As the year comes to a close, we want to look back at the highlights that made 2011 great!  2011 brought much success in our sourcing efforts, and we were able to get our hands on many Award Winning coffees. Whether it be the Best of Panama, Cup of Excellence, or even something from the States, we have had a little bit of everything this year.

GUATEMALA FINCA EL VALLE
As we look back, one coffee stands out for the relationship we were able to develop, and the story behind the coffee.  We introduced Finca El Valle early this year, a farm in Guatemala.  Finca El Valle is a family farm Cristina Gonzalez inherited from her grandmother.  She is continuing the tradition handed down from past generations.  One thing that was apparent when we visited the farm, was their initiatives involving social and environmental responsibility.  Walking around the farm, they have signs showing the diverse species living in the forests surrounding the area.  It seems as if they have an intimate relationship with the environment.  They reuse the pulped cherries, and make compost to fertilize and replant.  The water from the wet mill is also reused, and functions as an organic fertilizer.

In addition to their initiatives and the environmental responsibility of her family,  they have a philosophy that places a high value on relationships.

“I feel that it could be very simple for us: I send you coffee, you send me money, and the story ends. But the fact that I know your family is very beautiful, because that is more than business, it is affection. And that is more important. The money is indispensable, but the relationship is priceless.” - Cristina Gonzalez

We couldn’t agree more, and Finca El Valle is now our newest Direct Trade partner! We are proud to be working with Cristina and are looking forward to visiting her and her family in the years to come.

BEST OF PANAMA
We were very excited to have four offerings from the 2011 Specialty Coffee Association of Panama - Best of Panama Competition this year.  Finca La Valentina took first place in the competition.  We were in attendance when Benjamin Osorio accepted the award.  We introduced ourselves, and were able to meet later that week and talk coffee.   The Aristar Agrario is the first coffee, of what we hope will be a long relationship with the Osorio Brothers.

Hacienda La Esmeralda took second place in the competition this year.  Yet again their coffee went to auction for what would be another successful and extremely competitive auction.  We were able to land our hands on the Hacienda La Esmeralda Montaña lot.  This was the first year the Montaña lot was available, and it represents the highest grown micro-lot at Hacienda La Esmeralda.

We also had a small amount of Don Pachi Geisha Natural.  Unfortunately, we only had this coffee available for about two weeks!  It was the first place winner of the Natural division in Panama.

With all this talk about Geisha, it is hard to remember that there are other great coffees in Panama.  Panama Kotowa Don K, Micro-lot Reserve, is located in the Boquete region, that produces some of the most sought after coffees.  Kotowa Don K took fifth place in the Best of Panama competition, and represents the highest ranking, non-geisha varietal, in all of Panama.

FINCA EL SOCORRO
Juan Diego de la Cerda and his family, have proven to be one of the best coffee farms in Guatemala.  In 2011, their Maracaturra variety won 1st place in the Guatemala Cup of Excellence Competition. Unfortunately, we only had a limited amount of the Maracaturra micro-lot.  A separate lot on their farm, was the Bourbon.  We took this coffee, and found a good roast profile that made it ideal for use as a Single Origin Espresso. Finca El Socorro Bourbon Espresso is one of the most balanced Single Origin Espresso’s we have ever encountered.

EL SALVADOR
It is no secret that we have been working closely with farms in El Salvador.  We have very close relationships with three farms there, and this year they all produced another great harvest.

Finca Los Planes took 6th place in the El Salvador Cup of Excellence competition with their Lote la Lagunita micro-lot.  This micro-lot has shown steady improvement over the past couple of years.   Their Pacamara variety is one of our personal favorites which produces a creamy and juicy cup with hints of brown sugar and caramel.

Finca Las Mercedes had a particularly good year as they have benefited from extraordinary weather patterns that have helped the crop obtain an exceptional quality. The El Pepinal 1 is also one of our personal favorites.  This is the second year that Finca Las Mercedes has produced a special lot, or we should say 3 lots, for us, that we have blended to create the Don Roberto Seasonal Espresso blend. The blend consists of two honey and one washed processed coffee from different lots on their farm.

