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.

Big news for another one of our Direct Trade partners. Juan Diego De La Cerda of Guatemala - Finca El Socorro y Anexos  - finished in the top 5 of the Coffee of the Year competition when the winners were announced by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and the Roasters Guild yesterday.

Processing Red and Yellow Caturra Coffee Cherry At Finca El Socorro

I just returned from visiting Juan Diego and his family last week in Guatemala City. While we were there we cupped our coffees for approval and put together the coffees we’ll be buying from his family this year. We’re very excited as this is only our second year to be partnering with the El Socorro farm and our decision to work with them is already proving to be a great decision. They have become great friends and partners for the future.

To read more about the event and see the entire list of winners follow this link. Coffee of the Year Winners

Jeff

I was enjoying a rare day off at origin today - in Panama City this time - when all of the sudden I began to get these nagging feelings of guilt about not updating our PT’s blog more often. I hate it when that happens! A self imposed guilt trip ruining a perfectly good day off with my wife in Panamanian paradise. But, the nagging feelings hit home because so much has happened on this trip that I really wanted to tell you about.

Here I am trying to decide where I should begin updating you on the origin trips this year, which have resulted in reaffirming our already strong relationships with our origin partners…

So, about 2 weeks ago I embarked on a trip through El Salvador, then Panama and last but not least, Guatemala tomorrow night. I’ll try to hit a few highlights and maybe show you a few pictures from the trip to bring you up to speed.

First: El Salvador - Trip 2 - 2011

This was by far my shortest stay in any country this year. But it is all that was needed. I flew into San Salvador two weeks ago, leaving the cool mid-50’s Kansas weather behind for a balmy 90-degrees. But not to worry, this trip was as short as planned- in Sunday night and flying out by 3pm on Monday.

I spent the night with the wonderfully accommodating family Ortiz of Finca Las Mercedes after they met me at the airport. A short night indeed as I arrived around 8pm. Following an hour drive home, quick dinner, hugs from the Ortiz children Adreanna, Andreas and Gabby then some conversation over a Zacappa or two, it was off to bed for me as we had a lot of coffee evaluation to do first thing in the morning.

The Ortiz and our friends, the Ticas of Finca Los Planes, were indeed a little nervous as this was the trip to approve or disapprove lots for purchase in 2011.

Meeting up with our friend Mike we were up early on Monday and heading towards the cupping room to sample the 2011 crops. Mike and I were excited, but Lucia was just nervous I think. hahahaha!!

Well, not to belabor the point, all of the coffees we wanted to purchase were outstanding. Lucia and Sergio had nothing to worry about. They both manage their farms very well, maintaining strict standards on processing and drying. You should look forward to Finca Los Planes Pacamara 2011, Finca Las Mercedes El Pepinal 1 2011 and the return of Don Roberto Espresso Reserva which is a blend of coffees all from Finca Las Mercedes. We hope to have these coffees by early June. You’ll love them!

NEXT STOP: BEST OF PANAMA CUPPING COMPETITION

Getting to Boquete, Panama involves a series of choices. If you fly through Panama City, you must stay over-night to catch an in-country flight to David, Panama which is just a 45-minute drive from Boquete.

If I chose to travel through San Jose, Costa Rica - which I often do, because I can visit farms in Costa Rica as well - I can catch a direct flight to David, Panama and avoid the Panama City crush of traffic and development that has been taking place here over the past 5-years.

But on this trip, I chose Panama City. Our new Director of Quality Control was meeting me there and we planned to travel together to Boquete for the Best Of Panama Competition.  Maritza Suarez-Taylor,  has recently left her position as Quality  Assurance Specialty Coffee for the SKN Caribecafé Ltda (A member of Neumman Kaffee Grouppe) to join our team at PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. and was traveling from Bogota, Colombia to meet me in Panama City (Did I mention she is also my wife?  ).

After a short stay in Panama City, we met with 14 other coffee professionals in from around the world (from Sweden to Costa Rica) to judge the Best of Panama Coffee Competition in Boquete. B.O.P. is always an exciting competition as Panama is well know for it’s Geisha variety coffee, from Hacienda La Esmeralda, which can be some of the best coffee in the world.

