Four Chairs V.5

It has been an incredibly hectic start to the year. The first two months of the year focused a lot on our first participation at the national barista competition as well as our annual visit to Central America. In the midst of trying to get over our usual jet lag - that seems to only get worse every year, and a crazy week trying to catch up on our roasting, we are pleased to finally present you the latest iteration of the Four Chairs seasonal espresso blend.

Comprising of the following:

• 50% Herrera Tolima, Colombia
• 50% Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza, Brazil

Working with our Colombian friends at Banexport who helped us with the sourcing, this coffee from the cooperative ASOPEP really strikes a sweet spot with us on the cupping table. It is a mixed varietal of Castillo and Colombian and is a collective effort from 53 member producers making up the Co-op. It is a wet-processed coffee with vibrant passionfruit-like acidity and plenty of sugary content. Incredibly clean and juicy.

The other component is a mixed varietal, natural processed coffee from our friends at Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza in Brazil. We finally visited this amazing farm back in August last year. Silvia, Marcos and Felipe are firm believers of managing a farm that can produce great tasting coffees and yet sustainably responsible to the environment and the communities around the farm. All their hard work are reflected in the cup - clean, sweet with hints of pecan nuts and mild stone fruits acidity.

We love how these two coffees come together beautifully and hopefully you will enjoy it too! Available at S$19 (300g) in store and online.

Best Cup of Cauca Competition

With the arrival of our container of Colombian coffees at the end of 2014 and before we head off for our next sourcing trip to Central America, I thought this might be a good time to put up this post before we miss out on the experiences that we have gained during the trip.

Colombia is a vast country blessed with the unique micro climates and suitable terroir for growing excellent coffees. There are several coffee growing regions and needless to say, it takes a long time to really get to know more about coffees from each region. Last year, we made our first trip to Colombia, visiting mainly the Huila region, as well as parts of Cali. It was a great experience, especially with a knowledgable researcher, Mr Thomas Oberthur, seasoned with local coffee farming practices, to connect us with the exporters and producers. It was from this first trip which eventually led to our acquaintance and partnership with Banexport.

Banexport was founded by two brothers, Julian and Jairo Ruiz. They have been a driving force to spurring the specialty coffee culture in Colombia. We are very honoured to have been invited to participate in an event, Best of Cauca, organised by Banexport and Cafe Imports. It is a coffee competition for coffees grown within the Cauca region, with the aim of rewarding producers for producing outstanding coffees, and also to encourage more small producers to see the value in increasing quality. More importantly, this event connects the coffee buyers/roasters with the producers. This event was also supported by the Comité departmental del Cauca, which is located in Popayan. It was a 3 day event, but the team at Banexport spent months preparing for it. For this competition, Banexport and Cafe Imports invited green coffee buyers and roasters from U.S, Australia, Germany, London, and both of us from Singapore, to cup the top 30 lots which had been screened through by national cuppers and Banexport out of more than 200 lots submitted for the competition.

The following day after we touched down, we had a “warm-up” session of cupping of coffees from Cauca, as well as other regions such as Huila and Nariño. We have always been keen to look out for coffees from different regions. Each region is so distinct and even coffees within the same region cup quite differently. We then visited a farm, belonging to Don Carlos Trujillo, located in a municipal called Pescador in Cauca. Don Carlos’s farm is called Patio Bonito, a small farm of 4 hectares, at an altitude of 1700m. He grows the Castillo varietal and does a fully washed processing method. Don Carlos is a cheery man with an affable smile. Banexport explained that they have been working with Don Carlos to improve on the quality of their coffee over the past few years and through their collaboration, they have managed to improve the cup score significantly that led to better prices for his coffee. His daughter is now helping to manage the farm, she hopes to continue the family business and produce better quality year after year. It is comforting to see the younger generation willing to take over the running of the farm as it is tough. Many of the younger generation would rather find a job in the bigger cities/towns as they get higher salary and the work is less physically demanding.

The day arrived for the competition to begin. After a sumptuous breakfast, we departed to the Comité. It was already buzzing with action early morning. The staff and volunteers are busy setting up the cupping tables. We had a quick tour of the facility and were introduced to the different departments. It is very well-organized and everyone is friendly towards our group of overseas visitors. We kickstarted the competition with a calibration round amongst the 18 international cuppers. The purpose of calibration is to assure that nobody is scoring significantly higher or lower than the majority of the group. We discussed everyone’s scores of the cups in the calibration round and with many coffees to go through on Day 1, we proceeded the cup the first 10 coffees in Round 1. Each coffee had 4 samples, 2 were placed on each side of the table. 2 cuppers on each side of the table. The room was quickly filled with fresh ground coffee aroma and slurping sounds. As these coffees were already screened through by the national cuppers, the 30 coffees that ended up on the tables today are already at least an 85 scorer.

