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All,
I have gone through the list of requests for green beans posted since late October. Coffees listed and approximate number of requests are:
I have started talking to suppliers about these. Comments as follows:
Fair Trade Coffees - Initial advice is you get the same coffee (identical in some cases) and pay a loading of $1.50 per kilo. You could also face a surcharge of 2% on the buy price payable to the licencing body. Confirmation of arrangements is TBA. If enough people want to pay the surcharge and there is no issue with accessing supply we will run a poll. Alternatively, if I dont see a positive reaction and/or I am not offered a Fair Trade coffee that justifies the price premium (by being superior to its lower cost brother) this may be as far as it goes.
PNG - There are a number of outstanding PNG coffees available but stocks are limited because the rest of the world is aware of the quality on offer and is buying these at a premium. I have samples of 3 highly regarded PNG coffees. Expect to see a couple early in the year.
Sumatran - There is a current poll up for one of these. I have a sample of a very good Sumatran that has not been previously offered here. Given the consistent demand, expect to see regular polls for these.
Columbian - There are some very good quality Columbians that are regularly available. I have a sample of one of them. Expect to see a poll listing one of these early in the year.
Guatemalan - A shipment of one of the best of these (from Antigua) is expected in January. Expect to see a poll in March.
Bali - We have recently completed a poll for the Shinzan. There are also some other very good coffees from Bali and I have a sample to taste alongside the Shinzan. We will get some of these together for another poll in the first half of the year.
Ugandan - Local interest in Ugandan coffees is strong with several available. Advice to me suggests the Bugisu and Budadiri are good but there are even better ones available. I have a sample of one of these. Expect to see a poll for a very good Ugandan coffee in the first half of the year.
Java - There are a couple of Java coffees that will be available soon. More about these when I get the samples.
Ethiopian - We have run several polls for several different Ethiopians. They are always very popular. Expect to see regular polls throughout the year for Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Harrar etc.
Yemen Ismaili - This is not available at the moment and there is no indication it will appear again any time soon. The suggestion is that if we see it again, the last price of circa $18/kilo will seem like bargain basement rates.
Jamaican Blue Mountain - This is a rare and expensive coffee. It is not currently on offer to us.
Vietnamese (anything, but mostly robusta) - We have access to some of these coffees but today I was advised "these are not the type of coffees you people would be interested in". I smelled them just out of the roaster and I did not press the point because I know the advice was good.
Cup of Excellence (Centrals) - If we can get any of these they will be expensive but well worth tracking down. Nothing to speak of yet.
Indians - not on the list above but definitely on my list of interest. I have 2 samples of highly regarded Indians to taste. If they live up to their recommendations, expect to see them on a poll in the first half of the year.
Summary - We will be running monthly polls featuring at least 2 different coffees. We are building on the lessons learned from our first year and the objective will be to operate to a timetable aimed at getting everything completed in the same month. For example, polls list on the first Sunday of the month at 7:00PM AEST (or AEDST as the case may be). Polls close at the end of the week or as soon as open bags fill beyond that time. Invoices issued as bags fill. Coffee is ordered when polls close. Distribution takes place in the last week of the month. There will be opportunities for people to participate in the distribution. Timetables will be posted on the calendar. As in the November poll, we will email notices of new polls a few days prior to the listing.
Cheers,
Graeme
I have gone through the list of requests for green beans posted since late October. Coffees listed and approximate number of requests are:
- Fair Trade - not specific, 1 vote
- PNG - Keyup, Peaberry, 3 votes
- Sumatran - aged, Mandheling, 3 votes
- Columbian, 2 votes
- Guatemalan, 1 vote
- Bali, - Shinzan, 1 vote
- Ugandan, Bugisu, Budadiri, 1 vote
- Java, Kalibendo, 1 vote
- Ethiopian, Yirgacheffe, 1 vote
- Yemen, Ismaili, 1 vote
- Jamaican, Blue Mountain, 1 vote
- Vietnamese, 1 vote
- Centrals, "Cup of Excellence", 1 vote
I have started talking to suppliers about these. Comments as follows:
Fair Trade Coffees - Initial advice is you get the same coffee (identical in some cases) and pay a loading of $1.50 per kilo. You could also face a surcharge of 2% on the buy price payable to the licencing body. Confirmation of arrangements is TBA. If enough people want to pay the surcharge and there is no issue with accessing supply we will run a poll. Alternatively, if I dont see a positive reaction and/or I am not offered a Fair Trade coffee that justifies the price premium (by being superior to its lower cost brother) this may be as far as it goes.
PNG - There are a number of outstanding PNG coffees available but stocks are limited because the rest of the world is aware of the quality on offer and is buying these at a premium. I have samples of 3 highly regarded PNG coffees. Expect to see a couple early in the year.
Sumatran - There is a current poll up for one of these. I have a sample of a very good Sumatran that has not been previously offered here. Given the consistent demand, expect to see regular polls for these.
Columbian - There are some very good quality Columbians that are regularly available. I have a sample of one of them. Expect to see a poll listing one of these early in the year.
Guatemalan - A shipment of one of the best of these (from Antigua) is expected in January. Expect to see a poll in March.
Bali - We have recently completed a poll for the Shinzan. There are also some other very good coffees from Bali and I have a sample to taste alongside the Shinzan. We will get some of these together for another poll in the first half of the year.
Ugandan - Local interest in Ugandan coffees is strong with several available. Advice to me suggests the Bugisu and Budadiri are good but there are even better ones available. I have a sample of one of these. Expect to see a poll for a very good Ugandan coffee in the first half of the year.
Java - There are a couple of Java coffees that will be available soon. More about these when I get the samples.
Ethiopian - We have run several polls for several different Ethiopians. They are always very popular. Expect to see regular polls throughout the year for Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Harrar etc.
Yemen Ismaili - This is not available at the moment and there is no indication it will appear again any time soon. The suggestion is that if we see it again, the last price of circa $18/kilo will seem like bargain basement rates.
Jamaican Blue Mountain - This is a rare and expensive coffee. It is not currently on offer to us.
Vietnamese (anything, but mostly robusta) - We have access to some of these coffees but today I was advised "these are not the type of coffees you people would be interested in". I smelled them just out of the roaster and I did not press the point because I know the advice was good.
Cup of Excellence (Centrals) - If we can get any of these they will be expensive but well worth tracking down. Nothing to speak of yet.
Indians - not on the list above but definitely on my list of interest. I have 2 samples of highly regarded Indians to taste. If they live up to their recommendations, expect to see them on a poll in the first half of the year.
Summary - We will be running monthly polls featuring at least 2 different coffees. We are building on the lessons learned from our first year and the objective will be to operate to a timetable aimed at getting everything completed in the same month. For example, polls list on the first Sunday of the month at 7:00PM AEST (or AEDST as the case may be). Polls close at the end of the week or as soon as open bags fill beyond that time. Invoices issued as bags fill. Coffee is ordered when polls close. Distribution takes place in the last week of the month. There will be opportunities for people to participate in the distribution. Timetables will be posted on the calendar. As in the November poll, we will email notices of new polls a few days prior to the listing.
Cheers,
Graeme
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