Finca El Molino and Jose Antonio Salaveria produced another great crop of Orange Bourbon this year.   Las Ranas Estate, also operated by Jose Antonio, generously donated the first 150 lbs of Bourbon to help kick start a joint effort between the Prodigy Youth Soccer Association and PT’s Coffee for a scholarship fund for Topeka area youth.   Flor Del Sol was created in honor of our former Barista and friend, Jonathan Kaspar.  We will be donating $1, for every 8 oz. bag sold, directly to this association in support of youth soccer in our community. We hope to raise $1500 in this effort for the PYSA.

FLYING MONKEY CAFE OPENS
Flying Monkey has been a work in progress all year, and finally opened its doors in November.  The Flying Monkey is an eclectic cafe featuring a diverse menu with Direct Trade coffee and espresso.  Chef  Jamie, has created a unique food menu, with a variety of Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Quiche, and Baked Goods.  We are also serving a variety of micro-brewed beers, including options from the Blind Tiger, here in Topeka, Kansas.

Local Artists display their collections in the cafe, providing a fun ambiance and atmosphere to just kick back, relax, and enjoy a great cup of coffee with a friend.

THE GOTHOT
In August of 2010, a mammoth arrived at our loading dock.  This wasn’t a prehistoric beast, however, it was our newest coffee roaster.  The Gothot is a 90 kilo roaster!  This is perfect for our espresso, and other coffees that are roasted in large batches.  After a team of mechanical engineers coordinated the installation, it was finally set to roast in February of 2011.  The Gothot is unique in many ways, and one is the fact that it utilizes a roasting software, to ensure consistent results.  The roast profiles are 100% customized by our head Coffee Roaster, Adam Ross.  The software on the Gothot is not fool proof though, and Adam has to monitor every aspect of the roast to ensure we are getting the results we set out for.  Our other two roasters, the Diedrich IR-12 and Diedrich IR-24, are still used everyday, for those smaller micro-lots.  Roasting coffee is an art form and science.  Our roasters have to monitor everything during the roasting process on the Diedrichs, and they are operated by brain power, ingenuity, and experience, and not by computer software.

MARITZA TAYLOR
One of the newest additions to the PT’s Team, is Maritza Taylor.  Maritza and Jeff met at origin, and were married in 2010.  Brazil Doce Boda is in part a celebration of our trip to the farm that followed Jeff and Maritza’s wedding in August of 2010. After a long wait, Maritza and Jeff could finally be together in the United States.  Maritza is the head of our quality control, and brings a multitude of expertise and experience from her past career in coffee in Colombia.   She is constantly monitoring our coffee profiles, and evaluating every roast for consistency and quality.  She is also in charge of roast development, and before we release any coffee, she is testing roast temperature, time, and taste.  Maritza has proven to be an invaluable member of our team, and will be helping Jeff source coffees at Origin in 2012.

EPILOGUE
Needless to say, 2011 was packed full of memorable events.  It isn’t until the end of the year, when we look back and reflect on all of the great accomplishments we had.  A few coffees that weren’t mentioned above were great surprises this year.  We had a small micro-lot of Rusty’s Hawaiian in July, and sold out of it the same week we got it.  Although it was disappointing, only having it for a week, it is the kind of coffee we dream about, and are looking forward to their next Harvest Season.  Finca Kilimanjaro was also a pleasant and short lived surprise this year, extremely well balanced with a nice juicy sweetness.

2012 will bring more surprises.  A few things to look forward to are the 2012 harvests from our Direct Trade partners.  Many people have been asking about Panama Elida Natural, and it will be coming back!  We are getting to the point where some of our Central American coffees will start running low on inventory in the next few months.  We typically see the arrival of those Harvests between April and August.

