‘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!