In the Grinder - Our Daily Coffee Weblog

April 2011 Archives

Barista Nations Event

April 18, 2011

 

Our friends at Espresso Midwest are hosting a one-day information-packed event for baristas.  More information can be found a the links below.  New espresso machines by UNIC will be on display for your hands-on testing.

Barista Nation Midwest Event
Tuesday May 10th 9:30-5:00 pm

Hosted by Espresso Midwest
3268 W. County Rd 42
Burnsville, MN
 

Contact Anastasia Chovan
baristanation@gmail.com
866.295.8642 

Barista Nation provides a grass roots forum for coffee the specialty coffee market. Barista Nation function is a one-day regional event with a focus on coffee discovery, development and devices for everyone.

www.BaristaNation.com

Posted by JaminPermalink

It Has Been a Great Year for Burundi Coffee!

April 20, 2011

According to Rueters "Burundi coffee revenue is up almost 400% compared to last year...early estimates predicted Burundi's crop to yield $81.6 Million, but the actual totals are closer to $83 Million."

Burundi2.jpg

This is amazing for the tiny country of Burundi that we are intimately involved with and have been for the past 6 years.  Jason has invested a huge amount of time and energy into helping develop the Burundi program we are so proud of at Cafe Imports.  While the revenue jump is partly due to the higher market levels; the higher prices do not account for the majority of the 400% growth in Burundi.  This country had an excellent harvest year and really utilized continued investment in coffee infastructure over the past several years. 

We are extremely happy for Burundi.  Nearly 10% of the total population of Burundi works in coffee farming in one way or another, almost 800,000 people.  90% of all export revenues in the entire country come from coffee, so supporting this country's coffee is literally saving their lives.  Rebuilding after a nearly 12 year long civil war that ended in 2005, coffee has been the main factor in the recovery and healing process.  The average GDP per capita in Burundi in 2009 was shockingly low, about $170 according to the IMF.  We believe this increased revenue and huge success of 2010/2011 crop is a step in the right direction to improving the lives of the people of Burundi.

Thank you for supporting the coffee farmers of Burundi!  We are going to continue to do everything we can to help these amazing people further develop more and better coffee for the years to come!

-The Cafe Imports Team

Burundi1.jpg

Posted by NoahPermalink

Tim Chapdelaine on Productive Origin Travel

April 26, 2011

We are proud to announce that Tim Chapdelaine has a published article "Passport to the Coffee Lands" in the May/June 2011 edition of Roast Magazine. 

Please visit www.roastmagazine.com or check your current issue to hear some of the things that Tim has learned over the years on what really makes a successful origin trip possible. 

We believe that this article is a great way to prepare yourself for your next trip to origin!

-The Cafe Imports Team

TimCBrasilNotes.JPG

Posted by NoahPermalink

Andrew's Trip to COE Colombia 2011

April 28, 2011

**The Online Auction for COE Colombia was May 31st, 2011**

Cafe Imports secured the #1 winning lot from Arnulfo Leguizamo

Pouringsmall.jpgIMG_0144small.jpg

Last month I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate as an international juror for the Colombian Cup of Excellence competition in Santa Marta Colombia for the 2011 auction. Santa Marta is a historic town on the northern Caribbean coast where the mountains come down to the beach and it is Sunny, hot and humid.  It was an opportunity to be at one of the greatest coffee cupping events of the year combined with a little bit of sunshine and surf. This means a lot to someone who spends their winters battling snow and ice on the great northern tundra of Minnesota where we had a record 76 inches of snow this year.

Of the initial 500 entries, there were 44 coffees that scored above 84 and made it in to the final leg of the competition. The first day was calibration cupping led by Paul Songer who was our head judge, mentor, statistician and teacher for the week.  If you ever have a chance to work with this man or speak with him about coffee, he is one of the best sources of science, coffee information and passion and it was truly an honor to be led by Paul for the week. The international jury was composed of four cuppers from Asia, four Europeans, four North Americans, two from South America, two Colombians and two observers plus Paul.
 
Day two we cupped 24 coffees, day three we cupped 24 coffees because of some re- roasts, day four was the top twenty again and the last day we did the top ten and that was a day to live for. The best 500 coffees out of Colombia reduced through giant efforts to 10 after a good nights sleep with a fresh palate.
 
These COE cuppings are a serious cupper’s workout. Imagine a table with ten coffees, four cups of each; you hit them all three times. That’s at least 120 slurps but the seriousness of this event and the fact that it can move a producer in to relative coffee stardom and economic success makes you pay utmost attention to every slurp and sensation. So you go back and do it again and again. After an hour of this, you talk about them with your peers for an hour and then do another ten until your kidneys are crying uncle and your whole body shakes and quivers like the methadone line.
 
Colombian coffees have been some of the world’s richest with big body and overtones of chocolate. The coffees from the south have tropical fruit fragrance, intense acidity and still the chocolate and caramel body notes. Coffees from the South have performed well in the COE auction and this year once again Of the top 22 scoring coffees this auction there are 19 from the South and 17 from the state of Huila specifically.

IMG_0111small.jpg

This year’s winning coffee was produced by Arnulfo Leguizamon from the town of San Augustin in the state of Huila. He is a member of an association of producers called Los Naranjos de San Augustin. The Cup of Excellence auction is May 9th and the pre-cupping of these coffees will be held prior to that online auction.  So look for these items on your table and support this excellent program if you have a chance.
 
-Andrew Miller

Winner and Juan V Small.JPG

 

 

Various styles of slurp and spit seen at COE Colombia

To see the mobile version of the video, click HERE

Posted by NoahPermalink