This years competition I was really looking forward to. It was about 6 years ago the first lot of Geisha was discovered. With an initial crop production time, at high elevation, of around 4-6 years to get a good harvest, this chould be the year more Geisha variety would be entered into the competition from surrounding farms. You see, after Hacienda La Esmeralda discovered Geisha on their farm and earned a world record price for the coffee at auction, it was almost immediately that area farmers began to plant the prized, high-dollar variety on their farms.

Maritza Suarez Taylor evaluates coffees from the national table during the Best of Panama Coffee Competition.

Since that time, Hacienda La Esmeralda has held the top spot in the Best Of Panama Coffee Competition winning year after year, only losing one time to another Geisha. This year as we began to work our way through the 29 coffees entered into the competition it was immediately clear there would be more than one Geisha in the competition. And several of them were very, very good. As the week progressed the judges began to deliberate following cuppings about the different varieties of Geisha. One seems to produce a sweet stone-fruit like flavor. While the other produces a more floral, high-toned, sweet citrus flavor profile. Which one would win as the final table of 8 coffees were cupped?

Well it was indeed close. Two Geisha variety coffees were vying for the top spot and were only separated by 1/2 point in the final analysis when all the scores were tallied. No one, including the judges knew the answer. That would be revealed at an Awards Ceremony held at The Laderda Hotel on Saturday night.

To top off the intensity of the evening, did I mention this was the 15th Anniversary of the competition? Or did I mention it was the 100th anniversary of Boquete? Both celebrations were taking place on the same night and anticipation was at a fever pitch.

Benjamine Osorio speaks with the media following the announcement that his Geisha Variety coffee had won 1st place in the Best Of Panama

After the Mayor showed up to honor all of the producers, Robert Thoresen, Head Judge from Oslo, Norway, began to read the winners list. “Fifth place….”, “In Fourth Place…” and “in Third Place,” still Hacienda La Esmeralda’s name had not been announced and no one was really surprised as it was almost an automatic win in previous years. Thoresen continued: “In second Place….Hacienda La Esmeralda!” We would have a new winner in the Best of Panama, but who would it be?!

The winner of the Best of Panama 2011 is Finca La Valentina with a Geisha Variety. Benjamin Osorio, representing his family, accepted the award in front of the stunned crowd. Everyone, including the Peterson family of Hacienda Esmeralda, was happy for this humble, quiet and unassuming Civil Engineer who lives with his family in David.

Benjamin lost his father earlier in the year. As he began to speak to the crowd, he wanted to mention the rough year without his father’s presence, but it was too much for him and he stopped short, fighting back the tears of pride for his father. Only thanking the crowd of fellow coffee producers and his family before stepping off to the side to gently hug his wife. “Gently” hug his wife, because only two short days earlier he had also undergone an emergency appendectomy. An incredible evening was the perfect ending to a long week for Benjamin and his family.

Benjamin Osorio of Finca La Valentina won the Best of Panama 2011 by 1/2 of a point over Hacienda La Esmeralda. Hardly a crushing victory, but a win none-the-less.

NEXT STOP - GUATEMALA AND FINCA EL SOCORRO….

Look forward to updates in the next few days!

Warm Regards from Panama

Jeff Taylor

PTs Coffee Roasting Co.

Coffee Buyer and Co-Founder

Finca El Socorro, Guatemala

In 2010 we introduced you to a Guatemalan offering that we at PT’s were thrilled to launch as our newest Direct Trade Relationship coffee. Finca El Socorro Maracaturra made it’s way into our roasting plant mid September and was gone before we knew it. As sad as we were to see a staff favorite come and go so quickly, I’m happy to say the 2011 harvest is looking excellent and the coffee should arrive early summer.

This year Juan Diego de la Cerda, owner of Finca El Socorro, as been working hard to expand his farm and increase his production by planting several new varieties, including Pacamara.  The expansion is only one part of the farms changes this year, as they have been working to improve the milling and drying on the patio as well. His wet mill is at nearly 1400 meters and, due to elevation, requires special attention at all times to achieve quality coffee.

On my recent visit a couple of weeks ago, we watched as Juan Diego coached the pickers on proper cherry selection and constantly tweaked things in the mill to make sure the pulpers were running at peak efficiency and fermentation times were accurate. Drying at this altitude requires a non-stop attention to detail as the process is slow and even a small rain can damage the already processed parchment. Each night the parchment is swept up and covered to protect it from any rains that may occur. Quality is the highest priority for everyone at Finca El Socorro and thats why we love working with Juan Diego, his family and the staff, at Finca El Socorro.

