Cravens Blog
Judge Rwanda COE®
October 26th, 2012
Coffee growing region: Southern Province.
As promised, I’m pleased to report on a recent coffee trip to Rwanda. I’ve just returned from the “Land of a Thousand Hills” serving on another international Cup of Excellence® jury. You may recall from past reports, the Cup of Excellence® is a non-profit organization founded by a small group of dedicated coffee experts who, in partnership with source countries, conduct a competition and auction as a way to discover phenomenal coffees and financially reward the coffee farmer. While the winning coffees won’t be on US soil for some time, the story of Rwanda’s recent state is worth sharing.
Bustling streets of Kigali, capitol city of Rwanda.
Rwanda has recovered and evolved into a vibrant country nearly 18 years since the unimaginable genocide. President Paul Kagame is astutely aware that aid money does not flow forever, nor do Rwandans want it to as they work hard to be self-sufficient and industrious. Rwanda strives to be a business hub and center for East and Central Africa. The road system is improving, streets are clean, a new airport is under construction (although I will miss the giant artichoke) and a massive Convention Center is rising in the city center. There is a palpable energy in the country.
Coffee quality is soaring as reflected by a challenging Cup of Excellence® competition. Jurors from 13 different countries made up an eclectic group, including Germany, Norway, Japan, South Korea, England, Russia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, United States, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Rwanda. By day 3 the jury had identified the top 10 coffees and we were ready to rank in order. For the first time a coffee received a ranking high enough (90 points +) to receive the President’s award.
The grand COE awards ceremony was an outdoor event attended by 2,000 people featuring tribal dancing, music and heartfelt speeches. I will never tire of the unbridled joy of the farmers who win this competition. Designed in 1999 to elevate the idea that the very best coffee in the world is something extremely special, the Cup of Excellence® changes lives of farmers for the better.
Cupping for Excellence.
Along with the process of discovery and identification of the best coffee in the country, these trips are an opportunity to visit and determine the best growing regions, washing stations and milling operations in source country. Familiar with the Western Region, I chose to visit the Northern, Eastern and Southern regions of Rwanda as part of Cravens’ unique verification efforts. As with all source countries I have visited, it is illuminating to see farms, villages, people and processes first-hand as a standard for Cravens Coffee purchases.
Cravens Coffee will participate in the COE Global Internet Auction in late October. Once shipped to the US, roasted and packaged this Rwanda COE coffee should be available for you early 2013. As always, we will keep you posted!
It is a pleasure serving you,
p.s. What else can we do for you? Reach us at cheers@cravenscoffee.com or on Facebook, anytime. As always, thank you for entrusting Cravens Coffee to source and roast your specialty coffee.
Out of Africa… Tanzania and Rwanda
August 20th, 2012
Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
I am in the final preparations for a trip to Tanzania and a trek up to the Mondul Farm to see their harvest in full swing. I am honored to have seen harvesting in many coffee growing regions over the years, but this will be the first time in East Africa. There is nothing like the baskets of coffee cherries coming in for milling to really understand and appreciate a particular origin and, in this case, farm. Mondul Farm is located on the slopes of Mondul Mountain in the heartland of the Maasai people. The coffee is shade grown with a natural mountain spring water source. This year we purchased their entire Peaberry crop (two beans grow together forming one bean for an intense, citrus-y flavor profile) and we will be looking to secure the same in 2013. I love this coffee both as a brew by the cup with a Hario filter and even as single origin espresso.
The trip continues with the 2012 Rwanda Cup of Excellence, where I will be one of the International Judges determining their best coffee of the year. The Rwandan coffee industry has experienced a roller coaster ride over the past several years. International aid organizations and large multi-national roasters, all with good intentions, seemed to “pull” Rwanda around in a multitude of directions. They are finally settling down and understanding the importance of diversifying their international customer base for the long-term health of an improving coffee sector. The preview tasting (cupping) of the coffees has been very highly touted as the best ever. The week of judging will include getting out into the “land of a thousand hills” to see how their coffee is rising in quality and consistency.
This will be my third trip to Rwanda, the first 10 years after the genocide. It is always a remarkable experience and privilege to visit this extraordinary country.
I look forward to sharing the experience, and the coffee, with you upon my return.
