Video: Don Pepe Micromill

Don Pepe Micromill on Vimeo. Cesar Urena is the owner/operator at the Don Pepe Micromill, located in San Isidro de Leon Cortez, Costa Rica. We visited Cesar’s Micromill during Cafe Imports trip to Costa Rica for the 2014 harvest, what we discovered was a crown jewel in the treasure trove of Costa Rican coffees this year. […]

VIDEO: The Grounds of Rio Jorco Micromill, Costa Rica

Unbelievably, there is a full obstacle course outside the Rio Jorco micromill in Costa Rica.  Here is a short video of our break time after a long day of cupping and farm visits.   Keep an eye out for these microlots this year! Rio Jorco Fun on the Grounds from Noah N on Vimeo.

Origin Report: Peru 2013

Coffee came to Peru in the mid 1700s and was most likely introduced by Dutch immigrants.  The Dutch brought the Typica variety which still dominates especially amongst the older farms and micro-farms.  The first coffee plantings were in Chinchao, Huanuco in Selva Central and disseminated from there to the Northern (Cajamarca) and Southern (Cusco and […]

Viva Colombia: Introducing the “Regional Select Project”

We have just completed nearly 6 weeks of cupping Colombian offers from the June-July harvest which comes primarily from the South (see map below) of the country; both Principal harvests and Mitaca (fly) crops and we have some really great coffees coming. These coffees include: A new FTO group from Cauca, some outstanding micro-lots from […]

Origin Report: Sulawesi 2013

  Sulawesi (Celebes), was influenced and controlled by the Netherlands from 1605 until World War II.  In 1669 the Dutch East India Company took control of the trade in Sulawesi.  The Dutch built Fort Rotterdam in Ujung Pandang (now Makassar) in the mid 1600’s and not until 1905 they finally gained control of the whole island becoming part of […]

Video: Rodrigo Silva Producer Profile

 This is a video of Rodrigo Silva, a producer of the group Primaveral in Acevedo Colombia.  We will have an incredible microlot from him later this year that we cupped in Colombia November 2012.  Really amazing stuff.   On a mobile device or want to view full size?  View the video HERE Rodrigo Silva from […]

Rust Fungus in Colombia

In the last 2-3 years we have seen a shortage of Colombian coffee that has contributed to the high Colombian differentials (prices) and also has contributed to the worldwide coffee shortage, being the world’s largest washed coffee producer.  All of the above has also had an impact in the prices of the coffee worldwide (Coffee […]

Origin Report: Mexico 2011

  Chiapas March 2011:  El Triunfo coop CESMACH coop, Union el Triunfo By: Tim Chapdelaine People take back Mexico. The final panel in the extraordinary Diego Rivera Mural in El Palacio Nacional, Ciudad Mexico. The Diego Rivera mural is magnificent. His friendship with Trotsky and choppy marriage to Frida Kahlo fed his art. This piece, of which this photo is […]

Origin Report: Guatemala 2011

 Guatemala Origin Trip This year’s origin trip brought together two Café Imports staff, 16 wonderful guests and one very special little girl. To put it mildly…the experience was outstanding. Anacafé graciously hosted our event and traveled with us every step of the way offering all sorts of insight to the tour sites and Guatemalan culture.    Our […]

Origin Report: Kenya 2011

Amazing!  Another year where the Kenyan coffee situation looks to be worse than the previous record bad year.  The Millers and Marketers association just announced that due to a sharp revision down in supply, auctions would only be held every two weeks.  This is the first time that I’ve heard that auctions would not be a weekly event.  […]

Origin Report: Ecuador 2010

  From October 27th to 29th I was honored to be a part of the “Taza Dorada,” or Golden Cup, in Quito, Ecuador. This competition seeks to identify the best coffees of Ecuador and to show what Ecuador can bring to the specialty coffee market. A group of international and national judges spent two days cupping twenty-six […]

Origin Report: Peru 2006

Boiled Potatoes and Goat Cheese: Peru 2006 Of course one of the greatest perks of working in the coffee industry is the opportunity to travel to far away places and meet people on the other side of the business. These working relationships are the backbone of Café Imports’ mission in the world of coffee and […]