Dan goes to Colombia & Panama
December 2008:
Dan recently trekked to Jarden, Colombia to witness the opening of a new processing coffee mill for the LaMinita Coffee Company.
Jarden is one of the premier coffee producing areas in Colombia, and LaMinita has opened a state of the art mill in order to obtain the quality of coffee their clients demand. While there, Dan participated in their first cupping and inspected the coffee fincas where the coffee is grown. At an altitude of 5,000+ feet, this area remains pristine as the surrounding areas are filled with lush natural forests and wildlife.
Upon departing Colombia, Dan ventured to the Boquete & Vulcan regions of Panama where the most expensive coffee in the world is grown. Hosted by owner Price Peterson of the La Esmeralda Farm, Dan cupped the early harvest of the famous “Geisha” variety of coffee. He also met with owners from neighboring farms and toured the mountains which contain a wide variety of birds, butterflies, snakes and tarantulas! Panama, although among the smallest producers of coffee, enjoys a reputation for small farms that produce distinctive tasting high–quality Arabica coffees.
- Cupping Distant Lands new coffee
- Coffee & Parchment drying, drawer style
- Jarden, Colombia
- First picking, Colombia
- Dan with Price Peterson, La Esmeralda Coffee Company
- Dan Peterson, La Esmeralda Coffee Company
Dan Cox Quoted in Tea & Coffee Trade Journal December 2008
Tea & Coffee Trade Journal asked several key players of the industry for their thoughts on what the year 2009 will bring.
What are the most significant changes/discoveries/advances that you have witnessed in your segment of the industry over the past year? In the industry as a whole? How have you utilized these new aspects to benefit your company?
"Two big changes, coffee by the cup as witnessed by the Keurig System and Nespresso. The Keurig brewer, which uses capsules, is a beverage system, not a coffee maker, with the ability to brew a wide variety of coffees, teas, cocoas and soon chai and others. This is being well received in office and now mainstream consumers. Lots of growth opportunities. Nespresso is the leader in the single cup field with $2.2 billion in sales but just has espresso, although they have around 10 types. The coffees are very good with great crema. They are very popular overseas and are being introduced via their own retail stores in the U.S. as well as high-end advertising."
Dan Cox, Coffee Enterprises, Vermont
Paul deLima Passes Q Grader Coffee Exam
10/23/2008
Paul W. deLima III, Director of Coffee Operations at Coffee Analysts in Burlington, VT has passed the Q Grader Coffee exam. The rigorous exam covers a variety of coffee-related subjects, such as green grading, aroma identification and coffee cupping.
As of August 2008, 395 coffee buyers and cuppers (tasters) worldwide have passed the exam administered by the Coffee Quality Institute, a nonprofit organization that operates as the educational arm of the Specialty Coffee Assn. of America (SCAA).
Coffee Analysts Hosts Anacafe
10/15/2008
Coffee Analysts has started a cross training program where invited coffee professionals from a coffee producing country visit Coffee Analysts and spend a week sharing industry practices with the CA staff.
Cesar Eduardo Ambrocio is the Head Coffee Cupper in Guatemala and works at Anacafe. He is responsible for tasting over 10,000 samples per year of coffee from all of the seven regions of Guatemala.
Juan Antonio Silvestre Yanci is the head coffee roaster from Anacafe and is also part of the cupping team there. Both of them hold the prestigious license of being Q grader certified.
While at Coffee Analysts offices they shared their knowledge of Guatemala coffees, which included a heavy schedule of tasting coffees.
Later in the year Coffee Analysts plans to send two staff to Guatemala where they will bring their expertise to Anacafe.
- Juan Antonio and Eduardo at the Coffee Analysts cupping table.
- Juan Antonio and Eduardo cupping Guatemalan coffee.
- Juan Antonio, Dan Cox and Eduardo enjoying the Vermont fall season.
Dan Cox Travels to Japan
09/30/2008
This September, Dan Cox, President of Coffee Enterprises, traveled to Tokyo where he delivered a presentation on Coffee As An Ingredient to the Takasago Symposium. This is a tri-annual event and brings top scientists and authorities on specific topics together to discuss the latest advances in chemistry and marketing of ingredients.