Hello everyone! It has been awhile since we’ve posted information about a coffee origin, as it’s been awhile since we’ve had new information to present to you. Recently we’ve been in talks with a trader from China, who has presented us with an offer to sell specialty Yunnan-grown coffee to North America. 

Below are the notes we got our contact in China. In regards to the price, these are still estimates, as the freight rate used in our calculation can be confirmed only if/when the order gets shipped.  This should help you to get a ballpark figure as to what the final price would be. 

Chinese Coffee Details

Name

Variety

Processing

Flavor Notes

Price List (USD/pound)

Dongka (14-16)

Catimor P3/P4

 Washed 

Nutty, Caramel, Rooibos Tea Like

$    3.534

Dongka (17+)

Catimor P3/P4

 Washed 

Yellow Apricot, Dark Chocolate, Nutty, Caramel

$    3.757

Laga

Catimor

 ASD Natural 

Tropical Fruit Jam, Jackfruit, Rose, Raspberry

$    4.739

Banka (17+)

T8667

 Natural 

Orange, Berries, Brown Sugar

$    4.739

Kagu

T8667

 Washed 

Jasmine Tea, Lemon, Honey, Sugar Cane

$    4.427

Banka

T8667

 Washed 

Orange, Berries, Brown Sugar, Nuts, White Tea

$    3.802

TianKeng

Sarchimor

 Honey 

Purple Flower, Dry Kumquat, Grapefruit, Brown Sugar

$    8.666

QingSong

Catimor 

 Fermented Washed 

White Flower, Brown Sugar, Nutty, Green Tea

$    9.113

 

Our Ask

Please let me know if there were any varieties from this list that you want. As you can imagine, it puts us in a tough position if we get told you’re interested and then when we bring in the coffee, you back out. Since it is our first order of Chinese coffee, we will be placing the order if we get enough interest from customers like you.

If you are interested in placing an order, or curious to learn more, please contact us either using our Contact Us form, or by calling 905-415-0778 x 213 (Muhammed Abbas’s extension). 

If we can get the order set up in the next few weeks, then we can forecast that the shipment to be in our warehouse around the end of November. Of course, this depends on if/when we put an order in for this coffee, and how quick it is to get the container and the coffee on board.

Green Coffee Market Prices
The ICO Composite Indicator Price (I-CIP) averaged 176.41 US cents/lb in January, a 0.4% increase from December 2023.

The I-CIP posted a median value of 173.90 US cents/lb, having fluctuated between 171.08 and 185.54 US cents/lb.

The January 2024 I-CIP is above the January 2023 I-CIP by 12.4%, with the 12-month rolling average at 166.85 US cents/lb.

The I-CIP grew steadily in January 2024, reaching a ten-month high.

Importantly, the Robustas have reached their highest level since November 1994 when they averaged 153.33 US cents/lb.
Read more: https://www.icocoffee.org/documents/cy2023-24/cmr-0124-e.pdf?mc_cid=3acfbd4b69

Green Coffee Price
Robustas reach 25-year high, averaging 135.47 US cents/lb in December 2023. The ICO Composite Indicator Price (I-CIP) averaged 175.73 US cents/lb in December, an 8.8% increase from November 2023. The I-CIP posted a median value of 177.64 US cents/lb, having fluctuated between 163.92 and 186.04 US cents/lb. The December 2023 I-CIP is above the December 2022 I-CIP by 11.8%, with the 12-month rolling average at 165.23 US cents/lb. The I-CIP grew steadily in December 2023, reaching a nine-month high. The rise in tensions in the Red Sea has prompted some shipping lines to re-route their coffee-carrying vessels. Thus, for South-East Asian and East African coffee en route to Europe, unintended consequences include a rise in freight costs as some shipping companies have introduced surcharges to account for the now-extended transit times.
Read more: https://www.icocoffee.org/documents/cy2023-24/cmr-1223-e.pdf?mc_cid=94006c239a

A recent paper published in Matter magazine on December 6, 2023 has caught our and the coffee world’s attention. It describes that adding some water, just a few spritzes for personal use, to your beans before grinding can lead to less coffee grinds being wasted and a more consistent and even flow when pulling espresso shots. The paper is linked here and is not behind a paywall at the time of this blog post.

