London Again! April 23-24

Prufrock Coffee, London

London has become a second home for us at the Collaborative - especially at Prufrock Coffee, which has now welcomed and helped us co-host several cuppings since the very beginning. We have cupped some fantastic coffees and met some great coffee people within these walls, and now we are heading back to our London home again next week.

This time around, however, we have another venue and event to talk about: an exclusive cupping of coffees from Hacienda La Esmeralda at The Association. We have developed a great relationship over the years with the Peterson family, owners of Hacienda La Esmeralda. Throughout the history of Panama's Best of Panama competition, the Petersons and their geisha coffees have performed very well - winning or placing close to the top, many times. The quality and unique flavour characteristics have become so well regarded, that the family decided to hold their own auction, where lots are separated amongst their farms based on geographic areas and microclimates, and picking dates. These auction coffees comprise the Hacienda La Esmeralda Special lots.

Since 2006, we have been buying coffees from the Petersons and will offer their Esmeralda Boquete geisha blend this year, as we did last year. In addition to the Boquete Blend, we are excited to announce that we will be cupping this year's auction lots at The Association next week. This is an opportunity to be amongst the first to taste these amazing coffees, as well as provide interested roasters the opportunity to organize a buying group during the auction, which takes place on May 21st.

Where: The Association, 12 Creechurch Lane When: April 23, 4:30-6pm RSVP: Please confirm your attendance here

The next day, as part of UK Coffee Week, Prufrock is co-hosting a cupping where you will again have the opportunity to taste Esmeralda's auction lots. In addition, cuppers will taste fresh crop Guatemala and Honduran coffees from our friends at Bella Vista in Antigua and San Vincente in Santa Barbara. This is your chance to decide which lots are coming to Europe and into your roasteries before they are shipped! Also in the mix are soon-to-arrive Kenya coffees and again, you will have the opportunity to reserve the names you want offered in your menus.

See you there!

Coffee with Seoul

So off we went, Robert and I, almost as far from Norway as you can get, to another small, coffee loving country - just on the other side of the world.  Invited by Momos of Busan, we visited the Café Show expo in Seoul, did the rounds and caught up with the coffee circuit regulars, and then created a little event all of our own: a presentation about the Collaborative, attended by the specialty coffee roasters of Korea and a cupping, presenting the best of Brazil (Minas Gerais) and Burundi. If you have ever visited Korea you will notice many things to be different from Norway, or indeed anywhere else in Europe.  Bowing is a good start. Passing things with delicacy and grace (and receiving them with even more) is another. Drunken businessmen asleep at the dinner table while their colleagues continue to eat is particularly noteworthy cultural norm. Kimchi. Cooking your own pork belly. Feeling like your living in a futuristic movie.  But we were there for Coffee, not Gangnam Style re-enactments under subway signs.

We visited the finest coffee establishments in the land, Coffee Gong Jang, Momos, Coffee Libre, to name a few.  The variety of brewing methods was impressive, (‘dutch style’ being the trend of the moment), the coffee was great, (although of course more darkly roasted than up here in the arctic) and the locations were at the same time predictably well-designed and surprisingly large.

After a day whipping round the Café Show in Seoul, we headed down to Momos HQ in Busan, Korea’s coffee port.  Here snuggly nestled in a traditional building is Momos: rising several floors and spreading across verdant courtyards and dappled terraces, this café is a distinct destination.

We held a cupping and presentation at Coffee Gong Jang; a multi-floored industrial/cosy red and white extravaganza of a coffee shop in downtown Busan.  Busan is the speciality hub of Korea, and the city’s coffee roasters turned out in force. With the help of Momos’ beautiful in-house polyglot Ines, we were able to communicate the Collaborative vision of trading utopia to the good roasters of Korea.

Yet despite the substantial investment, size and design of the coffee shops we visited, and the overwhelming interest from the roasters and baristas we met, we conclude that the coffee scene here is delicately blossoming rather than booming.  Most coffee chains continue to serve impressively low-grade coffees, although this does not seem to hamper their rapid growth.  The majority of coffee shops are closed during what we would consider as the on-the-way-to-work rush hour in the morning.  They prefer instead to start later and stay open until the wee hours, providing a sensory sanctuary for the alcohol averse.

Interestingly, many roasters here also run training academies (from whence they gain the majority of their revenue) comparting the delights of cupping to the bubbling masses of coffee enthusiasts willing to pay for these services.  Thus as we speak a handful more dedicated Koreans have learnt to decipher a good dark roast from a toast, single origin from a blend, fresh as a daisy from baggy and old.  And here lies the future my friends.  For soon these zealous Disciples of the Bean will be spurning the mainstream, and jumping, salmon-like, against the flow of mediocrity to buy only the best, create their own cafés, and roast their own coffee. And with a population of forty nine million and rising, South Korea is one to watch.

