We are currently in our cupping season & getting close to releasing our new line-up of coffees. This is always an exciting period for us. I’ve personally cupped around 25 coffees so far with more coming in shortly. What’s unique about this cupping cycle is the number of Fair Trade Organic coffees that really jumped off the cupping table.
As many of you know, we are Mississippi’s only Fair Trade Certified Roaster & work to source high quality Fair Trade Coffees when they are available. Quality is key. Regardless of certification, if the coffee doesn’t score well, we do not buy it.Typically I get 1-2 lots of FTO coffees that actually get through the initial cupping phase for a 2nd consideration. This year I was delighted to see 5+ coffees scored exceptionally well. This was a huge improvement compared to last year. I haven’t made a final selection on these coffees but wanted to share our current findings. Regardless, 2012 is a great year for Fair Trade Coffees in our opinion. Be blessed.
I really enjoy a good cup of black coffee. It is one of the most simple, yet delicious ways to coffee. In a sugar saturated culture, like the one we live in, the black coffee drinker is getting more and more scarce. It seems that black coffee is starting to be reserved only for coffee purists. I can't blame the general public though. With so much stale, bad tasting coffee lining the shelves of grocery stores & the expert marketing of sugary additive producers, customers shutter at the very idea of trying black coffee again.
Coffee on the surface is pretty simple: take this brown, ground up stuff, add hot water, strain, sha-zam!! Coffee! I beg to differ though. Coffee is one of the most complex beverages that exist. Need proof? Here is a list of the few things that can affect the way your coffee tastes:
- Weather Conditions
- Process (washed, natural etc.)
- Variety
- Terroir (the land where it's grown)
- Elevation
- Storage
- Transport
The list goes on and on & the coffee hasn't even been roasted yet!
Why did I say all that? The production of high quality coffee is such a painstaking endeavor & with the right amount of care yields an awesome result that requires no other influence to be enjoyed. Especially nothing from the likes of a plastic bottle with artificially laboratory produced chemicals that you cannot pronounce with the promise to make your coffee taste like a candy bar. I'm sorry, I like Almond Joy & I love a good cup of coffee. However I think the two yield better results independently, not together respectively. Coffee is very akin to good produce. I have yet to desire a need to "doctor up" fresh, carefully picked Mississippi grown peaches. Why? They are so good on their own & require no foreign input from me to be enjoyed. With proper preparation, high quality coffee needs nothing either to be appreciated.
If using condiments help you to enjoy your coffee more, that's fine. However, I urge you to at least taste every cup of coffee prior to adding them. If you know that the coffee you regularly buy gives you no inclination to consider drinking it black, throw it away. It's not worth your time or money. There’s too much high quality coffee available to settle junk. If it is worthy, please give the coffee an opportunity to impress your taste buds before making the decision. I genuinely hope that your expectations are exceeded. Be blessed.
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