antioquia; it is famous for its fullness and its delicate acidity. It is one of the most versatile coffees; excellent for espresso or cappuccino.
Medellin Excelso >> is from the Antioquia district. It is less mellow, but its character is bright, fresh and lively. It is an excellent coffee for any time of day.
>> BRAZIL >>
Brazil is one of the dominant forces in world coffee. It is the biggest producer and exporter and the second in terms of size and consumption. The areas dedicated to cultivation cover the south-east of the coast, Pernambuco to Parana.
Santos Supreme >> is grown in the San Paolo and Minas Gerais regions, and is produced by a method used in the Central American countries for producing high-quality coffee: the ripe coffee berries are washed and not dried in the sun (the traditional way coffee is produced in Brazil). The result is a touch of sweetness within a soft and delicate character.
Brazil Gourmet >> This is natural Gourmet coffee which grows at an altitude of 1060 metres in the southern region of Minos, Ytamogi coffee plantation. It has a delicate and rounded flavour, which easily lends itself to being blended with coffee from central America.
Brazil Bahia >> is a semi-processed coffee, with a low caffeine content. It is delicate and light with a chocolatey after-taste.
>> COSTA RICA >>
Costa Rica, known as “the Switzerland of Central America”, has developed high quality production over the years and now has one of the best coffee industries in the world.
Mark T.U.J. San Marcos de Tarrazu >> is a classic for connoisseurs: light, clean aroma and a great perfume.
San Josè >> is a refined coffee, grown at about 1,500 metres above sea-level. It is distinguished by a delicate flavour and moderate acidity.
>> GUATEMALA >>
Guatemala produces washed arabica and a very small quantity of robusta, which satisfies around 3.6% of the world’s needs. The varieties produced, descendents from the arabica coffee, are: Bourbon, Typica, Maragogype, Coban, Antygua and Amatitlan. The final three qualities have the same name as the regions where they are grown.
Genuine Antigua-El Pulcal >> is a high-quality coffee, with a fuller, more ‘famous’ and more complex flavour than the other Guatemalian coffees; its body, acidity and balance are of the highest quality.
Huehuetenango >> is fully rounded and mellow; it has a delicate acidity and is medium roasted. A dark roasting changes its character, making it very velvety and a medium-strong after-dinner coffee.
Maragogype >> looks fantastic as it is the largest coffee bean in existence. In the wild it comes from Brazil. With a medium roasting it has a full flavour and a delicate acidity; it is excellent for breakfast or during the morning; with a very dark roasting it becomes strong but with a very low acidity.
>> NICARAGUA >>
The country enjoys the beneficial influences of the two Oceans which temper the tropical excesses. The coffee plant is at home in its fertile, volcanic soil between 600 and 1000 metres above sea-level, and its characteristics change accordingly. Nicaraguan coffee beans are prized for their perfume.
Nicaragua Maragogype >> has a lively character and a sweet flavour with a delicate acidity, while the after-taste is pleasantly rounded.
>> PERU >>
Peru is a good producer of natural and washed arabica coffee. The best beans come from the slopes of the Andes in the north.
Villa Rica Highland Estate >> The excellent quality is due to the soil combined with the altitude and the climate. It is a balanced coffee with a good body and a noticeable acidity.
>> PUERTO RICO >>
The Spanish brought coffee to Puerto Rico from Martinique in 1736. By the end of the 1800s the country was already the sixth largest exporter but wars and natural events have limited its production to a great extent.
Yauco Selecto >> is produced by only 3 farms and it is most certainly one of the most esteemed coffees in the world. The mild climate and the clayey soil mean ripening takes longer – from October to February. It is a delicious coffee with a full body.
>> JAMAICA >>
This island produces the most esteemed coffee in the Caribbean.
Blue Mountain >> the blue mountain classification is given only to the selected beans which come from the St. Thomas, Portland, and St. Andrews districts. Consumed fresh the aroma is intense and strong and the flavour is unusually persistent. Rising demand has produced a noticeable scarcity of this unique coffee
>> MEXICO >>
Mexico stands out for a good level of coffee production, both for quality and for quantity. Natural and washed Arabica and Maragogype is grown. Mexican coffee has a fragrant but light flavour with balanced acidity.
Mexico Maragogype >> The Mexican quality of the Maragogype is better than others. It has a full flavour and a subtle dry tone. It is particularly good if made a little stronger than usual and served at breakfast; it combines well with hot milk.
>> GALÀPAGOS >>
The islands of the archipelago are protected by a law which prohibits the use of chemicals and pesticides. The coffee from the Finca San Cristobal is not just any organic coffee: it is the only coffee produced in an ecological sanctuary; it has a good body and a pleasant medium acidity.
>> SALVADOR >>
The smallest country of Central America produces only arabica coffee: natural, washed and maragogype. It is grown in plantations at high altitudes. The coffee is light, sweet and with moderate acidity.
Salvador Gourmet >> comes from cultivations at altitudes of between 900 and 1500 metres, in the region of Sonsonate. It has an excellent body and acidity, a pleasant and long-lasting aroma, and an after-taste with no bitterness. It is an excellent coffee to serve iced.
Salvador Pacamara >> The plant which produces this coffee is a graft between the Picas, which is a plant with the characteristics of the Salvadorian coffee and the Maragogype. It is grown in the area of Santa Ana, in small quantities due to the high production costs. The coffee has a delicately pleasant body, a very good aroma with a pleasant acidulous vein tending to fruitiness. The caffeine content is almost non-existent.