Joanna

Le Carnaval du Café (videos)

http://vimeo.com/channels/417597/52600994 Robert Thoresen: introducing the Collaborative Coffee Source

http://vimeo.com/channels/417597/52447142

Jacques Carneiro - Creating Carmo Coffees: producing some of the worlds best naturals and pulped naturals

http://vimeo.com/channels/417597/52427194

Professor Flávio Borém, Understanding natural processing: the science behind the creating the perfect cup profile

http://vimeo.com/channels/417597/52604159

Daniel Peterson, Hacienda Esmeralda, Panama, Pioneering Geisha

http://vimeo.com/channels/417597/53152090

Emile Kamwenubusa: specialty coffee in Burundi.  Challenges and opportunities!

Fully Booked

Dear roaster, dear cupper, dear fellow colleague & coffee lover,

The Collaborative Coffee Source event 2012 –  Le Carnaval du Café in Paris  –  is fully booked.

We are thrilled to announce that so many coffee professionals, from so many places, are coming to share this with us and with each other. As we speak, presenters are fine-tuning their presentations and collaborative team members in Africa, America and Europe are preparing samples for two days of education, cupping and fun. So for you who can not make it this time, we are very sorry.

In good collaborative spirit we’ll post the lectures and document all the fun too. Stay tuned!

When processing coffee cherries... What happens?

As professional coffee roasters, as professional coffee tasters, as professional baristi we often wonder: What is the relationship between the flavor attributes in the coffee beverage and what has actually happened to the cherry while processing. And beyond that: What did the coffee genotype (varietal) contribute to the flavor in the first place?

These topics are what the research work of Prof. Flávio Borem from University of Lavras in Brazil is all about. At the Collaborative Coffee Source Event in Paris Oct. 26-27 2012 he will present his groundbreaking work in this field. As you can understand, we are very excited!

CCS: We're curious! What exactly happens during natural and washed coffee drying?

Prof. Borem: In my presentation I will show that differences in the quality between natural and washed coffees during drying go beyond a simplified explanation that the sweetness of the natural coffee comes from the sweet mucilage.

CCS: Oh, Radical stuff! How about the interaction between the Genotype, the Environment, and the Processing?

Prof. Borem: Basically, I’m planning to show some results from the studies of space/time distribution of natural and pulped natural coffee quality. After that, we will be cupping samples from this study!

CCS:  Can't wait. See you in Paris!

Prof. Borem: I am very pleased to go to Paris to meet you, cupping and speaking about coffee. This is an amazing opportunity. Thank you!

...

You:  Coming ?

Honestly! Why Paris?

With all due respect, as much as Paris is the food capital of the world, it used to be a joke to even think of Paris as a coffee destination. Well that was until just a few months ago.

For two days we want to make Paris the Coffee Capital. And as a matter of fact, things are changing quickly – and Paris IS on its way to becoming a coffee destination too and that is why we want to be here now.

We are in Europe after all. And Paris is at the center of it. Geograpichally it’s obvious. It’s Convenient. Its Beautiful.

CUTTING EDGE(S)

Lets start with talking about the fringes.

Any movement usually starts as a marginal thing. Even in marginal places. Just like Seattle once was the specialty coffee hub (deserved or not) it is at least geographically not at the center of the US market. And as we know, the cutting edge coffee places were not seen in NYC until recent years.  Japan´s most influential Coffee company is in a mountain hill town, Kentaro Maruyama moved into Tokyo last week. Scandinavia is an outpost on this continent, but in specialty coffee it has become a destination.

THE EVENT. THE IDEA. PARIS 2012

For one weekend we want to share. We want to facilitate. We want to participate.

The ambition is to build a community. Many eager and competent coffee roasters around the continent have received coffees through the Collaborative. On behalf of the coffee farmers we are proud to say that we have found good homes for their lots. Now that the coffees are ”out there” we want to ask for samples of it back that we can cup together.

We are gathering a bunch of roasters – you – from all over Europe, to get together as proud craftsmen and women. We’ll talk about our craft and proudly share the coffees that we have roasted with such skill and care.  Sourced by The Collaborative, roasted by you, all together on the same table. We are organizing a cupping where you’ll get the rare opportunity to compare you roast style with other ambitious roasters and craftsmen and women of Europe.  Not for competition, but for cultural interaction and education. Other professional coffee cuppers and Baristas from all over the continent (and further) have signed up to come as well. Thus this is a unique chance to get a truly interesting feedback and discussions on the regional, company or personal culinary craft of roasting coffee. (even coffee from same farm, but roasted, thus approached with different craft. Then cup it comparatively. On the same table, the same day). For collegial interaction and fun.

