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Brazil produces enormous quantities of coffee using a daunting variety of processing methods and botanical varieties. It is probably safe to divide Brazil’s coffees into three very broad categories.

The first category would be commercial coffees, which inlcude cheap, mass produced arabica coffees that are strip-picked and dried on vast patios, plus the smaller quantities of robusta species coffee grown in Brazil. Home roasters can feel safe in dismissing these coffees from their collections.

The second category are the best Santos-style commercially traded coffees. These coffees, usually described in the trade as Santos 2/3, good to fine cup, which have been picked and dry processed with more care than the previously mentioned lower grades and which are extremely usefull in blending, particularly for espresso. These are usually medium to full -bodied, sweet, round but heartier than similar wet-processed coffees from other coffee origins.

Finally, the true Brazilian Specialty coffees, our last category, which are sold by estate name and by processing method, which can range from wet-processed or washed that are light, bright and gentle, to dry-processed or natural coffees that are rounder and fuller, to the often extraordinary semi-dry-processed or pulped cherry coffees, which may glisten with subtle fruit and floral notes riding a delicate sweetness. As elsewhere in Latin America, trees of the traditional Bourbon variety produce the most sought after and usually complex lots of coffee, but other selected varieties like Mundo Novo and Catuai also produce outstanding cup quality.

MANIZALES, Colombia (Dow Jones)–As Colombian coffee growers get set for the second and final harvest of the 2009-2010 crop year, hope is dimming that production this year will recover from three-decade lows.

Supply problems caused by two years of smaller-than-expected crops in Colombia have led to a shortage of premium coffee beans, and El Nino-related weather complications and pest infestations continue to limit the nation’s coffee harvest.

  Continue reading Not Looking good for Colombia

Working hard on a sunny spring day....on lunch that is!

I was doing some computer cleaning and I ran across a picture of the Warehouse crew….in shorts and enjoying the summer! Oh to be warm again….we do have some more crew, let me work on getting a picture of them as well so they do not feel left out.

There are fine selections of coffee that come from the Caribbean (Jamaica, Puerto Rico , Dominican Republic and even coastal Venezuela). Most of these are powerful yet lower-toned, and with an acidity which holds in the deep, sweet and long finish. The most well known of these is obvioucly the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, which is intense and rounded, a big coffee with a richly balanced acidity. The unfortunate part is that small production areas have led to many cases of diluting higher grown, better quality product with lower grown ordinary varieties, thus making this well known origin a rather ordinary Caribbean coffee, usually not worth the price which is triple or quadruple what you would pay for other fine origins. Just be cautious about your supply line and steer clear of anything claiming to be “Blue Mountain Style” or “Blue Mountain Blend”.

Other gentler classics would be Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru and Mexico. All of which tend to be lively more than overpowering in acidity and rounded in flavour. These are coffees with abundant natural sweetness which will come through in lighter roasts and get enhanced in the darker profiles. Their gentler acidity makes them very attractive to the black coffee drinker who abstain from using sweeteners. In terms of body, these range from well rounded coffees such as Peru, to fuller bodied coffee from Nicaragua, or light and sweet varieties such as El Salvador. You also have some origins which display fruitier and floral tones like Mexico or Panama when they are not over roasted.

The last of the classics is Brazil, which deserves a post all on its own, being the largest coffee producer in the world with an ample variety within one origin.

The Classics tend to manifest full body, bright acidity and clean and straightforward cup presence. These are the coffees that provide what North Americans tend to consider normal within their cup of coffee.

The most beloved of these types of coffee are balanced, yet powerful. This means they are strong in all respects. They present a vibrant acidity as well as a full body and complex flavor. As a norm they are all grown at high altitude, even though many factors such as latitude, cloud cover, moisture and such can create coffees which will mimic what comes natural to the classic high mountain grown. When coffee is grown at lower altitude, it tends to show by way of a softer and sweeter taste, with a lighter and brisker acidity and lesser body.

The classics taste is based in part on its brightness and clarity of flavor which is achieved during the wet processsing of the coffee cherry. Most of all the latin american coffees are wet processed, with the exception being the dry and semi dry processed coffees of Brazil.

Generally speaking, the bigger classics of Latin America are the finer Costa Ricans, Guatemalans and Colombians, all full bodied and with a rich acidity content. The best of the Guatemalans are generally a bit more intriguing and complex than the Costa Ricans, which are most famous for the clarity they present. It is generally believed that the difference stems from the varietals or cultivars which are planted in each country, whereas in Costa Rica growers plant alot of the newer Caturra arabica and in Guatemala they tend more towards the older Typica and Bourbon arabica cultivars. In Colombia, coffee is remarkably consistent, mostly owing to the Coffee Federation and its standards. They also concentrate on growing Bourbon and Typica, but with the work of the federation, have created strains of these which are more resistance to pests, provide more yield and carry a magnificient quality of taste, owing much to the valid fame of their cup quality.

One word, so many meanings…..You can make this a simple as possible, but why do that when we can make it complicated!

….just depends on what you are saying.

Espresso - a beverage produced by forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee in a rapid manner (ideally between 26 to 34 seconds) and normally made from a blend of coffees which then provides its unique flavour complexity.

Espresso - a blend of several types and/or origins of coffee that when mixed together will produce a well balanced shot (in terms of body and acidity) with a clearly defined and lasting crema. The actual word comes from the fact that this beverage is  made rapidly - hence in italian, fast.

Espresso - a definition of a particular roasting profile used by some roasters. Not scientific or quantifiable, hence no two shall ever be the same, lest by chance….