As always, thank you for entrusting Cravens Coffee to source and roast your specialty coffee,
Gifts for the Coffee Lover
December 1st, 2011Ah, Christmas. Lit tree, delicious food, family and friends, and – of course, presents. While the holiday season has different meanings for different people, it is generally regarded as a time to give a gift of sentiment. What will your sentiment be? Thank you? Good cheer? Stop the madness? Whatever your wishes, we’ve gathered together a small list of gift ideas for the coffee lovers on your list.
YULETIDE BLEND
We blend a distinguished trio of coffees grown under sustainable conditions to celebrate the holidays – and honor our faraway friends and farmers for all they do so well.
Costa Rica Monte Crisol’s sweet, tangy, up-front flavor lends sparkle, then perfectly matched with Mr Irham’s IKA Sumatra Mandheling providing a fruity, spicy body at the finish. We include just enough French Roast to elevate the complexity.
Cravens Yuletide Blend – our way of sharing the warmth of the season with you. Cheers!
Flavor Profile: Bright, full flavored, rich finish
Primary Origin: Costa Rica Monte Crisol
Roast: Combination light and dark
Available at area grocery stores and coffee shops serving Cravens Coffee.
CRAVENS COFFEE GIFT BOX
Not only does coffee make a delicious gift but an eco-friendly one as consumable items leave less imprint on our environment.
This season’s Cravens Gift Box includes 2 coffees: Yuletide Blend and Cup of Excellence® Costa Rica La Pira.
If you would like a different coffee selection in your gift box, we are happy to accommodate via cheers@cravenscoffee.com or 800-214-BEAN (2326).
Roasted and packaged with care.
CUP OF EXCELLENCE ®, COSTA RICA LA PIRA
A special coffee for a special coffee drinker. You may have read about this rare and limited-release coffee in our last eNews. Here’s a reminder why this might be the perfect gift for your coffee lover.
COE is a non-profit organization founded by a small group of dedicated coffee experts who, in partnership with source countries, conduct a competition and auction as a way to discover phenomenal coffees and financially reward the coffee farmer. We have chosen one of this year’s winners just for you.
Origin: Cup of Excellence®, Costa Rica La Pira
Winning Farmer: Carlos Urena Ceciliano, La Pira Finca
Region: Los Santos, TarrazuFlavor
Profile: Exceptional, sparkle, bright lingering aftertaste, maple-y and almond-y at the finish.
Roast: Vienna
Thank you for sharing Cravens Coffee this holiday season.
It is a pleasure serving you,
Cup of Excellence Arrives! Rare, Limited Supply, Exceptional.
November 16th, 2011
“Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well,” as the saying goes. That certainly applies to this year’s Cup of Excellence® coffees.
Serving on the distinguished panel of Cup of Excellence® judges is not for the faint of heart. Slurping and spitting 96 times an hour holds you true to your craft. It was an honor to join this international jury again this year. COE is a non-profit organization founded by a small group of dedicated coffee experts who, in partnership with source countries, conduct a competition and auction as a way to discover phenomenal coffees and financially reward the coffee farmer. We have chosen one of this year’s winners just for you.
Origin: Cup of Excellence®, Costa Rica La Pira
Winning Farmer: Carlos Urena Ceciliano, La Pira Finca
Region: Los Santos, Tarrazu
Flavor Profile: Exceptional, sparkle, bright lingering aftertaste, maple-y and almond-y at the finish.
Roast: Vienna
All Cup of Excellence® coffees must be free of defects and taints while exhibiting the most desirable characteristics of the country of origin. As your specialty coffee roaster, our collective objective at Cravens Coffee was to secure the highest ranked coffee available to the United States. After a long and demanding bidding process, we were thrilled to secure the #3 coffee from the competition — #1 and #2 went to Japan and Korea. You will find no better Costa Rica, at least not in this corner of the world!
This coffee is rare and does not come easy. Commanding a premium price at $15.00 per 12 oz bag this coffee will only be available directly from Cravens Coffee, for a limited time. Simply email info@cravenscoffee.com or visit our website store to place an order.
A special item you may consider for the coffee lovers on your holiday gift list.
