Green Mountain Coffee Roasters introduces rare

17/02/06 Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. has launched the first in a new line of extremely rare, exquisite coffees designated as "Special Reserve."

Special Reserve coffees are handcrafted, artfully roasted, and limited in supply. They are created from the best offerings of small family farms and remote estates. Because they are among the rarest in the world, these special finds will be available through the company's website approximately every other month. They will sell for $17.95 for a 10-12 oz. bag.

The Special Reserve line debuts with a coffee from Rwanda, a country that is generating considerable buzz in the coffee industry. Rwanda has the perfect mix of soil, altitude and rainfall to create great coffee, but until recently, the genocide and political unrest have made it almost impossible to get it to market.

Rwanda-Karaba Bourbon is an intriguing discovery that pairs classic East African attributes with unexpected depth and body. Lindsey Bolger, Director of Coffee Sourcing and Relationships at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, had the unprecedented opportunity to taste samples of every production day at the KOAKAKA Cooperative in Karaba, Rwanda. She identified 11 days that displayed the cooperative's finest work, and set aside coffee produced on those days to create Green Mountain Coffee Roasters' first Special Reserve.

Rwanda-Karaba Bourbon is intensely fragrant, with lush cherry, voluptuous chocolate, and sweet brown sugar notes. Lindsey says the coffee's unique taste is the result of meticulous processing. "I've seen hundreds of coffee producing operations," she said, "and I've never seen one with such exacting standards."

Special Reserve coffees exemplify the Green Mountain experience, both in the quality of the coffee, and in the quality of the company's relationship with farmers. The beans we select for Special Reserve coffees may be recent winners of the prestigious "Cup of Excellence" competitions, or the result of a record-high bid at auction. In every case, they epitomize the company's unique approach to sourcing and worldwide search for coffees with unsurpassed aromas and exceptional flavor profiles.