>> ETHIOPIA >>
It is the country of the Caffa, the province from which originated the world’s Coffea Arabica. The Ethiopian arabica plant also comes from the regions of Sidamo and is so in harmony with the environment that it also grows spontaneously and the beans only need to be dried in the sun by the local people.
Mocha Djimmah 5 >> its flavour, traditionally described as wild, is completely different from any other. It is the most used coffee for the traditional Turkish coffee; when it is prepared according to this method it is unbeatable.
Harar Longberry >> grows in the mountainous region called Black Mountain and is locally known by the name Gara Guracha. It represents well that winy or wild flavour for which Ethiopian coffee is famous. Intense and strong; it has a pungent aroma.
Yirga Chefe >> this coffee has a soft and sweet flavour and a refined character which make it unique. It is especially recommended for those who love a delicate coffee with a lot of flavour.
>> TANZANIA >>
Vast tracts of tropical forest have been chopped down to make way for coffee plantations. The natural and washed arabica from Tanzania have a wine-like flavour, which is sweet with a slight sour vein.
Kibo Chagga >> is produced by the inhabitants of Wa-Chagga who live on the farms of the slopes of Kilimanjaro. It has a very well-balanced taste with an acidity which tends towards delicate. Competition to obtain this coffee is fierce, especially on the side of the Japanese buyers who in recent times have become great fans of its pleasant qualities.
>> KENYA >>
Kenya produces some of the most sought-after coffee in the world, famous for its lively and brilliant flavour and for its rich aroma. A small percentage of the coffee keeps the stamp of the plantation of origin when it is sold at auction in Nairobi. The remaining lot, although not in the case of all plantations, is often of excellent quality.
Kenya Estate Gethumbwini >> This plantation produces a coffee with perfect acidity "called point" and a fullness which makes it one of the best Kenyan coffees. It is grown at a high altitude (about 1,700 metres) in the area to the north of Nairobi.
Kenya Peaberry >> The peaberry roasts uniformly and the taste has a pleasant and pungent “point”. It is recommended for all day drinking.
Kenya AA >> is a refined coffee with a brilliant and lively taste and a full aroma. It will never be overwhelmed by the strong flavours from other foods and for this it is ideal as a superb finishing touch to lunches and dinners.
>> CAPO VERDE >>
The coffee from Capo Verde maintains all of the basic characteristics of African coffee: very tasty with a good body, an interesting aroma and a good level of acidity. At Peck we have chosen Fogo Monte Queimado.
>> INDIA >>
The plantations are on the Indian peninsula and on the Deccan plateau. The coffee has a delicate and pleasant flavour and various qualities are grown: Robusta, Robusta Monsonato, Arabica Cherry and Arabica Monsonato. India is among the major Asian producers of “green gold”.
Mysore Nugget >> This variety is particularly loved by the English, French and Scandinavians. It is a rounded and mellow coffee with a full flavour and moderate acidity, recommended by those who love delicate coffee but with a distinctive character.
Monsoon Malabar >> This remains under monsoon conditions for 5 weeks. The rains make the beans change from green to blue. It is full-bodied and suited to both moka and espresso coffee-making methods.
>> NEPAL MONTE EVEREST >>
This is a very aromatic coffee with a spicy after-taste. It is full-bodied and long-lasting with a good acidity.
>> INDONESIA >>
Indonesia produces many excellent coffees which are particularly appreciated in Germany and Japan. The Dutch were the first to introduce coffee cultivation to Java towards the middle of the 17th century, and so Indonesian coffee arrived early in Europe. Its flavour is so full and rich that it can easily take the addition of milk or cream.
Sumatra Blue Lintung >> is so full and rich as to be almost syrupy, with an intense taste which leaves a pleasant final sensation.
Sulawesi Kopi Tongkonana Toraja >> is produced carefully and in limited quantity by a small number of families, this coffee is distinguished by its full flavour and a pleasant acidity. Its flavour is reminiscent of maple syrup leading to a caramel finale.
Kopi Luwak >> is one of Peck’s coffees to make the biggest stir. In Indonesia its name comes from the fact that the coffee (kopi) is ‘processed’ by the natural digestive processes of the Luwak, a nocturnal mammal whose natural habitat is the trees and who balances its diet of insects, small rodents and fruit with the ripe coffee cherries. The clumps of expelled seeds – the coffee beans – are then gathered and transformed into a very rare coffee. The Kopi Luwak has a rich flavour that ranges from chocolate to hazelnuts and finishes with a spicy sensation: it has a syrupy texture and flowery and musky aromas.
>> HAWAII >>
This archipelago in the Pacific is formed by underwater volcanoes, rocks and atolls. Among the eight most important islands, Hawaii is distinguished by its mild and healthy climate and by the presence of 4 active volcanoes; the prized Kona variety of coffee comes from here.
Kona Kai Farms >> is difficult to get hold of; its bean is the shiniest of all and it has perfect proportions. It has a full acidity, an unmistakable body and a lively character. It releases a good aroma and has a velvety after-taste.
>> YEMEN >>
One of the most classic coffees of the world is grown on the irrigated hill slopes, exposed to the hot and dry climate: the Moka, in the varieties of Matari, Sanani and Hodeidah. Their flavour is distinctive, tasty, full-bodied and winy, despite the ugly and irregular appearance of the beans.
>> SANT'ELENA NAPOLEON VALLEY ESTATE >>
From the island where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled and died, this rare and unique coffee gives a rounded cup of coffee with an unmistakable acidity and a marked flavour of citrus and flowery notes with a finely spiced after-taste.