We have carefully restricted the number of attendees at the event.  We want there to be time and space for interaction and access to the coffees and the people who grew them.

THE COLLABORATIVE COFFEE SOURCE

It lies in the name. The Collaborative Coffee Source´s ambition is to be a source, and we want to do it in a collaborative way. We strive for making the coffee trade a transparent interaction between equally important partners; the maker, the importer, the roaster.

We source the coffees from the origins we work with that are outstanding the every meaning of the word. It goes without saying that the cup needs to speak for itself, thus beyond that – or better said – before that, there is a place and people who we want to learn about. The collaborative model is not to take ownership of that, but share it with you – the roaster. After all, it is your coffee.

There is no coffee trader around who’s ultimate goal is to connect you directly with the Place and the People who actually made the coffee you’d be roasting. The Collaborative doesn’t stock green coffee. We find it and we make sure it finds good homes, in Europe, and further afield. If you liked one coffee in the first place, you might be willing to stick to working with a farmer who has committed himself to making awesome coffee for you.

We want to make sure that that happens. And we want to make sure that you get it in a timely fashion.

Welcome to the collaborative!

THE NEWEST CROP: SOUTHERN BRAZIL

We are presenting and cupping the freshest lots of coffees right now.

BRAZIL finished their harvest in the highest growing regions a few weeks ago, the coffee lots are resting and getting ready to be shipped. We were there to preselect the cream of the crop from the highest merited regions - and now we’ll present them to you.

BURUNDI. We are thrilled to present to you this East African gem. It is like the new promised land. A new star from the African continent, wonderfully clean and sweet-tasting. We can’t wait to share our findings and our excitement.

HARD CORE EDUCATION:

VARIETALS

All of the coffees that we are getting from Carmo de Minas in Brazil and all of the coffees from Burundi are Bourbon coffees, thus this is a unique chance to taste & talk about and attributes of Bourbon as a varietal.  To further enlighten and enhance our understanding of varietals, we have invited some of the highest merited coffee farmers on the Planet, the person who has had the fortune, curiosity and skill to work out a strategy for this is what has driven the roasting end of the industry more than anything else in the last few years.

PROCESSING NATURALS

Flavio Borem is a big deal.  He´s never shown his work in Europe before and we are flying him over to share his work with us.  His investigations at the University of Lavras in Brazil are about how processing affects the quality and the taste profile of the coffee in the cup.  This is what we have all being dying to know for so long.  And here he is to tell us.

SO WHY, AGAIN?

Because it is a unique opportunity to choose coffees you wish to purchase.  And to mingle with your European counterparts.

Because it is educational and informative thus giving you a better understanding of what is happening in the coffee world – directly from source.

Lofty ambitions? Sure, why go for less.

So we have found a sexy loft for it.

- Robert

Le Carnaval du Café: tickets on sale NOW!

That's right chaps, the wait is over.  Tickets go on sale today.

Drop whatever you are doing! Grab your wallet! Get to a computer near you! Limber up those enter-hitting fingers and GET IN THERE QUICK!

Two days in PARIS, surrounded by the speciality coffee community of Europe, cupping some of the world´s best coffee and being at the forefront of groundbreaking research are just a few clicks away...

Intergalactic cupping #1*

´The future has arrived!´ exclaims Jeremy as Robert´s face looms into view across cyberspace: from a cupping lab in downtown Oslo to projection onto a brick wall in buzzing early-evening east London.  The party has assembled, ready to cup six of the best samples Honduras has to offer, a classic Costa Rica and an unparalleled Panama Geisha.

The Line Up:

Honduras, Santa Barbara region

1) Oscar Tinoco         HICAFE 90/Catimor 

2) Don Amado             Yellow Catuaí 

3) Danny Moreno       Pacas 

4) Jesus Moreno         Pacas 

5) Neptaly Bautista    Pacas 

6) Eulogio Martinez    Pacamara 

COSTA RICA, Tarrazu region:

7) Don Mayo. La Loma farm, lot march12th      Caturra

PANAMA, Boquete region:

8) Hacienda Esmeralda      Geisha

Robert introduces us to the coffees one by one, the history of the farm, the successes and challenges of the farmer, the varietal, the terroir, the journey of the beans in each cup.

