Nobody likes to look like a fool, and most people don't like to be rude. So when people buy something very expensive, neither they nor anyone else will express any of their private doubts out loud. This effect is so common that there's even a fairy tale about it, the emperor's new clothes. But with coffee seemingly heading in the same direction as wine and distilled drinks, with larger and larger price differences between the everyday and most expensive; the star system for coffees becomes worth discussing, even at the risk of challenging the wisdom of people's purchases.

Right now, the Don Pachi natural process Geisha, the star coffee from the recent Best of Panama auction, is making its way to about ten home roasters. In addition, roughly five more people are getting bags roasted by Ipsento. The Geisha, while grown in Panama and Guatemala, is an Ethiopain cultivar and has the floral and fruited flavors that is characteristic to coffees from the Sidamo region, i,.e from the towns of Yrgacheffe, Idido, Kebada, etc. The non-acution lots of the Don Pachi cost around $60 to $70 green to roasted; the auction lot sold at $110 green. The Sidamo region coffees, on the other hand, cost around $7 to to $20 green to roasted.

Most of the HBers buying the Don Pachi are very familiar and appreciative of these Southern Ethiopian coffees. So this becomes a great opportunity to think and talk about the star system in coffee with a specific example in hand.

I'll kick it off with a cupping report.

DON PACHI CUPPING REPORT.

I cupped the Don Pachi blind against a current DP Sidamo, the Dare Kebado, a mix of past crop WP Yrgachefes from the freezer, and as an experiment, a cup made from the sacrificial grinds garnered when switching the grinder between samples. Therefore, the control is a 1/3 each mix of the coffees.

The roast is not a cupping roast, but more of a compromise. It is a City roast with more distinct roast flavors and sweetness than cupping roasts, but slightly muffled aromatics and acidity. This is the lightest roast I find enjoyable as a bright espresso (at very fine grinds and low doses); and it also makes a very crowd pleasing brewed cup.

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COFFEE          Don Pachi       Dare Kebada     Frozen Yrgs     Control         
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DRY FRAG         4.3             4.5             4.0             4.3
WET AROMA        4.7             4.4             4.2             4.5             
TASTE            8.4             8.4             8.3             7.7             
FINISH           8.3             8.1             8.2             7.7             
BODY             7.7             7.8             7.5             7.6
ACIDITY          7.5             7.3             7.9             7.2
CORRECTION       1.0             0.0             0.0            -1.0
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TOTAL           91.9            90.5            90.1            88.0
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All the coffees are fruit and flowers on top, with good body, crisp but not overbearing acidity, and a mix of brown sugars, green tea, and chocolate in the roast.

The aromas of the control cup, made form the sacrificial grinds, were fine; but the taste was muddy, reminding me of ferment. It got worse as it cooled, so I dinged it a point on cuppers correction. It proves that great coffees should not be blended, since the sum will be less than the parts.

The mixed Yrgs were lean, edgy and cool. Very clear tasting, but not very friendly. The flowers and fruit were the clearest, but had a "look, but don't touch" aura to them when compared to the the Dare and Pachi.

The Dare Kebada was the simplest cup, and when tasted after the stand-offish Yrg, basically threw itself at the taster. If you can make cookies from flowers, this would be it. All the Ethiopian flavors in a nostalgic grandma's oven package.

The Don Pachi started slow and gathered more and more steam as it cooled. The aromas and hot flavors were pleasing, hinted at complexities, but were understated. As the cup cooled, it got both sweeter and more acidic, and kept unfolding. On one slurp, I'd get apricot and chocolate; on others, more angular florals and green teas. Sometimes it shifted between both, which was a bit too weird to be fully pleasing. Hot alone, I would have given it an 89 to 90, cold it was up at about 93. I added a cuppers point because of its outstaning cold cup performance (I could have just weighted my flavor and finish scores, but ading a point was less complicated).

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The Don Pachi shows well against these Sidamo region coffees, but would probably have been middle of the pack if the best coffees from this region had been on the table. The top Sidamo region coffees are also becoming stars; this year's Nekisse would have been around $20 a pound green (had it not been stolen -- a downside of star systems.)

My conclusion is that there's more than just taste to star coffees. It has to be at the right place and time to get buzz. High end coffee is a growing market segment, so people are looking to find stars. This may make it seem like mostly hype rather than reality. But from a farmer's point view, growing a star coffee is like winning a lottery. And the coffees they have so exquisitely grown and prepped to become stars will fetch excellent prices even if they don't make it. So, a viable star system is likely to improve all the coffees from places that are in the running; and this may be worth supporting even if the particular stars often are only a hair better than their non-star neighbors.

A description from Klatch about their Elida Natural:

"Producer Wilford Lamastus created this lot especially for Klatch Coffee and said "this special lot is better and more carefully picked than those in the 2011 Best of Panama action, which sold for $35 per pound." Pure flavors of light rum with touches of fruit; strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and tones of orange and chocolate. A great body, sweet acidity and well balance. Ken Davids of Coffee Review previously scored Klatch 95 points."

So a more carefully selected coffee than a 95 point version that sold for $35 per pound is rolling around in the bargain bin for a bit over a dollar per ounce today.

Maybe the discussion should be focused on the "shooting star" system instead.

PS: the emperor was not wearing any clothes.

