April 18 and 19 -- SCAA Conference in Portland, OR
Arrived Wednesday afternoon in Portland. The Hilton where the Symposium was taking place was downtown not far from the Willamette River. Started meeting people I know (Christian Schaps from Guatemala) as I walked up the sidewalk. It is fun how over the years so many people from all over the globe become friends!  Another great spontaneous meeting was when I saw Michael and his wife from Berlin Germany! Michael and I met coincidentally at the BGA Championship at SCAA Houston (2011).

Portland World Trade Center

During the Welcome reception on Thursday evening, I visited with a QGrader instructor and friend from Korea. Also picked up a few insights on the topics discussed at the Symposium. Apparently the editor of the New York Times food page said that specialty coffee as an industry should stop comparing themselves to wine.  In his opinion the best wines are so much better than the best coffees, that they're not even comparable. Wonder what our industry said to that?!

Single Origin Decaf Cupping - 2nd Annual

April 15, 2012
Artisan Coffee Imports is getting ready for another innovative, never-done-before Single Origin Decaf Cupping at the industry's biggest trade show: the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Event. It'll be in Portland, OR, Apr. 18 - 22, at the Oregon Convention Center.

Last year Artisan offered a cupping where coffees from 4 origins were decaffed using 4 different decaffeination processes. So for example, you could cup a Colombian decaffeinated with ethyl acetate, methylene chloride, CO2 and/or water. (see photo)

This year we're doing it different -- there will be coffees from 4 origins: Colombia, Sumatra, Ethiopia and Bolivia. Each one is a micro lot coffee with  transparency to the cooperative level, i.e. we know who grew this coffee and that it was treated with care throughout the supply chain. Each one will be presented as a decaf and as a regular coffee.

One table will be blind. This table is for those who think they can always pick-out the "weaker" taste of a decaf - and those who have the years of experience to identify different origins by taste and aroma (no labels needed). They can test themselves.

The other table will have the coffees labeled. This table is for the roasters who are serious about buying. When they put this decaf Sumatran or decaf Colombian in front of customers, will it convince? Does it have the flavors and notes that their customers expect of the coffee's origin?

The coffees to be presented are:

• Ethiopian Sidama ARDI - decaf and caffeinated
• Bolivia "Rico" (microlot) - decaf and caffeinated
• Colombia AA Los Idolos (Huila microlot) - decaf and caffeinated
• Sumatra Mandheling - decaf and caffeinated

For more information, go to www.ArtisanCoffeeImports.com.

Coffee Does Not Equal Caffeine

Mar. 27, 2012
Enjoyed the blog with the above title I saw yesterday on Direct Trade Coffee Club's site: click here.
The author, Josh Leffingwell, explores a couple different coffee phenomena related to the fact that coffee is NOT equal to caffeine.  First, quantities. When connoisseurs are enjoying a top quality beverage, they're typically not drinking tons of it.  He notices that the customers at the high-end cafe, Madcap, in Grand Rapids, MI, are not consuming giant 2 liter cups of coffee, and it's not because the caffeine levels in Madcap's espresso is unusually high. The small quantities the customers are drinking indicates their emphasis on having "a taste" of something delicious and rare, as opposed to something so addicting (like the caramel bear lattes served at the place down the street), that bigger is always better.

Then Josh hits on a second reason "coffee does not equal caffeine". He states, "generally coffee lovers are in it for more than just the buzz. It is a FLAVOR and an EXPERIENCE." That's it -- the magic place where quality regular coffee and quality decaf coffee have the same goals and the same purpose for existence -- "flavor and experience". Any coffee - caff or decaff -- that calls itself "specialty" should offer both. 

Finding places to buy this kind of great tasting decaf coffee is gradually getting easier.  Madcap is one cafe that does a great job with decaf. For those who can't hop right over to Grand Rapids, try ordering here. Or if you're a commercial roaster, look for great green decaf beans at www.ArtisanCoffeeImports.com.

Secret Shopper "Zinger" Question

Barista Magazine this month (Feb. +Mar. 2012) has a great note from the editor, Sarah Allen. She and her sister go undercover to a new café that has opened in their town, Portland, OR. They are essentially trying to test the baristas for “snobbish-ness”.  Sarah’s sister comes up with the zinger: “Excuse me? Do you have decaf available in whole bean?”

How many of you have asked a similar question in a similar café and gotten a somewhat exasperated, confused or shocked look?  Also common – (the customary sign of great training), “um… let me ask someone.”

Fortunately, at the Portland café in this editorial (the cafe is not mentioned by name in the article), there is a very satisfying response: “On that top shelf there is the decaf roast we carry. I’m not much of a decaf drinker, but I really enjoy that one. It’s got a lot of complexity and depth. Can I brew you a cup on the house?”

If this is what the new cafes in coffee-town Portland are brewing up – this is very good news!!

Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul

My dear husband gave me a thoughtful gift this Christmas -- Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul. I haven't read all the sappy short stories in it yet, but I think I've already found my favorite. "The Truth About Coffee" shares the story of two couples, the author and her husband are visiting the author's brother and his wife for a weekend visit in Naperville, Illinois. They go for a chilly evening walk and chide each other about they need to get home before everyone's too tired for a game of Scrabble. It's like foreshadowing -- they get back and everyone is ready to call it a night. Except sister-in-law Trisha, suggests putting on a pot of coffee. Which they do. And then sure enough, they all perk up, play some games and talk about old times -- all the while remarking about how good it is to have coffee to wake one up.

The punch line (as you might have guessed) is Trisha laughing as she informs the other three of her discovery -- she unintentionally brewed DECAF coffee for them. This, of course, leads to the discovery decaf drinkers everywhere have made -- "it really wasn't the caffeine that kept us going throughout the years when we needed a lift. It was the camaraderie -- the closeness of family and friends... with tasty sips of coffee to hold onto for enjoyment or comfort."

Looking for some great-tasting decaf coffee for your next get-together?

Aida Batlle story in The New Yorker

It's always great when the pioneers of truly specialty coffee are recognized in mainstream media. Such is the case with the article in November 2011's The New Yorker, "Letter from El Salvador: Sacred Grounds -- Aida Batlle and the new coffee evangelists." The journalist, Kelefa Sanneh, was on-site in El Salvador at Aida's beautiful and captivating farms. She writes with touching vignette's about Aida's career and the challenges she faces as a coffee farmer. The article highlights well the many challenges any professional in specialty coffee has come across at some time. This makes it a delight to read.

But you'll need some time -- and a good cup of (decaf) coffee. (The story is captivating enough to not need the caffeine.) But it's 10 pages of New Yorker fine print!

Finding Flavorful Decaf Coffee

Dec. 5, 2011
It's been fun hearing stories about people in search of great tasting decaf coffee. One student on his junior year abroad wanted decaf coffee for his mother's birthday. She's been looking for something that really tastes good -- not flat and burned. AND, if possible, it should be organic and certified as fair trade. He found it by searching the internet.

Peru, Swiss Water Process, organic, fair trade is what he bought!