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The Archive of Sweet Maria's "What's New" Section

This is a history of the "What's New" area on our front page. It is possible that some of the older links might not work, but most should be fine. As the listings get older, they are less complete... To go back to the Sweet Maria's current "What's New" section, click here.

If you want to see old archives of the Sweet Maria's site, go to the Wayback Machine - neat!

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• 12/19: We have some interesting new lots, and I realize it's a bit unfair to add them today since we must close at noon to finish up all our outbound shipping. Well, it leaves something to look forward to later! The shopping cart is activated again on December 26th, and we start shipping again on January 2nd. Anyway .... The first is from unspecified farms in Antioquia district, a pooled lot we call Colombia Antioquia "13353" Supremo that just happens to have great cup character. There are 2 late-arriving Kenya lots, our last until new crop. Kenya AA Giakanja Coop Coffee Mill is an oddball Kenya with a twist of Indonesia rustic fruit in the darker roasts. Kenya Muranga -Kianderi Peaberry is very floral, lemony, alto-range flavor profile, especially with a City to City+ roast treatment. And we have a new lot of Aged Sumatra Grade One Lintong that is complex, and surprisingly sweet for an aged coffee. We also have a really nice lot of Sumatra Lintong Nihuta KVW Decaf that truly cups like a good non-decaf Sumatra.

• 12/12: We ran out of the Orange Bourbon, but the sister lot El Salvador Yellow Bourbon Cultivar is now here. It's a similar flavor profile with a bit more brightness and crisp fruited notes. We also have new crop Indonsesia Flores - Bajawa Highlands, which is an interesting full-bodied cup much like our new lot of Bali arabica.

• 12/7: We have another late harvest Main Crop Auction Lot Kenya arrival, a bright, dynamic, fruited, slightly winey offering: Kenya AA Nyeri -Gachatha Coop. We also have an early Kona that despite being a mill-mark coffee (not a specific farm), is an outstanding cup: Hawaii Kona Greenwell Extra Fancy. And if our huge selection of Costa Rica micro-lots wasn't already daunting enough, we have another addition. Costa Rica Dota Peaberry Special is a lot I hand-selected earlier in the season, and was milled just for us. It's a bit winey, with good depth and chocolate tones. -Tom

  12/6: Nothing like a website bug to get the blood flowing first thing in the morning! Seems that lots of page files were corrupted - so some shopping cart buttons were bad for a few hours. I think I fixed everything now- but if you find a bad link- please let me know. Maria (PS: It's actually my fault - I was tinkering with the site and Dreamweaver - our web page editor- crashed - Tom)

• 12/3: It's late to be receiving Central America coffees, but we had some lots of Panama squirreled away for later in the season, and they are some really nice coffees. Panama Organic La Berlina Estate is 100% old-growth Typica cultivar, and has solid balance and good body, whereas Panama Boquete Organic Los Lajones is a bright cup, like Lerida, with lemon accents. We also have a new crop, premium Brazil from a Cerrado micro-region, that makes great brewed or extracted (espresso) coffee: Brazil Coromandel -Fazenda Sao Joao. And Indonesia Organic SWP Komodo Blend is back in stock.

• 12/1: It took a week to sort through them all, but here is my little travelogue for Yemen, just 350 photos or so. You can view it as html pages ... The Coffee Haj: Introduction to Yemen , or on our new beta site Image Gallery. It's one of the most intriguing coffee origins, and one of the best trips I have taken

• 11/28: The holidays seem to be in full swing and I am happy to say we are shipping orders and keeping up very well. We are shippping out orders within 24 hours of receipt (except for the weekend). We keep fiddling with the pick up hours - the new pick up hours are: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11am to 5 pm Happy Holidays! We get a lot of requests for gift certificates this time of year- they start at $15 since that is our minimum order. - Maria
  
  
• 11/26: Here's a travelog of my trip to Ethiopia to cup at many exporters in Addis Ababa, and get ready for the new crop coffee. I am still trying to work through the images from the bulk of my trip, to Yemen, so those will be posted soon.
  
  
• 11/16: We have a few special coffees in time for the holidays - two El Salvadors - a Peaberry "Aida's Grand Reserve" and Finca Kilimanjaro. Aida is Aida Batlle, who has several small farms of great distinction on the Santa Ana Volcano. (You can read about Aida in our Kilimanjaro review). Like no other small-lot coffee Tom has tasted (or even heard about), Aida's Grand Reserve is the product of careful propagation, harvesting, picking, processing, and blending. The Kilimanjaro farm is also owned by the Batlle in the same region. Both are special coffees that you might want to try. - Maria
  
  
• 11/16: The holidays seem to be here - judging by the increase in emails and orders. We are really on top of orders - shipping pretty much the same as before - within 24 hours of receiving the order (except for the weekend). We are going to start limiting pick up /drop in orders though I am afraid - just because they can be too distracting. New pick up hours are: Tuesday and Wednesday from 11am to 5 pm, and Thursday from 11am to 3pm - Maria
  
  
• 11/13: The day has finally arrived - the Behmor 1600 is finally here. It has been much anticipated - it has been in development for years. We think it may be the right home roaster for a number of folks. Here is the link to the review. There are five pages of information about the roaster - the summary page is something you ought to read before purchasing the machine. We'll see how they do! - Maria
  
  
• 11/8: I am off to Yemen (my first time there!), so am up late adding a whole bunch of new arrivals to the list tonight. We have some unusual offerings that diverge from typical processing methods to produce some remarkable lots -Tom
• • Bali Kintamani Arabica: This is a traditional processed Indonesia coffee, low acidity, thick body, rustic notes ...
  • Ethiopia Organic Limu (Indonesia-Style) is absolutely non-traditional, a bright coffee (like a wet-process Yirgacheffe) prepared as they do in Sulawesi and Sumatra, resulting in full body with a honey-lemonade brightness. On the flip side....
  • Sulawesi Toarco Jaya Wet-Process is non-traditional, since most Sulawesi are nearly dry-processed. The result is a brighter, cleaner cup with floral aromatics, and lighter body, yet Indonesia roots come through with pine and other foresty notes.
  • Mexico Organic Nayarit Terruno: After all these exotic lots, a crisp, balanced cup like this lot can be welcoming!
  • El Salvador Las Ranas WP Decaf: A pulp-natural process decaf with great body and chocolate notes.
  • Nicaragua Dipilto WP Decaf: Dipilto coffees are bright, lighter body and laced with fruit and floral aspects.
  • Papua New Guinea Kimel WP Decaf: The first time we have offered a PNG decaf, and a great lot it is.

• 11/6: It is hard to believe but another holiday season is bearing down on us! We will be closed November 22nd and 23rd for the Thanksgiving holiday - the shopping cart will stay on and we re-open Monday November 26th and start shipping orders, in the order received. Please remember that during the holidays - we can not keep up our usual 24 hour turn-around time. It can take 48 to 72 hours to process and ship out your order. So for everyone's sake (ours as well as yours) don't wait until the last minute! I know lots of folks like to roast coffee to give as a gift. We will be closed for our usual break between Christmas and New Year's Day - more details to follow.

• 11/1: It's another one of those massive arrivals of new crop lots to start off the month of November, so here's the list:
  • Costa Rica La Horqueta "Top 50": A nuanced, delicate cup from the top 50 meter swath of this Costa Rica Estate
  • El Salvador Cup of Excellence -Bella Vista: This was the 9th place lot, and my personal #1; dense body, nutty, creamy, and some neat fruited aromatics.
  • El Salvador Cup of Excellence -Siberia: A very "Bourbon" type cup, balanced, chocolatey, dense body.
  • Brazil Cerrado Screen-Dried Moreninha Formosa: Arriving Monday, a full body, low-acid and chocolatey cup.
  • Peru FTO Cuzco -Ccochapampa Coop: Surprisingly complex, with floral-herbal hints, balanced brightness.
  • Ethiopia FTO Harar -Trabocca Oromia: Rustic Harar coffee with banana and mango fruit notes, good bittersweets.
  • Ethiopia Organic Yirgacheffe: A late-crop arrival, very fresh cup, with citrusy kumquat, floral notes and winey finish.
  • Kenya AA Nyeri -Ruarai Coop: Bright but not "twist-your-tongue-off" acidity, with rose-like floral notes and light body.

• 10/19: We have 2 new African lots. From a newer growing region near Harar, we have Ethiopia Organic Dry-Process Golocha, a fruited, low-acid cup with very thick body! And a new Main Crop Auction Lot Kenya (with the coincidental name of Oaklands) is very bright, yet sweet in the finish: Kenya Ruiru - Oaklands Estate Peaberry. Also, a small amount of Panama Lerida Estate Peaberry is back in stock.