The Honduras line up is immensely varied considering the proximity of the farms to one another.  Although some are from different micro regions, many are from adjoining family farms, and all hail from the broad, lush hillside of Santa Barbara.

We start with Oscar Tinoco, who has won Cup of Exellence, but struggled with consistency.  We know he has the quality, we have seen it.  And we keep working with him, following his investments in farming and equipment, in the knowledge that there is so much unlocked potential.  This sample is full bodied and clean, but there is a briney tang to the cup we had not anticipated.  But this savory characteristic is distinctive, and while not as floral as that of his neighbours, this coffee has its own character, not to be overlooked.

We proceed to the much loved (excuse the pun) Don Amado.  This is the only yellow Catuaí on the table.  Seen widely across Brazil, most of central America does not favour this varietal above others.  Fresh, clean, crisp, delightfully well balanced with honey, toffee and milk chocolate.  Not for nothing is it extremely difficult to get hold of this coffee.  This farm has world reknown, and we are lucky to has this coffee.

We proceed to Danny Moreno, whose crisp, clean and well-balanced coffee establishes the theme of the Honduras for this year.  A mild burnt sugar finish, improving on cooling, bright acidty with enough supporting body to balance out the cup.

His brother Jesus overshadows him on this table however (well he ought to, with a name like that).  Here we have all the clean, fresh, balanced attributes of Danny´s coffee, but there is an intensity, and a fuller mouth feel which starts to introduce the quality we have come to expect from this region.  Dried fruits mix with caramel and plums, blackcurrants and dark chocolate.  The liquid level rapidly depreciates in the glasses; people nod earnestly while re-dipping spoons.

Neptali Bautista does us proud.  This coffee is juicy and round.  Full bodied and bursting with fruits and that burnt caramel finish again.  People like this coffee.  Some cuppers site this sample as their favourite and it´s easy to see why.  The complexity of this coffee gives it an edge, and has the power to render its excellent neighbours less interesting.

The name of Eulogio Martinez´ farm is Los Yoyos, which makes me like the coffee before we´ve even started.  It good: consistent, well balanced and bright.  But most saliently, it has a beautiful aura of coffee flower.  Not the hefty intensity of his neighbor on the table, but a delightfully delicate contrast.

Today Don Mayo does not live up to the quality we know and love.  We think the roast was off and the beans are underdeveloped.  We examine them.  A slight shade too pale perhaps, 30 seconds more would have done it.  This is an excellent lot and the man is internationally acclaimed, so we are sad not to be able to do justice to the product of his toils.

And now for Geisha! Where to start? Before we reveal what the coffees are, one cupper asks ´what is this coffee? This is not like any coffee I have ever tasted before´.  I nod, and a knowing smile escapes from the corner of my mouth.  Hacienda Esmeralda have been pioneering the Geisha varietal in the area for years, cultivating the little known variety against the advice of their neighbours, and with outstanding results.  We don´t know why the varietal is called Geisha, but its pretty apt.  I imagine an early explorer, a botanist: notebook in hand, braces, linen shirt and Panama hat.  Cupping the coffee for the first time he wonders how to capture all the attributes in one name: beautiful, exotic, floral, demure, accomplished, different from ordinary coffee - Geisha!

From Central America to Oslo, from Oslo to London; these coffees have travelled the world to reach us.  From our friends on the hillsides to the land of the midnight sun, and onwards to Clerkenwell of all places.  What a long old journey for such a little bean.  And who came to join our party?  Cuppers from down-the-road and round-the-corner, from Poland, from France, from Japan, from America.  A veritable United Nations of Cuppers it was.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and will be back again for more.

- Jo

*ok so it was only really international, but skype was involved, which made it kind of exciting...

London Centrals Cupping: Thursday 27th September

After the overwhelming success of our last London cuppings, we have decided to come back and present our latest coffee gems in the shape of Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama (Geisha).

We will be hosted by the wonderful people at Prufrock coffee on Leather Lane and will be joined with a skype link to the Collaborative founder Robert Thoresen who will introduce us to the coffees and regions and lead the discussion after cupping.

Date: Thursday 27th September

Time: 5pm

Location: Prufrock Coffee,  23-25 Leather Lane EC1N 7TE

The timings are as follows:

16.45 Arrival

17:00 Introduction to the coffees with Robert Thoresen via Skype

17:30 Cupping Honduras, Costa Rica & Panama Geisha

18:30 Discussion including Robert via Skype

19:00 Ends

Teaser to Borém Presentation - Le Carnaval du Café

As mentioned in our post about the upcoming event in Paris, Flávio Borém from the University of Lavras, Brazil, will be joining us to present his groundbreaking work on natural processing and coffee quality.  This will be the first time Flávio will present his work in Europe and is a unique opportunity to put yourself at the forefront of coffee research. Because of its status as the world's largest producer of arabica, Brazil is a producing country that is always in focus. In recent years, the coffee trade has become more and more about targeting specific markets, whether micro-region, species variation or processing method.

