2024 Colombia Trip Report
2024 Colombia Trip Report Our annual autumn trip to Colombia remains one of the highlights of the year, and 2024 was no exception. This trip centers around the “Lo Mejor de Monserrate” microlot competition, a cornerstone of our partnerships in Huila. The main harvest in this region is typically in full swing, making early October […]
2023 DRC Trip Report
In June 2023 May/June, Atlas trader Susan Heller Evenson Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) [with Chris Treter (Higher Grounds), Richard Hide (African Coffee Connect), Christophe Brinker (Ibero), and Congolese colleagues and friends] visiting longtime Atlas partners Muungano and Rebuild Women’s Hope, as well as meet and cup coffees from other cooperatives in South Kivu, DRC, […]
IkawaEnjoy! 2023 Rwanda Trip Report
After a long-awaited reunion this June, we visited our partners at Abateraninkunga ba Sholi (“Sholi”) in Muganga district, Rwanda. The members at Sholi have been producing such high-quality, consistent coffee that it’s become a favorite competition coffee. We first toured the largest washing station, which now includes 3 solar dryers, expansive drying tables, and a […]
Great Lakes, Great Reunions: 2023 Uganda Trip Report
After three years of a long-distance relationship, Atlas trader Susan Heller Evenson, along with roaster clients, joyfully reconnected with coffee producer partners in Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo, and Burundi. Our first stop was Uganda, which offers a gamut of coffee qualities and types. From commercial-grade DRUGARS (Dried Uganda Arabica) or WUGARS (Washed Uganda Arabicas); natural-process […]
Cherry A, Cherry B: 2023 Burundi Trip Report
Our last stop on our June 2023 Great Lakes tour was to visit longtime Burundi partner Kalico Link Company (Kalico), co-founded by coffee pioneer Angele Ciza, who sadly passed away this past year but left a strong family coffee legacy. One of Angele’s sons, Alexandre, has been heavily involved in Kalico for several years and […]
Peru Origin Trip 2022
In September 2022, we returned to Peru for the first time since 2019. We were extremely eager to see our producer partners in person again after a long hiatus. We spent time with both new and long-term partners in the regions of Cajamarca, Junín, and Cusco. While the logistics situation has been a global challenge, […]
Cupping in the Mountains of the Moon: Uganda Trip Report
In early January we headed to Uganda with roasters to visit producer partners and to participate in the 6th Annual Bukonzo Joint Cooperative Union (BJCU) Microlot Competition. In order to include additional buyers, we held a near-simultaneous competition in our Seattle lab, making it the 1st International BJCU Competition by averaging the scores by judges […]
“Things are Happening”: The Story of MEACCE (Mt. Elgon Agroforestry Communities Cooperative Enterprise)
Even though Mt. Elgon Agroforestry Communities Cooperative Enterprise (MEACCE, pronounced mee-ack) officially formed in July 2017, in many ways it has the energy and drive of a younger startup. While Uganda produces 2.3% of the world’s total coffee supply, around 80% of the country’s coffee production is Robusta grown in the central and northern lowlands. […]
Cartagena Port Tour
As specialty buyers we can sometimes get so caught up in quality, character and origin story that it can be easy to overlook the many steps required to move coffee from the farm to the roastery. Logistics is a massive component of this process and Colombia’s ocean freight terminals handle more containers of coffee than […]
Colombia Trip Report 2019
Colombia is a country of exquisite coffees and stunning natural beauty. We returned to Huila, Colombia in the fall of 2019 for the 10th annual “Lo Mejor de Monserrate” micro-lot cupping competition and to visit with our friends at ASPROTimaná. We then headed to visit with ASOPEP, a group of producers accomplishing amazing things in […]