• 10/17: Sweet Maria's 10th Anniversary Party! Tom and I find it hard to believe but this fall the business is 10 years old! To mark the occasion we are throwing a small bash here at the warehouse. Nothing fancy - we will have some coffees brewed up and Tom's home brewed beer, maybe some special give-aways (like t-shirts or coffee), folks can try their hand at the South American coin tossing game called "sapo", and just to make sure that folks who wish to embarrass themselves have a chance to - a karaoke machine! Where: our warehouse located at 1115 21st Street, Oakland CA 94607 When: Friday October 26th, from 3pm to 6pm (or whenever we pull the plug on the karaoke machine). If you think you will stop in, please let us know so we can plan ahead. Please reply off the list to maria@sweetmarias.com - Maria (Post party note: thanks all for coming! it was a blast, and if you stayed late to see all the karaoke, it was quite a hoot! -Tom)

• I made a collection of single-bean macro images representing different varietals and processes. It's not exhaustive at all, but simply what I had nearby. -Tom

• 10/10: I found a Sulawesi lot with good rustic sweetness and body. Sulawesi Enrekang "Mount Alla" is from a high altitude micro-climate and is much more of a traditional Indonesia semi-washed coffee than other Sulawesi lots of late. And new crop Rwanda Kinunu Bourbon is in, pure old-style Bourbon cultivar with balance, brightness and citrus subtext.

• 10/10: Baby Chicken! We have more than a few requests for kid's shirts, and since Maria and I (Tom) now have a baby, it makes even more sense to print some baby-sized clothes! Ben really liked my Chicken shirt when I wore it, so why not make him his own Baby Chicken shirt. Maybe you know a baby that would like it too.

• 10/8: It appears our site security certificate lapsed on 10/6. We are renewing it as we speak. This is an administrative thing, and doesn't affect the actual security of the site. We just need to pay GeoTrust more money.-Maria Update 10/9: We're good till 2009 now, so no worries...

• 10/5: We have 3 new decaf arrivals today, the full-bodied Brazil Moreninha Formosa WP Decaf, bright and lively Costa Rica Coop Libertad WP Decaf and a bright and balanced cup profile from the Panama Carmen Estate WP Decaf.

• 10/4: The much-anticipated Ethiopia Organic Idido Misty Valley DP has arrived, and it was worth the wait; excellent fruited notes with berry accents in the light roasts. We have also just received the special lot of Australia Mountain Top Estate XF, which we get in vacuum packed bags to prevent humidity issues in it's long journey from down under. Great as SO espresso too!.

• 9/28: India Monsooned Malabar "Elephant" is back in! And it sprinkled in West Oakland today--coincidence?

• 9/27: Our new lot of Costa Rica Cup of Excellence "SLGLA" is from the first-ever COE competition in that country, and a very refined cup. It's actually the product of three micro-farms (Santa Lucia, Génesis, Los Anonos), but I couldn't figure out a short name so we're stuck with SLGLA! And an excellent lot of Sidamo Dry-Process, Ethiopia Organic Sidamo DP -Special Selection is here from Trabocca (Holland-based) exports. This was the best Sidamo from last year, and I think this is better than the Harars of this year too! Ethiopia Idido Misty Valley comes in about a week too.

• 9/20: India Coffee Bonanza! Sort of. Basically, we found these new, unique India lots and they call showed up on our doorstep at one time! First off is one of the oddest, most-confounding coffees I have ever tasted! It's a rare coffee, certainly a unique experience, but you had better read the review before you take a risk on this one! It's called India Anohki Coffee, and it is a totally different species from arabica; coffea liberica. The flavors range from blueberry to barnyard: You've been warned! Next to the Anohki, the India Baba Budan - Mandelkhan Estate seems like a wall-flower of a coffee, but it's a classic India from a very high altitude estate. More rustic and wild is the India Mallali Estate "Tree-Dried Natural." Just as it says, this is not processed on a patio or mechanical dryer ... it is allowed to fully dry on the tree, and the cup has intense heavy body, fruit and chocolate. And we have a specially-selected robusta that is actually quite sweet, outstanding for your espresso blends: India Robusta - Sethuraman Estate Nirali.

• 9/19: A new arrival is this unusual cultivar, El Salvador- Orange Bourbon Cultivar, with a very balanced and sweet cup.

• 9/17: I know I must be pretty corny - but I am happy that the stainless steel poppers are back in stock finally at long last.

• 9/10: A wide range of arrivals, from big-ticket Gesha-cultivar lots to humble, mild Chiapas lot, an outstanding Colombia from a new region and a superior Yemeni lot:

  • Costa Rica La Candelilla Estate Gesha - Gesha micro-lot from a great Costa Rica Tarrazu estate, delicately fruited.
  • Guatemala Acatenango - Buena Vista Gesha - Gesha from a Guatemala farm, with strong tropical fruit notes.
  • Mexico Chiapas - La Union Coop - a mild, snappy, crisp cup with light body and praline/caramel apple notes.
  • Colombia Choco - El Carmen del Atrato - a touch of East Africa wine and black currant in the new mirco-regional lot.
  • Yemen Mokha Sana'ani - a beautiful natural process coffee with spice, chocolate, and apricot-peach fruited notes.

  9/10: We have the two new HotTop roasters in stock - same good basic machine, but they have new control features that are pretty neat. We need to update the page with photos etc - but a brief overview of the updates is on this page.

• 8/30: A variety of new coffees arriving today and tomorrow, including another Cup fo Excellence lot! It's a classic Central cup with tons of chocolate, spice and citrus hints: Nicaragua Cup of Excellence -La Esperanza . And we have another potent Auction Lot Kenya, loaded with tropical fruit, very bright and winey: Kenya Nyeri - Ruiruiru Peaberry . We have been waiting until mid-harvest arrivals to find a nice PNG lot like this: Papua New Guinea -Kimel Plantation Peaberry (This lot arrives Friday, so orders with it will ship then) . And we have an unrepentantly bright, citrusy decaf: Kenya Auction Lot Peaberry WP Decaf .

• 8/22: We have a very special arrival, a single-farm, single-varietal Antigua lot with great cup character: Guatemala Antigua Finca Retana Yellow Bourbon. On the other end of the spectrum, we have a pooled coffee lot with no pedigree, Colombia Supremo 15943 and I don't even know what region it is from! It's just one of those crazy things; sometimes a generic lot can be really good!

• 8/21: Costa Rica Tarrazu - La Minita is back in stock, our final CRLM arrival for the year.

• 8/15: Again, many coffees are arriving at once, and I am trying to get packed for my flight to the Roaster's Guild Retreat tomorrow at 6:30 am. Oh well. Here they are, each one a gem in their own right. Please read the full reviews and check out the Coffee Flavor Analysis charts for each of these!
  • Guatemala Chimeltenango - San José Ocaña - Offered last year as "Blue Quetzal", this stunning Guat. is back, name-correct.
  • Honduras FTO San Marcos -Cocosam Coop - Bright, lively, crisp cup profile with medium-light body. Best Hondo. of the season.
  • Brazil Cachoeira da Grama Yellow Bourbon - Our favorite, the classic cultivar and nuanced cup.
  • Sumatra Blue Batak "Tarbarita" Peaberry - Again this year we have the Peaberries from the vibrant Blue Batak designation.
  • Sumatra Organic Gayo Mountain Special - A special prep lot from Aceh province, and the best cup I have ever had from this mill.

  8/3: We have two new African arrivals. Another great East African lot from the Main Crop auctions; Kenya Kirinyaga - Thimu Peaberry has a deep-toned character (for a Kenya) with berry-like fruited notes and winey hints. And for the first time we have a West African coffee! Cameroon Caplami Java is an unusual longberry cultivar, with a cup that has Indonesia-like body, and interesting spice and fruit notes.

• I finally decided that no other cupping spoon would do, and I had to make my own. Here they are, Sweet Maria's Stainless Steel Cupping Spoon, ideal in size, shape and material; over time it is clear that stainless is more durable than silver plate. Totally unnecessary, but kinda fun.

• 7/27: It's Panama-rama time! We received three prize-winning lots: From the 2007 Best of Panama Competition we have the #2 lot, Panama Auction Lot - Mama Cata Gesha, my favorite lot with a balanced cup and plenty of floral character from the Gesha cultivar. We tried to buy the Panama Bambito Estate coffee for several years, a unique farm that was #2 in last years competition. We had to pay a premium, but we finally got this lot, from an amazing "old growth" farm. Once again we have Panama Esmeralda Especial - Gesha Cultivar and it is in fantastic form this year! And the spoiler of Panama-rama, Brazil Organic Fazenda Jacaranda, with balanced fruit and nut, and a great single origin, single farm espresso!

