This month’s #KurasuPartnerRoaster is CORSICA COFFEE DEVELOPMENT from Takamatsu, Kagawa, run by Yoshikawa-san, a multi-prize-winning roaster. He started his career in the industry at the age of 20, and became independent at 30 to open his own shop in 2011.
When he was little, he was so intrigued by coffee he saw in Manga and Anime- the cool drink that only grown-ups can drink. So one day he decided to visit a Kissaten with his friend to try it out, only to find themselves sitting in front of a cup in “bitter” defeat. With no judgement, the master at the kissaten served them milk and sugar, and that classy act of kindness was what first made young Yoshimura-san fall in love with the world of coffee.
“When I was 30 and working at a cafe, I suddenly realized that I would still be in the same place in 10 years’ time. If that’s the case, I’d better spend that time for myself, not for someone else” reflects Yoshimura-san. What specialty coffee is today was yet to emerge in the industry back then, so Yoshimura-san first opened his shop in a more traditional Kissaten style. Two major events that changed his style happened since then- one was BRUTUS magazine’s special edition for coffee, which opened his eyes to the global specialty coffee scenes and was heavily inspiring. The other was a superb cup of Kenyan coffee served by GLITCH COFFEE (Tokyo), which set a clear path for Yoshimura-san to establish his current roasting style, focusing only on single origin light roast.
For this month’s package Yoshimura-san chose “Terra Nova” and “Across The Universe”. “This Terra Nova is the best one to try first if you are new to our coffee”, Yoshimura-san explains. For Terra Nova he roasts Maracaturra from Guatemala, and the final cup has a comforting, soul-nurturing character with a little more developed roast compared to his typical fruity light roast. He chose this traditional fully washed process, explaining his belief that “while I feel positive about all the new and special processes, I should be able to master the traditional ones too if I were to try out newer ones.” Can’t wait to taste it! “Across The Universe” was chosen as the extreme opposite, highlighting the difference between its bright flamboyance of the washed Ethiopian coffee and the classic Terra Nova.
“One of our catch phrases is ‘do you see the true color of coffee in your cup?’- we’d like people to enjoy coffee as their own experience, not something pre-expected based on the numbers and data of the coffee. I always try to roast coffee that inspires people’s free and creative imagination”, Yoshimura-san says. He says he isn’t roasting flavor notes, nor you drinking it. The information and data are important, but what matters in the end is if the raw experience inspires you or not.
