Stay up to date on coffee we have coming down the pipeline and our latest green coffee outlook and arrivals schedule.
Green Coffee Notes for March 2022:
Are you as tired of talking about the ‘global logistics crisis’ as we are? It’s still here, widespread, and not going to be fixed anytime soon. Those are about the only facts that are static. Just about everything else is as fluid as a river, with lots of twists and turns!
We’re doing our best to keep abreast of what countries are experiencing container shortages, which ports are jammed up (sadly, it’s Oakland’s turn again), and how we can pivot to try and expedite maritime transit. But the truth is, coffee ETA’s are trickier to predict these days than Seattle weather (I speak from personal experience!). So for now, I’ll try to stick to what we actually know below. But please keep in mind that the ‘E’ in ‘ETA’ stands for ‘estimated’, and our ability to accurately estimate when a coffee will be available isn’t quite clear until it’s in Oakland!
New and Upcoming Coffees
- If you hadn’t noticed, we were able to re-launch our EspressoA small coffee beverage, about 20 ml, prepared on an espresso machine where pressurized hot water extracted through compressed coffee.: In its most stripped-down, basic form, this is... Monkey, New Classic Espresso and French RoastSugars are heavily caramelized (read as burned) and are degraded; the woody bean structure is carbonizing, the seed continues to expand and loose mass, the body of the... blends. We took a short break from the manual labor required to blend coffee in order to prioritize your orders. Now that we’re back on top of things, Liquid Amber is back on our list of reboots, and should be available the 1st week of March. A note to our Coffee Shrub customers: We are only offering blends in 50 lb. bag, but are working toward a “full bag” solution for a few of the more popular blends next month.
- We continue to build out our green coffeeGreen coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,... list, adding no less than 6 new coffees each week for the past 3 weeks. We plan to keep pace, and are already deepening originIn coffee talk, it refers to a coffee-producing region or country; such as, "I was just at origin." Of course "Origin" for most product we use is not... categories like Ethiopia (also on Coffee Shrub) and Colombia (also on Coffee Shrub).
- We saw several new arrivals from PeruPeruvian coffees have Central American brightness but in a South American coffee flavor package overall. The good organic lots do have more of a "rustic" coffee character.: Organic... and BrazilBrazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra sang, "they grow an awful lot of coffee in Brazil".: Brazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra... in the last two weeks, so be on the lookout for single producer and custom regional blends from both origins starting end of February.
From the Cupping Table
- Tom has cupped through literally 100’s of offer samples from KenyaKenya is the East African powerhouse of the coffee world. Both in the cup, and the way they run their trade, everything is topnotch.: Kenya is the East... and EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... since the start of the year. While our Kenya buying is coming to a close (you can see most of our contracted coffees below), we are still finalizing our volume in Ethiopia. That said, our first containers from both origins are slated to ship in March.
- I’ve added the first few containers of finalized African coffees to our “Incoming Coffees” list below, including a handful of Western Coop coffees like Nano Challa and Duromina, as well as a few Guji’s from Hambela Wamena.
- I (Dan) have been working through offers from Costa RicaCosta Rican coffee is typically very clean, sweet, with lots of floral accents. hey are prized for their high notes: bright citrus or berry-like flavors in the acidity,... the past couple of weeks, and nearly wrapped up a second full container of coffee. I’m currently tasting samples from micro mills in Tarrazu and Chirripo, part of a new buying relationship with an intermediary/exporter in Tarrazu.
- In the past, we’ve tended to stick to “white honey” process coffees, Costa Rica’s version of fully washed. But this year, we’re excited to be bringing in some full honeyIn coffee, honey-like sweetness is often found, but we use terms such as refined honey (highly filtered and processed) as opposed to raw honey rustic honey sweetness. This..., fruit-forward coffees that will certainly compliment our list! We hope to see these in Oakland by May.
- Looking back at list of coffees we’ve cupped, you get a sense of just how many different lots a single farm, or mill produces…and we only see a small chunk of that total! With multiple offers from some pretty big names, it can be tough to pick a winner. Not all of them make the cut for us, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t all good, or even great.
- It’s a good reminder that the “Nano Challa”, or “Duromina”, or “Don Oscar”, or “Helsar”, etc you see on our offer list are different from what other suppliers have. We would never claim ours is the best, but we certainly choose the best coffees from what we are shown! It helps to be at the front of the line, so to speak, too, and having 15+ year buying relationships with some of these suppliers affords us pretty good pole position.
