Help! coffee bean shop, year round coffee

[wlpywd]

Like the site, long time attempted-research-reader, just signed up to post this.

OK, i need some major help.
basically, i dont know much about coffee, total \"newbie\" here, but i''ve had fresh roasted expensive coffee, and i LOVE it, but my buddy who was really into coffee is now gone, moved away. the thing is, i try to research, and have never purchased coffee online. too afraid of all the info. and haven''t found a boutique shop with the stuff i think tastes good, it all just tastes like premium supermarket coffee. So here is what i understand and am looking for.

1) ok, real good coffee is not only type, but certain farms/fields (estates?) only, right? so not all Jamacian Blue Mountain is the \"real\" JBM, or the good stuff. or some is old stuff sitting around in jamacia rotting and not fresh.

2) i can''t roast myself, dont have time or equipment or knowledge. looking to buy fresh roasted.

3) good types of coffee, such as Kona, Malawi, Kenya AA, JBM seem to be the favorites that keep coming up. But they are supposedly better fresh right after harvest, or stored properly outside of the tropics. and of course, need to be roasted just a few days before comsumption. and the quality is different from year to year?

so, given these variables,
can anyone recommend a very good internet store who keeps up on all this, can sell EXCELLENT quality coffee from where-ever in the world just had a harvest, knows how to roast properly (i''m partial to extremely DARK roasts, but also understand this is bad for the best coffees and apparently most dont know how to roast dark well... sad. i''m over it. i''ve learned to love a nice medium roast), and can keep me happy without me myself needing to keep up on what estates just had harvest, where in the world has the best year for coffee, this and that, who is selling the proper beans and not older or ''fake'' labelled beans?

basically, i need a good dealer as i can''t keep up on this stuff, but i''ve had the great stuff too much to ever go back to something i can easily and readily find. Help!

ps-i understand there are 2 types of Lekua-something Fecal Coffee beans, one better than the other, and i''ve never had it, but would love to try just a little bit. if anyone also knows where to order a small \"sample\" sized amount of real, high quality stuff, please point me towards that site as well!

also, is there a list somewhere of like, a rotating harvest calendar for coffee? so i know what countries to avoid buying in fall if they have spring harvests, avoid buying in spring stuff that had fall harvests, etc. (i''m in north america)

thank you all!

 

[Davec]

All the coffees you have mentioned don't really suit a dark roast. Also don't get too hung up about harvest times, coffees can be too fresh and often benefit from a little time in the warehouse, there are also some aged coffees (e.g. Old Brown Java, Monsooned Malabar etc...).

Don't be too impressed by price...which often only relfects scarcity and not taste.

The last coffee you refer too is called Kopi Luwak, taken from the droppings of a Civit cat (small rodent like creature), which eats the coffee cherries. The coffee bean itself passes through the digestive tract and is though to taste good for 2 reasons:

1. The creature only eats nicest ripe cherries and not rotten or insect damaged ones, hence is "selecting" the best beans for you.

2. The enzymes in the digestive tract act on the surface of the bean to give the coffee a mellow/"better" flavour.

My advice you you would be speak to a decent experienced roaster, thats in a position to supply you with your coffee needs on a regular basis, so you can get it fresh. Tell them what you want like, drinks you make , plus the flavours your looking for.....Then let them advise you, they will have years of specific experience you don't have and should help you make the right choices.

I don't know the USA, or where you are within it, so can't recommend any roasters.

 

[jlyon10]

fresh coffee

I prefer to roast coffee myself to get the freshest. That is why I started my web site to offer green beans. I also realized that some people would not want to take the time to roast their own so I have a roaster that supplies roasted coffee to my customers. He ships it out right after he roasts it. I am currently working out a deal to get fresh roasted 100% Kona coffee that will be on my web site also. I find roasting my own beans a cool hobbie and relaxing. Relax and roast some beans.
Check out my web site.

 

[wlpywd]

thanks for the replies, i really do appriciate it!

now, i have no local roaster i can be pleased with, and i haven't the time or patience to learn to roast myself.

can anyone recommend a quality internet roaster/seller who will know these things, i.e. some coffees need some time to develop, some are better for what parts of the year, what beans are excellent for dark roast, which are best overall, etc. that is trust worthy year round, year-in and year-out, which are quality because its quality, not just 'expensive' or 'rare' or 'most profitable' but actually great coffee and not just fads or name-branded-crazes?

thanks!

 

[Coffee Guy]

Hey wlpywd:

I agree with Davec. Don't get too hung up on all of the things you mentioned in your post. All experienced coffee roasters can usually produce what you are looking for. In today's world of the internet there are a lot of choices amongst roasters and it's very difficult to nail down the one you want. But you have to start somewhere. Why not try a couple and see how they are then go from there. Otherwise you will drive yourself batty trying to figure out too much. :wink: