Estate vs Microlot: What's the Difference?
What is the difference between an "estate" coffee versus a "microlot" coffee? Do those terms matter when you are buying coffee beans?
Traceability.
Not only in coffee, but in many food products, around the world, traceablity is not only becoming more desired, but also easier to execute. While most coffee is blended and exported in regional lots, in many circumstances, we can trace lots of coffees to single farms, or even a single acre.
Among the many benefits of traceability are that farmers are able to secure a living wage in exchange for the products they produce and consumers are able to have greater access and insight into the supply chain that produces their coffee.
She helped pick your coffee! Coffee production on the family-owned Edelweiss estate in Oldeani, Tanzania.Â
The most traceable lots are often referred to as 'microlots,' a term that may cause some confusion. Although this term is applied differently around the world, usually microlots are single farm coffees, selected for quality or species (i.e. Bourbon, Castillo,etc.)
There are many agricultural models utilized around the world--farms, estates, co-ops--each with differing levels of traceablity and highly dependent on local laws and customs. Some examples will help illuminate the complexity of subject.
Small Estate, Single Farmer.
We have several coffees at Trianon that can be traced to a single estate or farm, or single section of a farm. Our Honduras Lempira, for example, is grown by a farmer, Marvin Bonvilla and his family, who are part of a growing association through which their coffees might be blended and homogenized with other growers's coffees and sold as a regional export. But this year, the coffee from this farm was high enough quality to be isolated and exported as its own lot.Â
Coffee beans being inspected by hand during the washing process at Marvin Bonvilla’s farm in Honduras.Â
While this is clearly an estate coffee, it is not necessarily a microlot even though it comes from a single farm. Marvin may pull beans from all over his 60+ acre farm to make this coffee so special. So it was not sold as a microlot, but it is still highly traceable.
Isolated Lots & Special Processing Methods.
Another good example of traceablity is our Costa Rica Honey which is grown in the very famous Tarrazu region of Costa Rica. This is also from a family farm--of the Monge family, in the Santa Elena Estate--and not only is this coffee isolated from a single farm from within that estate, but it is further isolated by also going through the honey process. (In Costa Rica, most of the coffee is washed.)
The Monge family in Tarrazu, Costa Rica.Â
It is this isolation of a portion of a single farm's harvest which make this coffee a true "microlot."Â
Microlots & Estates.
One final illustration of these concepts comes from the two Tanzanian coffees currently in stock.Â
Our washed Tanzania (Edelweiss) comes from several Estates run by the Vohora family, including the Ascona, Helgoland, and Edelweiss Estates. It is a large geographic area with dozens of exported lots every year. So whereas the Honduras comes from a small estate, our Edelweiss lot comes from a larger estate-network. But still it is an estate coffee, and relatively traceable.
Coffee beans being dried on raised beds at Edelweiss Estate in Tanzania.Â
In Tanzania, many estates are vast in land area with many farms located within, a common agricultural structure in many of the well-established coffee growing regions of Africa and Indonesia.
Our Tanzania Honey is from the Finagro farm, within the aforementioned Ascona Estate. From this estate the Vohora family have exported a single lot of honey processed coffee. That gives this coffee the triple provenance of being single-estate, single-family, microlot coffee, specially selected and specially prepared. Traceability at it's finest.
Honey processed coffee beans from Finagro farm in Tanzania.
Takeaways.
These are just a few examples that hopefully help illuminate the terms we see on our coffee bags and bins. Practices vary considerably between regions of the world. Around the world of coffee, farm and estate sizes and structures are as varied as you can imagine them to be. But traceability always means the same thing.Â
We will continue to try to tell you exactly where your coffee comes from and bring you the farmers story. We think the coffee tastes better that way.
Â
Want to try some of the coffees mentioned in this article? Browse our current selection of Small Estate & Microlot Coffees.
Â
Â
155 comments
Reviews and comments can be helpful most times. permit me to share that, in the first week of March 2024, I was convinced to invest in a fake Altcoin cryptocurrency platform through someone I connected with on Telegram , which I did but unfortunately after investing my money I discovered I could not withdraw or access my account on the fake platform. Lucky for me, I came across a review on funds recovery and I contacted Coinsrecoveryworldwide Service, and through their help and support I was able to recover my money. Losing money trading crypto can be frustrating but I am happy today that my funds are recovered and I wish to share with you their contacts as i know i am not alone on this boat, nobody deserves to be in such situation.
