A Sun Lamp and the Doldrums of Winter

Well, we have officially hit that sad no-mans land in between Jan 1st and the first day of spring. It's rainy, cold and often just bleak out. In the coffee world too things feel sad and tired. Colombia has announced that they will most likely have a smaller crop than expected due to rains during harvest season, thus causing turmoil in the c-market. Brazil's and Indonesians are trickling in but other than that most coffees won't be coming back around until March. My Guats are baggy the Costas flavors are sagging and flat, my year old PNG has settled into a funk thus screwing with my espresso blend....it's enough to make a girl want to tear her hair out and then go tear it up in a bar somewhere:(. Luckily, we at world cup have had the good fortune (with the assistance of the wonderful folks at Royal Coffee Importers) to stumble upon a wonderful Rwandan Bourbon coffee put out by a co-op that only produces 5 containers a year. The coffee is sweet, nutty and bright and every time I make a delicious pour over drip of it I feel like I am cradling a liquid sun lamp between my hands. Drinking it always cheers me up and reminds me that winter will be on it's way out in a matter of weeks and new central americans will be on their way in! Also, this is the first coffee we have roasted on our new Diedrich IR-12 circa 2000. This coffee was definitely improved by being roasted on a drum, I don't know if it's the control you are allowed or maybe the difference in heat source (infared burners) but it's been so fun to play with it each time we roast. That being said I guess this blog is really about trying to shake it up, even in a time of stagnation. It's a time to remember that even through the fog and rain and never ending damp that in coffee there is always something to be excited about, always something to care about, a dimly percieved warmth to be drawn to. That's what's getting me through this dreary wheather, well that and the Mighty Boosh. Cheers!
Roaster Jill!