Haitian – Cafe Kreyol Org. Blue – 100% Caribbean Strain (AKA Blue Mountain)

Description

A very cool direct trade co-op production coffee from Cafe Kreyol.

Haitian Blue is what made Haiti famous for coffee. At one time it was as rare, as tasty and as expensive as Jamaican Blue Mountain but unfortunately those days are long gone. The Haitian economy was toppled a couple times for a plethora of reasons (including corruption and earthquakes). The fields and farms went untended and were abandoned, later the coffee trees were mostly used for firewood to folks living in the area. Very sad start to this coffee but this should be a positive story for these beans represent the resurrection of awesome Haitian Coffee. Co-ops have stepped in helping with nursery’s, strain selection and processing. Operations like Cafe Kreyol and Singing Rooster have stepped in to provide outside financing and marketing, it has finally gotten to the point of pretty awesome coffee again but the most important factor is still growing; folks like yourself buying and loving the coffee.

Tasting Notes: A lovely coffee. Low acidity, medium body with rich and robust darker tones ringing throughout the cup. Medium to dark roasts are where these beans shine. Lighter roasting without much acidity will leave the cup a bit nutty and lacking but clean. Starting at about a medium roast the cup builds a wonderful chocolate note with some smoky and malty overtones. A bit on the sweeter smoother side, a tasty treat. Darker roasts, close to touching 2nd crack and where the much more robust tones pop out of the cup, reminiscent of a nice Haitian cigar.

Roasting Notes: Easy to roast, best from medium to dark. Beans are high altitude dense beans that are very fresh, can take a little longer to roast in many roasters. Better to error a little darker on the roast than lighter. Medium to low chaff.

The last 5-10 years has been the rebirth of Haitian coffee. They have resurrected the farms though social co-ops that work very hard to create a premium product to achieve very high dollar values. Which in turn greatly help rebuild the infrastructure while provide excellent jobs and opportunity. Solving the worlds problems one cup at a time.

Cafe Kreyol goes into some of the most impoverished and troubled areas that are within prime coffee growing territory, organizes farmers, teaches how to correctly process beans, guarantees purchase of the beans at way above market prices ensuring it goes directly to the farmers and strives to really turn around some of the more troubled areas, putting people to work at well above average wages and ensuring future livelihoods.

Joey, a good buddy of Burman Coffee and the head of Cafe Kreyol, brings his mission statement even to his US employees. He finds the hardest working individuals with great work ethics that for one reason or another have really been put down with employment and troubled times to help them recover and build a resume while also being able to help communities around the world. One can feel really good about supporting any of Cafe Kreyol’s projects and for the most part – really tasty coffees as well.

Cafe Kreyol projects including this one are project coffees, although tasty coffee, fresh and decent prep. A lot of the cost of these beans come from the social projects both the Co-ops and Cafe Kreyol sustain.

COOPACVOD

Nestled in the mountains just south of Cap Haitian, this is the oldest running cooperative in all of Haiti. COOPACVOD has over 850 members and workers and produces the only organic certified, arabica blue mountain coffee in all of Haiti.

Francis Dubois was a physics professor in Port Au Prince. He attended school in Miami. In 1980 he moved to Dondon, Haiti, and began to create what one day would become Coopacvod. Francis used the water from the nearby river to irrigate fields, power a water mill to generate energy and wash the coffee to prepare it for consumption. He then filters the water before allowing it to return to the river, in order to not add the coffee’s acidity to the water source. Francis is now the elected president of Coopacvod, and he uses his resources and his education to help create a sustainable business for themselves. Francis is in charge of our entire Own-a-Tree program and he also owns the largest Arabica Blue Mountain farm in Haiti. It is around 3 hectares total.