The paper details how static builds up inside your grinder. One type of static is due to the coffee’s contact with the burrs, and the other type of static is due to the coffee’s contact to the grinder and other beans. The authors argue that the static would lead to some coffee grinds flying away, as well as creating “boulders”. The paper proposes adding some water, which would reduce the amount of charge built up inside the grinder, allowing the coffee grinds to not become charged.

James Hoffmann, a coffee expert and a World Barista Champion, goes through the main highlights in his video. He discusses some of his concerns and questions relating to the paper.

Have you noticed any differences in terms of taste when adding water to your coffee before grinding? We’d love to hear your experiences.  Please let us know what you thought on our Contact Us Form.

March 3, 2014

Coffee of Guatemala

 

Coffee of Guatemala

The coffee industry began to develop in Guatemala in the 1850s and 1860s, initially mixing its cultivation with cochineal.  By 1902, the most important coffee plantations were found in the southern coast. Many acres of land were suitable for this cultivation, and the varieties that were produced in the temperate regions were superior. Coffee was grown around Guatemala City, Chimaltenango, and Verapaz. The majority of the plantations were located in the departments of Guatemala, Amatitlan, Sacatepequez, Solola, Retalhuleu, Quezaltenango, San Marcos, and Alta Verapaz.

 With the invention of chemical dyes in Europe in the 1800s, the export market for Guatemala’s indigo and cochineal collapsed. Coffee was developed as an export crop to take their place, supported by the government through preferential trade and tax treatment. By 1859, over a half million coffee trees had been planted around Antigua, Coban, Fraijanes and San Marcos and close to 400 quintales (100 lb. bags) Guatemalan Coffees are 98% shade grown, counting more than thirty-eight million shade and coffee trees. The resulting coffee forest extends approximately 270,000 hectares and makes up 6.4 percent of the national forest cover. But, why is shade so important? Standing on one of Guatemala’s coffee-covered hillsides, it is not difficult to understand its importance. At these higher elevations the sun’s rays radiate peak levels of intense ultraviolet light; tropical downpours soak the earth in a matter of minutes; driving winds, and occasional frost, envelop mountains. Faced with these elements, coffee trees need protection. Although most coffee grown around the world is cultivated without any shade cover, most Guatemala coffee is grown in shade, ranging from rigorously managed shade on large farms to the serendipitous thickets of small growers.

Guatemalan coffee is arguably the crown jewel of Central America.  That does not mean all Guatemalan coffees are good…. But it does mean that possibility of superb coffee,  is greater from regions in Guatemala than its neighbouring countries.  Great Guatemalan coffees have a bright cup character, flora hints, clean fruited notes, moderate body, and a lingering clean aftertaste.  With varying qualities, farms ranging from huge estates to small holders perched on steep slopes and one is bound to find interesting cup characteristics in the coffees of these micro regions.

There are diverse growing regions within Guatemala that have the altitude, soil and climate conditions to produce great coffee.  Antigua is home to some of the oldest estates in Latin America, some handed down from original land grants within the same family.  In Antigua one might see the best, most systematic farm management methods employed on some farms.

The highest grade of Guatemala coffee is Strictly Hard Bean (SHB). The regionally designated coffees (Antigua, Atitlan, Cobán, etc) are tasted and approved as meeting flavour profile criteria established for these regions by ANACAFE, the Guatemalan coffee association. Those coffees that do not meet regional flavour profile criteria are only allowed to be sold as Strictly Hard Bean without regional designation.

Generally, Guatemala has preserved more of the traditional typical and bourbon varieties of Arabica than many other Latin American growing countries, which may account for the generally superior complexity of the Guatemala cup.  Coffee of Guatemala is always in stock at Kencaf – call/email us for details.

Source:  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

March 3, 2014
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