Look for his coffee to arrive some time in May. It should be outstanding as always.

Antigua, Guatemala
We are so very proud to announce our newest addition to the Direct Trade line of coffees from PTs this year. Finca El Valle, from the Antigua Region of Guatemala.

In an interesting twist of fate, this farm was one of the very first farms I ever visited in 2001 on my first trip to a coffee growing region. Little did I know, 10 years later I’d have to opportunity to work with the remarkable family.

Cristina Gonzales with her husband and 3 sons manage day to day operations at Finca El Valle. A classic Antigua coffee that is balanced and clean with a gentle acidity and lingering, milk chocolate finish.

When Maritza and I visited this farm harvest was already complete, but we could easily see the care that was taken on the farm as we walked the classically aligned rows of coffee. Organization is at a premium at El Valle and everyone is treated as family. From the pickers to the full-time employees, it’s a family run business with a tremendous amount of pride and love poured into their efforts.

We’ll have a longer report soon on this farm. Expect this coffee to arrive in April. We share this coffee with Batdorf & Bronson and Allegro Coffee which is owned by Wholefoods Inc.

Guatemala City and Beyond…
The last leg of our 10-day trip through Guatemala took us just an hour and a half outside of Guatemala City to a farm we’ve now worked with for several years, Finca Santa Isabel. In previous years we’ve carried a classic washed and sun dried, caturra variety, coffee from this farm. But with the addition of El Socorro and El Valle to our offering this year, now was the opportunity to experiment with the brothers Martin and Alex Keller at Finca Santa Isabel. This farm is positioned just around 1,000 meters. Not a high grown coffee by any standard. So we thought lets have some fun and prepare a Naturally processed coffee and take advantage of the lower elevation to experiment and generate something new for our customers.

Martin picked us up at our hotel on Sunday morning and we headed for the farm. Upon arrival he already had a cupping of the coffees waiting for us at their century old farm home. The naturals were prepared and a comparison cup was offered from another farm. Even though the coffee was just off of the drying patio a very short time, we believe this is going to be a special coffee. Only a small portion of this lot will be offered as a single origin as we’ve got it pegged as an awesome Single Origin Espresso.

Did I mention their farm is 100% certified organic? It’s absolutely amazing to be honest. I visited here two years ago while they were still in organic transition. I saw the damage done to the trees by years of over fertilization and pesticides. It was dramatic on this visit to see the farm respond and come to life. The coffee trees were healthy and the shade trees were plentiful. A complete transition from only a couple of years back. This is now a 100% fully certified Organic farm- one of the largest Organic Farms in the world as a matter of fact. The organization of this farm is spectacular.

We anticipate this crop arriving in May as well. Keep your eyes peeled for the Santa Isabel Single Origin Espresso coming this summer.

I know this is a short recap of my most recent trip through Guatemala. I hope to write something a little more detailed as time permits, but I wanted you to have an idea of the harvest as I visit.

And last but definitely not least- Introducing Maritza Suarez-Taylor
As many of you know I got married in August of last year. My wife, Maritza, currently works in quality control for an exporter in Bogota, Colombia for the last 6 years. We’ve been working hard on legalities of immigration now for nearly a year. You could say its been a bit stressful. But I am happy to announce that we now are confident Maritza will achieve full immigration status around the first week of May! When she arrives her help in Quality Control will be welcomed with open arms as the staff is working extremely hard to keep up with all the changes in the coffee industry this year- from new arrivals of Kenya and Burundi to ongoing pricing and quality changes. Maritza is a certified Q Instructor with the Coffee Quality Institute and is well versed in the subtleties of seed to cup. Her expertise on quality control will be a huge boost to our staff.

Not to mention I’ll be happy to just have my wife here in the USA with me! :o)

Warm Regards,

Jeff Taylor
Co-Founder and Green Buyer
PTs Coffee Roasting Co.

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.

2006 Winner Cup of Excellence - Finca Las Mercedes - El Salvador 2011

What an exciting visit to Finca Mercedes last week, even if it was a little different than first anticipated. Normally we are eager just to see the quality of coffee this farm continues to produce. This year we got a little added excitement.

