This sorta-Spring period is not the busiest for landing new coffees, and the industry is still feeling deep pain from pandemic-related issues, mostly in the shipping sector. The market for spot (warehouse-available) coffees is always a bit thin around now, and I've been picking some delightful javas in the "nooks and crannies", including old faves. As small quantities and one-off, these will be available in the Special du Jour Deluxe and Special du Jour Boutique tabs, and you can specify or let me do the selecting for you.

Sparkly Colombia Finca San Jose Yellow Caturra honey process (featured a couple years ago, and an interesting processing twist from our current Finca San Jose washed Caturra)

Burundi Ngozi Bavyeyi natural process...a really wild and complex fruity pourover....

Rwanda Rusizi Nyakarenzo...a washed process gem from our partners at Coffee Shrub, who RULE in many origins....

Ecuador Finca Cruz Loma macerated honey process....1st coffee ever from that country (my bad...mil disculpas amigos e amigas de Cuenca y Guayaquil), and an amazingly complex cup.

More alerts as they arrive....

I knew the Colombia Finca El Danubio Pink Bourbon was a fabulous coffee from the first roast and sip...everything I source from my delightful trading partner Traviesa Coffee in Manizales is special. When I learned that industry heavy Coffee Review was doing a special piece on single-farm Colombia I rushed a sample in for consideration, where after going through their rigorous trials it received 93 points (out of 100). Many of you who have already purchased this fine coffee have sent props...much appreciated! You're not alone out there!

Don't take my word for it, read the review here. But please read the entire article as it affords a window into the doings of exceptional producers, most of them smallholder farmers, and the roasters all over the world who prize these beans.

The beneficiary of sales profits for the Finca El Danubio Pink B. will continue to be Pink Lemonade Project of Vancouver, WA. When the Finca El Danubio runs out, which will be soon (down to a mere 45 lbs) we will bring in another special Pink Bourbon and continue sending $$$ to PLP to further their efforts on behalf of breast cancer survivors.

Thank you all for keeping the motor running here at Badbeard's. It has been a harrowing year and I'm humbled by how many nice, cheerful and inspiriting notes I've received along the way, describing the importance of the caffeination routine in achieving "normalcy". The challenges have been great: green coffee supply chain, logistics, shipping (USPS is back on track after a terrifyingly spotty December), emotional roller coastering. Keep it going y'all, we will get this American ship aright! A nice cuppa joe makes things better.

As many here know, and new buyers can take note, I often get small stashes of super-primo inventory items to fill the tabs "Special du Jour Deluxe and Boutique, aka roaster's choice....often for "side projects" like the current Oatmeal Coffee Porter for which I collaborated with my roastery suite-mates Brewery 26. This beer just rolled out this week in the Portland area and will be widely distributed (several Markets of Choice got their stashes today, Jan. 21).   I chose three coffees...Costa Rica Arracaches, Colombia Finca San Jose (current inventory item) and Kenya Kiruga AB...for their malty, cocoa and chocolate taste notes any synchrony with the beer ingredients. Turns out in the medium roast this trifecta makes an awesome espresso and drip blend.  

Boutique coffees this month are a natural process Yellow Bourbon gem from Sul de Minas, Brazil and a fruit-forward washed Rwanda. A lovely organic washed process from DR Congo represents my first try at that origin and won't disappoint!

Excited to announce our first collaboration with local (Vancouver, Washington) non-profit Pink Lemonade Project, dedicated to serving those affected by breast cancer across the Portland, OR-Vancouver, WA metro area. Bringing this together with the outstanding Colombia Pink Bourbon...one of our favorite "niche" varietals...from Finca El Danubio in the Huila Dept. Our steadfast trading partner Traviesa Coffee always sources the best coffees from Colombia and this gem arrives straight from a post-processing warehouse to our door via international air freight.

Badbeard's is kicking over $5 per bag back to Pink Lemonade to support our sisters affected by breast cancer, a very personal issue for me and the rest of the human community!

