In the Grinder - Our Daily Coffee Weblog

By Jamin Haddox

Our trip continued to Popayan where we were met with the gracious hospitality of Jairo Ruiz, co-owner of Banexport, a specialty coffee exporter based in Bogota. Jairo gave us a tour of the dry mill where they prepare and export some of the best coffee in Colombia. They employ a large bank of color sorters and use a unique double-pass method to ensure ultra-clean prep which is the hallmark of high-grade specialty coffee. The real treat for me was a peek at a pair of 250k Probat roasters. These incredible machines can be loaded with parchment and chaff from the adjacent dry mill to help fire the roaster and bring it to temp, no small feat in a roaster of this size. The trier is the biggest I’ve seen and the utter mass of cast iron was a formidable sight.

Anyone who’s traveled in the coffee lands knows that the best green is exported, so drinking bad coffee at origin comes with the territory (I like to substitute Coca-Cola--a real treat when made with cane sugar instead of HFCS). Much cream and sugar are key to getting your morning cafe negro down the hatch. I’m reminded of how spoiled we are in the U.S. for good coffee and how coffee that is considered un-exportable still can taste pretty darn good when shared with good company and the beautiful mountain scenery of a cool Colombian morning. Fortunately for Piero and I, after our tour of the dry mill, Jairo and his father served us the best coffee we’d had yet on this trip while Jairo filled us in on a little company background. Mr. Ruiz has been in the coffee business for over 25 years. Jairo explained that he wasn’t very interested in following in his father’s footsteps until he returned to Colombia after studying abroad and got excited about the specialty revolution. That’s when he started Banexport with his brother about 10 years ago.

We continued our conversation over lunch at a local restaurant which also doubles as an amusement park and petting zoo. Jairo says these are common all over Colombia (he used to own and manage one himself!). The concept seems incredibly tacky, but I have to admit that feeding ostrich sugar cane leaves while you wait for your meal was actually kind of fun. I found myself reflecting on the farm-to-table movement popular now in many restaurants in the U.S as we consumed grilled baby cow not 100 feet from a group of children petting a group of penned-in baby cows. Something so completely natural to them seemed odd to this Minnesotan who was raised on a diet of bloodless shrink-wrapped meat, carefully removed from the messy business of livestock.

After dinner, we said goodbye to Jairo’s father and traveled to meet Don Miguel, owner of La Esperanza. La Esperanza is a progressive and highly experimental farm just outside of Trujillo, a small town of about 5,000. His estate is sprawling and beautiful, and has been in his family for 3 generations. About 12 years ago, while working for the FNC, Miguel noticed that the Japanese market was looking for high quality and unique types of coffee, and were willing to pay for them. He attempted to start some of this work while still employed by the Federation, but became restless with the lack of support for his suggestions. Eventually, he would leave the FNC altogether. He later traveled to Panama to meet with the Peterson family of La Esmeralda fame. Seeds in hand, he returned to Colombia and began to plant Geisha at some of his highest altitude land. After years of hard-earned lessons and careful plant selection, he is now producing Geisha in Colombia, and it is of exceptional quality. In my opinion, Geisha expresses its characteristic "citrus tea" profile differently in Colombia than in Panama. While the Peterson’s coffee is a fireworks display of bergamot and stone fruit with delicate body, Miguel’s coffees express their "Geisha-ness" in a more restrained and balanced way, with heavier body, more caramel, and rounder mouth feel. Miguel has been carefully planting and tracking the genetic characteristics of his Geisha trees and says that with 3-4 more years of plant selection his coffees will continue to improve. Just a week before we left on this trip, we cupped a pre-shipment of his Geisha at 91 points. It’s hard to imagine what he means!

In a country where almost all the coffee seedlings grown are distributed, managed, and exported by the FNC, what Miguel is trying to do here is very risky. The FNC has been developing rust and pest-resistant varieties almost since its inception, the most common being variedad Colombia or their newly touted hybrid Castillo. From a yield and risk management point of view, these high-tech seedlings offer some appealing advantages. These advantages, however, don’t come without cost. The best Castillo lot I’ve ever cupped scored an 83, and some Colombian coffee experts outside of the FNC say that my experience represents about the peak possible cup for this variety that shares some of its genetic roots with Robusta. Some may remember the scandal at last year’s Cup of Excellence when the FNC claimed that the winning lot was in fact Castillo. Most experienced cuppers think that it is impossible for a lot of 100% Castillo to cup equivalent to the more traditional varieties such as Typica.