"Natural processed" coffee represents 80-85% of all coffee exported from Brazil. But much of this coffee is disregarded as inferior in quality and taste, compared to coffee processed through other methods. Yet there are, increasingly, more and more examples of fantastic natural processed coffees. To such an extent that roasters are beginning to pay more attention to naturals and the Cup of Excellence program arranged its first naturals competition this year. We now have increasing experiential evidence that very clean and interesting naturals can be found in Brazil, but this leads to some important and fundamental questions: What factors are contributing to these superior lots? How, specifically, can producers change and control their practices in order to produce great naturals?

Over the last three years, Mr. Borém has been collecting and analyzing data about how a coffee's processing environment affects cherry development and maturation. He and his team have been looking at many different variables (e.g. whether coffee bushes are grown on the sunny or shady side of a slope; effects of different altitudes; different humidity levels in dried coffee; temperature of coffee during drying, etc.) and how these affect the final cup profile. During his presentation in Paris, he will focus on the role of processing - and some of the many factors involved - on quality and flavour. The processing of high quality naturals is a very complex endeavour - something that may seem evident due to the fact that it has been difficult to find high quality naturals - but if certain variables are taken into account, it is possible to manipulate specific factors in processing, to yield better quality coffee.

Flávio's research and the questions it raises (as well as addresses) have some very important and practical implications for the coffee industry in Brazil. For one thing, natural processing represents a potential risk to the farmer, should he/she choose to process this way. But if it's risky to produce naturals, why devote time, effort and study to it? Amongst many reasons, natural processing has a long history and tradition in Brazil, while mechanical wet processing was not common before about 20 years ago. A very practical reason for natural processing is that there exist many places where it is necessary to process in this way, due to a lack of water resources. Perhaps most importantly from a buyer's perspective, naturals can possess very good characteristics such as intense aromas, sweetness, fruity flavors and a rich mouthfeel. The list of factors and debates related to this topic are truly endless.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear more about and debate on this important and fascinating research! Contact info@collaborativecoffeesource.com for more details on how you can participate.

Le Carnaval du Café 2012: a Parisian Cupping Extravaganza, 26-27 October 2012

Collaborative Coffee Source Presents: small dogs; BIG COFFEES

Move over vin et fromage - le cafe: c´est arrivé!  That´s right light-roast lovers: no more the robusta filled double espresso, non!  Never again the frothed-to-butter café au lait, sacré bleu! Because for two days only the culinary capital of the world will be transformed into coffee´s The  Place To Be.  O la la!

Over the 26-27 of October, we will be holding a two-day coffee extravaganza in the world´s most romantic city.  Come, stuff yourself silly with crumbling patissiere whilst cupping some of the most delightful coffees your bouche will ever be amused by.

Cupping spoons and notepads at the ready!  The programme will focus on the following areas:

1. Sourced by The Collaborative; roasted by You A unique opportunity to cup, compare and contrast coffees sourced by the Collaborative and roasted by individual specialty roasters across Europe.

2. Presenting: BRAZIL The Collaborative will be accompanied by Cup-of-Excellence-history-making producers. Together we will showcase the newest, freshest and boldest coffees available to Collaborative customers from the regions of Carmo de Minas and Piatá.

3. The Enlightenment Series: Processing! Varietals! We have invited leaders in their fields to come and talk to us about their research on the effects of different processing methods on the quality of coffee and cup profile, and the advantages and disadvantages of pioneering varietals.  This is the cutting edge of agronomy and coffee production and an exclusive opportunity: don´t miss it!

Plus plenty of time for getting to know fellow specialty roasters from across the continent, award-winning producers and researchers from Latin America and of course The City of Lights in all its autumnal glory.

So: dust off your can-can shoes, practise your verb conjugations and loosen your belt a notch or two: nous allons à Paris!

Places are limited so get in there quick! info@collaborativecoffeesource.com

"Micromills of Costa Rica and Best of Best of Panama" cupping

Hello Good Coffee People!

Last Friday Lars Huse, coffee lover and illustrator extraordinaire, released "Coffee A-Z" - a delightful little book filled with coffee information and accompanying illustrations. As the title succinctly describes it, the book informs and visualizes the world of coffee according to Lars. The event was held at Protein by DunneFrankowski, a minimalist coffee-bar-within-art-gallery space. Prior to the festivities, Robert hosted a cupping with a focus on micromills in Costa Rica and the best of Best of Panama.

