Blog Archives

LOT OR MICROLOT? That is the question.

9/21/2017

Microlot, direct trade, single origin, origin trip, nanolot, among others; are terms that are being repeatedly used in the specialty coffee industry today.

A microlot is a term that designates not only a small volume of coffee production, but also designates a selectively hand-picked coffee, from a particular cultivar, in a specific farm or micro-region, within a certain altitude range and processed separately; or at least a combination of some of the above. In summary, it's the result of some concerted effort to separate and carefully prepare a quantity of coffee that will have special characteristics.

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The history of coffee in Indonesia

9/13/2017

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Indonesia was the third country in the world to grow coffee for commercial purposes after Ethiopia and Yemen.

The history of coffee in Indonesia, as in many others producing countries around the world, begins with tales of colonialism, slavery, monopoly and multinational corporations (Yes! The first ones of modern history were set in the early 17th century).

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Roasting and cupping Burundi Samples

9/4/2017

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Each year we are receiving more and more samples from producers and cooperatives in many origins around the world. This is very exciting, but also represents a challenge in terms of time and resources we need to dedicate to analyze and evaluate each of them fairly and effectively.

This year from Burundi only, we received 51 samples from 4 different cooperatives we had the chance to visit last June.

Knowing that the majority of these samples are from the same micro-region, altitude, varietal and process; it is extremely important to use a sample roaster that allows us to consistently replicate the selected profile over and over again, as small differences in the roasting degree could "artificially" influence our purchasing decision in one direction or another.

After several trial and error tests (or in this case, roasting and cupping tests), we have designed a roasting profile to evaluate coffees from Rwanda and Burundi, with enough development to allow us to appreciate the potential of each sample, but without hiding the good or bad characteristics with the flavour of the roast.

This is key in origins such as Rwanda and Burundi, where we have the "unpopular" potato defect. Although, it is possible to minimize its probability through a strict hand sorting process when the parchment is still wet, right after finishing the washing and just before beginning the drying (watch video); although, this is not 100% effective and there is always the small chance that we can get a bean with potato that will contaminate the whole cup.

Finally, evaluation through blind cupping allows us to judge the potential, identify the defects and select the best samples. It is the most influential tool when deciding which coffees will be travelling to our warehouse and going into your roasters very soon.

Enjoy your Burundi coffee!

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LOT OR MICROLOT? That is the question.

The history of coffee in Indonesia

Roasting and cupping Burundi Samples

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