San Jose Ocana

Scored a 91.5!

San Jose Ocana was ranked the #2 coffee in the Guatemala Cup Of Excellence auction. Barefoot Coffee was able to partner with a select buying group to win 2 bags of the mind blowing #2 ranked coffee “San Jose Ocana” from Roberto Sanchez Lazo in the Guatemala Cup of Excellence auction. This is an amazingly fragrant and crystal clean coffee. This coffee received a 91.5 score from the cupping jury. Mouthwatering complex layers of powerfully sweet and bright fruit acidity with pronounced cheery and ripe apricot and toasted almonds. Dessert in your cup.

San Jose Ocana was founded in 1623. Five generations of the Lazo family have worked the farm. Barefoot is very excited to be able to offer this amazing coffee to our customers. We expect this coffee to arrive with in the next 2-3 weeks so stay tuned!

In San José Ocaña, owners promote good relations with workers. In fact, in the middle of last century, they donated land (about 5 CABALLERIAS) for people working in the farm and they founded there what is actually Santa Fe Ocaña county. Quality controls are important in the farm. Visual controls, as well as humidity, fermentation and drying process are part of a daily basis routine. Coffee is wet milled and sun dried in patios. The farm also has de-pulpers, a resettler and a pulp extractor. As all Guatemalan farms, San José Ocaña has beautiful natural resources and natural forests. It also has cows, horses and vegetables.

San José Ocaña is also awarded with Illy Café for its quality. Roberto Sánchez Lazo

Property Characteristics:

Farm: San Jose Ocaña Farmer: Carlos Roberto Sanchez Lazo Y Cdños.

Rank: 2

City: San Juan Sacatepéquez Country: Guatemala

Farm Size: 225.00 Hectares Coffee growing area: 22.00 Hectares Altitude: 1905 masl

Coffee Characteristics:

Variety: Catuai, Borbon

Processing System: Milling Process: Wet, Drying Process: Sun

Lot Size: 40 bags

International Jury Score: 91.50

Cupping Number #: 329

Jury Descriptions: very clean (17), elegant (10), complex (19), sweet (18), spicy (9), intense fruit acidity (13), citric acidity (15), pleasant lingering acidity (18), abundant fruits (16), guava (6), blackberry (10), strawberry, apricot peach finish (8), fresh coffee cherry (12), dark toasted almonds (1), vanilla (13), chocolate, creamy, very fragrant (17), jasmine (11)

Taste the best in the world for only $35 for a 12oz bag.

Change your entire perspective with a single cup.

Barefoot is only roasting this exceptional coffee to order. Email info @ barefootcoffeeroasters.com to sign up to pre order a bag for yourself.

or buy a bag today

]]> http://www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com/2008/04/24/guatemala-cup-of-excellence-san-jose-ocana/feed/ http://www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com/2008/04/24/barefoot-coffee-roaster-selected-as-judge-in-2008-guatemala-cup-of-excellence/ http://www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com/2008/04/24/barefoot-coffee-roaster-selected-as-judge-in-2008-guatemala-cup-of-excellence/#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:29:31 +0000 Barefoot spindler excellence® excellence increased bottom selected judge http://www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com/?p=466 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Andy Newbom, Chief Espresso Officer
Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Inc.
phone: 408-293-7200
email: andy@barefootcoffee.com

or
Susie Spindler Executive Director
Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc.
Email: susies@cupofexcellence.org
Phone: 406-542-3509

Bay Area Coffee Roaster selected as judge in

2008 Guatemala Cup of Excellence® competition

Barefoot Coffee Roasters’ Andy Newbom selected as only Bay Area judge of prestigious Cup of Excellence competition in Guatemala May 8^th through 12^th 2008.

San Jose, CA, April 24th, 2008 – The Cup of Excellence is the most stringent and prestigious coffee competition in the world. Judges are hand selected from coffee professionals around the world. Judging at a Cup Of Excellence competition involves three to four eight hour days of intense and non stop cupping of hundreds of remarkable coffees. To be invited to judge in the Cup of Excellence is a high honor and only a handful of judges are invited each year. Andy Newbom of Barefoot Coffee Roasters has been selected to be a judge for the 2008 Guatemala Cup Of Excellence May 8^th through the 12^th.