The politics of Colombian coffee are complex and nuanced. Most people outside of the FNC will speak positively about many of the FNC’s accomplishments, including the unparalleled consumer image Colombian coffee enjoys worldwide. Some, however, are skeptical that the FNC’s model of high yield input-dependent monoculture cultivation favors short-term financial prosperity at the expense of the environment and farmer health--a lesson we’re just beginning to realize here in the U.S. Castillo was developed for dense planting in full sun, so the current FNC recommendations are to cut and burn any existing vegetation and replace it with coffee alone. Traditionally, coffee in Colombia was grown amongst all kind of other food crops and these crops were used for on-farm consumption and in some cases (like bananas) for sale as a cash crop to local markets. Under the current recommendations, farmers who grow Castillo become more dependent on local markets and currency to sustain their livelihood.

Don Miguel’s vision of responsible farming isn’t for himself alone. He plans to share what he learns on his farm with other farmers in Colombia and will supply seed as well. As we climbed through his many plots of coffee, we talked about his interest in cultivating other old varieties like Bourbon, about the work he is doing to expand and improve the organic sections of his farm, and the challenge and expense of training pickers in a country where selective harvesting is not common.

Later that evening, we climbed back into the truck and headed for Caicedonia. The next morning, we awoke and headed to Miguel’s warehouse where he stores his coffee in parchment until it’s rested and ready for export. Miguel’s dedication to quality is evidenced by the professionalism of his staff and the cleanliness of his warehouse. The warehouse looks more like a coffee museum than a warehouse. It is immaculate, with bags of pergamino carefully stacked and individually tagged with every tidbit of information imaginable. La Esperanza dries their coffee to around 10.6% MC then keeps the pergamino in dated Grainpro bags until Hernando determines they are rested, stable, and ready for export. In contrast, most coffee in the world is dried to 12% (sometimes higher) to avoid the loss of any precious weight loss. Because coffee is sold on weight, removing moisture costs real money, and most exporters and farmers are unwilling to assume that loss. Coffee which is dried to around 10.8% has been proven in numerous studies to be more flavor-stable and enjoy a substantially longer shelf life compared coffees of different moisture. This detail may seem minor, but it’s evidence of La Esperanza’s commitment to quality over quantity. A truly progressive operation considering most importers and roasters neglect to take this much care in protecting their green.

Included in the warehouse is a modern cupping lab, where Hernando, also an ex-FNC employee, manages all things quality, from harvest to export. Together with Hernando, his co-coffee geek and barista Pedro, and Jairo, Piero and I cupped three tables of La Esperanza coffee including some novel fermentation experiments that Hernando had executed.

We cupped many lots, including an experimental lot of Laurina - a variety naturally low in alkaloids, and thus low in caffeine as well. (picture with description) We had seen the planting of these unique trees the previous day. The trees are small and dense, and resemble small Christmas trees with their fruit almost totally concealed by thick foliage. Miguel managed to get some seeds from an undisclosed project before it was abandoned and the trees destroyed. He has been testing caffeine content and selecting only the lowest caffeine trees for propagation. The results are coffee seeds which are naturally low in caffeine (around .04%). Decaffeinated coffee has always been irritating for me, since my personal opinion is that it’s an adulterated product of dubious quality. Laurina, on the other hand, was the biggest surprise of the trip. The tiny emerald seeds are elongated and look very similar to good-quality washed Ethiopian Sidamo. The size makes it a challenge to roast, but once you master the profile, you are rewarded with a coffee experience like none I’ve tasted before. The cup is floral and lemony, syrupy and round, strangely sweet, with caramel and rich chocolate notes. Surely this can’t be decaf! The only characteristic that betrays its heritage is a noticeable lack of bitterness. Alkaloids (a chemical group to which caffeine belongs) are responsible for many of the bittering compounds which give coffee its unique flavor. Because Laurina is low in many of these compounds, its flavor is noticeably round, and the sugars--unmodulated by bittering agents--take center stage, giving it a honey-like sweetness. If Laurina represents the future of decaffeinated coffee, then I must reluctantly put aside my prejudice and admit that I may actually enjoy decaf!