Have you tried these coffees? You're welcome to believe it's not worth it; especially since it can't score six times as much as a ten dollar a pound, ninety point coffee. But you should at least take a peek at the emperor before discussing his state of dress.

First off, I've found that Ken Davids recent scores are about 4 to 6 points higher than mine.

Second, I cupped the Elida Natural yesterday at Ipsento. It came in around 90. Todd Werner won this year's home roast competition with it, and there I scored at 95. But it was a difficult coffee, and Sherman's entry of the same coffee hadn't quite outgassed, and only scored 86. More important than scores is that it doesn't taste like flowers, apricots, tea and chocolate;, but like Turkish delight and saltwater taffy.

Geishas are the it coffee of the moment, so cost more for similar point score coffees from anywhere. But the Typica Panamas taste nothing like it: If you want a replacement for the Don Pachi's taste, you are better off with the Idido that Counterculture is currently selling. But it's a lot more likely you'll be telling your grand children about the Don Pachi than the Idido.

Star coffees that support a growth in quality from farmers in regions who want to grow better coffees sounds like a good deal. While not for most, the auction coffees go to the community that supports them , and I find this a good system. Just like single oak bourbon or $20 beer, there is a community who appreciates the effort and they tend to be rewarded. I agree with Jim that some "star" coffees might not be more than marginally better than their more affordable counterparts, it is inspiring to track where that money is really going. Counter Culture and Aida's Grand Reserve is a good example of this I believe. It really has to be about something more than scoring a 90+ to find value in the star coffees.

another_jim wrote:Have you tried these coffees? You're welcome to believe it's not worth it; especially since it can't score six times as much as a ten dollar a pound, ninety point coffee. But you should at least take a peek at the emperor before discussing his state of dress.

You miss the point - once the spot light moves away from the flavor of the moment, it becomes just good coffee again. The difference between $35 and $16 is hype in the case described in Klatch's own back story. Many good coffees sell for a dollar an ounce roasted. Stars sell for what ever someone is willing to pay. I can't taste hype. Can you?

another_jim wrote:First off, I've found that Ken Davids recent scores are about 4 to 6 points higher than mine.

Second, I cupped ...

All very nice, your pantry is full, so is mine. You ask if superstar coffees are worth the price. I gave a great example showing how a very good coffee - a "superstar" coffee not long ago - is now trading closer to the ground than the clouds today.

The spotlight never stands still for very long.

EricBNC wrote:A description from Klatch about their Elida Natural:

"Producer Wilford Lamastus created this lot especially for Klatch Coffee and said "this special lot is better and more carefully picked than those in the 2011 Best of Panama action, which sold for $35 per pound." Pure flavors of light rum with touches of fruit; strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and tones of orange and chocolate. A great body, sweet acidity and well balance. Ken Davids of Coffee Review previously scored Klatch 95 points."

So a more carefully selected coffee than a 95 point version that sold for $35 per pound is rolling around in the bargain bin for a bit over a dollar per ounce today.

Maybe the discussion should be focused on the "shooting star" system instead.

PS: the emperor was not wearing any clothes.

Eric, for the most part I will seek out well priced beans to keep my stock up but it is really nice to get something special as well. I guess the spot light has been on the Geisha beans for 5 years now (maybe longer but that is how long I have been getting them) and their 15min of fame is still going stronger then ever.

Here is what Klatch has to say about the Don Pachi "This coffee is unlike any other natural or Geisha in the world. The Geisha flavor profile is unique, complex, balanced, and mind blowing. The complexity of the Geisha includes flavors of sugar cane, oranges, apricots, peaches, pears, berries, black cherries, spiced tea and more." I just don't see how you can dismiss this coffee as the flavor of the moment, especially with out trying it. I never had light roasted coffee that I liked, then I had some Esmeralda Geisha and it changed everything I had thought up to that point about coffee, that experience alone was worth much more then the price I paid for the beans.

To be honest I wish more people thought the way you do about these beans so I could get more then 5-10lbs a year, LOL.

This thread should be split into "Are superstar coffees worth the price?" and "I dare you to say I paid too much for my Don Pachi" because while my posts address the "superstar" component, all arguments and counter points are directed at defending Emperor Don and his Geisha harem.

Remember history - once a tulip bulb was worth more than gold. Passion inflates price. Pachi might be good, Hacienda La Esmeralda might be too.

Some farmer is picking beans right now that will make an astounding cup that someone will drink in the dark, away from the stage lights.

If you just want to say we are all fools for buying the coffee, say so once and go away.

The thread is about the Don Pachi, which you don't want to buy; and how star coffees are transforming the coffee industry, another subject about which you are not showing much evidence of knowledge.

Your bargain basement coffee, the Panama Elida natural, would not have existed without the Geishas and other superstar coffees. Ten years ago, Elida was an also ran Panama plantation producing $1.50 per pound, poorly sorted, green coffee. Getting $16 per pound or $35 per pound for hand picked and hand prepped coffees that are hugely better than anything the region has ever produced before is due to the possibility of these coffees getting even higher auction prices. You would not be able to drink the Elida Natural at any price if the Geishas weren't getting 50 to 100 dollars a pound; it would not exist.

Far more interesting would be to get your thoughts about how such highly refined coffees would be possible without an auction system. David is reflecting the opinion of many pros that the auction system has raised the standard of the entire specialty sector. I was hoping to get some discussion, pro or con, on this.