These two bags represent me taking a large step in upping my coffee game! It took two months of research, conversations with my sales rep and getting feedback from trusted customers.
The winners pictured here are:
Mexican Chiapas Sierra Madres, Organic/Fair Trade
Tanzania AA Layamungo APK Estate
Time for new selections
Up to this point, I was using a few full bags for my daily staples, such my El Salvador San Miguel. If I wanted to try something new, I would purchase 5-20# from Burman Coffee Traders. This was fine for a while, but the smaller batches started getting sold out too quickly to keep up. At the beginning of the year, I decided it was time to expand my full bag selection to add to the daily lineup.
Doing my homework
Usually when I would purchase coffee, I look up a certain origin, check the price and purchase it without too much further thought. This bit me in the hindquarters last summer! Shortly after opening the shop I ended up purchasing a full bag of MC decaf, which is processed with methylene chloride. I was in a hurry and didn't do my research. Yes, it's food-grade, but it's been awkward explaining that to customers ordering decaf.
With that in mind this year, I decided it was time to slow down my purchasing process and dig a little deeper. I wasn't in desperate need of coffee, so I was able to take my time. I knew I wanted to get something African and an organic/fair trade option. I don't want to limit myself to organic/fair trade, but I want to offer something as an option for anyone who feels convicted about it.
I called my sales rep at Royal New York and shared what I was looking for. I also asked him directly, "Which coffee are you excited about right now?" At first he had a sales pitch ready, but I pressed the question what are YOU excited about? He shared that he's excited about a couple of coffees that won't be available for several months, so I have some options to look forward to!
I narrowed it down to two African coffee options and an organic/fair trade coffee from Mexico.
Burundi Kirundo Nyabikenke Washing Station
Tanzania AA Layamungo APK Estate
Mexican Chiapas Sierra Madre Organic/Fair Trade
What's great about Royal New York is they offer 1/2# samples of unroasted beans of any option available, so I requested samples of each one. They were free of charge and shipped at no cost.
Testing 1,2,3...
For all of the samples, I roasted them to a medium. I figured that would give me the best insight to the general characteristics as well as how they caramelize. I also prepared each one as a pourover, espresso and cold brew. That way I can point out which options are best for the different methods out there.
As for getting feedback and insights into the results, I don't have much to work with. I have no staff, no business partners or investors to work with here. So what I did was I reached out to my regular customers. There's a solid core group of people who come regularly, appreciate coffee in general and I trust enough to value their opinion.
I held the tasting at the end of January on a Saturday afternoon with a good number of people attending.
The Final Score
I prepared coffee evaluation sheets for each option on a scale of 1-5 for the different methods presented.
Terrible
Mediocre
Decent, but not exciting
I'd like to see this as a different roasting level
Excited to see this in the lineup!
Overall, the Tanzanian was the favorite in all the brewing methods and the Mexican was a close 2nd. The two bags arrived last Thursday.
The Mexican still requires a little more research for the light and dark roasts, but you can order the Tanzanian today! Order here.
I'm really excited about these new arrivals, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed the process of purchasing them!