Coffee in Full Bloom!

Coffea canephora also known as Robusta coffee, in full bloom 20th January, 2024.

Bees hard at work doing their thing.

Sometimes it can get crowded on those flowers.

This bee has a lot of pollen to take back to the hive.

‘Tis The Season!

Cafe Vega coffee ready for the Christmas rush!

It’s that time of year again when lots of requests come in (on short notice) for locally produced coffee as gifts for family, friends and clients. This year, the demand was even higher than in previous years, likely due to the increased awareness on the superior flavour of Cafe Vega coffee and the recommendations from our ever expanding clientele. To all our friends, clients and well-wishers, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support over the years and wish you and yours a happy, safe and bountiful Christmas Season!

Coffee Production in 2024

The weather in the past few years has been quite different from the normal pattern of previous decades, but especially so in 2023...the intense rains followed by a period of intense heat (in the rainy season), showing record elevated, ambient air temperatures have confused lots of fruit bearing trees. Some trees, for example mangoes, have borne ripe fruits twice in the same year, in the same physical location...early in February and again in August.

Coffee trees in central Trinidad, seem not to have kept much of the flowers produced earlier in the year, with three distinct flowering periods observed...February, March and April. The Robusta crop usually harvested from January to March of each year, seem rather poor for 2024. A similar low production was observed elsewhere in the country.

Historical Observations

Historical records on coffee growing in Trinidad have noted that there is a multi-year cycle of very low production among coffee trees...in the period 1869 to 1880s it was noted as a nine-year cycle of drought like conditions. However, other observations in the late 1800s indicated that there may also be a 3-4 year low bearing cycle...no explanations in the historical records were offered for this cycle. Perhaps it was related to an EL Niño/La Niña event, which was not known in those days!

We will see what the New Year brings and what the actual production will be at the end of the harvesting season. But rest assured...there will be adequate supplies for our regular customers!

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Cafe Vega at UN Day Event in Port of Spain

Occasionally, Cafe Vega is invited to participate in local events to showcase our products. United Nations (UN) agencies in Trinidad and Tobago celebrated UN Day on 30th October, 2023 by hosting a display and sampling of locally grown or locally sourced food products from small scale entrepreneurs.

 

Cafe Vega Display at UN Day, Trinidad & Tobago

Minister Beckles-Robinson at our display

The event was attended by staff of the UN agencies, diplomats and government ministers. Eight entrepreneurs were present to introduce the participants to their products. A high level of interest was shown in these local products with many people expressing a desire to procure some of these high quality food products in the near future.

Robusta Coffee – dispelling negative perceptions.

Perceptions

For those who believe that arabica beans make the best coffee in the world and is the only coffee worth drinking and think that all Robusta coffee is inferior...they have been sadly misled. These people have denied themselves the chance to experience the many fine qualities of Robusta coffee. 

A prized variety of Robusta coffee just before harvest, January 2023

I really do not know how those perceptions originated or when they were first promoted among the coffee drinking industry as the best choice to base the industry. But you can find negative taste descriptors widely repeated on the internet and I suspect from people who have not had properly processed, roasted and brewed, high quality, superior flavoured Robusta beans. A stigma also perpetuated by coffee drinkers who have probably never tasted Robusta coffee but just went along with the hype.

Culture and influence

An implication of the perceived superiority of arabica beans suggests that all arabica coffee tastes really good. However, it is likely that many serious coffee drinkers have at one time or another, tasted some really bad arabica brew. The reality is that people, across the many cultures of the world, have different preferences in taste, and in the type of brew that they enjoy. Depending on where you live, internet access and search results are often dominated by western views and preferences, which may influence the opinions of the uninformed who seek objective, evidence based information. In other words, market perceptions are often influenced by bias and sometimes established, unfounded beliefs. Fortunately, there appears to be a slowly emerging recognition of the quality and appreciation of Robusta coffee as an unblended brew.

Robusta flavour notes

Just as is the case for arabicas, not all Robusta’s are created equal. In Trinidad and Tobago, we have at least 21 varieties of Robusta coffee, some of them having been introduced by the British colonial government in the early 1900s. Of these 21 varieties, at least nine have superior flavours as determined by a group of coffee connoisseurs using the Speciality Coffee Association’s Cupping Protocol. 