Piero and I spent the rest of the day talking shop with Hernando (though his English is much better than my Spanish), swapping roasting strategies and learning from each other. A perfect ending to a fascinating and enjoyable trip!

I've uploaded pictures here: http://www.cafeimports.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=82

Here is a video featuring the Brazilian farmer Valdir Fereirra from Fazenda Sitio Boa Vista, just outside of Pocos de Caldas, Brasil.  This video is from our July 2011 trip with the baristas.  Enjoy!

This video was taken by Piero of Cafe Imports during his most recent visit to Granja La Esperanza in Colombia.  This video highlights the production of their exquisite Geisha variety.  We have this coffee now, ID3734 and ID3733

The Cup of Excellence competition has pushed the limits in the quality coffee movement since 1999.  It has played a major role in developing the high-end specialty market and was the tool that connected many farmers to buyers.  Opinions might differ here, but this program was one of the first (if not the first) to introduce highly traceable microlots into our market with a great deal of information but always giving priority to cup quality.  Our vision and ideals are aligned with the CoE program and this is why we are involved and support it.

This harvest season we brought in three different Cup of Excellence microlots from El Salvador.  All of these three lots are from producers we personally know and have worked with in the past.  Jason and I had the privilege to hang out with all of them on our pre-harvest visit to El Salvador a couple of weeks ago.  Producers both in El Salvador and Nicaragua kept mentioning how important placing at the Cup of Excellence had been for their coffee career.  For many it is what paved the road to success.

Available now:

Fernando Lima at Santa Elena

#34 – Andalucia from Sociedad Lima y Hermanos (P3665)

This is an organic farm that is owned by the Lima brothers.  We have worked with them for several years now with Santa Elena Estate and Campanula (part of our microlot selection).  This group has proven year after year their commitment to quality at the Cup of Excellence program.  This year alone they had three different farms win awards including Santa Elena!  Coffee farming is nothing new for them as it has been in their family for multiple generations now.  Andalucia is located on the western side of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range in Ahuachapan (close to the Santa Ana area).  Cupping notes: lemon, apple, cranberry, floral, berry, apricot, papaya, blackberry, sugar cane juice and peach.

Ernesto Menendez at Las Brumas

#23 – Las Brumas from Ernesto Menendez (P3664)

Las Brumas (The Mist) is an amazing variety garden were coffee is being cultivated and segregated by variety.  This lot is mostly comprised of Bourbon variety, a heirloom Arabica variety that has prevailed in El Salvador for many years even though it is not as high-yielding as others and is more susceptible to pests.  The sweetness in the cup of this variety is unbelievable though!  Ernesto is a well-seasoned cupper, Q grader, has been involved with CQI and has served in multiple CoE juries.  Las Brumas is located at 1450 – 1700 masl, which is extremely high for El Salvador.  The mist in the area is extremely volatile.  At one point we could see the ocean and five minutes later it was gone.  Cupping notes: tropical fruit, papaya, cinnamon, apple butter, rum, caramel, blackcurrant and honey.

#6 – Los Planes from Sergio Ticas (P3666)

Los Planes is located in the department of Chalatenango and in close proximity to the town of La Palma.  This is on the northwest part of the country bordering Honduras.  This is an up-and-coming growing region in El Salvador that has largely been unexplored.  We are really excited to be working with Sergio to get the best coffees from the region.  Chalatenango is full of pergamineros (farmers who do their own depulping and drying).  This adds another level of complexity to the producer since they do not outsource this part of the processing.  Sergio is an icon of specialty coffee in El Salvador and one of the most well respected producers.  Los Planes is at about 1600 masl and has focused on traditional Bourbon and Pacamara varieties.  Keep an eye on this micro-region in El Salvador!  Cupping notes: vanilla, butter, caramel, lemon, orange, cinnamon, honeysuckle, melon and berry.

All of these coffees have been vetted multiple times by a national and international jury.  They are certainly the crème-of-the-crop as far as El Salvador goes.  We are excited for the future of specialty coffee and grateful for Cup of Excellence for pushing the bar!

Give us a call to get your hands on any of these exclusive offerings from El Salvador.