Field Reports from Origin
- GuatemalaGuatemalan coffee is considered a top quality coffee producer in Central America. Due to our proximity to Guatemala, some of the nicest coffees from this origin come to...: The harvest is finishing up, and though a little later than last year, it’s looking like we will be able to secure the same volumes from our suppliers with new cropRefers to fresh shipments of green coffee within the first month or two of the earliest arrivals ... not quite the same as Current Crop, which means the... offers rolling in as early as next week (1st week of March). Labor shortages for coffee pickers, higher cost of agricultural inputs, transportation, and a skyrocketing C market price, mean paying more for Guatemalan coffees than ever before. They’re no exception, and it’s just something we’re all going to have to get comfortable with for the short term!
- NicaraguaNicaraguan coffees from the Segovia, Jinotega, Ocotal and Matagalpa regions are nice balanced cups. They often possess interesting cup character along with body and balance, outperforming many other...: Harvest is expected to finishSimilar to aftertaste, but it refers to the impression as the coffee leaves the palate. Aftertaste is the sensations gathered after the coffee has left the mouth. We... by middle of March, and our main supplier Cafetalera Buenos Aires are pulling samples of some of our yearly favorites; La Laguna, El Suyatal, Buenos Aires, and more. High local demand is boosting the price of parchmentGreen coffee still in its outer shell, before dry-milling, is called Parchment coffee (pergamino). In the wet process, coffee is peeled, fermented, washed and then ready for drying..., even though harvest isn’t all that low compared to 2020/21. We expect to have contracts in place next month, shipping shortly after, and look to May as a reasonable arrival target.
- RwandaA Bourbon cultivar variant from Rwanda and Burundi. Bourbon coffees are named for the island in the India Ocean where French colonists grew it. Some history from the... + BurundiBurundi coffee bears resemblance to neighboring Rwanda, in both cup character, but also the culture surrounding coffee. Burundi is a small landlocked country at the crossroads of East...: Our final containers from Rwanda and Burundi were held up at ports in Shanghai due to major slow-downs and traffic congestion caused by COVID-19 related shutdowns. The good news is, it sounds like they are both scheduled for transshipment, and should be here next month. Harvest is underway in both countries, with coffee already being delivered by farmers beginning in February. Unfortunately, Rwanda received unusually heavy rains last week causing landslides in some areas, and disrupting harvest in some of the growing regions. It’s still too early to know how much of an impact this will have on production, but we’re keeping an eye on the situation.
Upcoming green coffees currently on the schedule to be added to our website:
Please keep in mind that the coffees on the Upcoming Coffee Outlook schedule with a location status of “In Transit” are still a bit of a wild card, and the month we have them listed under is based on the current shipping ETA, and subject to interruptions out of our control. Thanks for your patience!
March Coffee Outlook
RELAUNCH Liquid Amber Espresso Blend | N/A | N/A | Oakland |
Brazil Serra da Canastra Don Marcos | 35 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Brazil Patrocínio FazendaFazenda is the Portuguese word for farm, hence it is the term used in Brazil. Fazenda is not a coffee-specific term. Santo Antonio | 30 | 60 KG | Oakland |
ColombiaColombian coffee is highly marketed and widely available in the US. They have been largely successful at equating the name Colombian Coffee with "Good" Coffee. This is half-true.... Nariño Rio Juanambu | 22 | 70 KG | Oakland |
Colombia Inzá Las Estrellas | 8 | 70 KG | Oakland |
Costa Rica Don Senel El Jocote | 10 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Ethiopia Sidama Keramo | 80 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Ethiopia Dry ProcessDry process coffee is a method for taking the fruit from the tree to an exportable green bean. The whole intact coffee cherry is dried in the sun... Nensebo Refisa | 80 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Ethiopia Gera-Goma SWPSWP means Swiss Water Process is a patented water filtration decaf method, not a chemical solvent method. The plant is in Vancouver, Canada. Decaf | 69 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Guatemala Antigua Pulcal Bourboncito | 18 | 46 KG | Oakland |
Guatemala Huehuetenago FincaSpanish 101: Finca is the Spanish word for farm. Sometimes the term Hacienda is used to imply an Estate, which would mean the farm has its own wet-mill.... Los Suspiros | 12 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Guatemala Xinabajul Aldea Tuiloj | 20 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Guatemala Huehuetenango Finca Rosma | 16 | 69 KG | Oakland |
