Caveats of Buying Green Coffee
Green 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,...
The 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... Centrals have arrived, and I have some …but not much. Let me explain some of the caveats of buying new crop coffees.
While there’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to buying green coffee, its generally better to wait for mid-crop pickings. The first coffees to arrive from any 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... will come from the lowest altitudes on the farm, and therefore the coffee cherries will mature earlier. Lower altitude coffees have not properly developed, lacking bean densityThe density of a coffee bean is often taken as a sign of quality, as a more dense bean will roast more with a better dynamic. The density... and often the full character of the origin.
Earliest arrivals of wet-processed (washed) coffees are also not “rested” as long as mid-crop or late-crop pickings. In the rush to get the coffees to market and meet roasters demands, this crucial step is cut short. RestingEither the resting of parchment coffee after drying, or for the home roaster, post-roast resting.: Resting might refer to "reposo", the time after drying the parchment coffee, when... occurs after the coffee is depulped and dried. The coffee is still in it’s 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..., a hard shell, and is called pergamino at this stage (oftentimes the parchment shell itself is also called the pergamino).
Mills leave coffee in its pergamino stage until moisture content in the green seed drop to below 13%. Coffee shipped with higher moisture will mold or fermentAs an aroma or flavor in coffee, ferment is a defect taste, resulting from bad processing or other factors. Ferment is the sour, often vinegar-like, that results from..., leading to taste taints in the cup.
Long-term storage
Green coffee can be stored much longer than roasted coffee: Roasted coffee starts to lose its aromatics in 10 days after roasting. Green coffee can be stored months... in pergamino is also a way to save quality coffees for shipment to the consuming nation later in the crop year, and prevent the coffee from being stored in burlap in questionable environments; too hot, too cold, or in overly dry or humid warehouses. Pergamino acts as a natural barrier against moisture gain or loss, and coffees can actually improve their cup quality over time.
Consider our current stock of La Tacita 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... from Guatemala’s Antigua region. While the first pickings of Guatemalan coffees have already started to arrive (its early March as I write this). New crop La Tacita won’t be deliverable in the US until late June! La Tacita doesn’t offer early pickings.
I wont be receiving mid-crop Costa Rican Tarrazus from the Dota subregion until late April, even though I already have Tarrazu Popagayo. And here comes the exception to my early picking rule: if a sample is good in the cup, I get it! In this case, The Popagayo is actually from a late February shipment; the broker did not accept an offer of a January shipment which would truly be a early crop picking for an SHB (highest grade, highest altitude –Strictly Hard BeanA classification used in some countries in Central America (Guatemala, Costa Rica) indicating the coffee was grown at an altitude above 1200 feet/4000 meters: In Costa Rica, a...). And the dreaded under-ripe taste, literally a leguminous green taste in the cup, was not present.
One concern I do have: coffee not rested as long as Estate or mid-crop coffees might become “baggy” tasting later in the year. Its only a suspicion, but I noticed a baggy
The flavor of coffee that has been stored for too long, it has absorbed the flavor of whatever it has been stored in. : Coffees that are held... taste in 2 samples recently that were early Centrals from the 97/98 crop as they became a year old.
A couple tips: don’t become obsessed with green coffee freshness. Remember, we are talking about a dried seed here, and if it has been properly cared for it is fresh for years (with the exceptions I just cited …but hey, I am not selling these types of coffees). Don’t think that a coffee I label “new crop” or 98/99 is necessarily better either; freshness can bring some life to the cup, but a good coffee, like wine, will age gracefully and can improve.
That said, I never advise customers to overstock on acidy Central American coffees, (or moist Indonesians too). Sure, be a packrat with a dense Yemeni that’s rare, but buy a 6 month supply at most. Sure it is god for 2 years, but there’s always a new interesting coffee on the horizon, and part of the adventure is to relish the coffees you enjoyed and look forward to origins and estates you haven’t yet explored.
Lordy …Its the Mother Bean!