This is all new experience to us, having the opportunity to cup with an international group in a coffee competition. While it was super exciting for us, it was also a daunting task to ensure we do a good job. We went through each sample back and forth a few times, just to see how the flavours change as it cools. We scribbled on the scoresheets and return back to discuss amongst the panel. There are some cups which stood out amongst the rest and it is interesting to see that certain flavour characteristics are unanimous crowd pleasers which received high scores in general. As every panelist contributed their scores, Andrew and Gabriel from Cafe Imports would tabulate the average scores for each round. On Day 1, we only had time to finish 20 coffees, so the final 10 had to be cupped on the following day. It was the first time that we actually felt “exhausted” with cupping so many cups in one day. After a long day, we looked forward to wind down with some Colombian dinner. 

Day 2 started off with a quick breakfast and immediately we headed back to the Comité to finish cupping the final 10 coffees. The rest of the day was full of activities that we had no time to spare. After cupping, we departed towards Santander de Qulichao, where a coffee fair was held to bring together producers all over Cauca. As we arrived at the coffee fair, it was buzzing with lots going on. We were brought to a hall where local producers gathered to meet and ask questions to a group of international roasters/buyers. Banexport explained the purpose of the “Cauca Best Cup” competition and emphasized the importance of quality for specialty coffee. The message was clear - if the producers want to fetch better prices for their coffees, they have to make an effort to improve quality and not just focusing on higher yield. Most of these producers own small plots of coffee farms and have little access to the outside world. Through exporters such as Banexport and specialty coffee importers like Cafe Imports as well as the assistance from the Comité, they are now able access a window of opportunity to make a better living by producing specialty coffee.

As we lingered around the coffee fair, we were constantly asked to take photos with the locals as they rarely see Asians in this small town. We felt like some celebrities as the photo-taking went on incessantly till we got really, really tired of smiling in front of cameras. We were relieved when the time has come for the auction to begin for the Top 10 coffees. The fun began when we were all seated down, waiting to raise our bidding number for some of those delicious coffees. The auction price started a minimum bid of US$3.50/lb. Excitement grew as the producers witness the bidding war going on for the fruits of their hard work. Loud cheers and joyful applause filled the air as each of the top 10 coffee was announced. The audience participated spontaneously and kept cheering us to bid higher and compete against each other for some of these top lots. As each bid went through, the producer was called upon the stage to receive a certificate presented by the winning bidder with a congratulatory handshake/hug. Some of them were so touched that tears swelled up in their eyes. It was heart-warming to see these producers smiling with pride. The auction prices were easily at least three or four times what they would have normally fetched. 

Photo credit: Cafe Imports

The #1 coffee from the Best Cup Cauca came from a small producer, Alba Nelly Hurtado. This 23-bag lot from Finca El Recuerdo scored 90 points and fetched US$6.40/lb. The highest price attained in this auction was US$9.50/lb, which was for a 3-bag lot that created quite a bidding frenzy amongst 2 roasters. We managed to buy a small quantity of #2 and #1 coffee by sharing with other roasters. We are thrilled to secure some of these exceptional coffees, and we can’t wait to roast them when it arrives at Nylon.

A photo posted by Nylon Coffee Roasters (@nyloncoffee) on May 10, 2015 at 7:25pm PDT

After the eventful evening at the coffee fair, Banexport arranged for us to visit a few of the winning farms the following day. First stop was a visit to Mr Richard Olmedo Claros’s farm (Finca Villa Rica - This is the farm that Dennis referred to a lot in his routine for the recent barista competition) located in the municipal of Pescador Caldono. His farm is small, with only 3.79 hectares used for the cultivation of coffee. Richard manages the farm together with his wife, Martha. The wet mill was built in their small backyard and has been constantly upgraded with profits from previous harvests that he can reinvest into better equipment. Their form of roasting their coffee came from a simple cooking pot over open fire. It was indeed a humbling experience to meet Richard and his wife, intent on producing a better cup knowing that their lives will end up for the better.

We also visited Finca El Recuerdo. The Hurtado family welcomed with home made fruit salad (fruits are all home-grown). Nelly has 3 children who help her to manage the farm. The lot which came in 1st in the competition was the first harvest from this farm. Previously, Nelly and his family used the land for growing sugarcane. The coffee farming only started less than 3 years ago. It is quite amazing for them to do so well in their first harvest. We can only expect more good stuff to come from Finca El Recuerdo should they continue with their good work.

Ethiopia Wottona Bultuma

As we count down to the Year of Goat, we celebrate in advance with a new coffee from Ethiopia - Wottona Bultuma. This coffee hails from the Sidama region. Sidama is known for its clean and high quality washed coffee with unique red berry flavours. Due to the different growing conditions, coffee from the Sidama zone can be quite different from each other.