A new Colombian coffee is coming soon.  Pending its arrival and approval, we have sourced a great coffee from the Nariño Department of Colombia, high in the Andean Mountains.  This new coffee will be a Direct Trade partner, and we will keep you posted on the full story in the next couple of weeks!

Happy New Year, and may 2012 be the best one yet!

Written By Martha Piland - MB Piland

A new partnership between the Prodigy Soccer Club and PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. will benefit Topeka-area youth soccer players in need of funding to offset their annual dues. The funding will come from the Jon Kaspar Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is provided for through sales of Flor del Sol, a special single estate blend.

The Prodigy Soccer Club created the fund in memory of Jonathan Kaspar, a member of the Club and employee of PT’s Coffee, who was killed in a car accident in the summer of 2010 at age 20. The Club established the fund shortly after Kaspar’s death to help in-need youth continue to play the game he had loved.

“We couldn’t pass up the chance to honor one of our outstanding baristas and friends,” said Jeff Taylor, owner of PT’s Coffee. “Jon would talk about the soccer games he’d played for Prodigy Blitz—how much his time at Prodigy had shaped him. He’d love the idea that we’re helping more kids hit the field and have the same experiences.”

The first 150 pounds of the Flor del Sol single estate blend was donated by Jose Antonio Salaverria, owner of Las Ranas Estate in El Salvador. Flor del Sol is a micro-lot of specifically selected and processed coffees from Las Ranas Estate, chosen for its excellence and quality.

For each 8 oz bag of the Flor del Sol single estate blend sold, PT’s Coffee will donate $1 to the Scholarship Fund. Prodigy Soccer and PT’s Coffee hope to raise $1,500, which will help as many as 10 youth play in 2012. The Flor del Sol blend is available at both of PT’s Coffee Topeka locations, as well as on their website,  www.ptscoffee.com.

“We’re a nonprofit club, so the fees we have all go to benefit the kids and the game,” said Jeff Gabriel, president and administrator for the Prodigy Soccer Club’s board. “We try to save as much as we can for scholarships, but struggle to pay the fees associated with playing competitive soccer. That’s why we’re so appreciative when we have the opportunity to partner with local businesses—especially when it also helps remember one of our own. Jon was one of our best.”

The not-for-profit Prodigy Soccer Club was established in 1998 by Colby Williams, an experienced professional soccer player, and provides area youth with the opportunity to play at a competitive level under positive, professional instruction.

Since its beginning, professional trainers have provided high-quality training for Club members through regular practices and games. Today, 348 young athletes play on 29 Prodigy teams during the regular season, summer camp, academy program and winter indoor league.

The Prodigy Soccer Club operates using dues collected from players rostered with the Club. These funds pay for trainers, uniforms and other administrative costs. Part of the budget is reserved for scholarships. Each year, the Club receives 15 to 18 scholarship applications. Next fall, the Club will need to find new funding sources for scholarships not covered by the operating budget and the Jon Kaspar Memorial Scholarship Fund.

PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. began in 1993 as a single cafe. In 1997, PT’s Coffee began roasting its own specially-chosen single estate coffees under the brand of PT’s Direct Trade. Today, the company roasts more than 100 tons of specialty coffee each year for cafes and restaurants nationwide, and celebrates its Direct Trade relationships with producers worldwide.

Among the many local and national honors PT’s Coffee has won for excellence are Roast Magazine’s “2009 Roaster of the Year,”  Fortune Magazine’s “17 Top Small Roasters in the Country,” Topeka Chamber’s “Small Business of the Year” and the Coffee Review’s highest-ever rating of 97 points out of 100.

The holidays are rapidly approaching, and we have a few shipping updates to pass on to you for sharing great coffee with your family and friends. Thanksgiving is a time to feast, enjoy the gift of family and give thanks for all that we are grateful for. We are thankful for the time and effort poured into each and every harvest, and the farmers who dedicate their lives to producing great coffee year after year. We are thankful for the barista’s, roasters, staff, and the families who make what we do possible!  Most of all, we are thankful for you, our customers and friends who have followed and supported us through the years.