HondurasHonduran coffee was absent from the top ranks of the Specialty market, but that has changed. It has all the environmental factors on its side: soil, altitude, climate.... Montecillos Finca La Alondra | 13 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Kenya Kirinyaga Kainamui PeaberryA peaberry is a green coffee "bean" that has a rounded form: Coffee is the dried seed from the fruit of a flowering tree - each fruit having... | 14 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Nicaragua Dry Process El Suyatal | 5 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of the island it shares with the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, part of Indonesia. The two primary areas for... Kimel PeaberryThe Spanish-language term for Peaberry is the same for "snail". See Peaberry for more information on the single bean fruit of the coffee tree. A peaberry is the... | 40 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Peru FTOFTO is shorthand for a coffee that is certified as both Fair Trade and Organic. Lonya Grande Coop | 35 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Peru FTO San Jose De Lourdes | 20 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Rwanda Rulindo Tumba | 34 | 60 KG | Oakland |
SumatraIndonesians are available as a unique wet-hulled or dry-hulled (washed) coffees. Giling Basah is the name for the wet-hulling process in Bahasa language, and will have more body... Lintong Sigumpar Village | 20 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Sumatra Honey ProcessThe honey process has nothing to do with honey other than the fact that they're both sticky! It's a term that became popularized in Costa Rica as another... Bebesen Aulia | 15 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Sumatra Raja Batak Peaberry | 21 | 60 KG | Oakland |
TimorTimor-Leste (East Timor) is a tiny island between Australia and Sulawesi, annexed by Indonesia and liberated in a referendum several years ago. Small scale coffee farming was jump-started... Wet Hulled Railaco | 30 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Papua New Guinea Kainantu Sero | 70 | 60 KG | Oakland |
April Coffee Outlook (so far!)
Colombia Vereda San Antonio | 17 | 70 KG | Oakland |
Colombia Honey Process Aponte | 30 | 70 KG | Oakland |
Costa Rica Rio Jorco Tarbaca | 10 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Ethiopia Guji Hambela Dabaye | 50 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Honduras Dry Process Sabillon ParainemaParainema is a hybrid with some disease resistance developed in Honduras by IHCAFE (Instituto Hondureño del Café). It is related to Sarchimor, another disease-resisitant type. Both have arabica... | 10 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Kenya Nyeri Karindundu Peaberry | 13 | 60 KG | Oakland |
Nicaragua Finca Los Alpes | 20 | 69 KG | Oakland |
Sumatra Dry Process Ribang GayoGayo is ethnic group from the area of Aceh Sumatra around Lake Takengon. They use the name Gayo Coffee to market their production. The Acehnese are a different... | 10 | 60 KG | Oakland |
More will be added to the list in the coming weeks! |
Incoming coffees currently on the water: March – May
Africa Incoming Coffees
CongoKivu is the general name for East Congo (Kinshasa), covering a very broad geographical area, and the lake of the same name that divides them. It borders on... OrganicGrown without the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, etc.: Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming techniques, typically without the use of artificial fertilizers. Some farms... Dry Process Kivu Katana | 60 | 60 KG | ARRIVED |
Congo Organic Kirumba Kavisa | 40 | 60 KG | ARRIVED |
TanzaniaIn terms of the Tanzania coffee character, it belongs to the Central/East African family of washed (wet-processed) coffees, bright (acidy), and mostly aggressively flavorful of which Kenya is... Namku AA | 30 | 60 KG | Feb 28 |
Tanzania Sepulila AB | 39 | 60 KG | Feb 28 |
Tanzania Namku Peaberry | 19 | 60 KG | Feb 28 |
Tanzania Igale Peaberry | 24 | 60 KG | Feb 28 |
Kenya Nyeri Kagumo Peaberry | 27 | 60 KG | Mar 15 |
Kenya Nyeri Gatomboya Peaberry | 16 | 60 KG | Mar 15 |
Kenya Kirinyaga Kamwangi Peaberry | 33 | 60 KG | Mar 15 |
Kenya Kiambu Ngaita Peaberry – need info | 16 | 60 KG | Mar 15 |
Kenya Kiambu Riabai AB – need info | 14 | 60 KG | Mar 15 |
ZambiaFrom the country formerly known as upper Rhodesia in a country now named for the Zambezi River, Zambian coffees range from Kenya-like brightness to subtle, balanced coffee with... Anaerobic Dry Process | 15 | 60 KG | Mar 10 |
Zambia Fully Washed | 15 | 60 KG | Mar 10 |