One member of our traveling party awoke early to the sound of gun shots fired. That’s a bit alarming and certainly not normal.

It was a topic of discussion at breakfast and we later learned Policia had arrested nearly 60 bandidos during the night attempting to steal coffee cherry from the trees in the section of the farm we buy our coffee, El Pepinal 1. This section of the farm produced the winning lot in the 2006 Cup of Excellence and we’ve been sharing it with our friends at Klatch Coffee ever since. So it’s understandable why some might want to steal these awesome cherries.

But that was just the beginning.

While walking the farm in this same section later that morning, we heard another gun shot. This time fired into the air by one of our guards as a warning shot to 10 more bandidos. Seven of the bandidos scrambled down the mountain to escape, but 3, remained behind and we’re cornered by guards.

Roberto Ortiz, son of the farms owner Don Roberto Ortiz Sr., hustled to where the bandidos were captured. After a short phone call with the policia, he decided not to turn the robbers in, but instead give them a stern lecture, re-claim the coffee cherry and send them on their way. Without the coffee! The idea, he told me later, is too avoid making enemies. Instead, he hoped to gain their trust and respect and possibly even hire them as employees, if they were willing to work (a big “if”). Many of the bandidos are very poor with very little education.

Bandido's captured

On the flip side, if he would have had them arrested, it’s possible, they would have been released in a day or so and returned to do more damage to his farm as revenge. Not a good solution for sure. The catch and release program in this case I agree was probably the best solution.

What an interesting first day at the farm! You can see how the high prices are affecting everything. The coffee cherry is now viewed as “gold” to some. Quick money, if they can steal it and not get caught. Thank goodness for security.

On a brighter note, Finca Las Mercedes, which is near to Santiago de Maria in the Usulatan region of El Salvador, has had exceptional weather patterns this year and the crop is looking to be large and hopefully of exceptional quality.

The farm has been growing, in part, thanks to our strong Direct Trade partnership we share with the family Ortiz.

In the past 3-years the farm has grown from 50 full-time employees, to nearly 150, and they are still growing and producing more coffee. Lucia Ortiz, wife of Roberto, manages the marketing and relationships for the farm. We’ve been working closely with her to make sure we can remain a strong partner for years to come. We’ve agreed to pricing of the coffee for several years so that we can remain competitive and still help the farm grow and be a support to the community.

Harvest time

Since we began buying coffee from Las Mercedes, PTs Coffee has designated $.10 for each pound of coffee we purchase be used for community support. To date it’s been helpful in supplying medicines for the local clinic, which is located on the farm grounds, and serves many nearby communities.

In previous years we’ve purchased soccer uniforms and balls that were passed out to local teams. It’s amazing how popular soccer is in Central America. If you want to win the hearts and minds of locals, support the soccer teams.

Everything is truly looking amazing at Finca Las Mercedes. I look forward to getting the coffee in stock sometime around June. I wish I could share it with you sooner, but good things come to those who wait.

We’ve  agreed to a 3-year contract with Las Mercedes that assures we’ll have this outstanding, 1st Place finishing coffee in the 2006 Cup of Excellence, for years to come.

A big thank you to to the family of Don Roberto Ortiz. It’s been a pleasure working with you and learning about coffee in El Salvador from you.

You might recognize the name “Don Roberto” as it was our Seasonal Espresso Blend in the fall. Comprised of 3 coffees all from Las Mercedes. You can look forward to it’s reappearance this fall.

Harvest of Ripe Cherry

In the past 23-years of coffee harvests, this is the first time in memory, for our friend and Owner of  Finca El Molino, Jose Antonio Salaverrria, that three key factors in coffee farming aligned in the favor of the coffee producer.

You see, each year coffee farmers around the world face tremendous challenges in order to make a profit from the farms that have, often times, been in their families for generations. Being from Kansas, that story is all too familiar to me, and a story that often times doesn’t end well for the farmer. This year will certainly be a different story for coffee farmers around the globe.

THREE KEY’S IN EL SALVADOR:

Quantity: the bourbon coffee trees and the weather aligned to produce a bountiful crop for most of the country. The region of Chaletenango in El Salvador had unusual weather that limited the production for Finca Los Planes.

Quality: the Bourbon and Pacamara variety coffee crop produced this year is exceptional in flavor profile.