This coffee is from a coffee cooperative called Wottona Bultuma. It is sold and marketed by the Sidama Cooperative Union. They are also responsible for the dry milling, sorting and bagging be­fore export. The coffee cherries are bought in from the local surround­ings, from plots that are more than 2000 meters above sea level. They have several collection centers in the local areas. The cherries are from small family plots of both recently planted trees of improved varietals and traditional old varieties. The variety is called Sidamo type. The coffee from this producer is limited in amount and thanks to our partners at Nordic Approach, we managed to get some of this delicious coffee from Wottona Bultuma.

This coffee comes with complex acidity that tantalizes your palate with layers of red berries, stone fruits and sweet spice. The citric and floral aromatics draws you in to savour this juicy cup. Well-structured in body and elegant in flavours, this coffee will definitely be a crowd pleaser.

• Cooperative: Wottona Bultuma
• Zone: Sidama, Ethiopia
• Altitude: 1900 masl
• Varietal: Ethiopian Heirloom. Improved varietals and native coffee of forest origin transferred to family smallholder plots and gardens. In this case referred to as Sidamo type
• Processing: Pulped and wet fermented, graded in washing channels, soaked in water and sundried.
• Drying: Sun dried 10 – 15 days on African drying beds on hessian cloths. Coffees are covered in plastic during midday and at night.

Rwanda Tumba Cocatu

First new coffee to roll out for 2015 hails from East Africa - Rwanda. This is an up and coming coffee origin that has plenty of potential for more quality coffee. We celebrate this new year with a great Rwandan coffee sourced by the folks at Coffee Shrub.

Cocatu is a cooperative in the area of Tumba town, in the very mountainous Rulindo district, Northern Rwanda. Located at 1820 meters, the cooperative actually draws coffee from the surrounding hills up to 2100 meters. Cocatu receives support from a Kigali-based group who not only provides advice on technical agronomy, but also offers business support to the coop. The latter has been absent from many well-intentioned efforts to support cooperative coffee farmers. Cooperative leaders who do not have good business and accounting training can lead to mounting debt on the cooperative. Most cooperatives fail for lack of management, not lack of coffee quality. With this lot from Tumba, the farmer received 65% of the price paid by Coffee Shrub. The balance goes to the cooperative to process the coffee, the dry milling, transport and export costs. This price received by the farmer is higher than many other places in Rwanda. Such practices help to develop sustainability in coffee farming.

We find this Rwandan lot pleasantly juicy and sweet. On the first sip, we taste a bundle of ripe stonefruits, like peaches, apricots, black prunes, red plums with hints of caramel in the finish. The sweetness is brown sugar-like and it gets more pronounced as it cools. The balance of this coffee makes this an enjoyable daily cup. We do notice this coffee taste significantly better with a slightly longer resting period post roast. So better grab a bag early. A little patience is required to wait for the flavours to open up.

• Cooperative: Cocatu
• Region: Tumba, Rulindo, Rwanda
• Producers: Smallholders in the surrounding areas deliver cherries to the washing station.
• Varietal: Bourbon
• Altitude: 1820 - 2100 m asl
• Processing: Wet processed

New Year, new changes

When Nylon opened it’s doors back in 1 May 2012, we have always felt that good coffee should be affordable and not a luxury. Hence we decided on a coffee menu with prices that we feel are within the reach for any man or woman, young or old, on the street.

31 months on, we have seen and felt the impact of rising green coffee prices. Coffee farming has never been more challenging with coffee rust disease, climate change and labour shortage affecting the harvests for the producers. We have seen with our own eyes how difficult it is to produce quality coffee when we visit origins, hence we firmly believe in paying an equitable amount to producers for their hard work. Specialty coffee is unlike commercial coffee where prices fluctuate closely with the C futures market. There is a premium which is tied to quality and in order to sustain the continuous pursuit of better quality, we, as roasters/buyers, need to play a part in supporting this cause. Despite increasing costs and challenges, we still chose to continue to work with these farms who believed in our vision to bring in their hard work and share with coffee lovers in this part of the world.

Earlier this year, we expanded our shop space at Everton park to accommodate more customers and added a couple more air conditioners to make everyone feel comfortable. We have seen many chatting up with “the guy sipping his coffee beside me” during the good old days of our original tiny space encompassing the four chairs but it feels even better now to see even more social interaction amongst our customers at the long communal table. This year, we also beefed up on our team and welcome two of our first full-timers to join us on board, Ashton and Audrey. They, together with a team of very able part-timers, have ensured we can continue to serve our customers promptly and deliver coffees that are of the highest consistency.

This hasn’t been an easy decision but we have decided after much deliberation to implement some small changes to the prices on our coffee menu. We are very grateful for your support over the years and we hope you will continue to do the same as we usher in the new year with promise of even better coffees and a great hospitality experience.

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2015 ahead! See you over for coffee soon.

Photo credit: Raymond Toh