Espresso - a grind size, which of course must be different for every machine out there due to the nuances and capabilities of each machine. Commercial equipment tends to use a very similar grind, home equipment usually follows a rule of thumb, the less you paid for the machine, the coarser you will need to grind the coffee in order to get a decent pull.

Espresso - a plant sold at Home Depot that supposedly will give espresso beans? Actually bought some a few years back just for the novelty of having a coffee plant growing in Canada….they died rather quickly, a testament to my poor gardening skills

Espresso - brown paint that nobody could come up with a better name for and that varies vastly from beige to almost black…..

Not last, most definitely least…..EXPRESSO…..there is no X in espresso, do not use it, do not say it, it does not belong there…..enough said.

Before we get into what specific coffee we have, we make note that there are several types of coffee which can be sold.

Commodity Market Coffee – Big industry coffee is continuously bought and sold throughout our marketplace. It is dealt with in container lots, mostly by traded positions in the commodities market. From there it ends up in the hands of brokers and large roasters with which your form relationships to purchase in smaller than container quantities.  It is usually good quality, or should I say commensurate with its rating and the buyers cupping standards. Great for industrial use due to its consistency in process from origin. Single origins tend to be blended from several farms within the regions of particular countries, due to possible dramatic flavor changes based on different growing conditions.

Certified Fair Trade Coffee – these are coffees produced by democratically run cooperatives whose members have been guaranteed a “fair” price for their coffee based on an internationally determined formula. A premium of what consumers pay for their Fair Trade coffee goes to promote the fair-trade principles in consuming nations, but mostly reaches farmers directly. Most Fair Trade coffee is also organic as well as shade grown, adding to it’s environmental responsibility and allowing for a progressive choice by the buyer.

Rainforest Alliance Certified – The Rainforest Alliance’s Certification (which Abby from the Alliance promptly pointed out to me used to be called the Eco-OK seal, now wasn’t that a better name! Just my two cents….. ) certifies that inspection has determined that the farms and mills meet a wide variety of environmental criteria, including wildlife diversity, non-polluting practices and responsible use of chemicals. Beyond that there are additional social and economic criteria which support the welfare of the farmers and the mill workers.

Sustainable Coffee – A project of the SCAA to create a big-tent, inclusive definition of sustainability which will combine criteria for the environment as well as social and economic sustainability. Hoepfully sooner than latere….

Partnership or Relationship Coffee – Partnerships created with cooperatives by the roaster, in which a fixed percentage of the retail price of the coffee is returned directly to the cooperative that produced it, outside of any international certifying bodies. These are the coffees that tend to be of the highest quality due to the marriage of producer and roaster fulfilling both their needs in terms of taste and quality of product.

Will continue to talk about geography and classic coffee producers

People continuously ask me about why I would sell  our flagship cafe, EcoCafe located at the Kitchener Market. The simple answer is that it does not fit out corporate model as it once did. There is obviously many more reasons beyond this one fact, but the core answer is still the same.

We launched our operation publicly five years ago through the cafe, what I always coined as Franchise number 1. It has served us well, allowing us to integrate into the community, sell our products, position our brand and show people what our company is all about. To date it warms my heart to see the cafe in full production every week, people patiently waiting to allow us to fill their coffee needs.

As we have grown into performing many more things than just run a cafe, it is time to find that right partner that can take the operation, sustain the current market and continue to grow it as their own, under our guidance and direction but with the mind set of an owner who wants to prosper in the venture. This strategic partnership would allow the new operator to enter the coffee world leveraging the community and brand awareness we have already created and eliminate many of the early uphill battles independent cafe owners face while ramping up their business volume.

The Market as a a facility will continue to pose challenges, it is not always easy to have a City as a landlord, but in spite of all the negatives this may present, and in spite of all the less than adequate decision making involved in managing such a place, we have grown volumes and income steadily and consistently since we started. Anyone out there dare to imagine the possibilities if the venue were to prosper in such a manner as it is capable of doing?

With our roasting operation located only a couple of kilometers away, this location will always have the unique capability of leveraging the freshest coffee, of the highest quality and at the best price that any coffee sale operation can. If you are feeling the need to take the world by the reins, to forge your path into business ownership and to partner with the fastest growing coffee company in this region, it’s time to take a more serious look and to contact us to see if you are the right one to go forward along with us.

2009 started with a bang. Being named Small Business of the year gave us an injection of desire and passion which has fueled our desire to grow and surpass our previous accomplishments. In 2009 we grew more than in any other two year period combined, we did so meeting our customers needs, improving our quality standards, offering new distribution channels, implementing improved processes and ensuring our and others sustainability practices.

It merits to give thanks to all of you who make this happens on a regular basis. First comes my staff, without the current team I have in place we could and would not progress, their effort and dedication provides the pleasure of forging ahead. To our customers, without you there is no us, these relationships are the key to our success, from the service customers who help improve our operation, to the independents that provide us insight, to our OCS clients which represent our continuity, we must thank you all for making us  better at what we do. A special thanks also goes out to all of you marketeers, who every Saturday bravely face our Canadian environment to come show us your patronage and offer your friendly faces while allowing us to warm you with our best cup, it is because of you that we have made it to were we are and something I am deeply thankful for.

2010 paints an even more exciting picture as we aim to duplicate once again our efforts to get the best coffee into more peoples hands. The launch of our on-line store www.ecocoffeestore.com has demonstrated strong potential and will be a focus this year. We have launched a partnership in the province of Quebec and have opened ECOCAFE QC. We are aggressively seeking independent cafes to join our licensing projects here in Ontario and have some stealth projects we will inform you on once they develop further. Fun and exciting times for 2010, which has a very Eco ring to it, don’t you think?

E.