Like everyone in the pandemic epoch, we're trying our level best to keep a flow of excellent coffees and there are unavoidable supply chain hiccups to negotiate. One pot o' gold is the newly-arrived washed process Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Aricha, with apologies for a several week drought at Badbeard's from our favorite origin country. A beautiful, jammy pourover or drip. In the Special du Jour Boutique tab there's another available small lot washed Ethiopia Sidama, Kebele Mirado, yumbo-bright citrus-sweet-zippy love it.

The pandemic still isn't making life any easier on the home front so we're keeping an influx of delicious and unusual coffees to make your mornings and occasions a bright spot. Organic and other-certified (Rainforest Alliance and Smithsonian Migratory Bird-Friendly) Guatemala Chimaltenango Finca Bourbon is a new classic. Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Aricha natural process is a fruit bomb with milk chocolate notes. Colombia Wush Wush natural process continues to amaze us. Just added today an experimental process...called "termico"..from the exceptional Costa Rican farm Cordillera del Fuego.Upcoming weeks will see new Kenya and DR Congo washed coffees....stay tuned for updates. Hang in there folks! 

Pandemic or no, Colombia continues to provide us with some of the world's most interesting coffees. Recent additions of stunning Wush Wush (of Ethiopian ancesstry) natural process from Finca La Suiza (Caldas Department) and new crop Pink Bourbon from Finca El Danubio (Huila Department) top the bill. The Pink Bourbon is offered on the "Special du Jour Boutique" tab. Two other Boutique offerings are from Ethiopia (washed Aricha Cherab Na Betesebu) and El Salvador pacamara(natural process Finca Las Ninfas in Apaneca)

Monday will be rolling out a lovely washed Colombia, Finca El Tucan, as our beloved Finca Buenaventura stock has been exhausted.

In what has seemed like an endless slog with all things pandemic, we're still cranking coffee and finding gems despite the relative slowdowns in new arrivals from origin. This week added delish Guatemala Organic Finca Bourbon, from an estate producing fine coffee for a century, and fittingly "super-eco", bearing certifications from Ecocert, Rainforest Alliance and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Friendly people. Nice berry and classic chocolate notes.

From the western Uganda Rwenzori region we have a lovely and fruity natural process comprising two varietals made famous in Kenya: SL14 and SL28. Fruit-forward and beefy. 

Both coffees are light-medium roast profiles, shading a bit darker for the Guatemala. Next week will see the arrival of one of our all-time favorite Ethiopian washed coffees from Shantawene Village in the Sidama region.

Thank you for keeping the roaster going! Very grateful for the wonderful support I've received during this crazy period of turmoil!

As the PLAGUE wears us all down at times, roasting is a salve for my spirit, and new crop arrivals are fun to share. Ethiopia, our favorite of all origins, is still behind the production and shipping curves by a couple months in general. We just got one of our faves of recent years, a washed process certified Organic Guji from Kayon Mountain Farm, a large-scale operation that direct trades outside of the Ethiopia Coffee Exchange (ECX). Last year we enjoyed their Natural Process, and for 2020 are starting off with their fine washed coffee.

As always with some niche and small-quantity coffees, under the "Special du Jour Boutique" there are some treasures, like Peru El Diamante Don Elvis and Rwanda Ngororero Honey Process. In the "Rare and Exotic" tab next week there will be a Colombia Natural Process Gesha, currently in the skies coming directly from Manizales.

We will continue to source and roast the tastiest, choicest and most affordable specialty coffees and make your caffeine ritual special every day.

2020 harvest coffees have begun arriving, and the newest additions are

Colombia Finca Buenaventura (Anselma, Caldas Dept.)...the producer is a dynamic young woman, Luz Angela Martinez Restrepo, who continues a multi-generational family farm producing first-class coffee. Sweet and fruity.

Rwanda Rulindo Tumba replaces Kivu Kageyo in our washed offerings (we also have a  Rwanda decaf). A delicious, bold-flavored heavy cup of goodness with the unique-to-East Africa flavor of fine Rwandan Bourbon types varietal.

Ethiopia Gedeb (Banko Gotiti) Natural Process comes from the hand of farmer Asfaw Maru,who produces a goodly quantity (9K kg.) of this fruit bomb. Blueberries are in season!