I was shocked recently to snip open a 60 kilo bag (132 lb.) of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe, formerly known as lower Rhodesia until independence in 1980, has produced great coffee since production was introduced in the 1960s. Like Zambian coffees, these coffees are often... 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... and find something called Mother Beans inside! What’s a Mother Bean? Its a name in some growing regions (I hear its called Kahuna in HawaiiThe Kona district on the big island of Hawaii produces the best coffee from this state - clean, sweet and mild. : Ah, Hawaii... what a nice place.... …as in Big Kahuna) for a oversized botanical mutation, not unlike the distorted MaragogypeMaragogype is a mutation of Typica coffee and was discovered in Brazil. The Maragogype is a large plant with big leaves, low production and very large fruits (and..., but in this case its not a cultivated subspecies. The bean is huge, somewhat rounded, and lacks density. When roasted it tends to separate and form something roasters call Elephant Ears, a single hollow shaped bean. These are a normal occurrence in Central African coffees, even a fine 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... will have a few green Elephant Ears in them, and the normal Zimbabwe Peaberry
The 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... we stocked had a few Mother Beans too. But this stuff was ridiculous. I called the broker, he said “send in a sample, we’ll discount or replace it,” and I pulled the coffee from the list. Funny thing: I roasted some up, and it really was quite a nice cup. So if you see a special on Mother Beans from Zimbabwe, don’t worry about my sanity …and you might want to try your hand at roasting these weird things.
Coffee Harvesting & Export Seasons
I thought this chart might be apropos of the rest of the newsletter contents. This is grossly oversimplified, but does underscore the fact that new crop coffees arrive much later than picking times.
Country Type Main Crop Harvest Main Crop Export
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... arabicaArabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the taxonomic species name of the genus responsible for around 75% of the worlds commercial coffee crop.: Arabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the... April-September Year-Round
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.... arabica Year-Round (peak: October-March)
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... (Zaire) arabica November-January May-September
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,... arabica September-February November-June
El SalvadorEl Salvador coffee had an undeservingly poor reputation for years, marred mostly by the inability to deliver coffee of high quality in an unstable political climate. Unfortunately, agriculture... arabica November-March December-June
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... arabica October-December December-March
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... arabica October-March October-June
Hawaii arabica October-February November-May
Honduras
Honduran 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.... arabica October-March November-June
India
S-795 is a variety based on the " S-Line" coffees of India, and stands for Selection 795, It has a very fine cup, one of the best in... arabica October-February December-March
Java
There 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... arabica May-July July-November
Kenya arabica October-March November-April
MexicoMexican coffee originates from South-central to Southern regions of the country. For that reason, coffees from Coatepec and Veracruz are much different from Oaxacan Plumas, which are in... arabica October-March December-June
New Guinea arabica March-April May-August
Nicaragua
Nicaraguan 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... arabica November-February December-June
PanamaPanama coffee ranges from medium quality lower altitude farms to those at 1600 - 1800 meters centered in the area of Boquete in the Chirqui district near the... arabica October-December November-May
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... arabica April-September June-October
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... arabica September-January October-February
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... arabica September-April October-June
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... arabica October-February November-April
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... arabica June-October August-December
UgandaWhile Arabica was introduced at the beginning of the 1900's, Robusta coffee is indigenous to the country, and has been a part of Ugandan life for centuries. The... arabica September-February October-March
Venezuela arabica November-January December-June
Vietnam robusta
Ateng 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...
