Today is an exciting day for coffee lovers everywhere.  Today we are launching a very special coffee.  We have partnered with Elida Estate to offer you a naturally prepared coffee from Panama.  Most coffee in Panama is processed using a washing process, where the fruit of the coffee cherry is taken off the bean fairly soon after picking.  The natural process, probably best known from our Organic Ethiopian Sidamo or Ethiopian Beloyas,  allows the frui to actually dry on the bean itself.  This process imparts a wonderfully distinct sweetness to the coffee.  If the natural process is not done perfectly, the coffee can be ruined.

Thankfully Wilford Lamastus and his workers took the utmost care in processing this coffee and have created a true gem!  In the cup, dark cherries and blueberries dominate its aroma. The first sip is incredibly sweet, with notes of pineapple, lemon and berries. Its finish is refined, with notes of roasted hazelnut and cedar.  Purchase Panama Elida Estate Natural here!

For fans of Colombian and Kenyan coffees, check out the new prices on Kenya Thunguri Microlot and Colombia Finca El Palacio Microlot! In order to make room for more spectacular Passport coffees, we have moved these gems into our normal roasting schedule and are now selling them in one and five pound bags. We will run out of these coffees soon, so hurry and buy Kenya Thunguri here, or purchase Colombia Finca El Palacio here!

The moment you have all been waiting for is finally here!  Hacienda La Esmeralda Special has arrived, and we have roasted it to the peak of perfection.  After cupping various roast levels more times than we care to think about, we have concluded that Mario Carnival is the best Esmeralda we have tasted in years, and Mario Pascua will knock your socks off!  If you did not preorder this coffee, order here before it is too late!

Mario Carnaval is grown in the area that traditionally produces the top lots of Esmeralda Special. It was harvested during Panama’s Carnaval season in February. This coffee is literally one of the best coffees we have ever tasted. The aroma sent us into an existential trance. Notes of citrus, coffee blossoms and sparkling ruby red grapefruit filled the room. The first sip sent our taste buds into overdrive. Fully ripe strawberries, intensely sweet sugarcane, plump red fruit filed our palates. As it cooled, the sweetness became even more concentrated. Mario Carnaval is the ultimate coffee experience in a cup.  Order Mario Carnaval here!

Mario Pascua is also grown in the area that traditionally produces some of the top lots of La Esmeralda Special. As its name suggests, Pascua (Spanish for Easter) was harvested during Eastertide in the month of April. The aroma is pure and clean, with notes of red fruit and flowers. In the cup, it is wonderfully juicy, with notes of sweet cherry and grapefruit. As it cools, notes of sugarcane come to the forefront.  Order Mario Pascua here!

Whenever we receive a new coffee, we roast it to different profiles in order to figure out where the coffee shines with perfection. For this year’s crop of Esmeralda Special, we took a small amount of both lots to a slightly darker roast profile. Although we decided that it wouldn’t quite work for our normal roast, we tried it as a Single Origin Espresso, and it shown through with distinction. Although we have very little of that roast left, we decided that it would be unkind to hoard it all for ourselves. So, while it lasts, you can purchase a pound of either lot for just over cost. We will also include a pound of La Bella Vita Espresso to help round out this unique espresso experience. Purchase this coffee here!(This coffee was roasted on Wednesday, August 12th.)

Mario Carnaval - Mario Carnaval is grown in the area that traditionally produces the top lots of Esmeralda Special. It was harvested during Panama’s Carnaval season in February. As a Single Origin espresso, Mario Carnaval jumps out of your demi. Pulled at 14 or 15 grams for about 20 seconds, it tastes like a super sweet lemondrop. We are selling this special roast in full pound packages, and we will also include a pound of La Bella Vita! This roast will sell out quickly, so purchase it now here!

Mario Pascua - Mario Pascua is also grown in the area that traditionally produces some of the top lots of La Esmeralda Special. As its name suggests, Pascua (Spanish for Easter) was harvested during Eastertide in the month of April. As a Single Origin espresso, Mario Pascua tastes like sweet nectar with just a hint of lemon. We are selling this special roast in full pound packages, and we will also include a pound of La Bella Vita! This roast will sell out quickly, so purchase it now here!

The excitement around our roasting facility has been building for the last couple of weeks.  We have numerous new crops that will be arriving at our roasting facility soon.  Thoughts of Finca Kilimanjaro and Hacienda La Esmeralda tease our senses, but one coffee dominates our thoughts: Finca Los Planes Pacamara. This coffee has emerged as the mainstay of our coffee lineup.  Since tasting it in the 2006 El Salvador Cup of Excellence, we have eagerly anticipated the new flavors and aromas of this incredible coffee.

Despite the excitement about the new crop, we still have to wait three or four weeks for it to arrive.  Thankfully, we still have a small quantity of the 2008 crop, and it tastes beautiful.  To help tide you over until the new crop arrives, we are going to sell this incredible coffee for $10 a pound! This special offer is valid until we run out of it! Purchase this coffee here!

PT’s in the press!  Our own Jason Johnson was featured in the August 2009 edition of Fresh Cup Magazine.  In their Roasters Realm segment, Jason details his recent trip to Hacienda La Esmeralda and the excitement of their online auction.   This coffee has emerged as one of the best, and highest priced, coffees in the world.  Read Jason’s article here!

I’ve always loved the fact that being located in Topeka, Ks., just off of I-70, we get our fair share of travelers passing through who stop to visit and share coffee love. But when it’s baristas or other cafe owners, we love to greet them with open arms. Recently a group of friends from St. Louis made us one of their first stops on a 42-day journey on motorcycles in search of great cafes. You can follow their travels by out their website or by checking out what they had to say about PTs Coffee. We were proud to be one of their stops and maybe yours someday if you are traveling along I-70.

Jeff