• 7/24: We have some new items that arrived lately. Bodum came out with 2 new drip brewers with great visual appeal, the Bistro and the Kona. (Which is not the same as the Cona Vacuum Brewer!) They also have new double-wall borosilicate Bodum Glass Mugs - very nice... and we finally received the Yama Butane Burners, a welcome addition for those using the new Yama Tabletop Vacuum Brewer or the Cona models.

• 7/17: A special Costa Rica Naranjo Caracol Peaberry has arrived, a lot I found (or more correctly, it found me) while cupping in the Naranjo region this February. And we have one of those fruited, funky, full-bodied, intense dry-process lots; Ethiopia Organic Sidamo DP - moredocofe Coop.

• 7/17: We have the Yama Tabletop Brewer in stock now, which is a copy of the old Cona Classic brewer from the early 20th century. But it is a just a tad cheaper (I mean a lot less expensive).

  7/11: We have some innovative new coffee cleaning products, espresso machine brushes from Pallo, and machine cleaner from JoeGlo. (Actually, the JoeGlo is coming in a couple days). That doesn't sound exciting, eh? Well, remember that all your precious, fresh home roasted coffee doesn't even have a chance at good cup quality if your coffee brewer or espresso machine is all sooted up! We also have a FAQ page for these items.

• 7/10: We have a Cup of Excellence arrival and 2 new Kenya lots! The Colombia Cup of Excellence - El Caucho is a complex and intense cup, with dark fruited notes, and a unique sweet tobacco finish. Kenya AA Nyeri - Karatina is a bright floral and citrus blossom coffee, a cup that brings the term "pristine" to mind. Kenya Thika - Gethumbwini Peaberry is a powerhouse, with intense brightness, but also deeply fruited berry notes with a winey aspect to them.

• 6/29: We have four new arrivals, all quite unsual and fringe in terms of conventional coffee offerings. Costa Rica Coop Dota Dry-Process (yes, dry-process in the Ethiopia style, but from Costa Rica) is fruited, full-bodied, rustic, and definitely odd. How about monsooned coffee, already peculiar in terms of appearance and cup character, but not from India? We have Java Monsooned Arabica in stock, with an unusual sweetness and spiciness in the cup (...and yet it is an aquired taste). And then there is our exceptionaly bright, lively decaf blend, Africa Highlands WP Decaf, with components from Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. Finally, for espresso blends we have a new lot, India Robusta -Bibi Plantation (from the same great farm that grows our India Monsooned with the Elephant Mark). (Links to reviews coming soon)

• 6/25:Please note that we will be closed for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday - July 2nd through 4th. We start shipping orders again on Thursday July 5th. Happy summer to everyone!
  

• 6/18: Another big list of new crop arrivals this week:
  • Costa Rica Vino de Arabia - A special microlot with rounded body and winey hints. Not a typical Costa Rica!
  • Nicaragua Limoncillo Estate -Java Longberry - Perhaps the best cup character of recent years from this special cultivar.
  • Nicaragua Matagalpa -Pacamara Peaberry - A personal favorite with a complex cup of lush fruit, herbal notes, spice.
  • Nicaragua Placeres Estate "Miel" - A non-traditional Matagalpa region coffee, with more body and rustic fruit.
  • Brazil Minas Gerais Competition -3rd Place - My favorite coffee from this competition, and incredible as Single Origin espresso.
  • Colombia Huila - San Augustin MicroLot - Incredibly sweet coffee, with peach, raisin, velvety body.
  • Tanzania AAA Songea Flat Bean - Our favorite from the Southern area of Tanzania.
  • Tanzania NgoroNgoro Convent - Yes, it is from a convent, as in nuns. They manage the farm, and the coffee is very unique.
  • Brazil WP Decaf - Mogiana - Full body, excellent for low-caf or decaf espresso blending
  • Ethiopia MC Decaf - Dry-Process Sidamo - Very fruity coffee, incredible aromatics for a decaf.

• 6/15: I just added more items to the sale page- Maria

  6/8: We have the Yama Vacuum Brewer back in stock. In fact, we have 2 sizes now, 5 cup and 8 cup. And even better news, it is 10 bucks less than it used to be! After a long hiatus, we also have the Bodum Santos stovetop vacuum brewer back in stock.

• 6/4: Arrivals from Central America and Africa new crop:
  • Kenya AA Muranga - Kariani Our next Auction Lot has arrived and I can sum it up easily: blackberry syrup.
  • Ethiopia Kochere District Yirgacheffe has lime and kumquat citrus notes, with spicey accents
  • Guatemala FTO Huehuetenango -Asobagri Coop is balanced, fruited, with silky body
  • Panama Boquete Lerida Estate Peaberry clean, crisp and bright. This is a special lot the farm does just for us.

• 5/31: I am impressed with our new crop Costa Rica Tarrazu - La Minita., very bright, floral and with a sweet finish. And we have new crop Colombia Narino -Reserva del Patron, which has more body this year, and great balance.

• 5/25: The award winning Panama Carmen Estate 1800+ Meters, our special selection of the highest altutude coffee from this farm, is back in stock again, as bright and dynamic as ever. And we have a new farm source for an all-Bourbon varietal: El Salvador SHB Pulp Natural -San Emilio, with dense body and excellent chocolate character with a fruited subtext. Nicaragua FTO Esteli - Miraflor Coop sold out quickly but has now returned, which has very high roasts for cup quality this year, and roast notes at the City+ level.

• 5/18: Once again, we have so many new arrivals at once I can only provide a list, and links to the full reviews. Many of you from the homeroast list have aske about the Jacu Bird Coffee - that's here, along with a darn pleasant Harar, and (finally) a solid Aged Sumatra
  • Brazil Jacu Bird Coffee - i am not above a novelty coffee, especially when (unlike kopi luwak) the cup is good!
  • Brazil Organic Camocim - Pure Bourbon - fantastic cup, bright, jasmine and sage notes, malty sweetness.
  • Brazil Organic Camocim - Moka (Peaberry) - peaberry lot that doubles as a great single-estate espresso
  • Ethiopia Harar Horse -Lot 14659 - I can't believe it, I found a good harar! lower-toned, candied fruit notes, spice, silky body.
  • Rwanda Butare Bourbon - we were able to get more of this great bourbon lot
  • Zimbabwe AA -Dandoni Estate - maybe the last shipment from this fine farm in a troubled country
  • Sumatra Aged Mandheling '04 Crop - it took a long time but i finally found an intense, pungent aged coffee with hidden sweetness
  • Colombia Huila Pitalito MC Decaf - incredible bright, sweet, floral decaf. review coming

• 5/17: We have updated the USPS shipping module and it is working for the most part. One glitch is when ordering bags- it wants to ship each bag separately and so gives a crazy price for postage. That ought to be corrected soon. International Priority Mail and International Priority Mail Flat Rate are both available . Because the USPS is now charging dimensional weight- which affects shipments that are more bulky than they are heavy - we will contact you if we need to charge additonal postage. -Maria

• 5/11: You have probably heard that there are big changes in postal rates that start Monday May 14th. There are some other changes that will impact International orders especially. Essentially the USPS is eliminating Parcel Post Air and Parcel Post Economy Surface. In their place will be a new service - International Priority Mail. There will be an International Priority Flat Rate box too that can fit up to 12#s of coffee and some small items - just like there is for domestic mail. The cost will be $37 I believe ($23 to Canada). We are still working through the changes and for the time being have disabled the Parcel Post Air and Parcel Post Economy (Surface) options - UPS Worldwide Services are still available. So if you are placing an order that would ship to a non-US address, you may want to wait until we have the new rates and services available, or select UPS Worldwide. -Maria
  

• 5/7: We have a new single estate decaf ... sweet, dynamic, bright; Guatemala Finca Injertal WP Decaf

• 5/3: We have a small lot of Hawaii Kona - Kowali Typica XF (1 Lb limit, sorry ... there is very little).

• 5/1: We have yet another Oaxaca coffee offering. As I mentioned before, this seems to be an "up" year for the region, and these two lots exemplify uniquely different Oaxaca cup character. This second arrival, Mexico Oaxaca Pluma - Don Eduardo has an interesting fruied and winey subtext to the cup, with good tangy chocolate at FC (Full City) roast. I was really impressed with the Brazil Screen-Dried Moreninha Formosa we offered early in the season, and wanted to bring it back. But this is a fresh late-harvest lot arrival, with outstanding body and chocolate roast tastes at FC+. And for you espresso-blend tinkerers, we are offering the unique flavors of India Monsooned Robusta once again!