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,... arabica October-December December-April Zimbabwe arabica December-Apri
As always, this list is superceded by the web page list, since that is updated continuously! Here’s our Green Coffee Offerings on 3/15/99
***Central American*** 1 lb green 2 lb green 5 lb green
Costa Rican Tarrazu Popagayo $4.80 $9.12 $20.88
Guat. Antigua -La Tacita Estate $5.80 $11.02 $25.23
Guat. Organic-Atitlan $5.40 $10.26 $23.49
Guat. SHB Huehuetenango $4.50 $8.55 $19.58
Mexican 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... Atoyac $5.65 $10.74 $24.58
Mexican HG Chiapas $4.25 $8.08 $18.49
Mexican Coatepec -Roma $3.90 $7.41 $16.97
Mexican Maragogype $5.40 $10.26 $23.49
Mex. San Pablo Tres Flechas $4.65 $8.84 $20.23
Mexican HG Organic Putla $4.80 $9.12 $20.88
Nic. Jinotega/Matagalpa $4.65 $8.84 $20.23
Nic. Matagalpa Gavilan Estate $4.80 $9.12 $20.88
Panama Boquete Lerida Estate $5.10 $9.69 $22.19
Panama Hartmann “Songbird” $5.10 $9.69 $22.19
***South American*** 1 lb green 2 lb green 5 lb green
Brazil BourbonA coffee cultivar; a cross between Typica and Bourbon, originally grown in Brazil: Mundo Novo is a commercial coffee cultivar; a natural hybrid between "Sumatra" and Red Bourbon,... Santos 2/3s $3.50 $6.65 $15.23
BrazilCerrado Monte Carmelo $4.30 $8.17 $18.71
Brazil Minas17/18″Organic” $4.50 $8.55 $19.58
Colombian Huila SupremoA Colombian coffee grade referring to screen size of 17-18 screen. In the traditional bulk Arabica business, Supremo was the top grade Colombia, with Excelso one step below... $4.30 $8.17 $18.71
Colombian Popayan Supremo $4.60 $8.74 $20.01
Peru Org. Chanchamayo Florida $4.75 $9.03 $20.66
***African*** 1 lb green 2 lb green 5 lb green
Ethiopian Ghimbi Gr 5 $4.75 $9.03 $20.66
Ethiopian Harar Gr 4 $5.70 $10.83 $24.80
EthiopianHarar MocharaGr5 $5.80 $11.02 $25.23
Ethiopian Limmu WashedGr2 $6.10 $11.59 $26.54
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Gr2 $6.45 $12.26 $28.06
Kenya AA -Mweiga Farm ’98 $7.50 $14.25 $32.63
Kenya AA -Kiungu Farm ’98 $7.80 $14.82 $33.93
Ugandan Bugisu AA $5.00 $9.50 $21.75
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... AA Chisoba Estate $6.60 $12.54 $28.71
Zimbabwe AA Canterbury $6.00 $11.40 $26.10
Zimbabwe Peaberry + $6.00 $11.40 $26.10
***Indonesian*** 1 lb green 2 lb green 5 lb green
Sulawesi Toraja $5.50 $10.45 $23.93
Sumatra Batak MandhelingA trade name used for wet-hulled Sumatra coffees. It is an area and a culture group as well (spelled Mandailing often) but there is not as much coffee... $5.35 $10.17 $23.27
Sumatra Mandheling Gr1 DP $5.15 $9.79 $22.40
Sumatra Aged Mandheling DP $6.40 $12.16 $27.84
Sumatra OrganicGayoMtn.Gr2 $5.50 $10.45 $23.93
Timor Organic MaubesseGr1 $5.35 $10.17 $23.27
***Other*** 1 lb green 2 lb green 5 lb green
Indian Monsooned Malabar $5.50 $10.45 $23.93
Indian Mysore-Kents Varietal $5.40 $10.26 $23.49
French ChicoryChicory was a popular coffee substitute and economizer for 2 centuries, back when coffee was more prized, and pure coffee was a luxury. : Chicory was a popular... -Roasted $6.00 $11.40 $26.10
Maui Kaanapali Moka $7.40 $14.06 $32.19
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... Gumanch A $5.50 $10.45 $23.93
Papua New Guinea Wahgi PB $5.70 $10.83 $24.80
SM’s 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 Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75
Sweet Maria’s Fr.RoastBlend $5.50 $10.45 $23.93
***Decafs*** 1 lb green 2 lb green 5 lb green
Colombian ExcelsoA Colombian coffee grade referring to screen size of 15-16. In the traditional bulk Arabica business, Excelso is a step below the large bean Supremo grade, which indicates... CO2 Decaf $5.50 $10.45 $23.93
MexicanEsmeralda Natural Decaf $5.00 $9.50 $21.75
PapuaNewGuinea Org.SWP Decaf $6.40 $12.16 $27.84
Timor Organic SWPSWP means Swiss Water Process is a patented water filtration decaf method, not a chemical solvent method. The plant is in Vancouver, Canada. Decaf $6.40 $12.16 $27.84
Sweet Maria’s Coffee Roastery
9 E. 2nd Ave. * Columbus Ohio 43201
ph/fx:614 294 1816 * orders:888.876 5917
web: www.sweetmarias.com
email: [email protected]
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