Help, where's my coffee? Why are some varieties being discontinued?
POV: You're weighing out your beans for your morning coffee, realize the package is almost empty, and discover that this variety is no longer available.
Don't panic—we'll briefly explain why and what alternatives are available.
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Extreme Variations
Some of our coffees and espressos are limited editions. You can tell by the yellow packaging. These coffees are part of our Explorer Edition—and are not available year-round.
Why? Coffee is a natural, fresh product that is subject to immense fluctuations. The quality of a coffee—its nuances and aromas—depends on numerous factors that don’t carry as much weight with products like wine or tea. These include weather conditions, rainfall, storage, and many others. Of course, these fluctuations exist in all coffee varieties, even those that aren’t limited editions. The difference is that coffees available year-round, such as Limu or Yirgacheffe, can also be sourced from other cooperatives we work with in a pinch. Colombian coffees or blends are usually available year-round as well, since they are harvested two to three times a year. This is not the case for many other varieties.
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Limited Availability
But how do we determine which beans we can only offer in limited quantities? During cupping, we decide which variety meets our quality standards and tastes particularly good to us. We choose a coffee that offers something extraordinary and enriches our portfolio with new, exciting nuances. In the next step, before placing an order, we speak with the importers or the cooperative to determine what quantities are available and at what price. If these quantities are small and available only from a single cooperative, we can already be certain that the coffee will not be available until the next harvest. Some importers can sometimes offer as little as 600 kilograms of a single variety. In that case, the only option is to include the variety as a limited-edition product due to its limited availability.
How long this coffee will be available in our shop and in our cafés naturally depends on how quickly it sells. Regardless of whether a coffee is a limited edition, green coffee has a limited shelf life after harvest. After that, while it’s still drinkable, it noticeably loses its aroma. For us, it’s crucial that our green coffee is always fresh. The shelf life of the beans varies from country to country. Coffee from Guatemala stays fresh for between six and nine months, as does Brazilian coffee. Ethiopian beans can still be roasted up to 12 months after harvest before the quality noticeably declines. Green coffee from Guatemala, therefore, does not last a full year until the next harvest. For this reason alone, it can only be offered as a limited edition.
Numerous Alternatives
Our approach to varieties we offer for special occasions, such as Christmas, differs slightly from our approach to limited-edition coffees: Here at Coffee Circle, we decide when to launch the variety. For obvious reasons, the Christmas coffee is only available for a few months. Together, we determine the quantity of beans we’ll need. The quantity in kilograms that we’ve agreed upon is then ordered from the importers or coffee farmers.
If your favorite coffee is a limited edition and is no longer available, don’t despair: We have enough varieties in our portfolio to ensure there’s always something to suit your taste. And if you’re not sure, just reach out to us—we’d be happy to advise you.