Learn more about COE as we share the coffee insider’s ACE Report. Check out page 2 for coffee roasters supporting this important work by the farmer.
Learn more about COE by viewing this fantastic video produced by friends and fellow COE judges at Toby’s Estate in Australia.
Learn more (or maybe just for fun!) enjoy a short (very short!) Photo Album of the Costa Rica Cup of Excellence journey. Clearly, I am better with a coffee cupping spoon than a camera. =
It is a pleasure serving you,
p.s. Whether you have ‘friended’ us in the past or are new to facebook, please follow Cravens Coffee so we may better serve you.
Slurping and Spitting 96 Times an Hour.
June 9th, 2011And the winner is … Finca La Estrella.
I just returned from Costa Rica as a Cup of Excellence® Judge. As mentioned in last month’s Coffee Chronicle, The Cup of Excellence® is a non-profit organization founded by a small group of dedicated coffee experts who, in partnership with source countries, conduct a competition and auction as a way to discover phenomenal coffees and financially reward the coffee farmer. As promised, here is the latest coffee news that may be of interest….
I first served on this distinguished panel of judges in 2005. Cup of Excellence® is a discovery mechanism for finding the purest coffees in a particular coffee growing region. The coffee must be free of defects and taints while exhibiting the most desirable characteristics of the country of origin. I joined judges from New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Germany, Norway, USA, Costa Rica and Brazil. One of the Costa Rican cuppers was Enid Esquivel, who is the Quality Assurance cupper for our flagship Monte Crisol coffee. She qualified for the Jury as one of the 3 best cuppers in Costa Rica. It was an honor serving with Enid.
As the International Judges, we started the week with 60 coffees submitted to us by a National Jury of Costa Rican cuppers. We are required to cup up to 3 times per day between 8 and 10 sets of 4 cups of each coffee. That means we are slurping and spitting a minimum of 96 times over an hour each time you address a table. By weeks end, the final selection of coffees going to auction (graded at 84/100 or higher at each stage) has been cupped by the jury 3 times. Unusual about this COE was the extra high caliber of coffees. Often coffees get bounced out early, but by Thursday, the final day before the top 10 selected for Friday’s final cupping, there were still 45 coffees in contention. The final number of coffees going to auction will be 31!
The auction is scheduled for June 21. We will secure, import and roast a winning coffee for availability in late August. Stay tuned as, once again, we have the pleasure of bringing you the world’s best coffees.
Why participate as a juror?
Each juror has his or her own story. For me, being a juror is one of the most important things I can do to serve you, our trusted Customers. It is my job to source tremendous coffee for you. And while serving with coffee people dedicated to excellence in their work and in their relationships, we share and learn from each other. Sure we talk about coffee and our businesses but we develop long-standing friendships. Reconnecting with the many farmers who have grown our coffee over the years, along with Jeremy Torz from England (whom I met at the Rwanda COE) and Ruben Sagastume (with whom I served at the Nicaragua COE) is a reminder of how interconnected we all are.
Finally the original concept behind COE was that coffee, like wine, when at its best, can be extra ordinary. Over the years COE has proven that in an industry producing an awfully large amount of commercial quality product and filler, there can be something magnificent and truly special. And that, my friends, is why they call it ‘specialty coffee’.
p.s. Whether you have ‘friended’ us in the past or are new to facebook, please follow Cravens Coffee on our new page so we may better serve you. New upgrades provide you the latest coffee news, crop announcements, special promotions, events and the occasional element of surprise. Friend us, like us, share us and we will deliver!
Simon To Judge Cup of Excellence
May 5th, 2011
On May 9th I travel to Costa Rica as a Cup of Excellence® Judge. I first served on this distinguished panel in 2005 proudly supporting a movement that fundamentally changes what we know is possible in exemplary coffee. For years great coffees have been blended away with very little recognition of the individual farmer or the unique flavor profiles of a region. For the Cravens Customer who appreciates top quality coffees, the Cup of Excellence® award is a guarantee of the best! I look forward to sharing the 2011 Costa Rica Cup of Excellence® experience upon my return later this month. In the meantime, here are some fundamentals you might enjoy…
The Cup of Excellence® is a non-profit organization founded by a small group of dedicated coffee experts who, in partnership with source countries and NGOs, developed a competition and auction as a way to discover phenomenal coffees and financially reward the coffee farmer.