Mr. Newbom will be arriving early to Guatemala on the 6^th in order to visit several farmers and mills in Antigua. Joining him in Guatemala City will be Edwin Martinez, owner of Finca Vista Hermosa coffee farm in Huehuetenango which Barefoot Coffee has bought direct from for the last four years. Edwin Martinez is hoping for a repeat of the last few years where their coffee placed in the top ten in the Cup Of Excellence.

“Finca Vista Hermosa produces remarkable coffees and deserves to be in the top.” Expressed Andy Newbom, Barefoot Coffee. “In 2007 Barefoot bought the other half of the Cup of Excellence lot from Finca Vista Hermosa and we fell in love with the amazing flavors and hope to win the Cup Of Excellence lot this year!”

Susie Spindler, executive director of Cup of Excellence anticipates that 2008 will once again bring high average prices for the winning coffees sold at auction. Since its inception in 1999, the price per pound has steadily increased to reach $6.11 in 2007. In just the past four years the average price per pound has increased nearly 75% from $4.56 to $6.11.

“Attention to quality on the part of the growers, coupled with increased competition from buyers around the world has helped Cup of Excellence winning farmers receive more money for their efforts,” added Spindler. In response to the marketplace momentum, the opening price for all auctions will be increased this year.

With its continued success, international jury participation has strengthened as well. To date, juries for most competitions are already full, with waiting lists for some countries.

Since it’s beginnings in 1999, the Cup of Excellence® program has hosted programs in Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Bolivia and Colombia. The Cup of Excellence program is managed by the non-profit Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc, The state of the art Cup of Excellence auction has been managed since 2002 in partnership with CommoditiesOne, a leading software development firm. For more information about the Cup of Excellence program, or to become a member log on to http://www.cupofexcellence.org

The 2008 Cup of Excellence schedule is as follows:

Costa Rica: International Competition April 7-11; Auction May 15.

Nicaragua: International Competition, April 14-18; Auction May 27.

El Salvador: International Competition April 21-25; Auction June 5.

Guatemala: International Competition May 8-12; Auction June 12.

Honduras: International Competition May 19-23; Auction July 8.

Rwanda: International Competition August 25-29; Auction October 14.

Colombia: International Competition Sept. 15-19; Auction October 28.

Bolivia: International Competition October 6-10; Auction November 25.

Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Inc. is a cafe and roastery in the heart of Silicon Valley operating in the old ways of hands-on craftsmanship. While still keeping it simple; taking great coffee, crafting it with pride and passion and treating the whole coffee experience as a culinary art while operating sustainably from top to bottom. The team has been ranked as one of the top four boutique roasters in the nation by Food and Wine Magazine and is the Bay Areas most award winning artisan roaster. Barefoot is an artisan roaster of sustainable coffees including Organic, Fair Trade, Shade Grown, co-op grown, single estates, auction winning lots and relationship coffees. Located at 5237 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Santa Clara, CA (at the corner of Lawrence Expressway). For more information, please call (408) 293-7200, visit www.barefootcoffee.com or simply drop by.

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Buy Coffee online now! use promo code “freeitup” at check out to get the free fedex ground shipping.

So starting Saturday morning Barefoot will have Redline Espresso on bar. Come on down.

REDLINE ESPRESSO

Redline Espresso is a truly distinctive and rewarding blend. Its richness runs down the center like a racing stripe, leaving a trail of cocoa, honey, lavender, and a mild merlot-like fruit in the finish. The flavors translate perfectly in milk and are even amplified in sweetness making for a marvelous latte or cappuccino.

Aroma: 8
Acidity: 8
Body: 8
Flavor: 8
Aftertaste: 9
Roast (Agtron): Medium (56/65) Origin: Huehuetenango growing region, Guatemala.<p>Notes: Barefoot Coffee Roasters is an award-winning and widely recognized small-batch roasting company that describes itself as “a happy little cafe and roastery in the heart of Silicon Valley.” Visit www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com for more information.

Blind Assessment: High-toned, simple, classic aroma: orange, sweet tomato, hints of cedar and milk chocolate. In the cup a rich, roundly sweet-toned acidity dominates, with continued orange and milk chocolate notes that grow more distinct as the cup cools and the acidity softens. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Long, tartly sweet finish.

Who should drink it: A big, brightly sweet breakfast cup.