YemenYemen has a coffee culture like no other place, and perhaps some of what we enjoy in this cup is due to their old style of trade...: Technically,... MokhaThe Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms of the family of cultivars planted there, and the general trade name.: Mokha Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms... Khulani | 150 | 32 KG | Mar 15 |
Yemen Mokha Matari | 150 | 32 KG | Mar 15 |
Yemen Hiwar | 50 | 32 KG | Mar 15 |
Yemen Mokha Harasi | 100 | 32 KG | Mar 15 |
Yemen Haimi | 50 | 32 KG | Mar 15 |
Yemen Hajjah | 100 | 32 KG | Mar 15 |
Burundi Yeast FermentationYeast fermentation involves adding different types of external yeasts to the fermentation stage of wet processing in order to help control the outcome, and ultimately, how the coffee... Yandaro | 20 | 60 KG | Mar 18 |
Burundi Kabarore Commune Yandaro | 70 | 60 KG | Mar 18 |
Burundi Kayanza Gahahe | 65 | 60 KG | Mar 18 |
Burundi Gatare Masha | 45 | 60 KG | Mar 18 |
Burundi Dry Process Kibingo Station | 60 | 60 KG | Mar 18 |
Burundi Gaterama Agahore Station | 28 | 60 KG | Mar 18 |
Burundi Dry Process Agahore | 26 | 60 KG | Mar 18 |
Rwanda Rubavu Rwinyoni | 60 | 60 KG | April 7 |
Rwanda Rusizi Gaseke | 25 | 60 KG | April 7 |
Rwanda Nyamasheke Nyakabingo | 25 | 60 KG | April 5 |
Rwanda Ngororero | 25 | 60 KG | April 5 |
Rwanda Nyamasheke Macuba | 45 | 60 KG | April 5 |
Rwanda Dry Process Kanyege | 25 | 60 KG | April 5 |
Rwanda Honey Process Kanyege | 30 | 60 KG | April 5 |
Rwanda Dry Process Macuba | 40 | 60 KG | April 5 |
Rwanda Dry Process Nyamiyaga | 20 | 60 KG | April 5 |
Rwanda Honey Process Karambi | 30 | 60 KG | April 5 |
Kenya Nyeri Kagumo AB | 43 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Kirinyaga Kamwangi Peaberry | 25 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Kirinyaga Kamwangi AB | 60 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Muranga Riakiberu Peaberry | 16 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Muranga Kagumoini AB | 40 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Kirinyaga Kainamui Peaberry | 31 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Nyeri Kagumo AA | 17 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Kirinyaga Thunguri Peaberry | 9 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Thika Karatu Peaberry – need info | 6 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Kiambu Ndumberi Peaberry | 25 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kenya Nyeri Gathaithi AA | 48 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Hambela Dabaye | 100 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Dry Process Buliye | 120 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Dry Process Benti Nenka | 100 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Agaro Kedamai | 60 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Agaro Hunda Oli | 80 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Geta Bore Cooperative | 80 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Yukiro Cooperative | 50 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Gera Genji Challa | 50 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Gera Nano Challa | 80 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Agaro Duromina | 80 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Ethiopia Dry Process Beshasha Birbisa | 160 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
South America Incoming Coffees
Brazil Fazenda Alta Vista | 100 | 59 KG | Mar 5 |
Brazil Fazenda Alta Vista | 55 | 59 KG | Mar 5 |
Brazil Carmo Fazenda Furnas | 100 | 59 KG | Mar 5 |
Brazil Pulp NaturalPulp natural is a hybrid method of processing coffee to transform it from the tree fruit to a green bean, ready for export. Specifically, it involves the removal... Fazenda IP | 70 | 59 KG | Mar 5 |
Colombia Pavón Finca Los Palomos | 12 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Inzá Anibal Pillimue | 2 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Urrao Heirloom CaturraCatimor is a broad group of cultivars derived from a Hibrido de Timor (HdT) and Caturra cross, highly productive, sometimes with inferior cup flavor. The main issue is... | 6 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Inzá Robinson Pillimué | 12 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Urrao John Alexander | 13 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Cajamarca Neftali Castro | 15 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Inzá Rafael Rivas | 28 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Cresta El Hato | 15 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Vereda Guanacas | 26 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Vereda San Antonio | 23 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Honey Process Aponte | 9 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Rio Chiquito Don Luis | 22 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Colombia Veradas Vecinas | 79 | 70 KG | Apr 5 |
Indonesia & SE Asia Incoming Coffees
