Harvest Time

Fall is upon us, and that means coffee consumption is on the upswing, just as current stocks are getting scarce at the end of our seasonal year. Centrals are all but gone, but we are seeing some late-harvest crop from Ethiopia and Sumatra, and new production, just shipped - or about to, from Bolivia, Peru and Mexico. Other coffees, new to us, are shipping through spring of next year. Happy to say, we have the opportunity to obtain a greater quantity of the Bolivian Cenaproc and the Brazil Poco Fundo, both of which were well received. Also looking forward to a decent quantity of the Uganda Bugisu again this year; what a great coffee - considering what it takes to get a bag of coffee through harvest and to processing in Uganda, it makes the beans even sweeter. We picked up some very special Nicaragua water-processed decaf in the past few weeks, and it's truly an amazing coffee - not just for an organic, but for a decaf. Okay, so you don't drink decaf. Try some: it may change your mind. More Mexico Chiapas Udepom WP Decaf is en-route, and due to arrive later this month. We expect to expand our decaf list over the winter, in order to offer beans from a growing list of new organic and fair-traded decafs, now coming online in small quantities. New on the list to many of you, are the Ethiopian Lekempti, and the Costa Rica Pastora (Tarrazu). Deep and sweet, and bright and sweet, respectively. Well, it really depends on how much fire is involved. Glad so many of you were loving the PNG Waka Jawaka, it took a while to catch on! We have sold out of that weird and wild coffee, and look forward to seeing it next year.

It's that time of year to perfect the "blend"...we've been having fun with the concept around here! Mix it up.

New Beans from Uganda and Ethiopia

Well, it's been a while since our last update...a few coffees are late arriving, and one is early. First off, the Uganda Bugisu "A" Grade is in the building, and those of you who ordered early have had great things to report. A very unusual coffee; washed and sun-dried, with wine and fruit notes, but with a lingering pleasant, earthy finish - mild, but full-bodied at a medium roast. Uganda has historically been a big Robusta producer, with only about 15 percent of total production dedicated to Arabicas. Consider that over 500,000 small holder farmers and a total of 3.5 million individuals are involved in coffee production in Uganda - fully 30 percent of Uganda's export revenue is from coffee production. So what's the point? This coffee, like others on our little list, represents an incredible personal effort to cultivate, harvest and transport (usually by hand, or on a donkey's back), to become a tiny part of the lot of coffee from which your coffee is roasted and brewed! Whew. More defects per bag than those of European Preparation, but it's understandable, and the quality is still amazing. Here's the deal on the "A" Grade...the letter grade does not denote crop quality; it refers to the sieve, or screen size of the bean. "A" grade Bugisu must be 90 percent at or above 6.35mm, or a number 16 screen, and "AA" at 90 percent or above 6.74mm, or a 17 screen. The criteria does allow for a 10 percent defect rate, which includes beans that fall below the screen size. So, nice big beans, considering the certified organic cultivation and the arduous path to market. Remember, Bugisu is overall one of the finest coffees produced in Uganda. Try some!

The long-awaited Ethiopia Harrar is here as well! The early new crop is intense, with notes of blueberry - only the first harvest usually presents such intensity and flavor. Medium acidity, intense fruit and spices, with a heavy body. Let's contrast the Harrar, from the OCFCU, or Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, with the state of affairs in Uganda. Over 1,500,000 coffee farmers, and more than 15 million people in Ethiopia depend on coffee production for their livelihood - and only 23,000 are OCFCU member farmers, and just 7,107 of those are Fair Trade certified. Oromia's Harrar is forest or shade-grown under the producer's sustenance crop of bananas and citrus. Fair Trade, and by default, bird friendly. Our Harrar is certified organic by BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH. A Classic, from the Birthplace of Coffee!

We now have a new crop lot of the sublime Nicaragua 5 de Junio. We told you we'd have more! On that note, we are sold out of the Honduras Cosagual and Timor Maubesse. We are working on obtaining a Fair Trade Honduras and Timor Organic for later in the year.

Do a comparative roast of the Nicaragua Nueva Segovia and the 5 de Junio, or the Uganda Bugisu, Ethiopia Harrar and Sumatra Mandheling!

