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Nepal stands up to the world's best coffees
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NEPALASE COFFEE
LEKALI ESTATE & LEKALI PURBAT

We met Nema Tenzing of Nepal's Lekali Estate and were immediately impressed - at first more by him than by his coffee. Tenzing was doing all the right things, fighting to create specialty coffee out of an interesting (read: challenging) coffee context. But - back those few years - the quality just wasn't there.  Fast forward to 2016, and get ready to cup some remarkable and unique cups, from a place that is not even listed as a coffee exporting country by the ICO!

Commercial cultivation of coffee in Nepal only began in the 80's as a secondary cash crop behind tea. This is interesting, because farm-gate prices here are as high as the Himalayas.  Think Kona or Blue Mountain. The high cost of production is due to expensive logistics and, mostly, inflation, which contribute more to the price than brand name. 

After a few years of consecutive quality improvement Tenzing's work was interrupted by a series of earthquakes which struck in 2015. Every house (~40 residences) in Lekali was destroyed (read more: here).  For a time, all the residents were housed in Tenzing's coffee storage facility (see cover photo) - until that too was damaged in an aftershock.  

Now that we are past the disaster and immediate recovery, Tenzing is working towards sustainable long-term solutions for the community. Yes, that's coffee - and what they need to grow are more consistent buyers. We'll be a part of that effort, and hope that a few of you will be there with us.  

There's very limited production, but, folks, it's goooood.  We are recommending 2 lots: Lekali Estate itself produced 40 bags (30kg each), and three neighboring villages came up with 16 bags (30kg each). These coffees are immaculately clean and cupping upward of 86 on our tables in New York.  
 
Like availability, sample service will be very limited. We were given a generous pre-ship sample, but only have enough to sample out to ten (10) roasters. If you aren't looking to take on a new year-over-year relationship right now that's okay - we hope to add a few bags to our Spot menu if they don't sell out completely. But for those of you looking to get more involved know that we are taking pre-orders. Samples will be roasted and sent same day; once approved coffee is expected to arrive in 4-6 weeks via air freight.  

If you are interested please email me: jake@croptocup.com. 
NEPAL LEKALI ESTATE 

Elevation:  4900 ft 
Harvest Cycle: Feb - April
Traceable to: Single Estate 
Total Produced: 1200 KG
Lot Separation: Sc 15+
Varietals: Bourbon, Caturra
Washing Method: Fully Washed
Drying Method: Raised beds
 
CUPPING SCORES / TASTING NOTES 

Aroma: Blackberry, candied yam
Cup:  Cocoa, tea, ginger, carrot, blackberry, big body
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OFFERS FOB NJ, Continental Terminals
Final price TBD based on air freight, estimated $9.75 - $10.00 landed
(order samples
 
NEPAL LEKALI PURBAT

Elevation: 4900 ft 
Harvest Cycle: Feb - April 
Traceable to: Rugdi and Chuwa Villages
Total Produced: 480 KG
Lot Separation: Sc 15+
Varietals: Bourbon, Caturra, Typica
Washing Method: Fully Washed
Drying Method: Raised beds
 
CUPPING SCORES / TASTING NOTES 

Aroma: Green peppers, green apple 
Cup:  Rich squash and papaya, bright tomato,  green apple acidity, butterscotch sweetness. 
--
OFFERS FOB NJ, Continental Terminals
Final price TBD based on air freight, estimated $9.75 - $10.00 landed
(order samples
 
Good coffee comes from good people. We believe that the farmer, exporter, importer, roaster and barista - everyone adds value to the final experience. We believe that the best way to get the best coffee is to invest in the people who help to make coffee special. We believe in the power of relationships. We believe that coffee builds relationships, and that these relationships give meaning to the trade that connects us. We believe that this connection can serve to educate your customers and engage your staff. We believe that roasters and farmers both want the same things out of their coffee, and that we all win by being the best customers we can be to the best farmers we can find. Read more about why we do what we do and let us know what you believe. www.croptocup.com/aboutus

- Taylor, Jake, Dan, Ben and Maya