And last but certainly not least…

Price: I.C.E. or what is more commonly known as the “NY C-Market” - the commodities market that sets the standard price for coffee trading - is at a 13-yr high and appears to be headed higher. Possibly breaking all time records for price.

The three factors have aligned this year to make what could be a favorable harvest for farmers. It also could be the beginning of another high - low cycle for farmers that will eventually end in the farmer making pennies for his harvest. Historically, high prices in the C-Market, lead to low prices on the other end of the cycle. Can PT’s Direct Trade, relationship coffee and fixed contracts make a difference?

Some conversations I’ve had at origin have left me believing that with Direct Trade Relationships it is possible to ignore the C-Market (for some exceptional coffees) and set a Fixed Price that is beneficial to both parties, as long as both producer and roaster are looking long term (3-5 years) and disregard the vulnerability of the C-Market on an annual basis. We’ve been doing this with our Direct Trade Partners for nearly 5 years now. But the previous 4 years, the C Market was so low our Fixed Price was never challenged. This year C-Prices rival those of fixed contracts. The quality of our relationships will be tested for sure. Will our producing partners want raises equal to the increase of the C-Market? Or will they understand the stability of the fixed contract concept over the long haul?

The answer could go either way, and probably will, depending on the farms and relationships previously established.

Roasters, consumers and producers, want a system to be beneficial to all involved and are most times willing to work together to achieve the common goal.

The high price that the C-Market is requiring this year is near what we at PT’s have been paying our Direct Trade Parnters for years, even when the market did not demand it over the past 5-years. We honestly believe that the farmer who produces outstanding coffee, deserves an outstanding wage. It’s a model that we, along with others in the industry, have called “Direct Trade.” We pay a great wage for a great coffee. It meant we had to be disciplined to buy only outstanding coffees, be fair to the community and farm employees, treat the earth with respect for sustainability and at the same time, make sure we could sell a great coffee at a higher price than some of our competitors, in order to achieve the return needed to grow our company and show room for profitability for all involved. If we sell it for a higher price than some, it has to be better than most.

This year will test most Direct Trade partnerships in the coffee industry.

I am in El Salvador right now having real, open and honest conversations with our partners. I’ve outlined the costs of coffee from farm gate to cup so that they can see we are not making the lion’s share of the profits, but rather sharing with them in those profits. Reminding them that we voluntarily paid a high price for their coffee during a time the market didn’t ask, nor demand it, so that they could be rewarded appropriately for having an outstanding coffee according to it’s cost of production.

The question I’ve been asking is this:

Are our origin partners now willing to stay the course and accept very fair, fixed pricing for 2,3 or 5 year contracts that benefits roaster, producer and consumer? Or, will we follow the market and inevitably ride the roller coaster of pricing back down when the market returns to lows in just a few short years?

In my next few blog posts, I’ll talk about the farms I visited in El Salvador and the conversations I’ve had with the producers. We’ll talk about the coffee that will be coming later in the spring or early summer and the plans we have for years to come. El Salvador produces some of the best coffee in Central America and we are proud to work with some of the best producers and buy some of the best coffees from El Salvador.

Jeff Taylor

We are searching for an energetic student that specializes in Marketing and/or Graphic Design.

This is a Part-Time or Full-time internship that has a flexible schedule to work around class schedules.  This is a unique opportunity to diversify your experience and credentials.  There is potential for future employment in 2012.

Responsibilities:

1) Research - Graphic and Marketing concepts and proposals.

2) Graphic Design - Marketing material design and ongoing development, Photoshop/image editing, image design for website usage, brand imaging, product imaging, and customer support.

3) Marketing Strategy - Managing current email databases for focused utilization and brainstorming new ideas to help build sales online and offline

4) Office/Administrative Assistance - Assist the office staff with handling file work, organization and shipping

5) Potential for international travel

This is an unpaid internship with real potential for growth opportunities and employment.  We have hired interns in the past.  Interested applicants can contact us by phone or email.

The internship is located at our roasting facility and office at 929 University Blvd., in the Forbes Industrial Park in Topeka, KS.  For more information regarding this opportunity contact Steven at 1-785-862-5282.

A printable application form can be found here.

