RodBlog

We have some new award-winning coffees arriving soon, including the 2500 meter Geisha Cultivar lot from Finca La Panza. We paid the top price for this lot, just 59 Kilos, of any coffee this year: $233 per pound. Wow!

Q: Why is it called “Cupping?” A: We don’t brew coffee for tasting, we cup test it. Each cup is made from an amount of discrete coffee “beans” so defects are not mixed and miscegniated. What would YOU call it?

Q: Why is quietness the rule of the cupping room? A: This is a coffee library, where we study flavor. And loud sounds can force the crusts on the cups to fall prematurely.

Q: Is “varietal” the same as “cultivar?”? A: Not at all. Some people need to do some serious fact checking. A Cultivar is a propagation that has been selected for specific features. A varietal is a lower level name following Genus and Species. It does not imply selection for desirable qualities.

Q: Is roasting coffee a “craft” or an “art?” A: It is a job of work. And the teenager who mops up the cupping room is a craftsman? Cupping is an art because it involves interpretation and representation. Crafts only involve the interpretation of directives, as do jobs, such as “I would like a Double Espresso please.” Or, “roast this using our standard curve to 428 f in 14 minutes. ” Or, “Don’t forget to hit the bathroom floor too.”  

-Rod

It appears that our coffee site is down, and we don’t know where the files have gone. Someone has copied the files and changed them. We were aware lately that some people had taken issue with RodLazar.com, and were told that the link to the coffee reviews was corrupted. But now the internet folder is empty when we link up to it. We are working on our new Justice Blends and Distinct Trade products co-branded with Grounds for Respect. Still, we are very sad about this hack attack, and at this point we don’t have the time or resources to address it.

The much talked about Dual Bowl Cupping Spoon is in production phase. Rod emailed, “This allows rapid and fair evaluation of 2 samples at one time, or 2 samples of the same coffee, to judge uniformity.”

As a small coffee company, we strive to share what we learn. We felt that RodBlog would be a great way to do that, to share links with sites that inspire us, or make us think. Let me introduce myself: I am Jenny, and am a co-worker here at Rod Lazar.com as well as Director of Marketing. Rod travels over 270 days of the year, so often I will be posting here when he is away. God Bless, and Welcome! - Jenni