August's Fresh from the Roaster Releases
Two East African coffees, and two Centrals. We've been working since February to bring in these
coffees, which means the producers have been working for many months prior to
that. The process can be cumbersome, but the effort can yield unimagined results. This month's arrivals are proof that coffee is personal, coffee is political, and best of all, coffee tastes darn good.
Ethiopia Amaro Gayo
Asnakech Thomas is the only female coffee miller and exporter in the whole of
Ethiopia. She also owns 250 hectares of land in the Amaro region, some
of which is already producing and some of which is being developed for
future cultivation. In a new era where tens of thousands of Ethiopian coffee
producers must now submit their coffee to the newly formed Ethiopia Commodity Exchange
(ECX), Asnakech Thomas might very well be the most inspiring figure in her community. Her strategic vertical management of producing, milling and exporting has given her
license to export her own coffee at will, controlling the process, and thus keeping her coffee
separate from lower quality lots. It also give her the license to claim the price that her
special coffee deserves, 25% over Fair Trade. To learn more about the effects of the ECX on specialty coffee, visit who I believe are the foremost experts on the issue, Ninety Plus Coffee.
The flavor profile is reminiscent of raspberries and tamarind with a semi-sweet cocoa and honey finish. The acidity is mellowed by its syrupy body. Delicious.
Costa Rica Las Lajas
This coffee comes from a well know coffee producer and miller in Costa Rica's Valle Central region. Francisca Cubillo Salas and her family have produced coffee for 3 generations, and yet she is of the first generation to use organic farming practices. Over the past few years, Francisca has produced top placing lots in the Cup of Excellence program. This year her coffee was the only organic coffee to place in the final selections.
Las Lajas is the name of her finca and mill. The name is derived from the precious stones found in the region. We pay 18% over Fair Trade price for this coffee
This coffee has almonds and buttercream in the aroma, and a very mild yet crisp acidity. The best characteristic about the Las Lajas is the rich, smooth and consistent body. A very reliable coffee.
Panama Hartmann Honey
We offered this coffee for a brief few months this past winter and spring, thinking the size of the lot that we purchased would last us through the fall. Shame on us. Well, the new crop offering from the Hartmann's is now available. Unfortunately, it is also in short supply due to a devastating hurricane during the growing season last year. While the Hartmann family was anticipating over 250 bags of coffee this year, they ended up approving enough coffee to produce only 110 bags. Of that, we have a small 50 bag lot, so catch it in the next few months while it lasts.
You can learn more about Finca Hartmann on the profile page, or read our blog about my stay on their beautiful farm (watch video, too)!
Asnakech Thomas is the only female coffee miller and exporter in the whole of
Ethiopia. She also owns 250 hectares of land in the Amaro region, some
of which is already producing and some of which is being developed for
future cultivation. In a new era where tens of thousands of Ethiopian coffee
producers must now submit their coffee to the newly formed Ethiopia Commodity Exchange
(ECX), Asnakech Thomas might very well be the most inspiring figure in her community. Her strategic vertical management of producing, milling and exporting has given her
license to export her own coffee at will, controlling the process, and thus keeping her coffee
separate from lower quality lots. It also give her the license to claim the price that her
special coffee deserves, 25% over Fair Trade. To learn more about the effects of the ECX on specialty coffee, visit who I believe are the foremost experts on the issue, Ninety Plus Coffee.The flavor profile is reminiscent of raspberries and tamarind with a semi-sweet cocoa and honey finish. The acidity is mellowed by its syrupy body. Delicious.
Costa Rica Las Lajas
This coffee comes from a well know coffee producer and miller in Costa Rica's Valle Central region. Francisca Cubillo Salas and her family have produced coffee for 3 generations, and yet she is of the first generation to use organic farming practices. Over the past few years, Francisca has produced top placing lots in the Cup of Excellence program. This year her coffee was the only organic coffee to place in the final selections.
Las Lajas is the name of her finca and mill. The name is derived from the precious stones found in the region. We pay 18% over Fair Trade price for this coffee
This coffee has almonds and buttercream in the aroma, and a very mild yet crisp acidity. The best characteristic about the Las Lajas is the rich, smooth and consistent body. A very reliable coffee.
Kenya Gatomboya
The Gatomboya cooperative found gold and sold it to us as coffee. This
is a beautiful example of a Kenyan coffee: bright balanced acidity,
tropical fruit character, slick body... I get excited whenever we throw
it on the table to taste.
In the past we have gone through the Kenyan auctions, which has a peak season around the beginning of March. This year however, because the cooperative's reserve price was not met at the auction, we were able to negotiate a fair price directly from Thika Coffee Mill. Thika is a well known privately owned mill that has a reputation for upholding fair prices and excellent quality, which is why we pay 20% over Fair Trade price for this coffee.
Panama Hartmann Honey
We offered this coffee for a brief few months this past winter and spring, thinking the size of the lot that we purchased would last us through the fall. Shame on us. Well, the new crop offering from the Hartmann's is now available. Unfortunately, it is also in short supply due to a devastating hurricane during the growing season last year. While the Hartmann family was anticipating over 250 bags of coffee this year, they ended up approving enough coffee to produce only 110 bags. Of that, we have a small 50 bag lot, so catch it in the next few months while it lasts.
You can learn more about Finca Hartmann on the profile page, or read our blog about my stay on their beautiful farm (watch video, too)!
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