Buy it online here

Buy the Guatemala Vista Hermosa online here

During the last week of February Barefoot Coffee Roaster Dominic Taylor had the honor of attending a round table conference in the birth place of coffee. Going to Ethiopia is an experience most roasters can only dream about so you can imagine how excited I was. Taking part in a conference designed to connect roasters with the farmers who grow their coffee was unbelievably perfect. My deepest gratitude goes to USAID/FINTRAC and Boot Coffee Consulting for organizing such an event and Barefoot Coffee Roasters for sending me.

Monday started with a series of presentations followed by the round table discussion. All sectors of the coffee world were represented. We heard from U.S. coffee importers, Ethiopian coffee exporters, coffee farm managers, governmental officers, foreign aid representatives, coffee roasters and CQI. One of the key presenters was Ted Lingle, possibly the largest force in the US specialty coffee industry.

The second half of our day was spent cupping at the Ethiopian Coffee Exporters Association. The ECEA had a huge presence at the conference and I suspect that many of the developments in Ethiopian coffee, especially in the way of promotion, will have to come from them. We had some pretty funky tasting coffees and some very pleasant ones as well. There were Limmu’s, Sidamo’s and a couple Yirgacheffe’s. I have to admit though that I was pretty much shot for this cupping due to the travel, the altitude (Addis is around 8000 ft.), and a lingering flu I had the week before I left.

Jimma found me in much better health. This was the second stop on our journey and the locale of the major part of the conference. Jimma is about 45 minutes by plane south of Addis Ababa. The first day was very relaxed with only a trip to the Jimma Agricultural Research Station on the itinerary. The rest of the time was spent mingling at the Central Jimma Hotel. Everyone attending the conference ate all three meals together so there was plenty of time to get to know people.

Day 2 of the conference brought together opposite ends of the coffee chain. We heard from roasters on one side and farm managers/exporters on the other. Filling in the middle was representatives from CQI and Boot Coffee Consulting speaking on the importance of cupping. It was so nice for me to see the presentations by Abdullah Bagersh of S.A. Bagersh (think Idido Misty Valley) and Dante Vilones of Dominion Trading Company. The passion for growing coffee that was displayed reminded me of home and the passion I share with the roasters and baristi in the cafe.

It was a special treat to meet Dante of Dominion Trading Company. We shared many meals together and had lots of time to talk. I brought some of Barefoot’s DTC coffee and we were both delighted to see the coffee go from grower to roaster and then back again. I was also very excited because Dante had some new samples for me. This year DTC is also venturing into natural Yirgacheffes. Their washed coffee is some of the best I have ever had so I can’t wait to try the natural. I was also able to establish contact with Abdullah Bagersh. Barefoot wasn’t able to get any coffee from them last season but I have tried the Idido Misty Valley from other roasters and it is awesome.

The whole conference was set up to give buyers a chance to meet with farmers and exporters to try and set up direct relationships. I now have many contacts. That first day in Jimma I was sitting next to Mr. Getachew of IPS. IPS is the largest specialty only coffee exporter in Ethiopia. I have already received samples from them and was delighted to find out that our new Ghimbi is from them but purchased through one of our importers. I also met a number of farmers and exporters who are on the cusp. They are in the process of raising quality and entering into the specialty market. Two of these coffees stood out and we will be keeping an eye on them in the future. Guji coffee and Tepi coffee will be the next great regions of Ethiopia I think.

As we strolled through the coffee trees under the canopy everyone noticed how many birds were there and people started asking about “bird friendly” certification. They are not certified but only because they haven’t applied. This should change soon. Giday samples? Yes. One of the nicest wild forest Limmu’s I had while in Jimma.

Day four. The most special day in a coffee lovers life. Today we go to Bonga! We did get some work done in the morning though. This days conference allowed me the chance to address everyone on the process that Barefoot goes through to source coffees (cupping!!) and what we try to offer our customers in the way of great coffee, education, and service. We also heard from USAID/Fintrac on what they were trying to accomplish in Ethiopia. Their goal is to raise coffee production in Ethiopia by 74% in the next 3-5 years and they are succeeding. Phenomenal! We also had a surprise presentation from a young couple from Holland who happened to be at the Hotel. They had just finished getting Jimma’s first public radio station online and were offering it as a resource to get education to the local farmers.