Unfortunately, Thursday holidays are not ideal for shipping, and if you want to share great coffee with your family, without expediting your order, then you may want to check our transit times to ensure its arrival before the holiday.

If you are located in a four day transit zone, your coffee will need to ship on Friday, Nov. 18th, in order to arrive before Thanksgiving. If you select our Flat Rate, we will choose the best option for you, to get it there on time. FedEx Express also offers extremely competitive rates, and if you order a little late, and your coffee ships next week, choosing the 2-Day or Overnight option will not cost you an arm and a leg! As a reminder, UPS, USPS, and FedEx are all closed during the 4 day holiday weekend from Nov 24-Nov 27. If your order doesn’t arrive on Wednesday, it will not arrive until Monday due to the holiday.

PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. will be closed on Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving, and our schedule will return to normal on Monday, Nov. 28th. Orders placed after 8 AM on Wednesday morning, will roast and ship on Monday, Nov. 28th. Our retail location at Barrington Village will be open on Thanksgiving from 8 am - 12 pm, and will return to regular hours on Friday Nov. 25th. If you have any questions about our schedule, feel free to contact info@ptscoffee.com.

If you would like to order one of our three Geisha coffees for Thanksgiving, we will be having a special holiday roast on Monday, Nov. 21st for all of them, Panama Don Pachi Geisha Natural, Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Montaña, and Panama Finca La Valentina Aristar Agrario.

In other news, we recently released a variety of new custom designed logo wares to enhance your coffee experience.  The Vacuum Sealed AirScape coffee containers are perfect for storing whole bean coffee at home. Coffee begins to lose its flavor after about 12 days of storage, and this process is accelerated when the coffee is ground, especially when it is exposed to open air. The Airscape containers are the perfect for extending your fresh roasted coffee for a longer period of time, and preventing exposure to open air.

The OFFERO VESSELS® coffee mug is a new addition to our signature line of coffee mugs. The Offero Mug design placed in the Top 3 of Best New Products at Coffee Fest in San Diego in June, during the official launch of the cups. Much of the taste sensation is driven by the sense of smell, and this design brings out the best in a cup of coffee. Due to the unique shape of the cups (the belly, taper and extended back) these can’t be mass produced by machines. Each cup is hand poured into its mold, fired and hand finished. Each cup will show some irregularities, light mold lines, some uneven finishes, even minute size differences, but the integrity of the design and the Offero cups’ beauty and function will always be maintained.

Everyone at PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. wants to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

I got one of “those” emails a few weeks back that seemed a little strange at first . It was a “last chance offer” to respond to an opportunity from Google. Apparently a representative of Google had tried unsuccessfully the prior week to reach me via email only I didn’t respond.  I hate it when that happens. The only explanation I have is the dreaded - Junk Mail Folder.

But this time, I had just settled in at home for the evening and scanned my phone for emails as this one arrived. It just didn’t look like a typical junk mail. So I opened it and began reading.

It seemed strange at first because the initial paragraph was devoted to “this is your last opportunity” type of message from Google. I didn’t remember getting any previous messages from google so I was a bit confused. But as I read further I realized, this was not a “robot” email, it was from a person - Sophia - representing Google. The offer was for a film crew to produce a video on our business at NO CHARGE.

No Charge? Thats what I said!

Sure enough, Google had launched a campaign to get small businesses online in a state by state campaign. So at 7pm that evening I jumped out of my chair and made the return call. I didn’t want to risk my email getting stuck in her Junk Folder. As I spoke with Sophia on the phone, it turns out she’s a coffee lover and wanted to include us in their project. KANSASGETONLINE.com We’re under the Success Stories tab.

The example shared with me was a business from Austin, Texas and the TEXASGETONLINE.com website. It was really well put together and seemed very professional. But it still seemed too good to be true. So I pushed, even acted uninterested, just waiting for the other shoe to fall and her to tell me the real cost was thousands of dollars.