Roast for flavor, and have fun!

Newer is Different!

The Mexico Chiapas is not only a great story, but it's a killer coffee! We've only had it in the building for 10 days, and everyone is loving it. Bright, complex, but when roasted to FC+ and beyond, it still maintains it's wonderful complexity. Ditto for the Brazil Chapada Diamantina.

The Nicaragua 5 de Junio is now sold out until the next shipment, on the water now, and arriving sometime in April. So...we are very pleased to introduce our Nicaragua Segovia - different, but with the same deep, mellow character you love in coffees from the region. Now available on the site - email for a sample if you haven't fired it up.

Decaf! We finally have our hands (and roasters) on the first Organic, Shade-Grown, Fair Trade and Swiss Water Process® Decaffeinated coffee on the list! We have received many requests for a decaf, and those of you who wondered "why no decaf" - this is why we waited. Same producer and production as our caffeinated Mexico Chiapas, just treated with the patented Swiss charcoal filter process to remove about 99% of the jitter juice. Why is it more expensive? The beans have to ship to the processor, go through the treatment process, and then get re-bagged and re-shipped, We try our best to keep it affordable.

All the lots from Ethiopia and Sumatra are on track, and the Costa Rica "La Amistad" and Uganda Bugishu are due in the next week.

Drink better coffee - Organic + Shade Grown + Fair Trade + Roast it all by Yourself!

New Arrivals are Afloat!

We are very excited that the first 2007 New Crop Organics are on the water - we expect our first shipments in the next two weeks. Here's what we are adding to the offering list:

The Brazil Sul de Minas is gone...for now. We will be receiving more of this beautiful (staff favorite at FC+) coffee later in the year. Don't despair, we have filled the gap with the even finer Brazil Organic Chapada Diamantina. The Chapada Diamantina, (Diamond Plateau) is a lush mountain range that runs north and south through the state of Bahia, with an average altitude of over 1000 meters. This is a very small crop, produced by Fazenda de Chapada Diamantina. It is prepared using a pulped natural process, and then sun dried on raised beds. This coffee is part of the "new wave" of polymorphic organic Brazilian coffee - and makes incredible espresso! Organic, Fair Trade, Shade-Grown and Single Estate. Clean cup, with great balance and body, with citrus overtones. Check it out.

Why not all the coffees all the time? Some coffees (especially small-holder organic and fair-traded crops) sell out from season to season - and we don't like to overstock, so that our coffees never age past 6 months from the date of harvest. We actually go through the lots every 2 to 3 months. Plus, experiencing different coffees is what it's about, no?

We've added our first Fair Trade Coffee from Mexico! Certified Organic from the Chiapas growing region. Union de Ejidos Professor Otilio Montano, or UDEPOM, is a small grower cooperative of approximately 600 members located in the Sierra Madre Mountains near Motozintla. UDEPOM is a pioneer of organic coffee production in Latin America. Their production standards for organic coffee cultivation and processing are rigorous and proudly followed. All of the small-holder grower members cultivate their crops under a diverse and well managed shade cover, and they are required to wet-process their own coffees. Additionally, each individual grower is required to use only cement fermentation tanks and sun dry their harvest on cement patios. Organic, Fair Trade and verified Shade-Grown. This coffee is bright and sweet, with flavors of oranges, raisin and cinnamon. Email us for a sample, and give it a try.

Afloat in the San Francisco Bay, (well, in a container on a ship) and due to arrive at our warehouse in the next week are two new coffees for the list; Nicaraguan Fair Trade Segovia - if you loved the Nicaragua 5 de Junio, you'll love this coffee too. Also a week out is our first offering from Uganda - an Organic Buguisu "A". Look for cupping notes on the site soon. Sumatra Mandheling is due in 3/28...

Coming late March and April, Costa Rica Organic "La Amistad" and Ethiopian Harrar Special Prep - our first Fair Trade Certified Organic from Ethiopia! Can't wait. Also expecting one lot of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (Fair Trade, Organic), and one from Sumatra - Fair Trade Organic Gayoland, which sold out early last year.

We'll be putting all these up on the site as they arrive - if you would like to be alerted on a particular coffee, drop us an email and we'll keep you updated.