Bang-bang! is the only way to describe the trade of Kenya auction coffees some years, both in Nairobi and here in the 'states Most of what arrived and cleared customs yesterday, April 11, was cupped today and sold immediately, so we were able to procure a couple interesting & super-yum Riuru-district Peaberry offerings, Oaklands and Reura. Will be arriving next week at the roastery for immediate disbursement! Also a fantastic Ruvuma AA from Tanzania which rivals the Kenyas in cup profile. Also more inventory of the exceptionally good Honduran lot we recently took in from the Beneficio (mill) Santa Rosa. Honduras will be appearing on the upcoming Market of Choice 'Savories' special in all 8 Oregon locations.

This trade paper reprint about Vietnam's coffee consuming and production has raised a few eyebrows about the world's #2 producer by volume (pretty much all of it Robusta, an inferior species to Arabica, which by nature contains twice the caffeine as Arabica) isn't as surprising as it is kinda tragic. One of the reasons we don't ever touch the stuff, although in fairness some relatively-if-barely drinkable Robusta is still produced in India, Africa and Brazil).  But when you buy some rank, jacked-up brown liquid you can be some the roaster has used some Robusta in the blend. Worth avoiding!

This sweet, caramelly coffee from Honduras's Beneficio Santa Rosa is a great find...Honduras has been off my radar for too long, apparently! The two distinct lots I took in are ever-so-slightly different..#115 has a little more Nutella and cacao in the palate. Might even put through the espresso machine this coming week, as it is lower in acidity than most of my Centrals.

Laura Widener's a fantastic human being of course as well as an extraordinary dessert-artiste, and it's no surprise that she rose uppah in the absurdist local (Gresham, OR) drama of a queer couple being turned down for their wedding cake by a hypocritical "Christian values" bakery. That such discussions and controversies ever exist is appalling. Is it worth boycotting an establishment for exercising its Constitutional right to be obtuse and stupid? Heck yeah.

Silly name, deep and unctuous espresso shots. These two certified organic coffees together...Flores Bajawa Ngura and Java Taman Dadar...have enough body and flavor to warrant the treatment of a long, slow Italian-level roast.  I pulled a fabulous rich shot at 199.5 degrees off a heavy tamp of 18.5 grams for 24 seconds.  Anisette and brown sugar were top notes and a sweet chocolatey finish on the ring of crema left in the cup.  

Tthe rich certified organic Flores Ngura Bajawa from the vast Indonesia archipelago is back as of this week, showing beautifully in medium and darker roast profiles. This is a washed process coffee, so don't expect any Sumatran wet-hulled funkorama here...it's sweet and full-bodied. To highlight its versatility we have created a dark-roast version and paired it with another mahogany-roast, the Organic Java Taman Dadar. They are honorary members of "Tony's Club", where full-bodied coffees have lifetime membership.

Excited to have  three Ethiopian newbies/"oldbies":  Yirgacheffe "Blue Nile", a hand-selected offering from the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU), more fabulous Nigusie Lemma group natural process Limu (sweet and floral as can be) and natural process Sidamo Royal Select water process decaf. One the non-Ethiopian front we will be debuting big/fat/honey-sweet Pacamara varietal from El Salvador's Santa Leticia Estate. We haven't had coffee from the Valdivieso family farm in several years, but it was always top-notch (and then only had their 100% borbon, a smaller bean).  The Pacamara is a hybrid of Pacas and Maragogype, the latter being one of the largest-sized beans in the coffee world.

Well we've finally said goodbye to the yumbo Kaliluni and Kirimara peaberries but replacements on the way in the week after Labor Day...there are some tasty new offerings on the cupping tables in California and I'm going to get us some, y'hear?! Stay tuned....

To me there's almost nothing more satisfying in the cup that a great Ethiopian...heritage has merit!  The dedicated farmers there could easily sit back and produce average coffees to meet world demand but many refuse to do so.  The current washed Yirgacheffe Kochere Co-operative has moved into first place in the last couple years' hauls...very cocoa-y and classical floral/bergamot notes, the latter reminiscent of Earl Gray tea. Easy cup to swig every day, long finish and nice body.  The natural (full patio-dried fruit) process Limu from vaunted producer Nigusie Lemma continues to amaze in complexity, lending an unmistakeable arc to the Mondocello and Stradivarius espressos.  This Limu is even cleaner...very few defects...than last year's crop, which was amazing too. Both offerings came in in GrainPro bags for long-term storage but have been flying out of the roastery.

Back by popular demand and a year away from home, the wonderful "trio Terruno"...washed, natural process and decaf.  Arguably the best coffees produced in Mexico, and the only ones arriving with bar-code tracking down to the spot in the finca from whence the coffee.  No other farm management program in the world comes this close in traceability! Read about this unique feature here. Jim and Devorah of San Cristobal Coffee Importers in Kirkland, WA have made a fantastic sustainable, life-changing project with the producers of Nayarit since the early 'nineties and we're glad they forge on...this is a limited offering, get 'em while we have 'em!