But the more I quizzed, the more it became apparent there were no strings. Only that we have representation at the Launch party in Kansas City. Seemed fair enough to me. So I agreed to proceed and meet with the film crew.

One week later, and a very long day spending time with the film crew, we sat back and waited for the results. I must admit to being a little nervous. For those that know me, I’m prone to OMIFS (also known as “Open Mouth Insert Foot Syndrome.”) So for the next week I recounted everything I said, over and over in my head, and said a silent prayer for good editors.

Well now the video has launched and you get to be the judge of my chronic OMIFS. I hope you enjoy it - it’s not always been easy, but it is…OUR STORY.

Jeff

Shipping costs have been on the rise recently due to an increase in gas prices and inflation in our economy.  FedEx has been a competitive outlet for us, and we want to extend their shipping options to you.

FedEx 2-Day and FedEx Overnight Rates are very competitive.  The FedEx Ground option has an added benefit for Residential Customers.  FedEx Home Delivery will deliver on Saturdays.  However, by adding Saturday delivery, they have offset their weekly schedule, and do not deliver on Mondays.  Orders still ship on Mondays, but are delivered to residential addresses Tuesday-Saturday.

Here are some examples of how the transit times compare between UPS and FedEx from Topeka.  The East Coast Metropolitan Area extending from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. are all 3-day transits with FedEx, one day faster than UPS.  The West Coast of the United States is also a 3-day ship with FedEx, one day faster than UPS.  The Indianapolis Metro, Ohio, Alabama, the Atlanta Metro and a large portion of Georgia are a 2-day ship with UPS, one day faster than FedEx.  The transit times to the Central Coridoor, Upper Northeast, and a few other Major Metropolitan areas, such as Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and Houston are competitive, and transit times are the same between FedEx and UPS.  For information about the various shipping times to your specific location, you can view our Transit Maps by following this link.

For those of you who prefer our other shipping methods, USPS and UPS, we will continue to provide their service.  We are looking for more ways to provide you with more alternatives when it comes to shipping.

FedEx and UPS rates do not apply to International Orders.  All International Orders are shipped via USPS Priority Mail International due to customs fees and other surcharges.  If you are an international customer, an additional charge must be applied to accomodate the international rate.

We are very excited to offer the two best coffees from Panama in 2011.  In fact these two coffees were vying for the top spot in the SCAP Best of Panama competition.  It was a close finish in the competition, and they were only separated by a 1/2 point.  Jeff and Maritza Taylor were both in attendance and it was clear that the two top coffees were Geisha varietals.  Panama has been known for this variety, and after it was discovered, it has crushed the record books multiple times for the prices paid at auction for coffee.  There would be a new winner this year.

PANAMA - FINCA LA VALENTINA - ARISTAR AGRIRIO GEISHA
Located in the Horqueta, Boqete region of Panama, Finca La Valentina is a family owned farm. In 2007, “The Brothers Osorio” - Benjamin and Efrain - purchased the farm from Mr. Larenzo Firvida and began the process of developing the crop and improving the health and vitality of the farm, making it one of the best in Panama.

Their hard work was validated in May of 2011 when they were crowned the winner of the Best of Panama competition. Benjamin had just accepted the award for winning the entire competition with his coffee “Geisha Aristar Agririo“ before we agreed to meet again later that week over a cup of coffee.

This is the first coffee from what we hope to be a long relationship between the Osorio and PT’s families.

PANAMA - HACIENDA LA ESMERALDA - MONTAÑA GEISHA

We first purchased coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda in 2006. That was the first year the farm won the SCAP Best of Panama competition. Following the competition, they set a world record for the price paid for coffee at auction. That price has been shattered several times as they have garnered the reputation as one of the elite coffee producers in the world.  2011 is one of the few years since the discovery of the Geisha varietal, that Hacienda La Esmeralda has not won the competition.  They were the runner-up this year.

