Since the catastrophic Indonesian tsunami in 2004 coffees from Sumatra and the Far East in general have been rather spotty in quality.  We are partnering with the importer Red Goni to bring you Red Badger, an excellent product which has restored my faith.  I have always prized the bold-bodied, not-so-earthy and definitely not-so-funky Sumatranas for their appeal in my espresso blends and Red Badger stands out as a single origin coffe with the best of 'em. Spicy and chocolatey.  From the Takengon, Aceh sector and comprising "Old School" Ateng varietal, this triple-picked, semi-washed coffee shows nice depth in th medium-dark roast profile.  

Catch it at most of the Oregon Markets of Choice if you're there...roasted and delivered yesterday.

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!

Arrived yesterday, SWEET new organic Nicaragua from umbrella cooperative Prodecoop as well as one of the highest rated Ethiopia Grade 2 Sidamo washed offerings in recent memory...fruit fruit fruit body body body.  The Nic is OCIA organic certified and a composite of two smaller coops, "20 de Abril" and "Flor de Cafe" in the Nueva Segovia region.  The bags say Flor de Segovia to add to the confusion, but there's no doubt this is a sweet-ass coffee!

Much anticipation and outright drooling when we heard our fave importer, Royal Coffee, rave about this new crop arrival of their proprietary "Queen City" longberry Harar.  Harar's output in recent years has been spotty at best, especially in the post ECX (Ethiopia Coffee Exchange) era.  The strawberry/cherry/blueberry notes are excellent, and characteristic of this varietal when well-produced.

Anticipating arrival on our dock on tuesday, May 22, will be roasting and shipping Wednesday the 23rd.

Tried and true and different, this week we rolled out a fun and espresso-friendly blend of three fine Brazils (from Cerrado, Mogiana and Minas Gerais) plus El Salvador Santa Rita natural process.  SOB indeed, Sweetness Obrigado Brasil! The fruit-bomb El Sal compliments the cocoa puff-chocolate-spicy nature of the Brazils and also makes a richly textured drip or pourover.

Appearing on the Market of Choice shelves in 7 of the 8 Oregon locations! (yes, Ashland peops, tell them they need to join the crowd...we can crack the Southern Oregon code together...)

Online customers, if you are interested write me at badbeard@badbeardscoffee.com

Have been a little lax on the web posting.  Sadly announcing publicly the hard truth that my beloved dad, Jerry, passed away last week.  I owe much of my palate to him, and will soon have a special blend of my finest coffees in his honor.

Meanwhile, new arrivals all over the place...an exceptional Kenya PB, a nice and affordable SO Brazil for 'spro, rocking Papua New Guinea, and reinforcements on the Ethiopian front from the excellent exporter Andulina. Enjoy!  Portland will be hosting the SCAA yearly main event in April and we will be blissfully be overrun with some serious geekiness in the coffee sector, as opposed to the usual geekiness in th coffee sector. Gentlefolks, start your Marzoccos!

This year's Sidikalang-Dairi Tabu Jamu is now history.  For those of you who want that taste profile and even sweeter, cleaner and more aromatic, please fear not the washed  Flores Ngura Bajawa.  A new origin for me and I really like it!  Not a dark roast, which one might attempt with this Indonesian...it's too much fun!  Try finding it on a world map, that's entertaining as well....

Always nice to get kudos from well-respected and impartial sources, especially industry-standard Coffee Review.  Assessment of the NOW SOLD OUT (boo-hoo, more next year!) Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Biloya Co-op here.

The entire December article on single-variety is very interesting. I lift this part, respectfully and self-servingly...

"....

Ethiopia Heirloom Varieties

Aside from the Geisha, the world’s most distinctive coffees come from southern Ethiopia, where production is dominated by varieties only grown locally and with ancient roots in Ethiopia, the botanical home of Arabica. We debated whether to accept coffees from the Yirgacheffe and closely adjoining growing districts as “single variety” coffees. Strictly speaking, they probably are not; they probably are blends of very closely related local varieties. But given the way these coffees separate themselves in terms of cup profile from other coffees of the world based almost entirely on varietal character, we decided to include them. The Bad Beard Microroastery Organic Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (91) was the most characteristic because its wet processing revealed the startlingly clear spicy rose and lemon-lime aromatics and the light, silky mouthfeel associated with coffee from this region and its ancient varieties. As with the Geisha, many coffee drinkers will contend this coffee doesn’t taste like coffee. In fact, it suggests a floral black tea, though a very fine floral black tea and one that, well, also tastes like a fine coffee.

Thanks guys!  To all of you who enjoyed this coffee...well, we were lucky for a spell.  More goodies comin'....

First roasts and shipping (week of Dec.19) of newly arriving, exceptionally tasty Mountain Water Process (MWP) coffees from Oaxaca, Mexico and Timor will be Tuesday, Dec. 20.  I have added them to the offerings page but they WILL NOT ship of course until they have arrived at the roastery! Very different from each other but can't WAIT to make a heady blend of our Brazil with these two newbies as well.

 Pre-ship sampling has jazzed me, and will please you very particular decaf drinkers out there!

Happy Holidays from Santabeard

Well we're sad to see the last of the Burundi Gahahe skiddadle out the door...one of our special coffees, and I know a lot of BB customers are bound to be disappointed.  ON the bright side a new Burundi offering from the Mumirwa Region  (located at the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the north on the country) will be appearing within the next 2-3 weeks.  Also arriving next week are two great offerings from Tanzania (Ruvuma AA) and Papua New Guinea (Kimel Estate peaberry), and will be available after Tuesday, Nov. 15.