Hello friends!
Happy July 29th! It's been exactly a month since the last time I posted an update.
I come to you with good and bad news. I'm now officially taking orders! The price of the box will be $15, and you can order by messaging me on either Instagram (@thoughtfulcoffeenyc) or email (thoughtfulcoffeenyc[at]gmail.com).
Because this is the first release, the supply will be limited. Please place your order early to get in on this first release.
Now for the somewhat bad news -- I couldn't find a dropoff location. But don't fret; I have a solution. Read on to learn more.
Location Update:
You may have noticed that the price is lower than what I quoted in my previous blog post. The reason why it's cheaper is that I was able to cut out some costs by changing how the pickup process will work.
The original goal was to try and find a coffee shop willing to hold my box for you and allow you to pick it up from them. The thing is, getting this partnership was easier said than done. I reached out to over 20 shops, and none responded or were open to being a dropoff location. The rejection rate made me think and wonder why my outreach wasn't working. I then tweaked my message and tried writing additional material (i.e. powerpoint deck!) to try and convince them that there was value in us working together; however, my project was still left without a pickup location.
Then came the realization that maybe I should use my place as a dropoff location while also offering the option to ship to those who aren't open to picking up from my place. This way, there's still a way for them to participate, but at a minor cost.
Having my place as a dropoff location also makes logistics simpler. I can offer more flexibility when people can pick up their box, add to the pickup experience, and remove any transportation (to and from a cafe). Overall it just made more sense to have it like this to start.
How does the whole process look?
If you are interested, you can either DM me on Instagram (@thoughtfulcoffeenyc) or message me through email (thoughtfulcoffeenyc[at]gmail.com).
I'll share where to pick up and the available days/times for pickup, and if they fit your schedule, then we'll move to organize payment.
Once I receive payment, I'll send you the address for pickup.
A few days before pickup, I'll run the roasts. That'll give me some time to QA and package everything together.
The pickup dates will be August 19th, 20th, and 21st with windows from 11 am to 5 pm. I'll pop out of my apartment and meet you outside (my building) to give you the box.
*Bonus, if you like cold brew, let me know, and I'll pack you a cup to-go.
Enjoy! And I welcome all feedback! I'd love to hear what you think of this set of coffees. Which one was your favorite, which one did you hate, etc. It'll be fun to put together and see which coffees everyone liked.
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask.
My thoughts on the coffees:
Ethiopian Guji - Natural:
This is an interesting coffee. Everyone I've given this coffee to either hated it or loved it; there wasn't much of an in-between. But all agreed that this bean is unique in taste.
My take on this is that this bean is it's heavy on the acidity spectrum. So if you like sour fruits (ie raspberries), you'll likely like this bean. This coffee is a bit hard to dial in. I'd suggest grinding finer to start.
Ecuador San Jose De Minas - Experimental Honey:
This was my first time trying a honey-processed bean. To me, this coffee had a strong, thick winey body. I didn't get as much fruit compared to the other two; rather, I got more hints of the darker, richer, and chocolate notes.
Ethiopian Sidama Keramo - Washed:
This bean was the crispest of the three. Its flavors are clean, producing a balanced cup with both body and slight hints of acidity. The Sidama might be your favorite if you aren't big on acidity.
Lastly, I'll note that your experience might differ from mine. It's possible that you don't taste any of the chocolate notes or that you don't find any acidity in the brew. And I think that's okay. What I think you should take from this is expanding your coffee palette and understanding that coffee is very expansive in its flavors.