Prestigious Jury Selection
Simon judges 2004 Costa Rica Cup of Excellence®
The Cup of Excellence® program carefully selects an international jury of coffee professionals who care about the farmers, the coffee, their customers and each other. “We are proud that our judges are cupping experts who represent every type of coffee company, dedicated to excellence in their work and in their relationships,” states the founders of Cup of Excellence®. As one of the 18 international jurors from 6 different contents, I will spend 1 week cupping 45 coffees a day. The overall objective is to find the truest, purest example of that particular country of origin.
How important is this award to a coffee farmer?
Winning farmers are internationally acknowledged for their dedication to quality. Not only is the farmer given a prestigious award during a national ceremony but the majority of the record prices at auction go back to the farmer. A winning farm, and often the whole region, can expect to receive future visits from roasters looking to buy more quality coffee based on this important recognition. The positive impact on the quality of life for a winning farmer and his family is permanent as the auction money will often be spent on farm improvements or family education which can change their economic livelihood for the long term.
Who buys these winning coffees?
Coffee drinkers worldwide who appreciate the complex flavor and aromatics found in a world class coffee buy and savor these winners. The roaster who buys these coffees cares about providing the highest quality to his customers as well as creating a direct relationship with the winning farmer. The prized coffees are sold at an internet auction to the highest bidder about 5 weeks after the winners are announced. The rising tide raises all boats and at Cravens Coffee we’re honored to push the envelope of quality for you. We look forward to bringing you special coffee from the Costa Rica Cup of Excellence® in the months ahead. Stay tuned…
p.s. Whether you have ‘friended’ us in the past or are new to facebook, please follow Cravens Coffee on our new page so we may better serve you. New upgrades provide you the latest coffee news, crop announcements, special promotions, events and the occasional element of surprise. Friend us, like us, share us and we will deliver!
Ringing in the New!
January 26th, 2011With a new year comes new opportunities for taking care of you, our valued Customers. See what’s in store….
A new face. Our Facebook page has moved. Why? It’s a long story, but it has something to do with a little apostrophe. Whether you have ‘friended’ us in the past or new to facebook, please follow Cravens Coffee on our new page so we may better serve you. New upgrades provide you the latest coffee news, crop announcements, special promotions, events and the occasional element of surprise. Friend us, like us, share us and we will deliver!
New to Twitter! Yep, old dogs apparently can learn new tricks. We dared to venture into the world of tweeting and live to tell about it. We promise to share with you helpful and insightful tweets. Thank you for following us.
A new venture into videos. Given we prefer preparing your coffee each and every day to producing videos, we won’t promise genius behind the camera but we will promise good coffee fun. Find our YouTube tab on our new Facebook page for short video clips we hope are useful and entertaining. Who could resist Simon slurping and spitting at the cupping table or his latest adventures to the coffee farm? We look forward to hearing from you!
Let’s not forget new crop coffees. Our recently popular Tabu Jamu coffee will continue as we just got word the fine farmers in Sumatra have produced a second year crop, which we have secured for shipment. What was intended to be a one-off coffee treat was so well received by a select few specialty coffee roasters, including yours truly, the coffee has turned into a longer term relationship. Learn more about this unique coffee on our recent blog here. At stores now!
Here’s wishing you a prosperous and happy new year!
Back from Guatemala
June 26th, 2009I’ve just returned from Guatemala having spent a lengthy visit with Cravens friend and coffee grower, Edwin Martinez. Edwin’s family farm, Finca Vista Hermosa, is truly special. It is a high elevation farm in the coveted region of San Pedro Necta. We are honored to partner with Edwin to bring you this exceptional coffee.
After a few days at Finca Vista Hermosa I traveled south to Roberto Orantes’ La Laguna farm. I’m not alone in believing this to be one of the best organic farms in the world! They possess unbelievable attention to detail in every phase of the process, while exhibiting a passionate stewardship of the environment. Now roasting this coffee at Cravens.
The end of my trip entailed a stop at the Cup of Excellence where I participated in cupping the top 10 coffees of the competition. We’ll keep you posted as these coffees become available.