Shadow of the Rock Coffee

1. This is a "Single Estate" coffee, and much more likely to be FREE of Mold. Why is that? A BLEND can feature coffee from 2-3 different regions in the world and the coffee from each given region is purchased from a mill or Co-op, where local farmers' crops have been mixed together. So your package containing a coffee Blend might have coffee from a dozen or more farmers! If some of those farmers were not careful with the handling processes of the fresh coffee fruit/seeds, essentially you will have a package tainted with mycotoxin residues. Coffee Purists seek coffee from a single farm - particularly if it's sold by someone who can vouch for the farmer himself. Dorie has personally picked coffee on her brother’s farm!

2. This is farmed by Jesse, who is a long term, self-supported missionary pastor in Nicaragua. He and his wife have five children. Jesse’s sister, Dorie, oversees the import, roasting, and sales in the USA, so this is a "Direct-Source" and Family-oriented product! 

3. This coffee is Organically Grown, (although not certified organic due to costs that are prohibitive for a small scale farmer,) and also it is harvested only when Fully Ripe -- both of these being labor-intensive. (If you've ever paid a premium price for a certified organic tomato, then discovered it was green and flavorless inside, you understand that the organic sticker does not guarantee freshness, flavor, or high nutrients.) So this could be termed "Beyond Organic".

4. This coffee is shade-grown in volcanic, mountainside soil. Shaded coffee slopes free of toxic sprays support 95% more biodiversity in Nature than vast coffee plantations do. Sun-grown coffee, however, is among the top crops worldwide that receive the most chemical treatments!

5. Jesse goes to the extra expense of shade drying his coffee before export (versus the more rapid sun drying) - this better preserves the flavor and nutrients of the coffee beans. He also pays for multiple, professional cleaning & grading processes to ensure a premium export.

6. Jesse's coffee has his own Farm ID on every package. Three digits represent his country; 3 digits identify the company that did the computerized sorting of the raw coffee & prepared his documents for export; and 3 digits trace to his own farm. This is uncommon in the coffee merchandising world. Although a few brands have a code or QR, that typically only traces back to a community Co-op, not to a small family farm!

7. Here in the USA, Dorie Brubaker arranges for raw coffee beans to be freshly infrared-roasted in small batches twice monthly. (Did you know that grocery store coffee can be 12 to 22 months past its Roast Date?) Since a Medium Roast is ideal for coffee grown in Central America, that is our Signature Roast. 

8. We stay clear of synthetic added flavorings -- clean, high-quality coffee does not need those to mask an “off taste” in the beans! Each roast is sealed in high quality foil packages containing 16 oz - not the typical 12 oz - which is significant when comparing prices!

DID YOU KNOW

Testing has revealed evidence of mold in many mass-produced coffees.

Non-organic, sun-grown coffee is among the top crops worldwide that receive the most chemical fertilizers & sprays.

A Certified Organic stamp is only as honest as the multiple farmers that grew those beans inside that coffee package.

A Fair Trade stamp on a coffee bag doesn't mean that the farmers received a living wage.