Why some of our coffees are called 'Rare'

 Why some of our coffees are called 'Rare'?

In our Rare Coffee Series we highlight coffees that had something specific or unusual, at least for us at Caffenation.

So what's 'Rare' for us and what's not? 

Of course we have at Caffenation already different categories, easily to recognize because we have different colored bags for all different taste (or price) groups. 

Espresso (which can all taste great on filter as well....):

Yellow - ED: easy coffee, very good value for money stuff. All round coffees

Cream - MAN: our preferred coffee to accompany milk. Specialty Coffee tasting good black or white, filter or espresso. 

Turquoise - IAN: Easy going Brazilian coffees for those who dislike acidity and prefer more traditional (conservative) coffees, with a more nutty and earthy flavor.

Pink - XX: Natural processed coffees, funky at times. Very often from Ethiopia and Colombia, and popular because of their sweetness, big body and (often) lower acidity.

Grey - NOVA: Our single origin coffees. From all over the world and very variable in taste, but always washed processed coffees. So probably a bit cleaner and balanced, with enough fruitiness and acidity.

Filter (these coffees are light roasted and not easy to use on espresso machines):

RED - FIL: Our light roasted single origin coffees. From all over the world and very variable in taste, but always washed processed coffees. So probably a bit cleaner and balanced, with enough fruitiness and acidity.

Orange - KAY: Identical to the Red bags, but all from Kenyan origin. And a bit brighter and acidic. Very stable over the seasons and always available. 

Pink - XX: Natural processed coffees, funky at times. Very often from Ethiopia and Colombia, and popular because of their sweetness, big body and (often) lower acidity. The XX coffee are all roasted 'Omni', to keep the right balance for a multipurpose use. 

So when do we catalogue a coffee as 'Rare'?

A good example is this Gundikhan Estate coffee which is labelled “Rare” for two reasons: its origin and its processing.

ORIGIN: India is not widely known for specialty coffee. The country’s growing conditions are generally not considered ideal for producing consistently high-cupping coffees, and much of the production is focused on more commercial, traditional styles.

PROCESSING: The second reason is its unusual bakers yeast processing which is added to the process. 
After the outer skin and fruit of the coffee cherry are removed through pulping, the beans remain covered in a sticky, sugar-rich layer called mucilage. After drying the processing follows a traditional path. 

Another recent example is this coffee from Fabio Nelson Urrego Bolivar, which received the 'Rare' sticker because of it's variety.

VARIETY: In recent years, demand for rare and exclusive varieties has increased in specialty coffee – mostly as a result of their presence at high-level coffee competitions. There are, however, still some varieties which we know much less about. Nonetheless, they still have the potential to become more popular because of their unique flavours and high cup quality and this 'Chiroso' variety is a good example. 

Side note: In the past, we also catalogued coffees under categories such as Special Processing, 90+, and Funky Stuff. At the time of launch, these were also coffees that sat somewhat off the radar.

We could think of these as subgenres within “Rare”, with names that make it easier for people to understand what kind of coffee they’re getting into — and, importantly, whether it’s likely to suit their taste.

Our retail and wholesale prices are probably among the lowest in the market, but we still don’t want customers to invest in a coffee that turns out to be completely outside their preferences. These categories are therefore also a way of setting expectations.

• Special Processing: Not necessarily radical or extreme, but definitely something interesting to talk about. These coffees have an unusual or noteworthy processing method that makes them stand out.

• 90+: Coffees that are likely to appeal to a broad range of coffee enthusiasts and that people will generally want to try. They tend to be cleaner and more refined, and can sometimes come with a higher price tag.

• Funky Stuff: This is where we put the fermented, weird, and more experimental coffees — the ones that can be very exciting, but definitely aren’t for everyone. We like to give people a heads-up before they buy, so they know what they’re getting into.

The 'rare coffee series' artwork is designed by Patrick Smolders, AtticusMax.