To provide you with a bit of background on the Costa Rican coffees, Robert has been partnering with Exclusive Coffees over the last several years to first establish relationships and then buy coffee from quality-focused farms and micromills. Some of these micromill partners were represented at this cupping: Helsar de Zarcero, Don Mayo, Herbazu and Puente. Our approach within each country we buy from is focused and targeted, so when we met with Francisco and Juan Ramòn of Exclusive to discuss present and future strategy, we decided that rather than offer our customers "everything", we would focus on a handful of micromills and a handful of farms whose coffee is processed within each micromill. This allows for better relationship building, easier and more transparent communication and for better planning for future seasons.

So what did cuppers think of the coffees presented? 9 coffees were cupped and there were several varieties presented from each micromill. Sometimes Villa Sarchi presented more intense acidity but the Caturras also proved citrusy. The standout on this table came from the El Sur farm from the Puente micromill - this coffee had a lot of acidity but it was nicely balanced with sugary sweetness.

From the Best of Panama auction, we selected what we deem to be the "cream of the crop" from all three categories (i.e. geisha, natural, traditional) including natural and washed processed caturra, natural and washed geisha, washed pacamara and natural catuaì. Representative farms included Mama Cata, Los Lajones, Kotowa, Don Julian, Don Tito and Santa Teresa. There was some lively discussion about this table due to the varietals, processes and regions represented.

Many of you know about the Jaramillo farm located in Boquete and owned by the Peterson family. The geisha produced on this farm is well-known for being delicate and floral with prominent lemon citrus and jasmine flavours - people have come to love these attributes and it has put this farm and region on the map and the Petersons now hold their own successful auction. This year's geisha winner also presents the above-mentioned attributes but it comes from Volcán, a region not as ubiquitous for this varietal and these flavour characteristics.

Another topic that prompted discussion is the processing debate surrounding the geisha varietal. Does natural processing "cover" or "hide" the natural attributes of geisha? In the case of the winner from the "naturals" category, Don K from the Kotowa farm, no, natural processing does not take away from the elegance and cleanliness of the coffee. In the case of the second place winner, from Mama Cata, the natural process is more evident but the coffee is still lovely. Many of the 20 cuppers chose this one as their favourite.

And so, another interesting cupping with the London coffee community has come to an end. Thanks to all who came out to participate and to Lars and DunneFrankowski for providing an event and venue for this. Hope you enjoyed!

London Cupping, May 18 - the lineup

Hello London Coffee! Hope you're ready and excited to cup some fantastic coffee today. Here is the lineup, organized by origin, varietal, then process.

Table #1: Highlights from Central America
 

COSTA RICA, various mills & regions Helsar de Zarcero mill, Arce, Caturra, washed Herbazu mill, Villa Sarchi, washed Herbazu mill, Caturra, red honey

GUATEMALA, Buena Vista mill, Antigua region Hunapu, lot #1, blend Bourbon, washed Hunapu, lot #3, blend Bourbon, washed Felicidad farm, Bourbon, washed Potrero farm, Caturra, washed

HONDURAS, San Vicente mill, Santa Barbara region Juan Pablo Cruz, prod. Pacas, washed Castellanos, prod. Pacas, washed Nelson Ramirez, prod. Yellow Catuaí, washed Mario Moreno, prod. Pacas, washed Miguel Moreno, prod. Pacas, washed Amado Fernandez, prod. Yellow Catuaí, washed

Table #2: Best of...Best of Panama 2012

PANAMA, various producers/mills, Chiriqí region Duncan Organic farm, Caturra, washed (BoP #1) Don Julian farm, Pacamara, washed (BoP #2) Elida farm, Catuaí, washed (BoP #4) Elida farm, Catuaí, honey (BoP #5)

Los Cantares farm, Geisha, washed (BoP #1) La Milagrosa farm, Geisha, washed (BoP #2) Rojas farm, Geisha, washed (BoP #3)

Don K farm, Geisha, natural (BoP #1) Mama Cata farm, Geisha, natural (BoP #2) Casa Ruiz farm, Baby Geisha, natural (BoP #3)

Table #3: Highlights of natural processed coffees from El Salvador

El Salvador, various mills & regions Presented by Graciano Cruz, HiU

May 10 Cuppings in Gothenburg

Last Thursday Da Matteo roastery graciously hosted Collaborative cuppings for roasters interested in buying incoming coffees from Honduras and Panama. Since Giancarlo was also in Sweden at the time, Virmax took the opportunity to present on varietals in Colombia - specifically in the Santander, Valle del Cauca and Huila regions. El Roble is a state-of-the-art farm Kaffa started buying from last year and during this cupping, we presented three varietals from this farm (caturra, bourbon and typica), as well as a geisha from Cerro Azul Estate and a caturra from Omar Viveros' farm.

In attendance were representatives from Åre Kafferosteri, Johan & Nyström, Kahls kafferosteri, Dear Coffee, I Love You, Coffee and Memories, First Degree Coffee and Kaffemaskenin. From Santa Barbara in Honduras, 18 lots were cupped; 6 lots from the Los Angeles, Helsar and Don Mayo Mills in Costa Rica were selected; 1 lot each from the Yukro and Hawa Yember washing stations in Ethiopia were sampled; and finally, a variety of coffees from the Don Pepe, Lerida and Esmeralda farms in Panama were presented.

In general, cuppers were very excited about the Honduran and Ethiopian lots and felt that the Costa Rican lots were very clean but perhaps lacking in distinctness and character, in comparison to some of the others. Also of interest, and leading to much discussion, were the differences in cup profiles of the different varietals coming from El Roble, as well as the naturally processed geishas from Panama. Cuppers felt the Honduran coffees presented cleanly, distinctly (i.e. varietals as well as locations), with many exotic fruit notes, intensity and sweetness.

With respect to the geishas, we decided to dedicate a table to coffees from Esmeralda, specifically from the Jaramillo farm. Back in 2006, Robert asked the Petersons to begin separating lots from different areas of Jaramillo and year after year, he has preferred coffee from "Mario's area" (Mario is one of the people who live on this part of the farm). Even more specifically, Robert has cupped at various times this year and is most interested in pickings from February and March.

So, based on feedback we've received from last Thursday's cuppings in Gothenburg and in addition to prior organizing, we are in the process of finalizing shipments from Honduras and Panama. To allow for further contribution, we are hosting a cupping in London this Friday at Prufrock so that UK roasters can participate. News from this event to follow...

Until then,

Melanie

SCAA and Omar Viveros' visit

Cupping with Exclusive

It's been a busy, eventful and educational last few weeks at the Collaborative with our jurying at Best of Panama, participating at both the Specialty Coffee Association of America's (SCAA) annual event in Portland and Omar Viveros' and Giancarlo Ghiretti's visit from Colombia. With everything said and done, it's now time for us to communicate with you all about these happenings because much work has been done over these last weeks to establish relationships, build upon existing ones and to learn more about how specific partners are contributing to this community of quality-focused coffee professionals.

SCAA

When we talk about partners we are not only referring to original cherry producers or end coffee buyers/roasters. There are many people along the way that contribute skills, knowledge and equipment to the green coffee a roaster receives. The number of partners that contribute depend on many things: geography, the particular skillset of a farm owner and the equipment/facilities available on his/her farm, how a miller and/or exporter works with both producers and the coffee, etc., etc.  So while the work done on the initial product, from agricultural practice to picking, is of utmost importance, the work done after picking up until the coffee is delivered is almost, if not just, as important. Thus it isn't enough to have great relationships with just cherry producers or coffee farm owners; a coffee buyer must be able to trust those milling and exporting coffee.

Right now we are buying from approximately eight coffee producing countries and are looking to reestablish buying relationships in one or two more. Within these eight countries, we are buying coffee from a minimum of 70 individual cherry producers. So even if we have the chance to visit each and every one of these partners in a given season, it is not possible to get all the work done in those short visits as is necessary to establishing and maintaining meaningful contact. The regular contact and work done with each of these producers is one of the many reasons our exporting partners at origin need to be acknowledged.

I had the privilege of meeting the majority of our export partners at this year's SCAA event in Portland. I've "met" and worked with them a lot over the last few months through email but nothing replaces face-to-face contact. I learned much from these meetings and conversations, amongst which were: 1. A bit of context about the producing region each exporter works within; 2. How each exporting partner works with and views the relationship between cherry producer and exporter; and 3. Where they would like to see the industry go and how they plan on innovating and growing within their own region and context to see through this vision. In some cases we were able to talk about more but these were the most significant parts of the conversation for me, as a communicator and facilitator between/amongst partners throughout the coffee chain.

Robert has been working with these partners for several years and has assessed the work and merits of them. This made it easier for me to just talk with them about the current season and to begin planning for the next. All of us are excited - many ideas flew about during those four days. Now that we're all back home, it's time to work on these ideas. The work has already tangibly begun with our partners in Colombia.

Cupping with HiU

Omar's and Giancarlo's Visit

Omar Viveros is a cherry producer who we've been buying coffee from with the help of  Virmax, our exporting partners in Colombia, over the last two years. He is a producer who works hard, is innovative, is becoming a model for neighbouring producers and simply produces clean, excellent coffee. Virmax work with the most quality-focused coffee producers in Colombia and even amongst these dedicated producers, Omar stands out.

A few days after SCAA ended, Omar and Giancarlo Ghiretti, one of Virmax's founders, travelled to Oslo to lecture at Kaffefestivalen (the annual Norwegian coffee show) in Haugesund and so Omar could meet some of his end customers and see how his coffee is brewed in coffeebars in Norway. Omar's visit was educational for everyone who participated. For us at the Collaborative, a lot was learned about what it takes to produce excellent coffee in Pitalito. For Omar, it was inspirational and instructive to see how the many things he chooses to do on his farm have an impact on how the final consumer experiences his coffee. He also had the chance to see what is done in between, during the roasting process, at KAFFA.

Amongst the many things the Collaborative learned during Omar's visit, the following details kept reemerging as practices Omar follows to ensure the highest quality in his coffee:

• He pays his pickers well and provides bonuses in order to keep them. Once a good picker is found - someone who understands what a ripe cherry looks like and consistently picks ripe cherries - you don't want to let that person migrate elsewhere.
• The common practice in Colombia is to allow cherry to dry ferment for 18-hours before it is depulped and sent for delivery. Omar has found, through experimentation, that soaking cherry in water for 24-hours provides much better temperature stability, which allows for a more even fermentation process.
• Omar's drying facility is constructed so that some areas have more or less shade, so that coffee can be rotated at specific times, for an optimal drying process.
• Omar is constantly looking for new ways of doing things to improve quality. He follows through on the advice of Virmax's  agronomists and is a member and participates in a growers' association that provides education and training.

As a result of educating himself, experimenting and listening, Omar has learned that certain varieties cup better, thus receive higher scores and prices, than others. Currently his farm is half made up of the Caturra variety and the other half is made up of the Colombia and Castillo varieties. The Colombian government promotes and encourages the planting of Colombia and Castillo because they are "hardier" plants. But (without getting into a long debate about it) Caturra cups better. We'll leave it at that for now because not enough is understood/known about this topic for us to make statements about the whys and hows of this.

We will write more about Omar's visit. He and Giancarlo lectured at both Kaffefestivalen and at KAFFA about what it takes to be a great coffee producer in Pitalito. When we described the work we do to Omar, he wanted to find ways that he can engage more. One of his ideas is to livestream activities on his farm, so we'll be working on how to do that over the coming weeks.

Omar and Silje

Tasting his coffee as competition coffee

Cupping his and other Colombian coffee

Upcoming at the Collaborative

This month, we receive shipments from Kenya, Brazil and Guatemala. We are cupping in Gothenburg today and are arranging cuppings in other locations, which are yet to be determined.

If you would like to be involved/would like to attend a cupping, or you're part of a group of roasters wanting to work with us and would like to cup as a group, email Per or me.

Until next time,

Melanie

Collaborative Cuppings: Oslo - Malmö - Paris

Cupping at Kaffa

A couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to cup some of our samples from Kenya together with roasters and members of the coffee community in London. Soon after we started planning another cupping at KAFFA in Oslo, where we cupped more samples from Kenya. This time we included samples from Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Ethiopia and Brazil, as we are working on bringing coffee in from these regions. Again we managed to invite not only roasters from Norway, but also roasters from Sweden, Finland and Russia. Quite an international cupping! We decided to do more Collaborative cuppings not only because it is important for us to meet roasters and share our coffees but also because it is very important for roasters to get together, cup together and share their thoughts and ideas.

So, after the Oslo cupping and on quite a short notice, we managed to put together two more cuppings the following week. First in Malmö, Sweden and then in Paris, France. Several enthusiastic roasters got together on both occasions and cupped some very interesting lots. I especially enjoyed cupping the coffees from Bella Vista in Antigua, where I was able to taste the fruit of Bjørnar's work during his visit to Guatemala.

Overall, the cuppings were interesting. Some lots received more attention than others but I personally enjoy every coffee we carry. I also truly appreciate meeting with engaged roasters and to hear feedback on the Collaborative Coffee Source.

I would like to thank all the roasters that took the time to come and cup with us in Oslo, Malmö and Paris. And special thanks to Dan, Johan and Jonas at Solde kafferosteri and David and Nicolas at Télescope for hosting the cuppings for us!

Where will we cup next time? We don’t know. Maybe you do?

Per