Intro
By now we are all settled in to the routine of a new year. Being settled does give us time to pause and reflect on what we are hoping to offer our fellow coffee lovers in South Africa.
In this newsletter
Is it worth reading on? Here is a quick summary of what is coming up:
- The long-awaited arrival of some new coffees.
- A teaser of additional coffees coming.
- A note on our equipment offering.
- Our secret offering (by invite only).
- A summary of some of the items we shared via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
- A quick update on the Vineyard roastery
New coffees
Although these coffees were originally ordered in October, logistical mess-ups and alternative solutions have delayed these coffees. And while it may be premature to talk about them, since we only get the coffee this week, and still need to figure out the profiles for these coffees, we are excited to mention them
- Fazendo Pantano RFA from Brazil: We visited this farm in 2016 and are so excited to offer this coffee. When we cupped this pulp-natural Catuai cultivar, the citrus, chocolate and hazelnut where evident. This will be our first Catuai from Brazil for over 4 years and we are very keen to taste it.
- San Francisco, Costa Rica: The name “honey” processed is rumored to have started in Costa Rica. We tasted 4 Costas to choose this one, and the honey was our favourite. We also have not done a new Costa Rican for over 3 years and so are keen to get this on the list. This will be featured under our Rotating Single Origin as soon as we are finished with the Gayo.
- Erapuca, Honduras: A return of a favourite and this year it is much better than last year.
Coffee teaser
As I am sure you are aware, we work closely with Caravela coffee. They have expanded in to Ecuador, Mexico and are now well established in Guatemala. With the new Colombian shipment we are getting a few of these coffees, including a coffee to be offered only on our “secret offering” – see below. We unfortunately lost out on the Mexican, but the Ecuador (our first ever) and the Guatemala is a honey processed coffee from Jinotega.
A note about our equipment offering
If you view the equipment on our website: quaffee.co.za/product-category/
If you feel we should be adding a product to the offering, we will review it and see if we like it, and if so we will add it. Last year we removed a number of products off our site, due to support and quality issues. If you follow our social media feeds you will see that we are often testing products, even products that are not yet available in South Africa. Some we will add if there is a representative, others we will not, even if there is a representative.
In case you missed it
We try share as much as we can about coffee (and when we remember to) on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts.
For those that did not see it on the feeds, Mzukisi has now been with Quaffee for 10 years, over half of that as a coffee roaster. We hope to see his smile and passion for many more years to come.
Of all the videos added to our YouTube channel and playlists in the last few months the one I was most excited to find finally properly explained the 4:6 in pour overs. We updated our own post on this method and have included the video. Read more in our post on the 4:6 method…
Secret offering
While the uptake on our very high-end coffees have been slow, we have seen some demand. This year we are hoping to expand the offering, but only to those on the list.
So far, we have secured 2 rather special coffees and are trying to secure more. A week before we roast the coffee, we will send out an email only to those people on the “Include me on the secret offering list”. Anyone on the list can invite their friends or colleagues to the list.
The coffee will only be roasted the day we state, and dispatch will be from the next day.
Pricings of these coffees will be linked to their green bean costs. We will be offering them at the best price we can.
Note: These coffees will not be offered through any of our current partners, only through this secret list. If you are a subscriber to our newsletter then you can already select to receive notifications of these coffees. All you need to do is edit your preferences and select “Include me on the secret offering list” as part of your preferences.
Interesting fact about coffee
The coffee seed (or bean) is one of the most complex seeds. The conditions it grows in, is cared for and how it is processed, determines which liquids, organelles and molecules are in the final product. Add to that the methodology you use to roast determines the manner in which the components are converted to aromatics and flavors within the coffee, and this determines the final result in your cup.
Learn more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Vineyard hotel update
As mentioned last year, Sinovuyo is now roasting at Vineyard. Already he has added his own signature to his coffee roasting style. He has decided to open up on Saturdays. If you are in Newlands pop in on Saturday and try one of the three coffees only available at The Vineyard Hotel roastery.
