Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

[cuppacoffee Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cuppacoffee]

Hi all

Im just thinking out aloud here and would love to hear your feedback.

Some background:
Im able to obtain a very limited supply of a variety of very high quality raw beans. If that sounds good so far, read on...

The idea:
To offer a 3 month subscription, limited at this stage to just 10 subscribers. Subscribers receive 1kg of a different roasted coffee each month, for 3 consecutive months, packed in a gusset bag. Also included would be some notes regarding the origins of the coffee, the actual roast profile, and a few valve bags (1x500gm + 2x250gm) so that the coffee can be split up and/or stored.

For the first subscription:
What I have in mind to offer, but not set in stone, for the first subscription are...
1. El Salvador El Borbollon from the Alvarez family farm
2. Costa Rica Finca la Lia certified organic, and,
3. Colombia Del Obispo (as used by Gwilym Davies in 2009)

Cost:
$165.00 for the 3 month subscription ($55.00 per kg) including postage and the other bits and pieces mentioned above.

My motivation:
a) Yes, to make a profit
b) I get to experience a wider variety of quality coffees without outlaying my entire personal fortune (a small hill of beans) and share that opportunity with some other people.

So, what do you think?

[frikanim Member Find all posts View Profile Close frikanim]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

$55 a kilo sounds pretty reasonable, since it includes postage, given that some cafes charge up to $25 for 250g of prime quality beans. A kilo a month also sounds like a good idea, given most people can use up 250g or more in a week.
Sounds like a good deal to me!
Thumbs up for the initiative.

[Ben_S Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ben_S]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

What are you roasting for? Espresso? Or other?

B

[WSullivan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close WSullivan]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

Sounds like a great idea Den, very good value for money! I love how your honest with point 1, love it, youve cut the crappy sales pitch and told us the truth! Good on ya mate

best of luck! Im sure youll have no problem finding the customers!
Cheers
Warren

[A_M Guest Find all posts View Profile Close A_M]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

Sounds like a great idea Den, very good value for money! I love how your honest with point 1, love it, youve cut the crappy sales pitch and told us the truth! Good on ya mate

best of luck! Im sure youll have no problem finding the customers!
Cheers
Warren

Concur fully with teh above statement/s.

Cant subscribe myself.. but who knows... Maybe a consortium of CSs in qld will come to the party and need an extra member.

AM

[cuppacoffee Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cuppacoffee]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

What are you roasting for? Espresso? Or other?

B

Hi Ben

I hadnt really thought that far ahead, so Im glad you posted the question.

Instinctively, Id roast these just prior to or on the cusp of 2nd crack. I guess that would suit the majority of people, who I believe still prefer espresso based drinks rather than pour over. Then again, if I get 10 subscribers who all use pour over, then lightly roasted it is.

[Ben_S Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ben_S]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

Yeah - I suppose, one would want to know what you are looking at buying in terms of roast level before you commit. I would be annoyed for example to buy 3kg of a light roast where I predominantly drink espresso.

One of the reasons I have not invested in a square mile subscription for example.

B

[oz_soarer Member Find all posts View Profile Close oz_soarer]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

Ive sent you a PM Dennis.

[Coffee2Di4 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Coffee2Di4]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

Den

Id be definitely *tentatively* be interested. The *tentatively* bit is more to cover my backside in case of household bills due at the time of your offering, but if I have it without the family having to eat rice for a couple of weeks, Ill be there!

Cheers
Di

[bjeck14 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bjeck14]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

Awesome idea Den. I was going to say that being a student would hinder me from being involved, but it really isnt that much money for what would be an awesome experience.

[phil__ Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close phil__]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

PM sent - Im interested

[Dr_Jon Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dr_Jon]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

Hi Den - count me in please!! Ill give you a call, but Im a definite

Jon

[cuppacoffee Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cuppacoffee]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

There seems to be enough interest to get this off the ground, so for those who havent already done so, please send me a pm if you are definitely interested.

Thanks to those who have already contacted me with intent to participate.

There are about 6 subscriptions still available and the cut off is 10. No payment is required until we have a full complement of subscribers, and I will confirm arrangements with those who are involved.

Cheers!
Den

[cuppacoffee Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cuppacoffee]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

UPDATE: Ive secured the coffees mentioned above and they will be arriving instore this week.

For those who have expressed their intention to subscribe, could you please send me an email with your name, address, and phone contact details.  PO boxes are ok as your subscription will be sent via AU express post satchels.  Once Ive received your email I will reply confirming your subscription along with info on how to pay.

The first lot (El Salvador El Borbollon) will be roasted as a Single Origin blend for espresso next Monday, 8th February, and posted no later than Tuesday the 9th.  

If your payment hasnt cleared by then or you need to defer payment for a week or two, dont worry - I generally work on an honour system anyway.

There are 5 subscriptions still available and if they are not taken up theyll go on the shelves where I know they will disappear quickly.  So if youd like to participate, I suggest you dont leave your decision too long!

Cheers
Den

[Identity Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Identity]

Re: Extraordinary Coffees Subscription

Hi Dennis,

Id be tentatively interested but have the following thoughts.

350gm/500gm of a Single Origin is normally enough for me to get the best shots out of it and start looking for the next one. $55/kg is reasonable, but Im aware that the coffees from 7S @ up to $25/250gm are usually around $16/250gm except where theyre Aricha/Beloya etc. Im aware that these are nice coffees from people like Mercanta, but Finca La Lia for example is available at $45/Kg from another roaster, and the Del Obispo is available at <$20/Kg green.

I am a cheapskate, I know, but other roasters are offering coffees of the same calibre at $12.50/250g, and theyd have to be even more special than the three listed for me to bite for a full kg for 3 months.

If youre only buying 10kg of coffee at a time, whats the big risk?

Whats the point in having roast profiles if we dont have greens too? (maybe 250g greens might swing this for some home roasters - I understand Im not one!)

Positives:

- I like subscription coffee. Like Ben S, I dont have a SQM subscription for the sole reason that its all filter/pourover/siphon roast. I buy anything else they sell that takes my fancy. I also tried to buy a 52 week Hasbean in my mug subscription, only for Steve to find that hed miscalculated postage and couldnt do it for any remotely accessible price.

- I like good coffees, and increase ranges of premium and super-premium coffees is something my palate and I delight in.

- I like coffee roasted fairly lightly for espresso - roast level sounds good)

- I love tasting notes, so I know what Im seeking in a good extraction people who care about the terroir and origin of the coffee and the farmers behind it.

- Bag sizes seem like an idea, but why not just bag as 1x500g & 2x250g? saving a kilo bag but adding two labels?

- Theyre all south/central american coffees - regions I love. are you thinking of keeping the regionality in each subscription?

- Theyre all coffees Id like to try. Id certainly pay above-average prices for above-average coffees.

- The Caturra/Tarrazu costa rica finca la lia = mmm.

- It may be that youre a better roaster than one of the roasters offering at least 2 of these coffees. Im happy to pay more for better roast coffee - obviously!