• 4/27: Kenya has arrived. Our first lot of Main crop, Auction Lot Kenya is here: Kenya AA Kiambu - Kimathi. The initial cup results are outstanding .. check out the review. It looks like it will be a fine year for Oaxaca, if our first new crop arrival is an indication: Mexico FTO Oaxaca Pluma. The light roast have a great toasted almond tone, while it turns to tangy bittersweet chocolate at FC/FC+ roast. -Tom

• 4/25: Hooray! the #4 Porcelain Filtercones are here! I know it is not that exciting in absolute terms - but we have intended to find and sell these for a long time - so it is nice it is actually happening. Maria

• 4/20: New crop Java Government Estate Pancoer has arrived: nice cup, opaque body, nutty in the lighter roasts and semisweet chocolate when taken a bit darker.

• 4/17: The roll call for Centrals continues with two new arrivals. Guatemala Fraijanes - Finca Agua Tibia is extra nice this year, tons of spice and tangy chocolate. And we have an outstanding Nicaragua FTO Esteli - Miraflor Coop, with almond roast notes, milk chocolate and clean fruit in the finish.

• 4/12: Some coffees we carry each year because they consistently perform so well on the cupping table. We just received Costa Rica Dota Tarrazu - Conquistador and Costa Rica Tres Rios - La Magnolia and they are true-to-form, exemplary lots. And we have another Yemeni offering: Yemen Mokha Haimi is an intense, spicey, fruited cup with fresh leather accents: sounds odd? Well, it is Yemen coffee, of course it is odd.

• 4/8: Just when I thought that the entire crop was a bust, we received this Bolivia FTO SHG EP Caranavi with an outstanding, bright, lively character apple, hazelnut and mild chocolate notes. And after a long absence, we have an India arabica (non-monsooned) lot: India Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold has unusual dry-roasted peanut notes, low acidity, good body ... and makes a very compelling single-origin espresso.

• 3/28: So many new arrivals at once. Some lots were delayed in shipping, but everything seemed to come in at once! Therefore, it's all I can manage right now to give you a list of links and some short descriptions - Tom

  • Brazil Daterra Farms -Yellow Bourbon - I have been waiting for this arrival forever; a complex coffee from a fantastic "model" farm.
  • Brazil FTO Dry-Process Poco Fundo - That fruited, earthy, chocolatey rustic beast. This particular lot was very nice.
  • Ethiopia FTO Yirgacheffe Oromia - Incredible early arrival. Jasmine, jasmine, jasmine.
  • Rwanda FT Duhingekawa Womens Cooperative - A sweet citrusy coffee from 70 women in Rushashi Rwanda.
  • Sumatra FTO Gayo - Tanah Tinggi - Extremely low acidity, high body, dense, foresty.
  • Hawaii Kona - Kowali Blue Mountain - A micro, micro lot of Jamaica Blue Mountain seedstock grown by Skip and Rita in Hawaii.
  • Hawaii Kona - Moki's Farm - Typica cultivar in the traditional vein from a true mauka farm in Kona.

• We have some new products this week. We are stocked a new model of Moka Pot (i.e. stovetop espresso). The Bialetti Musa Mokapot is brushed stainless steel, remarkably sturdy and looks pretty sharp too. We have 3 different size; 4 tasse, 6 tasse and 10 tasse. We have a new Commercial Espresso Knock Box, stainess steel with a nice big non-slip rubber base. And as a preview (coming in a week), we have a new larger sized Porcelain #4 Cone Filter Holder (I have been looking for these for years!). We also have an elegantly simple Porcelain #1 Drip Pot Set, a filter cone and matching pot with lid. Once agian, these porcelain items come in a week or so. -Tom

• 3/27: I made a page with some interesting microscopic images of the coffee seed, and the difference between a healthy bean and a defective bean.

• 3/21: The web site woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Nothing is wrong, really. It's just sluggish. (Note: tested again this PM and seems a bit better) -Tom

• 3/15: We are waiting on some other new coffee arrivals (and a couple new merch arrivals too) but I wanted to highlight the Yemen Mokha Sana’ani. Sometimes we switch to a new lot, and forget to underscore the fact, or even mention it! This new crop Sana’ani is quite dynamic and has some very lively bittering chocolate and spice notes. This lot exemplifies the postitive aspects of “leathery” flavors in a better way than any Yemen I can recall. Yes, leather can be good!

• 3/7: A new lot of Sumatra Tapanuli WP Decaf has arrived: it's what you would anticipate, all bass-notes, and a good foundation for low-caf or decaf blending.

• 3/6: Well - it seems that Zassenhaus has re-or ganized, re-shuffled, re-whatever, and will once again be in business. We ought to have a limited selection of mills by early June 2007. Maria 3-6-07

• 2/27: If you are wondering where the Costa Rica is, I remind you that it would be a crime to offer a CR coffee at this time of year: it would either be old and on the edge of extinction, or a low-grown, too-young coffee from the new crop. But here is a truly "peak-of-harvest" offering that has the same bright, lively acidity of a CR lot: Colombia Organic Nariño - San Lorenzo . We also have 2 micro-lot Peru offerings from small growers I met on my last trip to the Cuzco region of the Andes: Peru Tunquimayo - Juan de Dios and Peru Las Delicias - Zenon Vargas. And we also received a favorite Brazil of mine from last year, Nazareith Dias Perreira and Aprocam (the farm matriarch, and the name we sold it under last year, and the cooperative, Aprocam). This year, we use the farm name: Brazil Carmo de Minas - Fazenda Sertao. -Tom

• 2/23: Mid-harvest Hawaii Kona - Purple Mountain Farm has arrived, my choice for a darker roast treatment to produce an excellent bittersweet cup character with hints of macademia nut, vanilla, and aromatic wood.

• 2/23: Some web site housekeeping notes: The web site was shy last night, and made itself unaccessible for around 2 hours. We talked to it, and it agreed not to go into hiding ever again. Or at least we hope. Seriously the server was down for a bit and is fine now. Actually, what was going on is that we were being transfered to a better server box, so hopefully performance should improve a bit. Unrelated: This morning I had to do some database maintenance and took the shopping cart offline for 30 minutes. It all went well, but what I discovered in the process is that the file that holds our customer list had grown too large! Huge! (I know some of this is because 1 person might have several log-ins, having forgotten their username and password. Also, we have a fair amount of people who don't roast, come along, order some filters or something, and never return.) Anyway, I was forced to randomly remove a big chunk of the customer log-ins, which might mean that your log-in no longer exists. That will mean you need to recreate it, input your address information. I apologize for this! There was NO OTHER WAY. We can't sort records by date, by last use, by anything. A mass deletion of older logins was all I could do. Anyway ... Go ahead and use the same usernames as previous, if you care too. Also, none of this has anything to do with payment information. Our system is ideal: it stores address information separate from payment information, and removes the later after each batch of orders.I know, some of you like it saved so you don't have to input it again. To this end, we are going to experiment with adding Google Checkout as another option. We'll see if it works.-Tom 10/23 am

• 2/20: FYI - We have changed our hours for pick up/walk in orders somewhat. New hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 11am to 5 pm, Thursday and Friday 11am to 3pm. Closed weekends as usual.

• 2/19: In honor of President's Day, the online payment processor we use (Verisign) decided to fail - so you may have had problems placing an order by credit card this morning. Seems like the problem is resolved now.... Let's hope. Maria

• 2/16: We have an unsual assortment of new coffees. The Winner: a super small lot of Peru Concurso Huallaga - 1st Place, the coffee that won the event I judged in Nov 2006 (it took a bit to get here). The African: We have a new lot of Rwanda Butare Bourbon, from one of the top-rated "washing stations" (i.e. coffee mills), Bufcafe. The Sneaky Decaf: There is not way that, in a blind evaluation cupping of this lot of Ethiopia Yirgacheffe WP Decaf, I would ever suspect it was a decaf; citrus blossoms, orange honey, jasmine. The Stinker: I am excited, yes, actually excited about our new Thumbs Down: Sulawesi Goo Goo Muck lot. It really really sucks!