Papua New Guinea Korgua EstateA "coffee estate" is used to imply a farm that has its own processing facility, a wet-mill. In Spanish this is called an Hacienda. A Finca (farm) does... AA | 26 | 60 KG | Feb 24 |
SulawesiSulawesi coffees are low-acid with great body and that deep, brooding cup profile akin to Sumatra. The coffee is sometimes known as Celebes, which was the Dutch colonial... Rodo Rodo | 17 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Sulawesi Wet Hulled Latimojong | 40 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Sulawesi Panaikang | 8 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Sulawesi Desa Topidi | 8 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Sulawesi Honey Process Gowa | 5 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Sulawesi Dry Process Topidi | 11 | 60 KG | April 16 |
JavaThere are several types of Abyssinia variety coffee, but they are not from Ethiopia but rather Indonesia. Abyssinia 3 = AB3. PJS Cramer, a Dutch plant researcher, introduced this variety... Wet Hulled Siki Alit | 30 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Java Wet Hulled Waspada | 40 | 60 KG | April 16 |
FloresFlores is an Indonesian island, and as a coffee bears more resemblance to the coffees of Timor-Leste, New Guinea and Java than to the wet-hulled coffees of Sumatra... Wawo Muda | 18 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Flores Waja Mala | 18 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Flores Wolo Wio | 38 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Flores Dry Process Bei Poso | 7 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Java Wet Hulled Waspada | 50 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Java Kuningan RobustaAteng is a common name for Catimor coffees widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles.: Ateng, with several subtypes, is a common name for Catimor coffees widely... Natural | 30 | 60 KG | April 16 |
Timor Leste Daurfusu Lot 2 Washed | 25 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Timor Leste Daurfusu Lot 4 Washed | 30 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Timor Leste Daurfusu Lot 1/3 Washed | 10 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Timor Leste Daurfusu Honey | 55 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Timor Leste Daurfusu Natural | 55 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Timor Leste Lulirema Natural | 18 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Timor Leste Taurema Washed | 18 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Timor Leste Basargeon Washed | 16 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Timor Leste Hatletegeo Washed | 15 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Timor Leste Lekisala Washed | 40 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kerinci Gunung Tujuh | 50 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kerinci Wet ProcessWet-processing starts by removing the outer skin of the coffee cherry with a machine called a pulper, then fermenting the remaining fruit (with green bean inside) in water... Gunung Tujuh | 30 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kerinci Honey Process Gunung Tujuh | 30 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kerinci Honey Labu Gunung Tujuh | 30 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
Kerinci Dry Process Gunung Tujuh | 20 | 60 KG | Not Shipped |
5 Responses
Six Yemens in one month ?!?!?!? Best news of the year.
Yes – it’s a mixed container of small lots. The pre-shipment samples cupped really well so high hopes for the arrivals of these (even though, as you can imagine, transit from Yemen is slooow). But likely we won’t be able to launch all the arrivals right when they come. And one is for our Moka Kadir blend more that an SO coffee…
I have been a Moka Kadir buyer for years and like it a great deal, but recently in the absence of Moka Kadir I tried the Yemen Sana-a and must say I like it almost as much or better than Moka Kadir. Any advise on this thought.. I accept and willing to try something that is especially outstanding for expresso….
Thanks
Yemen is a major component of Moka Kadir, and brings a lot of bittersweet chocolate and body to the blend, so I’m not surprised! Most of the Yemens we buy are great for espresso, though each brings different flavor characteristics to the table. We have a container with six different Yemeni lots on the way with an early March ETA in New Jersey, and then will need to be railed across to Oakland. I’m hoping we can get a couple of those listed late March, or early April at the latest.
Best,
Dan
Oh man, I bought a pound of the Sana’a Ibb the previous time they had it and I just thought it made some of the most amazing espresso I’d ever had. When it went up again last month, I meant to buy a pound or two… But I snoozed and I losed 😥. I’ll have to try the Moka Kadir and some other Yemens when they come in.