After the excitment surrounding the 2011 Hacienda La Esmeralda Auction finished, and all of the bids were in, we were proud to announce that we received one of the Montaña lots. This is the first year that Hacienda La Esmeralda made the Montaña lots available, and they represent the highest grown micro-lots on the farm. Montaña received the highest price at the 2011 Esmeralda Auction.

THE WONDERS OF GEISHA

These two stand out coffees combine perfectly in our limited edition set.  It is a rare experience to enjoy the two best coffees from one country side by side. We will roast both of their coffees to the peak of perfection and have created a signature gift set, to memorialize their dedication and hard work.

We are offering 10% off The Wonders of Geisha on all Pre-Orders.

Memorial Day marks the beginning of Summer Vacation for many students across the country, and is a timeless tradition for honoring our loved ones, and the fallen soldiers who gave their lives to protect our freedom.  To pay tribute to our loved ones, we will be extending a free shipping promotion through the holiday weekend.

*Free Shipping on all orders over $50.  Use promo code “HONOR2011BLOG”
*This offer expires at Midnight on Monday, May 30th.

Memorial Day will also put a minor delay in our shipping schedule.  We will be closed on Monday, May 30th, and all shipping carriers are closed as well.  We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday.

In other news, Guatemala Finca El Valle has arrived, and will have its first roast on Tuesday when we return.  The Gonzalez family, owners of Finca El Valle, are our newest Direct Trade partners.  You can read more about this Antiguan farm and our recent visit to Finca El Valle by following this link.

With all of the excitement surrounding the 2011 Hacienda La Esmeralda coffee auction, we felt that it is time to announce the final roast of our 2010 Mario San Jose auction lot.  After tasting each lot, we knew that there were two coffees that we had to have: Mario Carnaval and Mario San Jose. Both of these spectacular lots are harvested from the region that traditionally produces the best geisha lots from Hacienda La Esmeralda. There is something about these spectacular micro-climates that creates a flavor profile unlike any other.

Mario San Jose was harvested at the end of the harvest season: March. On the cupping table, Mario San Jose surprised us.  It was big, it was bright and it was incredibly sweet. When we tasted it, notes of strawberry and grapefruit filled our mouths. Its sweet and juicy character made us long for more.

We are trying to get our hands on another lot from Hacienda La Esmeralda.  We will keep you updated on the results of the 2011 Auction.  The final roast of Mario San Jose will be Monday, May 23rd.

When developing a strategy for our new mainline blend, a lot of discussion and trials took place. After a year of exploration of different blending styles, single origins as espressos, playing with parameters and percentages of extraction, and just tasting what else is out there, we wrapped our heads around all the different versions, ideas and possibilities of espresso. It was a fascinating exploration of what espresso has been, is, and could be.

Southpaw is a well rounded expression of much of what we have come to enjoy and require of a house espresso.  Much of the challenge in creating a “balanced” daily use espresso is achieving a complex and sweet flavor profile in a straight shot that will manage to have enough body to punch through in milk based beverages (the majority of drinks sold in the US).  In Southpaw we have accomplished this.  It has a sparkling tangerine acidity, juicy cherry sweetness, all grounded with rich milk chocolate and cocoa notes.  The texture is syrupy and dense, lending itself well to combining with milk, creating a malty milk chocolate flavor.

The official launch of Southpaw is Friday, February 18th at CoffeeFest Chicago.  If you are planning on attending the show, stop by booth # 718-720 for a shot!  For those of you not attending CoffeeFest, the first orders will be sent out on Monday the 21st.

CoffeeFest is a great chance to meet some of the people from PT’s.  Account Representatives David Amos, Robin Seitz, and Kasey Klimes will all be in attendance as well as PT’s owners Jeff Taylor and Fred Polzin.

PT's Cafe in Barrington Village is in the midst of a two-week silent auction to benefit barista Sara Englehardt, who recently relapsed with cancer. (Photography by Lauren Neuer and illustration provided by Food+Flicks)

PT’s rallies around barista