• 2/9: Starting 2/16 - we will be closed at 3 pm on Fridays. This ought not to change the shipping schedule but will effect drop ins and pick ups. Maria

• 2/8: Some problems with email on the HomeRoast List today. (Note: seems to be working okay as of this AM, 2/9)

• 2/2: We have a very, very early new crop Central: Panama Lot 12686. It's a coffee with no pedigree, but a fine, bright, lively cup. A sweet (brown sugar), remarkabley complex and elegant Sumatra arrived in the form of Grade One, Triple Pick Sumatra Mandheling "Blue Batak." And 2 lots of new crop decaf came: a high-toned Peru Organic WP Decaf from the Cepicafe cooperative in the northern region, and a Mexico Organic Oaxaca WP Decaf with a very delicate, attractive flavor profile.

• 1/26: Our Colombia Cup of Excellence lots have arrived! Colombia Cup of Excellence #3 - El Placer is a bright and delicate cup, while Colombia Cup of Excellence #12 - El Descanso has mire heft, a rounded flavor profile with a winey hint.

•  

• 1/18: We have 2 new lots coming in from Brazil, and both are pure Bourbon varietal coffees: Brazil Fazenda Boa Sorte Natural Bourbon and Brazil Cachoeira da Grama Yellow Bourbon. We also have a nice pulped natural, full body decaf lot arriving today: El Salvador PN Las Ranas WP Decaf.

• 1/18: More stuff on the sale page. - Maria

• 1/10: Finally, the second lot of Ethiopia Organic Idido Misty Valley DP has arrived. This is a very special preparation, Grade 1 dry-process Yirgacheffe ... quite different than both traditional wet-process Yirgacheffe, and typical Sidamo and Harar dry-process. We Have a really nice Peru Norte Especial that came in too, a case where a particular conventional lot comes in way better than expected. We have had a lot of questions about Kona, but now we are getting to that window in the crop cycle when the higher altitude farms are ready: our first small-farm arrival, Hawaii Kona - Kowali Farm Typica is excellent again this year. And we have a interesting East African arrival with rustic butterscotch sweetness: Tanzania Mount Meru Nkoanekoli (one of our toughest coffee names to pronounce too!) -Tom

  1/2/2007! It's unusual to offer a coffee with certain qualifications, but I felt this Yemen Mokha Mattari FC+ is so good with the right roast that I put it in the title: FC+, Full City + roast. We received the cryprically named Sumatra 19+ TP - Lake Tawar (translation: 19/64ths or greater bean size, triple pick hand sorting to remove defects). It is a sister coffee to the Iskandar Triple pick, but more rustic, herbal, foresty ... basically, more Sumatra-like. Also, the very popular Ethiopia Organic Idido Misty Valley will be back next Wednesday.

• 12/26: The shopping cart system is on again.

• 12/14: A new crop dry-processed, heavy body Brazil Screen-Dried Moreninha Formosa is here. Fruited, syrupy, and rustic; some will love it, others might find it too funky. Either way, this cup has character! Along the same lines is our new crop, Dry Processed lot of Sulawesi Grade One Toraja; deep, intense, dark chocolate, wet earth. In terms of the more classic cup character, a velvety and infinitely more sophisticated Colombia Tolima Planadas - El Jordan; complex, with fruited shades of berry and apple. We are lucky: there seems to have been some great late crop lots out of Ethiopia at a time we are normally out of these coffees. Here is a stellar lot: Ethiopia Late Harvest Yirgacheffe. And we have a nice, fresh new lot of lively Costa Rica Tres Rios WP Decaf.

• 12/10: Well - it would not be the holidays without the added stress of a late container.... Our next delivery of Fresh Roast roasters was supposed to be here weeks ago - but as luck would have it, it is late. So I THINK the container landed this weekend 12/10 and I THINK we ought to have the roasters by the end of the week 12/15 - but I FEAR that what I THINK and what HAPPENS will be two totally different things...So I am saying we ought to be able to ship these now by 12/18 - which ought to be the very latest they will ship. Depending on where you live in the US and the shipping method selected - you may be able to order for holiday delivery. 3 Day Select might be a wise choice of shipping and help get it there faster. I'll post updates when I know more. ( NOTE: FRESHROASTS DID ARRIVE 12/18) -Maria

• 12/7: We are pretty much on top of orders and email at this point - a bit slower than normal but pretty good. If you emailed us and are waiting on a reply - please send the message again as we may have missed it. Order turn around is still about 48 hours - sometimes faster. Remember that the last day to order for ground delivery anywhere in the US is December 12th by 9 am. Please check out the UPS time-in-transit map for Ground packages. UPS service guarantees on Ground packages is not honored 12/11 through 12/23 - so they ought to get it there but sometimes things go hay-wire this time of year. Maria

• 12/1: A new round of coffee arrivals, in the midst of the general chaos of holiday madness: Guatemala"Blue Quetzal" Bourbon , that's Bourbon the coffee cultivar, and this lot exemplifies it's classic, complex flavors. Mexico Organic Nayarit Terruno, has no review yet, but it's a sweet-and-simple, light-bodied, snappy cup coming very late in the season. We really don't need another Nicaragua on the list, but the review will explain why I had to offer the Nicaragua FTO Lozahoren (Dipilto). It cups like a Sulawesi, and is different than the Flores Bajawa from last season: Indonesia Flores Sasandu Dry-Process . Lastly, a really potent, rustic, unique Sumatra Blue Lintong. -Tom

• 11/28: We have a limited amount of Panama Auction Lot '06 - Carmen Estate from the Best of Panama Competition. This was one of the 3 coffees we sold as a set earlier this year. I found out there was a bag still unclaimed so I jumped on it (well, figuratively). -Tom

• 11/16: 6 new offerings have arrived! We have two Guatemalan lots that came in together. Guatemala Huehuetenango Finca La Providencia, is a cup with dried fruit and winey accents, just a dash of clove and pepper. Guatemala Quiche - La Perla Estate is a clean, clear flavor profile; one of those classic yet inscrutable coffees. It's been a time since we had a Panama Boquete - Maunier Estate offering. But at the tail end of the crop this lot came through; dark berry and chocolate. Colombia Cauca Organic - La Esperanza is a deep-toned cup, with chocolate and dark fruit. It's been years since we had a Congo Kivu Peaberry, largely due to the politics (see the Congo page for some thoughts on that). And Rwanda Migongo Bourbon is very balanced, velevety, with floral hints; I made great single-origin espresso from the Migongo. -Tom

• 11/16: More sale page items - Some big stuff - some small stuff. Some very good deals - a number of technivorm brewers listed just above cost. - Maria

• 10/24: New coffee arrivals yet again. We have a new lot of Ethiopia Yirgacheffe - Moledina 3993, traditional wet-processed floral and citrus, but not sour. This lot is remarkably sweet (think ripe tangerine). New crop Indonesia continues to trickle in, this time a heavy-bodied Timor FTO Maubesse. And for you classic espresso hounds, a new lot of India Organic Washed Robusta.

• 10/18: The final installment in the '06 Cup of Excellence chapter, our 2 lots from El Salvador have arrived. The most expensive coffee in the auction, the second place lot is El Salvador Cup of Excellence #2 - Los Planes, and exotic cup with Dutch cocoa, pine oils, green apple, marzipan ... now that's character! And our sleeper favorite was the El Salvador Cup of Excellence #12 - El Zapote, with marmalade, dried dark fruit, and blackberry sweetness. In another grand finale announcement, the last main crop Kenya of the season is here, and talk about ending on a high note. Kenya AA Auction Lot 764 -Ndaroini Nyeri is a sweet, citric cup, lemon custard, blackberry-currant fruits, spice (corriander) accents; a remarkabley lively cup. -Tom

• 10/9: For those of you who have been waiting - the Hearthware i-Roasts are back in stock. No changes to the model that I know of. Maria

• 10/6: The boat came in, again. While we continue to run out of early-season lots, later arrivals (and a new crop Indonesia Java) have emerged. I know there's a lot of coffees coming in but I would I would loathe "pacing out" these arrivals artificially, since what we do here at SM is simply a reflection of the coffee crop cycle, and what small, outstanding lots of new crop coffee we can source. Guatemala FTO Quiche - Maya Ixil is a milder, lower acid Central with a really nice milk chocolate and fruit character. A sleeper "generic" Colombia Excelso 13356 ... hey, cup quality is wherever you find, with or without estate or micro-regional pedigree. Here's a completely wild and even questionable coffee, but I had to put it out there: Ethiopia FTO DP Lekempti. The review explains why. And on the flip side, that heavy-body, tame-flavored new crop Java Government Estate Djampit is here. If you are overstocked on green, just put down the credit card and roll back from that computer ... these lots will be here at least a couple months. - Tom