The rest of the day was spent primarily on a bus to Bonga in the Kaffa district. Yes, Kaffa the birthplace of coffee. Where it all started. Our first stop and resting place for the night was the Wush Wush tea estate. Even though I have been to many tea estates before I am still overwhelmed at the great swaths of green that tea fields are. We arrived with just enough time to take a walk through town at sunset before dinner.

Taking the bus to Bonga and the coffee farm the day after Wush Wush was another unforgettable experience. Not so much for the dusty roller coaster ride that it was but for the scenery. I have never seen so many shades of green. All kinds of vegetation overlapping and competing with each other to form a dense web of life. I found out that Kaffa gets rain ten months out of the year and it certainly showed. Also delightful for those of us who reside in more northern regions was the baboons and monkeys. One thing I noticed was, what I later found out were, beehives in many of the trees. A little added income for the local coffee pickers. And what makes that honey so damn good. The coffee. The bees feast on coffee blossoms. Okay, so whatever amazing forested farms I saw in Jimma… forget it. These Bonga farms were truly like walking into the jungle only the under story was comprised of thousands of coffee trees. It was funny, all the seasoned coffee pros who have been to origin before duly minded the tour. The rest of us got lost taking pictures in the coffee jungle. The only downside to todays trip was that this farm too had already been targeted by the Japanese. Why must the Japanese have such good taste in coffee?

We arrived back from Bonga in the late evening. Dinner, a beer, and bed. The next day would be a late morning flight to Addis and the end of my new friends and my time together. The next day back in Addis left plenty of time for the last chance souvenir shopping and one last dinner.

The excruciatingly long trip home left me with much time to reflect on the whole experience. There is no one thing that impacted more than another but many things that have further formed me both as a roaster and a person. Ethiopia is an amazing country both for its land and its people. The sheer beauty of Ethiopia and the relaxed happiness of its people had me wanting to live there. The many people I met in the conference validated my choice of career and I hope I can develop a personal relationship as well as business with those that I met. Coffee is a truly amazing thing and attracts truly amazing people.

Look for some exciting coffees coming soon as results of the amazing partnerships Barefoot has been developing in Ethiopia.

On February 15^th, 2008 a tragedy struck our farm partners at Finca Vista Hermosa in Guatemala. For the last decade or more Carlos has managed the day to day operations of Finca Vista Hermosa. He has labored tirelessly to bring exceptional quality, exquisite farming methods, demanding harvesting and processing procedures and intense cross training for all farm workers. The results have been astounding. Finca Vista Hermosa has consistently won international awards for coffee flavor and quality in auctions and programs. Carlos Martin lived a rich and full life and lived for his family and for coffee. He was training his oldest son Edwin Martin to take over managing the farm when he retires.

But Carlos and Edwin Martin’s lives were tragically cut short. On a return trip to the Finca they were ambushed by armed bandits and brutally murdered. They were returning with payroll for the farm workers and supplies and food for the entire farm. The sorrow and pain we here at Barefoot Coffee feel is deep and taxing. Roast Master Eugenia Chien and Andy Newbom spent a great deal of time with Carlos and Eddie when we last visited Finca Vista Hermosa.

To show our love and support for the entire family of Finca Vista Hermosa and to help Carlos’ wife Juana and her 11 children Barefoot Coffee Roasters is launching a support fund for their family. From February 22^nd through March 7^th

100% of all proceeds from sales of all of our Guatemala Finca Vista Hermosa coffees beans will be donated to the fund for Juana.

In about two weeks Edwin Martinez (the owner of Finca Vista Hermosa) will be going back to Guatemala and will bring down the check and present it to her. Please join us in supporting this amazing family of coffee farmers. You are also encouraged to make cash donations as well.

Carlos Martin and his son Eddie were an amazing team of coffee professionals and our hearts are saddened at their passing. Carlos’ older brother and original farm manager Lencho and Carlos’ son Diego are working with the Martinez family to manage the harvest right now as they are in the middle of the key part of the harvest.

Buy any Guatemala Finca Vista Hermosa coffee in our cafe or from our online store between now and March 7th 2008 and 100% of the sale will go to Juana and her 11 children.

You can also make a cash donation in the cafe or online right here.