Robusta coffee...ready to please the palate

Key flavour notes detected included: cocoa/chocolate, nutty, and spicy with low acidity. Psychological notes on these coffees were: ‘heart warming’, ‘brings a smile after the second sip’, ‘relaxes the soul’ and ‘bring more!’. These former arabica only coffee drinkers, are now devotees of these Robusta coffee beans!

The uninitiated

However, there are some people who prefer to stay with only arabica...and that is fine...whatever pleases them. So, Cafe Vega has introduced a specially selected micro-lot, high quality arabica coffee from a small community in Colombia to meet the needs of those who prefer that type of coffee. This flexibility on our part will help expand our market share and satisfy the uninitiated.

2023 Coffee Crop

To all of my clients, readers and well wishers...may 2023 bring all that you need!

Rain like peas!

From June to November 2022 we have had far more rain here in Trinidad and Tobago, than I could remember over the past 40 years! Flooding in many parts of the country were considered excessive and repeated. Even places not accustomed to floods got their dose of silt-laden water. 

So, how did that situation affect the 2023 coffee crop? From my observations over several decades, I believe that our Robusta coffee is a climate resilient crop...it can tolerate short periods of drought and even longer periods of repeated flooding...as long as the flood water goes away within 2-3 days. 

Repeated heavy rains and excessive water in the soil will tend to cause yellowing of leaves, leaf loss and maybe some loss of fruit. A major problem is the reduction in soil nutrition, particularly nitrogen, and excessive growth of weeds (which out compete the coffee plants for nutrition)...in some cases, these weeds can reach up to your ears in two-three months if not controlled.

Harvesting started earlier

Despite the ‘dread’ rainy weather last year, the 2023 coffee crop seems reasonable and ripening of the berries started a few weeks earlier than in previous years. We began picking during the first week of December 2022 and will likely continue until March of this year...early and late ripening varieties. 

We usually get at least two pickings per tree...each tree yielding from about 1.5 kg to 5 kg of ripe berries. The estate currently has 8 varieties of the superior flavour Robusta coffee.

Ripe Robusta coffee berries.

First picking of the season...Cydney in action.

Aarya and Evvy's first coffee picking experience.
The future of the coffee empire is safe!

First batch of coffee berries in the drying chamber.

Marketing boost

Recently, a short documentary on local coffee was produced by one of Trinidad and Tobago’s famous and talented Chef, Wendy Rahamut. The link to that video is provided below and will give you some insight into our local coffee.

This video soon led to a swift and high demand for Cafe Vega coffee from among the uninitiated and continues to receive favourable comments. Thank you Wendy!

Excitement on lost and found species of coffee

A Rare West African Coffee

Several articles published internationally this year, reported on the rediscovery of a species of coffee called Coffea stenophylla. The most recent one that I read was contained in the Global Coffee Report magazine, July/August 2021 edition (https://gcrmag.com/could-the-rediscovered-coffee-species-coffea-stenophylla-be-the-next-arabica/ ). Do note however, that the headline photo with the flower in the Global Coffee Report article is the species Coffea affinis and not C. stenophylla as stated in that photo’s caption.

 

Photo 1

Photo 1. Coffea stenophylla in fruit at the Centre National de Recherche Agronomique, Ivory Coast. Image by Charles Denison from Davis et al: Lost and Found: Coffea stenophylla and C. affinis, the Forgotten Coffee Crop Species of West Africa (2020).

 

C. stenophylla apparently originated in West Africa and it was also cultivated since the 1800s in Sierra Leone, but was replaced by arabica and robusta varieties when these were later promoted as better commercial crops. No domestic cultivation of that variety exists today and its status is not well known. 

C. stenophylla is claimed as having a taste similar to good arabica but shows tolerance to higher temperatures, even some drought tolerance and has resistance to common coffee diseases found in South America. What is interesting to me in the Global Coffee Report article, is the statement included from a report by J.H. Hart, the superintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Trinidad, in 1898 that described the flavour of C. stenophylla as “excellent, and equal to the finest Coffea arabica”. Actually, in the original document cited, J.H. Hart’s words were quite a bit different. 

