I kept finding myself waiting for *the* coffee to arrive this year, but it never did. Even after widening the pattern to include most anything with a decent score (Sweet Marias) that *wasn't* dry processed (blech).

I've only been roasting a few years, enough to raise the bar but not enough to see the forest from the trees, so maybe this is just a personal perception. Anyone else feel this way, or was it just a sophomore slump?

It would be tough for me to discount this year's Panama Elida Natural and Ethiopian Tchembe, but its obvious you aren't a dry-processed coffee fan. Of the wet-processed beans I have tried the Ethiopian Gera Jimma from the Shrub are pretty tasty as was the El Salvador El Carrizal from Klatch. Neither was smack your momma good, but I would re-order both again. Also worth mentioning are the two Kenyans I tried (didn't try many because of the high buy-in).

Yes, yes! I'm currently on the Gera Jimma but the Guji Shakiso was even better. After the Dan Pachi Geisha from H-B I think the Guji Shakiso and Gera Jimma were the best greens I had this year.

There's been no 95 point coffees this year; and the Nekisse was the only one in that league last year. We got spoiled in the five year run from about 2005 to 2009, when each year had three or four mind blowing coffees. But before that, coffees that good were equally rare.

I think what happened is that we had some big breakthroughs in coffee prep, but that the results are now being diluted. The Kenya auction system has been disrupted in the last few years, with rival ministries claiming jurisdiction (or rival gangs claiming protection money -- hard to tell which is which). We all know what happened in Ethiopia. In Central America and Colombia, instead of all the top coffee going to a single COE and "Best Of" auction, the coffees are being sold in a much larger volumes in separate auction and direct trade lots.

My feel is that this is resulting in more 90ish coffees than a few years back, but fewer of the really mind blowing, bore your grandchildren with stories about them, 95 point ones.

rama wrote:I kept finding myself waiting for *the* coffee to arrive this year, but it never did. Even after widening the pattern to include most anything with a decent score (Sweet Marias) that *wasn't* dry processed (blech).

I can't speak for the overall crop quality, but the quantity is way down, and the international competition is way up. Roasters of super premium coffees have their feet on the ground all over the world arranging or protecting direct trade relationships.

There are fabulous roasted coffees available this year. I had a Gichathaini Kenyan last month at a dinner with growers that was among the greatest cups of my life, and I was lucky enough to be able to congratulate the leader of the coop that grew it. That particular coffee is selling for over $40/lb. roasted, which tells you a lot about the current market for that level of coffee.

...

I chalk it up to SCAA growing pains. They need to better understand how to design and utilize the promotional auctions like the COE. Many other agriculture orgs. have decades of experience with this. This type of promotion plays an important role but must be managed so it doesn't disturb the right coffees getting to the right end users. How direct trade is further developed will also be important.

farmroast wrote:I chalk it up to SCAA growing pains. They need to better understand how to design and utilize the promotional auctions like the COE.

Hi, Ed. Just to clarify, Cup of Excellence is operated by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc., which is not affiliated with SCAA. However, the Roaster's Guild is an arm of SCAA. If you have ideas for promoting COE auctions to promote specialty coffee, you might start with taking it up with your RG leadership.

Marshall wrote:Hi, Ed. Just to clarify, Cup of Excellence is operated by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc., which is not affiliated with SCAA. However, the Roaster's Guild is an arm of SCAA. If you have ideas for promoting COE auctions to promote specialty coffee, you might start with taking it up with your RG leadership.

I realize that COE as well as the other auctions are not operated by the SCAA. Nor are similar auctions in other ag. industries operated by their overall guiding organizations. But guidance to these auctions for the well being of the industry and specifically the US market development will prove to be very important.

As Amateurs we are concerned with availability (example being this thread). But as an Amateur I can't have a membership and then appropriate access to SCAA or RG leadership ever since the c-membership was discontinued. Maybe someday an A(amateur) membership wing of the SCAA and RG/BG with recognized representation will broaden the base of involvement for the benefit of all.

farmroast wrote:As Amateurs we are concerned with availability (example being this thread). But as an Amateur I can't have a membership and then appropriate access to SCAA or RG leadership ever since the c-membership was discontinued.

Sorry, Ed. I assumed from your blog address and your name on this site that you were professional.