PT’S COFFEE ROASTING CO. TEAMS WITH TORAÑO FAMILY CIGAR COMPANY

For “Single Region Tour”

(Topeka, Kansas) Specialty coffee roaster, PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. is proud to announce their partnership with the Toraño Family Cigar Company. The two quality-driven companies are launching the Single Region Tour to kick off the new year. The Tour will feature one of the Toraño Family’s newest blends, Single Region-Serie Jalapa, and also highlight some of PT’s award-winning single-origin coffees. The partnership, and this unique new tour, will kick off officially on January 19, 2011, at Havana Connection in Richmond, VA.

Within any given region and farm, micro-climates create a unique character and special quality due to soil, shade, temperature and other natural occurring conditions. For years, specialty coffees have highlighted the distinctive flavors that come from these unique micro-lots. With Single Region Serie-Jalapa, cigar smokers can now experience the same high quality flavor by smoking a cigar where the blend originates from tobacco grown entirely from one region and one farm. The blend is made from tobacco grown exclusively from a small farm called “El Estero” in the northern-most region of Nicaragua called Jalapa. This farm has been irrigated by a natural stream, which has run through the property for centuries. The water from this stream, together with rich soil (composed of sand and red clay) has enabled this farm to grow some of the finest and most aromatic tobacco in the world.

PT’s will be sampling a few of their newest single-origin arrivals. Some of those will be the Carmen Estate 1750 Reserve of Panama, accomplished finalists in the Best of Panama competition, Finca El Socorro Maracaturra of Guatemala, a former Cup of Excellence winner, and Finca Los Planes Pacamara Variety of El Salvador, which has a 93 rating on Coffee Review and recorded a 2^nd place finish in a previous Cup of Excellence competition.

“The zeal of highlighting regional flavors made the collaboration between Torano and PT’s Coffee a natural one”, stated Charlie Toraño, president of Toraño Family Cigar Company. “The events will offer great tasting cigars paired with French-pressed micro-lot coffees that will complement and enhance the flavor of both products.” The story of how each product was made will serve as a captivating lesson to connoisseurs of cigars and coffee alike. Jeff Taylor, co-owner of PT’s Coffee, supports that opinion and says, “The story and relationships with the growing regions are also another value in us working together for cigar and coffee fans. It’s a terrific pairing.”

The Single Region Tour will visit cigar stores across the country. Supporters and aficionados can log onto the Toraño and PT’s websites or their Facebook pages for a full list of dates and locations. These dates will also be sent out via Twitter.

PTs Coffee Roasting Co. roasts over 100 tons of specialty coffee annually and is among the leading roasters reviewed by industry resource Coffee Review, receiving the guide’s highest ever rating of 97 points. PT’s Coffee was also featured in Roast Magazine as “Roaster of the Year” in 2009.

PT’s Coffee Roasting Company, based in Topeka, KS, can be found at fine coffee shops and restaurants nationwide and in select Whole Foods locations. For more information: www.ptscoffee.com.  PT’s is also on Facebook: PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. and Twitter: @PTsCoffee.

A leader in the cigar industry, Toraño Family Cigar Company is a four-generation company currently based in Miami, FL. It enjoys a rich heritage and history in tobacco growing and manufacturing. For more information: www.torano.com. Toraño is also on Facebook: Toraño A family Cigar Company and Twitter: @TORANOFAMCIGARS.

Media Contact:

Jason Burton    816.679.2474

LAB5702@gmail.com

LAB 5702 – Representing PT’s Coffee

Jeff Taylor        785. 221.4121

Jeff@Ptscoffee.com

PT’s Coffee

***Photos and interviews upon request***

###

The New Year is upon us and we thought it would be a great time for a review of the past years coffee’s, with an update of what’s to come in 2011.  Last year was an exciting year for us at PT’s Coffee Roasting Co..  We made new coffee discoveries, in Brazil and Guatemala, and received great reviews for coffees that have become favorites for many.  The New Year brings an new excitement of new-found coffee discoveries and fresh harvests. We’ll continue our outstanding relationships with the current Direct Trade Farms and develop a few new relationships that we hope will become just as rewarding.

The Year In Review - 2010

In January our classic offering, Moka-Java Organic Blend, received a 90-point review.  And that was just the beginning of what would become our all-new Organic Line of Coffees.  If you haven’t checked these coffees out yet, you’re missing some wonderful Single Origin Organic and Blended Organic coffees.

