Understanding Coffee Harvesting Seasons & Availability
Like many agricultural products around the world, coffee has its peak seasons. And depending on which country or time of year, there is an optimal time for harvest and consumption. Coffee is a food item and is made from organic material. So no matter what, coffee will degrade over time. However, if not stored properly, the rate of degradation can happen even quicker.
As coffee ages, the flavor does begin to fade and it is possible to taste the difference. If you feel your palate is not as developed, it may be wise to understand the global coffee seasonality so that you’re purchasing coffee during its peak flavor. Below is a estimated timeline of coffee harvest and availability. After harvest, coffee will be stored to allow the coffee to rest for at least 30-60 days before shipping out of its country of origin. Typically, it will be shipped out to one or more secure warehouses of a green coffee importer/exporter. From there, the importer/exporter manages their inventory and sells green coffee to coffee roasters.
Again, please note that these are estimates based on North American arrivals and is simply meant to be used as a guide. It is important to note that predictability is becoming more difficult due to global warming and unusual weather patterns that can change the timelines. Not to mention the impact of unforeseen circumstances due to a pandemic, like we recently experienced.
Current Crop Vs. Past Crop
As coffee ages, it will lose sweetness and acidity. It may also taste woody, baggy, or vegetal when roasted. When coffee is available during its proper season, it is considered a “fresh crop” or “current crop.” This is when the coffee is at its peak flavor. However, when coffee is provided outside its normal season, it is considered a “past crop.” The coffee could be drinkable, but you know that the coffee is not at its optimal flavor profile.
As a consumer, understanding coffee seasonality can be very helpful when purchasing coffee throughout the year. Would you want to pay the same price for coffee that is out of season? Sadly, it most likely won’t be indicated as a “past crop” but by educating yourself, you can be a more informed shopper.
Unfortunately, if you can’t taste the difference, it may be wise to find a coffee roaster that is transparent about the coffees they carry. If you are provided with all the pertinent information about the coffee including its harvest, then you can make an informed decision.
Having more information on the crops also means that the quality of the coffee is high and traceability is available. However, when pertinent information about the coffee is not readily available, one must question the quality of the coffee. Is the coffee specialty or commodity? Is the coffee current or past crop? Why is one roaster who carries the same origin much cheaper?
Conclusion
If you familiarize yourself with coffee seasonality and understand what is happening to the coffee, you don’t have to be a Q-Grader to notice the difference when tasting old coffee. As an informed buyer, you can feel confident that you purchased coffee when it tastes its best. If you buy coffee from a reputable roaster, hopefully they share that information with you either via their retailbags or website. If not, you should question your purchase. Know that roasters are bombarded with green coffee sellers all the time and sometimes these sellers are not able to sell all their current green coffeein a given year. As a result, many will sell their past crop green coffee at a significant discount!
If you buy coffee outside of season and enjoy the taste, hopefully, you paid for it at a reduced price knowing the coffee flavor is fading. As a generalization, coffees produced in the northern hemisphere are at their peak from summer into fall. While coffees grown in the southern hemisphere, are at their peak from winter into spring.
Understanding coffee seasonality is important for us here at Weathered Hands. Our goal is always to sell fresh and current crop coffees. We don’t sell past-crop coffees because we choose not to. We try to forecast our coffee purchases for the year so that we sell out completely of coffee and not carry it into the next year of origin availibility. Even though it makes more financial sense to purchase larger volumes, the integrity of the coffee is important to us. This allows us to ensure the coffees we offer are at their peak flavor. In addition, since we pride ourselves in sourcing high-quality coffees from around the world, you can rest assured that the coffees are never out of season.