• 10/5: A lot of questions in emails about Yemeni coffees but I have had trouble finding any with good origin character in the cup. Finally, we have a Yemen Mokha Sana'ani that has spice and fruit in the light roasts, turning to pungent, bittersweet chocolate at Full City+ to Vienna roast. -Tom

• 10/3: We have received a new lot of Brazil Organic Cachoeira Yellow Bourbon and this is slightly sweeter (and a tad brighter) than the previous. I attribute this to the fact that we had the choice of mechanical dried lot, and this lot we selected ... a 100% sun-dried lot where the coffee is laid on screens, not a patio. Also, we have new crop Brazil Fazenda Brauna Peaberry that just came in, excellent as expected. -Tom

• 9/25: Many new coffees! We have the first arrivals of our Central America Cup of Excellence lots, with a mix of spendy top 3 coffees and some "sleeper" lots that are more reasonably priced. Top of the price heap is the first place Guatemala Cup of Excellence #1 - El Injerto, a sublime floral and citric lot of pure Bourbon coffee. The Nicaragua Cup of Excellence #3 - El Cipres is proof that Dipilto region produces soem of the most nuanced, delicate-yet-complex coffees in C. America. The Nicaragua Cup of Excellence #17 - San Antonio is from a small woman-owned farm in Madriz, and has a unique chocolate character with herbal and flroal hints. Coming soon (next 2 weeks) are the Honduras CoE lots, and then the El Salvador CoE lot.

• 9/25: (continued) I am excited about the unusually named El Salvador "The Juan Francisco Project." It's a dark horse lot I found at the 2006 CoE Competition that split the jury, but I felt strongly that the fruited character was special and good, so we are working with the farmer to offer his coffee unblended and solve his special coffee processing challenges. Read the review for the details. Another coffee that has me all worked up is the Ethiopia Organic Idido Misty Valley DP. It is actually from Yirgacheffe region, carefully dried on screens without water fermentation, and sorted to the best standards. The cup is amazingly fruited, with floral and citrus highlights. And last but certainly not least, near the end of the Kenya season with this awesome coffee, from the esteemed Nyeri district, Kenya AA Auction Lot 438 - Hiriga; sweet citrus from start to finish. And we have a new arrival lot of Costa Rica Dota Tarrazu Hermosa to boot.

• 9/20: We have a new lot of Australia Mountain Top XF "Bin 35". What is Bin 35? It is a special designation for a lot that was screen dried directly after the skin was removed from the coffee cherry, and then double-sorted, meaning that it was run through the density sorting table twice to remove defects. It's a very sweet and rounded cup.

• 9/15: There was a mention in House & Garden of our business and the Panama Gesha coffee - we sold out all of this a few weeks ago. Here is a link to the review. We will post something if we are able to get more before next season. - Maria

• 9/7: We forgot to notify ya'll that a new lot of Ethiopia Organic Dry-Process Sidamo replaced the previous one, with a much higher cup rating. This lot is from a new source too, not an MAO or Oromia lot. Great cup and high quality hand preparation.

• Peru, what an amazing place, and what a screwy place in terms of coffee. If I seem too harsh, 395 photos in a travelog (and a video to boot) should show the enthusiasm I also have for Peru ... there are 7 pages of thumbnail images, and I hope you find some of it, if not most of it, interesting: Peru Coffee Tour 2006 -Tom

• 9/12: Just listed a few things on the sale page - most everything is at or below cost. Amazing how things pile up after a couple of weeks. - Maria

• 8/31: I was impressed by the sweet orange character of the Panama Organic Los Lajones and had to snatch up the lot. Not as acidic as the Lerida, and not as expensive as the Gesha!

• 8/31: Well, we got bad news from Hearthware earlier this week - the next shipment of i-Roast 2s is delayed - the container is not expected now until the end of September. As per our usual policy, we will not take pre-orders because we have no control over when these will arrive. But we are keeping a waiting list and will let folks know when the roasters are available.Maria

• 8/18: People have been asking about Huehuetenango Guatemalas this year, and I finally have one to offer I think it really excellent (crisp, bright, citric, sweet): Guatemala Huehue. FTO -Asasapne Coop. We receive a Pacamara varietal lot from Honduras too (the same farm that won the CoE Competition this year: Honduras Pacamara -Santa Marta Estate. It's a bit unusual so read the review. And there's a really nice decaf that just arrived; fruited aromatics and nice body: Ethiopia Natural (DP) Sidamo WP Decaf.

• 8/9: The expensive and much awaited Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Gesha is in stock, and it does not cost over $50 a pound! But hold on big-spender, there is a 2 Lb. limit. No less exciting (to me at least) is our special Costa Rica "SM Select" Peaberry, the third year we offer this specially sourced lot, full of winey fruit, nuts, and chocolate. New crop Colombia Nariño -Reserva del Patron is in (remarkably balanced coffee with great body) and another whammo Kenya from an already epic year: Kenya AA Auction Lot 434 -Kithungururu. And lastly a very nice, "true to origin character" Sumatra decaf is in (low acid, earthy, heavy body); Sumatra Organic Gayoland WP Decaf.

• 8/3: Once more, I just added a few things to the sale page - a couple of big ticket items at a good discount. Maria

  7/27: Our new Brazil arrival is a classic, balanced, sweet Bourbon coffee from Sao Paolo state: Brazil Organic Cachoeira -Yellow Bourbon.

• 7/21: I just added a few things to the sale page - a couple of big ticket items at a good discount. Maria

• 7/21: Under some pressure from the Homeroast list (!) I have finished the review for the excellent lot of Panama Boquete Lerida Estate Peaberry and it is available now. We also received a sister lot of excellent decaf: Panama WP Decaf -Panamaria Farm, and one of the highest-rated decafs offered: African Highlands WP Decaf, a blend of 3 wet-processed coffees.

• 7/19: Our special preparation lot of Ethiopia Harar Horse - Green Stripe (designation of extra hand-sorting) is in; if you are a Harar fan, read the review because this lot receives a qualified "thumbs up" grade. New crop Papua New Guinea Kimel Plantation has arrived, and the cup is excellent: bright and lively, with tropical fruited notes. We received another full-body, chocolatey Brazil-process coffee (which many will remember from last year too, Costa Rica Pulp Natural - La Candelilla. And a nice, balanced Mexico Organic Chiapas WP Decaf is in too.

• 7/10: Colombia at nearly a Kona price? Well, it's a Cup of Excellence #3 coffee and there was a lot of international bidding on this lot ... it was that good: Colombia CoE - Hacienda La Virginia. Speaking of spendy coffee, we also have new crop Australia Mountain Top Estate Extra Fancy (XF) which is cupping out really nice (more body than the previous crop). And a bright, zingy, pallet-cleanser Kenya AA Auction Lot 503 - Rui Ruiru.

• We have some new cups with our Sweet Maria's Skunk design on them. The best thing about these is that they are made at the factory in Italy using our favorite cups: the Sorrento Espresso design and the Amalfi Cappuccino cup. So they are identical to our popular Mokabrown-colored cups, but they are white, and, er, they have a skunk on them. We also have the Milano Espresso in 5 new colors. Here's more information...

• 7/5: We are back open after the long holiday weekend - and a bit behind on orders as might be expected (trying to do 5 days work in 3 days.) So it will take a bit longer than usual to turn around an order - maybe an extra day both on shipping and getting orders ready for pick up.

• 6/28: We have some new merch: another wacky t-shirt, the large-sized thermal carafe Technivorm KBT 741, and a new coffee tome, Coffee Flavor Chemistry by Ivon Flament.
  
• 6/21: We are sold out on the Best of Panama 2006 sets today. Tom has a bit more of the #2 coffee - the Bambito - since we won 2 bags of that - not just one. So that will show up in a limited offering (1# bags only) soon I am sure - maybe by the end of the week -Maria
  
• 6/20: Just added a host of miscellaneous items to the sale page. First come, first grabbed as usual....Maria
  
• 6/19: Two rather exotic coffee arrivals (but for quite different reasons). The Hawaii Kona XF - Kealakekua Coffee Co. is a late-arrival '06 crop Kona that really impressed me in the cup, especially at a slightly-darker Full City. Less expensive and actually more exotic (than I think most people realize) is Nicaragua Matagalpa -Pacamara Peaberry. An unusual cultivar (Pacas x Maragogype hybrid developed in El Salvador 25 years ago), you have to grow a lot of Pacamara to be able to screen out just the peaberry!

  6/18: Our special lot of Antigua, Guatemala Antigua Peaberry -Maria Especial, has arrived. It's a classic Antigua cup (unlike a lot of coffees sold as "Antigua!") We also received a more substantial shipment of the coffee we sold out of earlier this season, Guatemala Fraijanes -Finca Agua Tibia. To make it a trifecta, we have an excellent new crop decaf, Guatemala Santa Elena WP Decaf.