Telgram: @CRYPCOINSS
COINSRECOVERYWORLDWIDE[AT]GMAIL.COM
Wassap;+1[737 368-8915]
Do you need a quick love spells to return your ex-lover back?
Everything I’m going to suggest for you is what I’ve seen breathe new life into broken marriages for thousands of women in your distressing situation—and what I did to revitalize my own broken marriage. I was heart broken when my husband left me and moved to California to be with another woman. I felt my life was over and my kids thought they would never see their father again. I tried to be strong just for the kids but I could not control the pains that tormented my heart, my heart was filled with sorrows and pains because I was really in love with my husband. I have tried many options but he did not come back, until i met a friend that directed me to Dr. Excellent a spell caster, who helped me to bring back my husband after 11hours. Me and my husband are living happily together again, This man is powerful, Contact Dr. Excellent for any kind of spiritual problems or any kind of spell or relationship problems he is capable of making things right for you with no side effect. Here his contact. Call/WhatsApp him at: +2348084273514 "Or email him at: Excellentspellcaster@gmail.com , His website:https://lovespellonline.godaddysites.com
Hello, If you’re not familiar with cryptocurrency trading, I strongly advise you to either stay away from it completely or invest very cautiously. I was forced to invest a significant amount of my life savings on a forex platform to increase my profits, but I ultimately lost roughly 95,000 USD to this investment scam. I was not allowed to take my money out after I had invested and made a profit. I sent a letter to customer service, but it was ineffective, so I realized I had been duped. I was fortunate enough to come across a genuine deal retrieval WIZARD JAMES RECOVERY after much looking for ways to acquire assistance. I decided to give it a shot and explained my condition to them. they gave me their word that they would help me get my money back. Honestly, they performed a fantastic job, and my money was recovered in my wallet in less than 24 hours without any upfront payment. I appreciate having encountered WIZARD JAMES RECOVERY with such exceptional abilities, it’s truly remarkable.
EMAIL: ( WizardJamesRecovery@qualityservice.com )
WhatsApp Number: (‪+1 234) 389-4661
I want to share my experience about how I got My Wife Back. After three years of a broken marriage, My Wife left me with our two kids. We were constantly quarreling and struggling, which ultimately led to a serious breakup. My wife packed her things and moved away. Despite this, I was determined to reunite with her. But I was told by a reliable source, a very close co-worker, that Dr Kachi is a very dedicated, gifted and talented person, Then I met Dr. Kachi, a remarkable spell caster, who assured me that my wife would return within 24 hours after he prepared a love spell. I’m thrilled to say that Dr. Kachi kept his word! My Wife came back home, fell to her knees, and begged for my forgiveness. Today, our family is back together, and we are happy, healthy, and living together again. Dr. Kachi made my dreams come true by helping us reunite. If you need his assistance, divorce issues in your relationship you can contact him Text or Call at +1 (209) 893-8075, or visit his website at https://drkachispellcaster.wixsite.com/my-site Email him at drkachispellcast@gmail.com
Recovering From Fake Online Investment Schemes: A1 WIZARD HACKES
Is it possible for scam victims to receive their money back from cryptocurrency scam? Yes, if you have been a victim of a fraud from an unregulated investing platform or any other scam, you may be able to reclaim what was stolen from you, but only if you report it to the appropriate authorities.
You may reclaim what you’ve lost with the appropriate strategy and evidence. Those in charge of these unregulated platforms would most likely try to persuade you that what happened to your money was an unfortunate occurrence when, in reality, it was a sophisticated theft. If you or someone you know has been a victim of these situations, you should know that there are resources available to assist you. Simply contact A1 WIZARD HACKES.
It is never too late if you have the right information your cryptocurrency will be recovered, reach out to A1 WIZARD HACKESContact Info:
E-mail : A1wizardhackes@cyberservices.com
whatsssApp : +1 678 439 9760
website : a1wizardhackes.com