Our Micro-Lot’s – Coffees that are beyond unique…

Our Micro-Lots are coffees that we are very proud of because they take full advantage of our Fair to Farmer Direct™ program.  Over the course of our travels we visit many farmers and co-ops and from time to time we come across very small lots of extraordinary coffee that are so awesome that we’ll pay these coffee farmers a premium price because we just have to have them to bring back to Canada for customers, like you, to try.  

Seasonal Availability of Micro-Lot’s

Coffee, in it’s green bean stage, generally has a one year shelf life and being an all natural food product, quality will deteriorate over time.  It’s because of this, you’ll only see our regional Micro-Lots annually, making one region available for a few months (or until it runs out) and then you won’t see it again until the following year.  When you purchase a Micro-Lot from Salt Spring Coffee we want to assure you that it is being made available to you at the peak of it’s quality.   A combination of seasonal availability and limited availability means that we may or may not have Micro-Lots coffees in stock for you to purchase.

Micro-Lot’s, A Friendly Competition and Building Strong Relations With Our Farmers…

I am looking forward to introducing our first line-up of Micro-Lot this year from our co-op in Pangoa, Peru.  We have had a long-standing relationship with these farmers so it’s not surprising that they’re the first co-op to appear in our line-up.  We set up a competition in Pangoa that was similar to ‘Cup of Excellence’ that we call our  ‘Coffees of Distinction™’ program.  Here, the co-op’s farmers summit a sample of their coffee to us and then we conduct blind taste cuppings with the cuppers at the co-op who score the coffees for their excellence.  The top three coffees with the highest cupping score qualify to be included in our Micro-Lot program.  Each winning farmer is awarded a certificate along with a premium price for their coffee.  We have been running the ‘Coffees of Distinction” program for two years now.  It is a friendly competition that farmers have embraced and we are pleased to announce we have seen a growing number of entries.  This year we had more farmers participate, the quality of coffee had improved and the resulting cupping scores were higher.

Peru Micro-Lots to checkout in 2010…

Our first Micro-Lot of the year is Finca El Triunfo that will be launched on March 1.  Marcelo and his wife Susanna have been members of the Pangoa, Peru co-op since 1998.  Macelo has been a big fan of the organic movement and hopes that since he won our ‘Coffees of Distinction™’ competition that some of his neighbors will see the value of growing high quality organic coffee.  Finca El Triunfo has flavour notes of plum and cinnamon with a nice citrusy finish.

Nicaragua Micro-Lots to lookout for in 2010…

This year we will also be getting a few Micro-Lots from Prode co-op in Segovia,Nicaragua.  We have yet to set up a competition in Nicaragua, so for now I will go down and cup some of the best coffees of the year that the co-op has set aside for us.  Once I taste and score the coffees with the cuppers from the co-op, we will then decide on a standard for premium quality based on the cupping scores and farm visits with the winning farmers.

Sumatra Micro-Lots to lookout for in 2010…

Hopefully if all goes to plan, we will have a Micro-Lot or two from Sumatra.  We haven’t had a Sumatan Micro-Lot to date.  This March/April I will be joined by the owners of Salt Spring Coffee Co. (Mickey, Robbyn) when we head to Sumatra.  Obtaining a micro-lot is on the top of my list as far aa goals for this trip, so stay tuned on how we do.

How to Purchase Our Micro-Lots…

We always tell our customers, “Get ‘em when you can because when they are gone, they are GONE!”. Unfortunately, our Micro-Lots can only be purchased through Our Cafés or through our WEBSTORE Micro-Lot section.  Drop by and pick them up or drop us an on-line order.  Once you’ve tasted these coffees, you’ll understand why they’re just a bit more special and are grabbed up so fast.  So, enjoy!

Where, from here… May we suggest you stay in touch!

I would encourage you to check back to our website to find out what we’re up to and learn of upcoming Micro-Lot coffees we’ve secured.  I would also encourage you to become a fan on Facebook or join us on Twitter for real-time updates on our travels and our coffee scene.

Have a Great Cuppa! 

 
   Banks Thomas
   Director of Coffee (DOC)