View from Las Brumas

We just want to say a quick thanks to all of the roasters that donated coffee for the send back to the respective producer of their lot of coffee in El Salvador.  We are so excited that these hardworking farmers get to enjoy some really awesome coffee roasted by you for the holidays.  We are sure they will take great pride in tasting your coffee and keeping your bag in their homes.

Thank you all!

Olympia Coffee Roasting, Verve, Octane/Primavera, One Line, Sumas Mountain, Sight Glass, The Great Lakes, Oddly Correct, Roast Coffee Co, Lucky Goat, and Populace

Deep in the heart of Africa is the tiny country of Burundi and deep in Burundi is Café Imports. We have been trekking to this tiny country located south of Rwanda on Lake Tanganyika since 2006. We have logged seven trips so far and spent about two months total on the ground. We have really enjoyed passing along our findings and experience in some previous blogs from previous years.

Our many trips have not been without results. We’ve cupped coffees from more than 50 washing stations over the years, pinpointing on stations with the best cupping coffees. It was no surprise to us that our Burundian coffees won seventy five percent of the recent Prestige Cup competition that took place in Bujumbura this August.

Burundi is just south of Rwanda but miles and miles away in the cup. The two countries share much; the same tribes, the same varietals, a similar history, but the cups are not even related. This is a case of terroir. While Rwandan coffees cup with lovely sugary and lemon citrus notes, the mountains of Burundi produce a deep fig and fruity coffee –almost a Malbec of a cup highlighted by a firm supporting acidity. Washing stations around Kiryama and Kinyovu have a floral-citrus, almost tangerine acidity to compliment the underlying deep fruit, while others like Bwayi are straight on figgy compote. Why the cup varies so much from nearby southern Rwandan Butare cups I do not know. I do know, though, that the Burundi cup produces one of, if not the best, single origin espressos that I’ve pulled as the deep clean fruit along with supportive acidity and solid body make a mind blowing shot.

Coffee in Burundi is a logistics challenge--even for the best of us. It is a particularly poor country tied with Congo for the lowest GDP among African countries. The tiny land locked country also shares the same tribal conflicts that Rwanda has experienced, but unlike Rwanda, they’ve never been reconciled. AK47 gunfire and flares over Congo border the evening I was leaving on my last visit highlight ongoing simmering political tensions. In spite of all this, our work and investment on the ground over the years has allowed us to consistently get the coffees we are proud of and that many of you have grown to love.

Our first container from this year’s harvest is arriving this month and we have many of the coffees from the Prestige Cup likely arriving just after the first of the year. If you know this coffee, I’m sure you’re already in touch with us for new crop and if you do not, I am sure it is a cup that you’ll know soon.

Some additional random notes:

Varietals
- Bourbon
- Jackson (Bourbon varietal)
- Mibirzi (Bourbon varietal)

Processing
Traditional Burundian processing methods are used by the cooperatives/washing stations that we are buying from. This method is where the coffee is pulped and “dry fermented” up to twelve hours before being fully washed with clean mountain water from twelve to twenty four hours and then finally soaked for an additional twelve to eighteen hours before being dried in parchment on raised beds, called African beds in Central American. I got laughs in Kenya many years ago when I referred to the raised beds that way!

Geography and Altitude
Coffee is produced across the country from 750 meters outside Bujumbura to 2000 meters in the northern areas of Kayanza and Ngozi--our personal two favorite areas. We have been buying from 1700 to 2000 meter coffees for many years.
 

In an effort to make high-end specialty coffee available to more people around the globe Café Imports has been warehousing coffee in London and Melbourne the past several years.  We will maintain a permanent position for roasters to order from. 

A full container of various Colombian microlots from the region of Nariño just landed in London and are available now.  Nariño is in the south of Colombia in close proximity to Huila and bordering Ecuador.  These coffees exhibit a classic southern-Colombia profile.  The IDs for these coffees are: P3762-3767 and appear as “Eniti Limited UK” in our online offerings.

http://tinyurl.com/EnitiLtdOfferings

In the next couple of months we will stock our Australian warehouse with a couple of new coffees.  The first two offerings will be a full container of our Brazil Yellow Bourbon, traceable to a specific farm, and a full container of our Colombia Los Naranjos from San Agustin, Huila.

For sales in Europe contact Jason@cafeimports.com

For sales in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand contact noah@cafeimports.com