One of our goals last year came to fruition around mid-year when some of our blends took on a new look and others got new names.  The Moka-Java Organic Blend is now called “OLD 93″ in honor of our company founding February 3^rd, 1993.  Another popular blend, Kansas Sunrise, became an immediate hit with its new name – Farm Girl Blend.  And Rolling Thunder changed to Thunder Road.  Same great coffees, just some updated branding.

In March, another of our 2010 discoveries, Ethiopia Sidama – Ardi, received a 92-point review from Ken Davids of Coffee Review.  We also developed the Ardi as a Single Origin Espresso and Robin Seitz featured it in the Midwest Regional Barista Competition and United States Barista Competitions.

2010 was a good year for espresso as well.  Through dogged determination, experimentation and discovery, we launched Flying Monkey Espresso. With a flavor profile that is gently fruit-filled and an undercurrent of licorice and aromatic wood, Flying Monkey Espresso has become extremely popular in it’s first year. In addition to Flying Monkey, Jeff Taylor, co-founder and coffee buyer for PT’s, and Holly Bastin, staff Barista Trainer, developed our first Seasonal Espresso Offering - Don Roberto Espresso Reserve from Finca Las Mercedes, El Salvador. This blend features coffees from three different Micro-Lots on the same farm, Don Roberto Espresso Reserve was a huge hit and didn’t last as long as we originally hoped it might. Boasting of two Honeyed Micro-Lot coffees and one fully washed coffee, Don Roberto introduced an all-new flavor profile to our line-up of espresso blends.

It was a slow year for us on Coffee Review as we only scored four other coffees that received 90+ reviews, unfortunately, as we transition through harvest seasons, some of them are no longer available.  Panama Elida Natural received a 93 and Guatemala Finca El Socorro Maracaturra received a 92, both are still available.  Burundi Mwurire and Colombia Los Naranjos San Agustin received 90+ reviews, but are no longer available.

Last but not least, as we rounded out the year, a unique find, and the only Kona coffee we’ve purchased in a number of years from Hawaii, scored a 94-point review.  Hawaii Isla Kona Mauka was the result of three pickers, including our friend Miguel Meza, who was sent to one of the highest farms in Kona, near 3200 feet, and close to the town of Holualoa.  We paid a premium to the pickers for only the ripest cherries and to process this coffee just for us to provide for you during the holidays. The resulting cup is remarkable and worth the effort. There is still a very small amount of this coffee available, but you’ll want to order soon as it won’t last. Jeff is working to process some more of this coffee, but we don’t have an arrival date yet.

2011 New Year Offerings

With so many exciting things happening in 2010, we are really looking forward to a great 2011.  

Introducing our newest Direct Trade Farm - Guatemala El Socorro Bourbon Espresso. This is our January Single Origin Espresso offering.  Holly believes this is the most balanced Single Origin Espresso she has seen since our offering of Ethiopia Sidama Ardi as an Espresso last spring.  This espresso has notes of Bing Cherry, Clementine Orange, and Bittersweet Cocoa.

We are anticipating the arrival of another new offering from South America very soon.  Brazil - Pocos de Caldas - Yellow Bourbon – Pulped Natural.  This coffee is produced and blended from 3 small farms in the region of Mogiana.  Pocos de Caldas is a volcanic crater, and these farms are located around the rim of the crater.  This coffee almost elevated itself off of the cupping table and insisted we purchase it last week. Keep your eyes open for this one.

The year 2011 is shaping up to be monumental in terms of quality for PT’s, but the high price of coffee is going to be an issue. Demand for Specialty Coffee worldwide is at an all-time high. So the climatic weather conditions that caused the loss of untold amounts of coffee in growing regions of Colombia, Brazil and many other coffee origins couldn’t have come at a worse time.  With demand sky high and supply at all time lows, the price is already at a 15-year high on the New York “C” market. This is the commodity market that sets the base price for coffee.  So we are very sorry to tell you our prices too will be rising in the near future. We’re doing everything we can to hold the line of prices, but this market is out of our control and it’s going to affect everyone. You’ll see prices for coffee going up everywhere, not just for PT’s coffee.  Stick with us and we’ll make it through this market and continue to provide you with the best coffees the world has to offer.

Because as we are often heard to say: “Without the love, it’s just coffee!”