• 6/13: Okay, the most expensive auction lot coffee ever, and it's 2 tasty friends ... they're here. We are offering the top 3 coffees from the 2006 Best of Panama Competition as a set. Expensive, yes. Hyped? Well, I guess it is all over the web boards and blogs. Great coffee? Yes, it truly is.

• 6/9: I am back from Guatemala, and we have new lots arriving: Guatemala San Marcos -Finca Maria Elisa is a delicate cup with outstanding aromatics, Nicaragua Prodecoop Dipilto is and other super-sweet cup, bright and crisp in tone. On the more rustic side we have Mexico FTO Chiapas - Special Lot. Why "special lot"? Because we paid a premium above fair trade to help with hurricane damage to the coffee areas of this coop, Udepom, and received "heart of the harvest" coffee with a complex fruited cup profile! -Tom

• 5:31: I had the somewhat painful task of bidding in the Best of Panama auction yesterday - I say painful only because the auction went on for 10 hours and that is a long time to be nailed to the computer. But we came out as winners on the top three lots of the auction - ourselves and a few other companies that went in together. I guess everyone is excited because it was a record breaking auction- the top coffee going for a whopping $50.25 a pound! We'll have just one bag of that in about six weeks by the time the auction coffees can be milled and prepped and exported to the US. You can read more about the auction here- Maria

• 5/25: Kenya Auction Lot - Gethumbwini Peaberry just arrived. Gethumbwini is back on the list this time as a peaberry and is every bit as complex, winey and fruited as they small lot we had last season (which sold out in the blink of an eye). Don't worry, we bought 2 auction lots this year so it will be here for a while!. -Maria
  
• 5/24: The Gene Cafe roasters are back in stock. So far they have been working out well for most folks . Oh - and we FINALLY got a large shipment of Technivorms! They have been out for a long time - and so I am glad they are back. Only models not back in stock are the KB741 in Black and in Graphite. All the rest are back in. And we will start to carry the 1.25 liter thermal carafe model that a lot of folks have inquired about once we can get a shipment in a few weeks. Maria
• In fact the new sweet maria's skateboard a la natas kaupas for freestyle flip tricks is but a hoax. Well, yes and no. I have one, but you can't ride it... unless you come to west oakland, and ask nicely. And sign this waiver ...

• 5/23: Tom is away but we have a few new arrivals that he set up before he left: a new lot of Costa Rica Tarrazu - Hacienda La Minita has arrived and Tom liked this one much better than the first shipment he cupped - back to its clean, sweet and delicate self. Another Yirgacheffe is on the list today - Ethiopia FTO Yirgacheffe DRY PROCESS. Tom is really excited about this first time offering of a dry process Yirgacheffe which has the blueberry flavor aspects missing from mid-to-late crop Harars this year.
  

• 5/19: It's travel time for me, and since I have to do the final reviews, I am adding the coffees between excursions to C. America. Here comes a bunch of new arrivals: 5/19 Part 1: Mid-crop Central American coffees are coming in. Our favorite Mexico Organic Oaxaca -Finca El Olivo is even more spectacular, a sparkling clean cup and floral in the light roasts. We have a new Brazil-style pulped natural with great honey/malty sweetness: Nicaragua Matagalpa Placeras Estate Miel. And something very unusual, the long, tapered form of traditional Java cultivar grown in C. America: Nicaragua Limoncillo Estate Var. Java, with a very unusually lime-accented cup. In addition we added Colombia Huila -Palestina Micro-region, the hands-down winner in blind cupping for it's super bright (almost Kenya-like) character. 5/19 Part 2: Okay, moving on we have new Ethiopia, Indonesia and Decafs. Wet-process vs. Dry-process Sidamo, both outstanding and different from eachother. We have Ethiopia FTO Dry-Process Sidamo with spice, leather, dried apricot; and there is Ethiopia Organic Wet-Process Sidamo with sweet citrus flower. A surprising later crop arrival of Java Government Estate Pancoer, with fresh tobacco and herbs. And a clean, lively Costa Rica La Magnolia SWP Decaf. Okay - I'm off to the Cup of Excellences (?) in El Salvador and Guatemala! -Tom

• I posted new travelogs for my recent trips, with all my coffee competition cupping scores and the final results. First off was the 2006 Best of Panama competition, then off to to Honduras Cup of Excellence 2006 in San Pedro Sula, and finally the 2006 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence competition in Granada, Nicaragua (a beautiful colonial town). I hope you can tolerate some tongue-in-cheek commentary, with a smattering of useful observations. Lots of pictures, and some of them actually have something to do with coffee! -Tom

• 5/3: Tom posted the Best of Panama cupping scores from the competition last week. We'll have to see what coffees we get from this auction. Maria

• Some preliminary results from Honduras Cup of Excellence. This doesn't show a lot of meaningful information, but I will update it when the results are announced.

• We have the new Sweet Maria's version of the African Rosewood (Bubinga) Thor Tamper in stock. Art? Functional coffee tool? You deside.

• 8/18/06: People have been asking about Huehuetenango Guatemalas this year, and I finally have one to offer I think it really excellent (crisp, bright, citric, sweet): Guatemala Huehue. FTO -Asasapne Coop. We receive a Pacamara varietal lot from Honduras too (the same farm that won the CoE Competition this year: Honduras Pacamara -Santa Marta Estate. It's a bit unusual so read the review. And there's a really nice decaf that just arrived; fruited aromatics and nice body: Ethiopia Natural (DP) Sidamo WP Decaf.

• 8/9: The expensive and much awaited Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Gesha is in stock, and it does not cost over $50 a pound! But hold on big-spender, there is a 2 Lb. limit. No less exciting (to me at least) is our special Costa Rica "SM Select" Peaberry, the third year we offer this specially sourced lot, full of winey fruit, nuts, and chocolate. New crop Colombia Nariño -Reserva del Patron is in (remarkably balanced coffee with great body) and another whammo Kenya from an already epic year: Kenya AA Auction Lot 434 -Kithungururu. And lastly a very nice, "true to origin character" Sumatra decaf is in (low acid, earthy, heavy body); Sumatra Organic Gayoland WP Decaf.

• 8/3: Once more, I just added a few things to the sale page - a couple of big ticket items at a good discount. Maria

  7/27: Our new Brazil arrival is a classic, balanced, sweet Bourbon coffee from Sao Paolo state: Brazil Organic Cachoeira -Yellow Bourbon.

• 7/21: I just added a few things to the sale page - a couple of big ticket items at a good discount. Maria

• 7/21: Under some pressure from the Homeroast list (!) I have finished the review for the excellent lot of Panama Boquete Lerida Estate Peaberry and it is available now. We also received a sister lot of excellent decaf: Panama WP Decaf -Panamaria Farm, and one of the highest-rated decafs offered: African Highlands WP Decaf, a blend of 3 wet-processed coffees.

• 7/19: Our special preparation lot of Ethiopia Harar Horse - Green Stripe (designation of extra hand-sorting) is in; if you are a Harar fan, read the review because this lot receives a qualified "thumbs up" grade. New crop Papua New Guinea Kimel Plantation has arrived, and the cup is excellent: bright and lively, with tropical fruited notes. We received another full-body, chocolatey Brazil-process coffee (which many will remember from last year too, Costa Rica Pulp Natural - La Candelilla. And a nice, balanced Mexico Organic Chiapas WP Decaf is in too.

• 7/10: Colombia at nearly a Kona price? Well, it's a Cup of Excellence #3 coffee and there was a lot of international bidding on this lot ... it was that good: Colombia CoE - Hacienda La Virginia. Speaking of spendy coffee, we also have new crop Australia Mountain Top Estate Extra Fancy (XF) which is cupping out really nice (more body than the previous crop). And a bright, zingy, pallet-cleanser Kenya AA Auction Lot 503 - Rui Ruiru.

• We have some new cups with our Sweet Maria's Skunk design on them. The best thing about these is that they are made at the factory in Italy using our favorite cups: the Sorrento Espresso design and the Amalfi Cappuccino cup. So they are identical to our popular Mokabrown-colored cups, but they are white, and, er, they have a skunk on them. We also have the Milano Espresso in 5 new colors. Here's more information...

• 7/5: We are back open after the long holiday weekend - and a bit behind on orders as might be expected (trying to do 5 days work in 3 days.) So it will take a bit longer than usual to turn around an order - maybe an extra day both on shipping and getting orders ready for pick up.

