The Royal Blog

Explore July 2025 Crown Jewel coffee arrivals from Sumatra, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and more. Bold flavors, innovative processing, and standout producers.

Editor’s Note August 20th: Brazil: A 50% tariff on green coffee takes effect August 6, with no exemption granted. The increase is tied to recent political tensions and was confirmed by Commerce Secretary Lutnick, who also stated no extension will be offered. Indonesia: Officially at 19% for vessels loaded after August 6. Nicaragua: Now officially set at 18%, aligning with the […]

Article Summary: Green coffee has traveled a long and complex global path from its origins in Africa to modern supply chains linking farmers to roasters worldwide. History: Arabica originated in Ethiopia and South Sudan before spreading to Yemen, where commercial cultivation began in the 15th century. From there, Dutch and French colonizers carried coffee across […]

Article Summary: Coffee is safe to drink and not a meaningful source of mycotoxins. While molds can occur in agricultural products, roasting significantly reduces ochratoxin A (OTA) to levels well below global safety standards. Industry-wide efforts led by the ICO and UN since 2001 have further minimized OTA presence in coffee. Consumers can reduce risk […]

Article Summary: Fermentation is the key process shaping coffee flavor. Traditional natural and washed methods rely on microbial activity. Naturals ferment in the whole cherry, creating fruit-forward flavors, while washed coffees ferment after depulping for cleaner, brighter profiles. Poorly managed fermentation can lead to the sensory defect known as “ferment,” marked by sour or rotten […]

Article Summary: Royal Coffee will host its Second Annual Development Stage Symposium on September 12–13, 2025, at The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room in Oakland, CA. This multi-day event brings together innovators from across the coffee industry and beyond. The 2025 theme centers on the future of specialty coffee, blending utopian envisioning, ancestral […]

Article Summary: Royal Coffee’s study examines how green coffee storage conditions and moisture levels affect green coffee’s quality and flavor over time. Two coffees, a high-moisture Sumatra (15%) and a low-moisture Bolivia (8.7%), were stored in jute and Ziploc packaging under stable conditions. Results showed that coffees respond rapidly to environmental humidity: Sumatran coffee dried […]

This is a simplified version of an eBook and booklet published by Royal Coffee. Prefer to download a pdf or read the full eBook online as a flip book? Go for it! Portions of this booklet are adapted from Green Coffee: A Guide for Roasters and Buyers, available at roastmagazine.com/greencoffee. Excerpts throughout used with permission. […]

By Evan Gilman, Creative Director, Indonesia Green Buying Team, CQI Arabica Quality Evaluation Instructor Article Summary: Royal Coffee’s Evan Gilman reflects on the abrupt handover of the Coffee Quality Institute’s (CQI) Quality Evaluation program to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), a decision made without stakeholder consultation that left many instructors and Q Graders blindsided and […]