 

In his Annual Report of the Superintendent Royal Botanic Gardens, Trinidad for year 1898 (Council Paper No. 23 of 1899), J.H. Hart wrote: 

 

“The trees of the new coffee (Coffea stenophylla) have again borne excellent crops for the second season. The seed has been much in demand, but I am sorry to say our local planters have not yet taken any general interest, and most of our crop has gone abroad. The tree bears a small purple berry of the Moka type and the flavour of the coffee is excellent.”

There is a copy of a photograph taken around 1900 in that Royal Botanic Gardens with a C. stenophylla tree about 2 metres tall, referenced in a scholarly article published in 2020 (see: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.00616/full). 

Photo 2

Photo 2. Coffea stenophylla cultivated in the Trinidad Botanical Garden, with Demerara sugarcanes. Photograph taken around 1900. Image from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as cited in Davis et al: Lost and Found: Coffea stenophylla and C. affinis, the Forgotten Coffee Crop Species of West Africa (2020).

 

Other coffee selections

Other types of coffee grown in Trinidad at that time briefly reported by Hart were:

 

 “Maragogipe coffee or Brazilian coffee - a variety of Coffea arabica has produced a large crop of beans for the first time, a fine coffee of vigorous habit and has a much larger leaf than ordinary C. arabica with beans of nearly double the size.

 

Abbeokuta coffee – a coffee of the Liberian type and resembles it in vegetative characters. It was found in the district of Abbeokuta on the way to the interior from Lagos, west coast of Africa. A small patch has been planted for trial in St Clair.

 

Congo coffee – a coffee similar in appearance to the last and was received from Kew under this name. It is said to be a valuable kind but the plants are yet too small to indicate what type or character they will finally assume. They are growing well.

 

Minerva coffee – for some years we have had under cultivation a variety of C. arabica which has hitherto been called ‘narrow leaved’. This has now proved itself to be a very early fruiting and prolific variety and has been named ‘Minerva coffee’ for convenience of nomenclature. The beans are of large size and possess a very fine flavour.

 

Mexican coffee – this is another of the interesting introductions which are always being received from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. It is a variety of C. arabica and has proved itself to be a very prolific variety and one possessing a strong constitution.

 

Golden drop coffee – this is a varietal received in exchange, but about which we have received no definite information. It is evidently a variety of C. arabica. It will be tried on the new grounds at St Clair.”

 

Hart further noted in 1899 that: “The culture of coffee in Trinidad is certainly extending, somewhat slowly it is true, but still extending. The Botanical Department has sold large numbers of plants at four for a penny, which should be cheap enough to encourage planting.” 

 

So, the mission now, is for me to try and find any C. stenophylla still alive and well in Trinidad. Not likely an easy task, certainly a worthwhile adventure!

 

Why is Trinidad coffee so special?

Coffee has been here for a long time

The twin island state of Trinidad and Tobago is located in the southern Caribbean just off the coast of South America. The islands are positioned to benefit from the unique microclimates created by the influence of the South American continent and the prevailing Caribbean trade winds.

Vegetation here is lush and bountiful. So, when Coffee plants were introduced into Trinidad by early European colonists in the late 1700s the plantations flourished. The synergy of the tropical island climate in combination with the rich clay soils benefitted the coffee produced with rich and complex flavours. 

Driven by the increased demand for this exotic coffee, further expansion in coffee plantations was fueled during the late 1800s. With the growth in the local industry several desirable coffee varieties were introduced to the islands and incorporated into the blends.

Coffee variety grown in Trinidad

Another coffee variety grown in Trinidad

A rare coffee variety found in Trinidad

Today, those blends of coffee varieties can be found in different locations in the country, and have given rise to an extremely robust, full body and complex profile that include flavours with hints of cocoa/chocolate, spices and nuts, combined with floral and fruity notes.

 

No other coffee produced elsewhere in the world, has the superior taste of Trinidad coffee!

Café Vega coffee

Café Vega is the brand of artisan coffee produced by the Multicrop Facility Ltd…a small family-owned operation in central Trinidad. From harvesting to drying to hulling and roasting; the traditional principles and practices of our grandparents were utilised and enhanced with modern science and technology. This ensures that only the highest quality, specially hand selected beans from superior flavour varieties of Trinidad grown coffee are used. Experience the difference…try a cup of Café Vega coffee today!