• 6/28: We have some new merch: another wacky t-shirt, the large-sized thermal carafe Technivorm KBT 741, and a new coffee tome, Coffee Flavor Chemistry by Ivon Flament.
  
• 6/21: We are sold out on the Best of Panama 2006 sets today. Tom has a bit more of the #2 coffee - the Bambito - since we won 2 bags of that - not just one. So that will show up in a limited offering (1# bags only) soon I am sure - maybe by the end of the week -Maria
  
• 6/20: Just added a host of miscellaneous items to the sale page. First come, first grabbed as usual....Maria
  
• 6/19: Two rather exotic coffee arrivals (but for quite different reasons). The Hawaii Kona XF - Kealakekua Coffee Co. is a late-arrival '06 crop Kona that really impressed me in the cup, especially at a slightly-darker Full City. Less expensive and actually more exotic (than I think most people realize) is Nicaragua Matagalpa -Pacamara Peaberry. An unusual cultivar (Pacas x Maragogype hybrid developed in El Salvador 25 years ago), you have to grow a lot of Pacamara to be able to screen out just the peaberry!

  6/18: Our special lot of Antigua, Guatemala Antigua Peaberry -Maria Especial, has arrived. It's a classic Antigua cup (unlike a lot of coffees sold as "Antigua!") We also received a more substantial shipment of the coffee we sold out of earlier this season, Guatemala Fraijanes -Finca Agua Tibia. To make it a trifecta, we have an excellent new crop decaf, Guatemala Santa Elena WP Decaf.

• 6/13: Okay, the most expensive auction lot coffee ever, and it's 2 tasty friends ... they're here. We are offering the top 3 coffees from the 2006 Best of Panama Competition as a set. Expensive, yes. Hyped? Well, I guess it is all over the web boards and blogs. Great coffee? Yes, it truly is.

• 6/9: I am back from Guatemala, and we have new lots arriving: Guatemala San Marcos -Finca Maria Elisa is a delicate cup with outstanding aromatics, Nicaragua Prodecoop Dipilto is and other super-sweet cup, bright and crisp in tone. On the more rustic side we have Mexico FTO Chiapas - Special Lot. Why "special lot"? Because we paid a premium above fair trade to help with hurricane damage to the coffee areas of this coop, Udepom, and received "heart of the harvest" coffee with a complex fruited cup profile! -Tom

• 5:31: I had the somewhat painful task of bidding in the Best of Panama auction yesterday - I say painful only because the auction went on for 10 hours and that is a long time to be nailed to the computer. But we came out as winners on the top three lots of the auction - ourselves and a few other companies that went in together. I guess everyone is excited because it was a record breaking auction- the top coffee going for a whopping $50.25 a pound! We'll have just one bag of that in about six weeks by the time the auction coffees can be milled and prepped and exported to the US. You can read more about the auction here- Maria

• 5/25: Kenya Auction Lot - Gethumbwini Peaberry just arrived. Gethumbwini is back on the list this time as a peaberry and is every bit as complex, winey and fruited as they small lot we had last season (which sold out in the blink of an eye). Don't worry, we bought 2 auction lots this year so it will be here for a while!. -Maria
  

• 5/24: The Gene Cafe roasters are back in stock. So far they have been working out well for most folks . Oh - and we FINALLY got a large shipment of Technivorms! They have been out for a long time - and so I am glad they are back. Only models not back in stock are the KB741 in Black and in Graphite. All the rest are back in. And we will start to carry the 1.25 liter thermal carafe model that a lot of folks have inquired about once we can get a shipment in a few weeks. Maria

• In fact the new sweet maria's skateboard a la natas kaupas for freestyle flip tricks is but a hoax. Well, yes and no. I have one, but you can't ride it... unless you come to west oakland, and ask nicely. And sign this waiver ...

• 5/23: Tom is away but we have a few new arrivals that he set up before he left: a new lot of Costa Rica Tarrazu - Hacienda La Minita has arrived and Tom liked this one much better than the first shipment he cupped - back to its clean, sweet and delicate self. Another Yirgacheffe is on the list today - Ethiopia FTO Yirgacheffe DRY PROCESS. Tom is really excited about this first time offering of a dry process Yirgacheffe which has the blueberry flavor aspects missing from mid-to-late crop Harars this year.
  

• 5/19: It's travel time for me, and since I have to do the final reviews, I am adding the coffees between excursions to C. America. Here comes a bunch of new arrivals: 5/19 Part 1: Mid-crop Central American coffees are coming in. Our favorite Mexico Organic Oaxaca -Finca El Olivo is even more spectacular, a sparkling clean cup and floral in the light roasts. We have a new Brazil-style pulped natural with great honey/malty sweetness: Nicaragua Matagalpa Placeras Estate Miel. And something very unusual, the long, tapered form of traditional Java cultivar grown in C. America: Nicaragua Limoncillo Estate Var. Java, with a very unusually lime-accented cup. In addition we added Colombia Huila -Palestina Micro-region, the hands-down winner in blind cupping for it's super bright (almost Kenya-like) character. 5/19 Part 2: Okay, moving on we have new Ethiopia, Indonesia and Decafs. Wet-process vs. Dry-process Sidamo, both outstanding and different from eachother. We have Ethiopia FTO Dry-Process Sidamo with spice, leather, dried apricot; and there is Ethiopia Organic Wet-Process Sidamo with sweet citrus flower. A surprising later crop arrival of Java Government Estate Pancoer, with fresh tobacco and herbs. And a clean, lively Costa Rica La Magnolia SWP Decaf. Okay - I'm off to the Cup of Excellences (?) in El Salvador and Guatemala! -Tom

• I posted new travelogs for my recent trips, with all my coffee competition cupping scores and the final results. First off was the 2006 Best of Panama competition, then off to to Honduras Cup of Excellence 2006 in San Pedro Sula, and finally the 2006 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence competition in Granada, Nicaragua (a beautiful colonial town). I hope you can tolerate some tongue-in-cheek commentary, with a smattering of useful observations. Lots of pictures, and some of them actually have something to do with coffee! -Tom

• 5/3: Tom posted the Best of Panama cupping scores from the competition last week. We'll have to see what coffees we get from this auction. Maria

• Some preliminary results from Honduras Cup of Excellence. This doesn't show a lot of meaningful information, but I will update it when the results are announced.

• 5/1: Seems like we had shopping cart problems over the weekend - a weird error message just before the order was completed. I fixed it Monday morning - and we did receive all those orders. We are checking to be sure duplicate orders were not submitted - Happy Monday! Grrrr.. Maria

• 4/26: New stuff on the sale page- Maria

• 4/21: I have rushed to upload 5 new lots to the list, as I am out the door for 3 weeks of cupping in Central America. From top to bottom, we have an excellent new lot of El Salvador Organic - Santa Adelaida, as well as bittersweet chocolate galore in the Guatemala Fraijanes -Finca Agua Tibia. Our exclusive arrangement for the top altitude coffees continues with Panama Carmen Estate 1800+ Meters. And our second new crop Kenya has arrived (I refer to it as a "relaxed Kenya" ...see the review!) Kenya Auction Lot 405 - Mchana Peaberry. Finally, the extremely balanced Zambia AA+ Lupili Estate (which makes a very interesting SO espresso). -with regards, Thompson "making it so hard to keep your green coffee stash small" Owen

• More New Stuff - We have been enjoying the new line of Bodum Thermal Glassware for about 6 weeks; I guess it is finally time to share them with customers too. I really like the midsize cups for brewed coffee (especially the Assam model), but you should see what an espresso from a bottomless portafilter looks like in one of the demitasse models ... outstanding!

• New Item: The Gene Cafe Half Pound Coffee Roaster (so new that we don't have nice pictures yet!)

• 4/3: New crop Africans: We received our first Yirgacheffe wet process coffee of the year. The Ethiopia FTO Yirgacheffe - Oromia has a lemon custard brightness, a beautifully delicate acidity in the cup. The Zimbabwe AAA - Dandoni Estate from the new crop is here, up a few points from last year and the best Zimbabwe I have had on the cupping table. And our first 2006 Main Crop Kenya lot: Kenya Auction Lot 705 Gaturine Peaberry. (This is an outstanding, bright, lemony Kenya from the Meru district.)

• 4/3 Yes, one more: Our first new crop, high grown Guatemala of the year is a big bean cultivar: Guatemala Coban FTO Maragogype. (A very unique smokey cup character, balanced in acidity, great body, milk chocolate roast taste).

• 4/7: Our new lot of Ethiopia Harar Horse -Lot 19