Author Archive: Ron Walters
Ron Walters, co-founder of Coffee Review, manages business operations, including CoffeeReview.com, marketing, and social media. He conceived of and helped pioneer the development of 100-point reviews in the specialty coffee industry. For the past twenty years, he has been engaged in strategy, marketing, and management of specialty food and beverage businesses.
Top 30 Kicks Off November 23
On Friday, November 23, Coffee Review will begin revealing its list of the Top 30 Coffees of 2018. Samples received after November 9 will not be eligible for consideration in the Top 30 Coffees of 2018. As we have done for the past five years, our editors will rank the most exciting coffees from the thousands we cupped […]
Top Value Coffees of 2017
Some readers seek coffees with the highest scores. Others look for great value. What if you want both? The coffees below were singled out on our 2017 list of Top Coffees by Category as the best value in 2017. As December 15, 2017, all six of these fine coffees are available for sale on the […]
Shop the Top 30
Coffee Review‘s mission is to help consumers identify and purchase superior quality coffees and, in the process, help drive demand and increase prices to reward farmers and roasters who invest time, passion, and capital in producing high quality coffee beans. Many of our readers seek out highly rated coffees for their own enjoyment or as […]
Top Coffees by Category – 2017
In the past, our Top 30 Coffees lists tended to favor high-scoring coffees produced from botanical varieties of Arabica with striking sensory properties such as Geshas, coffees from the distinctive traditional Ethiopian varieties, Kenyan coffees, and so on. In 2015, we began the practice of recognizing coffees by category to focus attention on fine coffees […]
Reader Survey Complete
In late December 2016 and early January 2017, nearly 600 Coffee Review readers completed a survey about their coffee preferences and habits. One lucky survey participant, Skip K, was randomly chosen as the winner of our January 15 drawing for $250. Congratulations, Skip! We are compiling and analyzing the survey results and will share them […]
Category Rankings – 2016
In the past, our Top 30 Coffees lists tended to favor high-scoring coffees produced from botanical varieties of Arabica with striking sensory properties such as Geshas, coffees from the distinctive traditional Ethiopian varieties, Kenyan coffees, and so on. Last year, we began the practice of recognizing coffees by category to focus attention on fine coffees […]
One Million Readers Strong
When Coffee Review launched the world’s first-ever 100-point coffee ratings in February 1997, we posted them on the Internet, a novel idea at the time. We didn’t bother emailing a newsletter because, well, most of our potential readers didn’t have email addresses. To make sure a least a handful of people read those early tasting reports […]
Category Rankings
Over the past couple years, Coffee Review’s annual “Top 30” ranking of the year’s most noteworthy coffees has attracted considerable attention. As many readers have noted, our rankings tended to favor high-scoring coffees produced from botanical varieties of Arabica with striking sensory properties: coffees of the Gesha/Geisha variety, coffees from the distinctive traditional Ethiopian varieties, […]
Best Value Coffees in Top 30
Our list of the Top 30 coffees of the year recognizes the skill and hard work of the growers and roasters who produce these fine coffees. However, as a consumer, it’s only an academic exercise unless you can actually buy and enjoy the coffees on the list. And, the coffees on the list are often […]
Expanded Rankings in 2015
Our annual “Top 30” ranking of the thirty most noteworthy coffees of the year has attracted considerable attention over the past two years. As several readers have pointed out, however, our rankings have tended to favor high-scoring coffees produced from botanical varieties of Arabica with striking sensory properties: coffees of the Gesha/Geisha variety, coffees from […]
Peet’s Buys Stake in Intelligentsia
On the heels of its acquisition of Portland’s Stumptown Coffee Roasters, California-based Peet’s Coffee & Tea has bought a majority stake in Intelligentsia Coffee. Read more coverage at Fortune.com. Coffee Review has rated 40 Intelligentsia coffees over the years, starting with their famous Black Cat Blend in way back in 1998. The average rating for […]
Crimson Cup, Propeller Named Roasters of the Year
Crimson Cup Coffee and Propeller Coffee Co. were awarded Roaster of the Year honors by Roast magazine, an industry publication for coffee roasters. According to Roast, Roaster of the Year awards “recognize companies that roast coffees of superior quality, exemplify a dedication to sustainability, promote employee and community education, and demonstrate a strong commitment to […]
Zimbabwe Coffee: Once Flourishing, Now Rare
We just rated a sample from Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) for the first time since 2008. The Zimbabwe AAA from New Year’s Gift Estate from Green Dragon Coffee earned a respectable 88 points (see review). In the early years of Coffee Review, coffees from Zimbabwe were certainly not common but they were not unheard of either. […]
Peet’s Acquires Stumptown
According to Business Wire, Peet’s Coffee & Tea and Stumptown Coffee Roasters have announced an agreement in which Peet’s will acquire ownership of Stumptown from its existing shareholders, which include majority-owner TSG Consumer Partners LLC. Stumptown, founded in Portland, Oregon in 1999, will continue to operate independently while having full access to Peet’s resources and […]
Latte Art Goes High Tech
Creative baristas will often add some flair to cappuccinos or lattes by cleverly pouring the milk in a way that leaves an appealing design on the surface of the drink. In fact, this simple gesture has become the artistic focus of competitions such as the World Latte Art Championship. Latte art is now going high […]
Blue Bottle to End Wholesale
James Freeman, the founder of Blue Bottle Coffee (website | reviews ), announced that the company will be closing its wholesale business. The company we will wind down their wholesale division in the coming months to concentrate on Blue Bottle’s retail cafés and Blue Bottle at Home. On the company’s blog, Freeman shared a personal […]
Americans Spending More on Coffee
A recent report by Reuters drew attention to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report that the consumption of coffee in 2015/16 will decrease over current levels. According to the report, U.S. coffee consumption will drop by about 1 percent. The United States is the only country among the top eight coffee-consuming nations that will show […]
Roaster of the Year Competition
Developed to recognize and inspire excellence in roasting, the Roast Magazine Roaster of the Year competition is now in its 12th year. There are two award categories – macro roaster and micro roaster – which are based on company mission, commitment to sustainable practices, commitment to employees and educational practices, coffee quality, commitment to and involvement in […]
June Sample Window Changed
The acceptance window for submissions of samples for the July article “Blends Composed of Two or More Origins” has been postponed to June 20-26. Samples that have already been sent to Coffee Review will be cupped, but any arriving after this Friday, July 6 will need to be resubmitted later in the month. The postponement […]
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Coffee Review launched the first-ever 100-point wine-style coffee ratings in 1997. We strive to help consumers identify and purchase superior quality coffees and, in the process, recognize and reward the farmers and roasters who produce the top-rated coffees that we all prize. Until recently, we relied solely on the generous support of our advertisers to […]
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