“Oh, Christmas isn't just a day. It's a frame of mind.". Kris Kringle (Miracle on 34th Street)
mycuppa December 2022 Newsletter
So we have a few items to mention this month.
AusPost parcel shipments to Western Australia have been suspended due to flooding damage to infrastructure since late November.
AusPost declared force majeure on regular parcel service into WA.
Air-based Express is still available, but it's costly and heavily congested, and we are trialling a faster air service.
The temporary suspension will remain until around Xmas, subject to weather conditions and track/road repairs.
We are monitoring the situation daily. To read the story of what's happened, please see below.
Secret Label is a special treat of honeycomb, caramel and chocolate.
As a black, it's fantastic and took us completely by surprise. In milk, its syrupy goodness shines through brilliantly.
With the body of a Sumo wrestler, this Secret Label coffee has some perfect form in the cup.
Grab an early gift by checking out our exclusive subscriber-only offer. Get in quick; it's only going to last 24 hours.
Strange Attraction is a story about how our new Sulawesi Kalossi coffee has become our current BCF (best coffee fave).
It's seriously delicious, and our only disappointment has been an inability to find the words to describe how much we love it.
Xmas trading hours appear at the bottom of the newsletter, so please scroll down and get the info on what's open and closed.
From the mycuppa team, we say a big "Thank You" for loyalty and support throughout the year.
Wishing you the merriest of Christmas, stay safe and enjoy the particular season with those you love.
Secret Label
We had no idea of it's sheer performance as a black coffee. It's amazing black and in milk it's silky smooth.
Honeycomb, fudge, caramel and milk chocolate with a hint of berry twist.
We think it's somewhere between a Violet Crumble and a Crunchie bar.
Super rounded body. Deliciously sweet in milk and that trademark long finish.
WA Regular Shipping is temporarily suspended
Unfortunately, we have temporarily suspended regular parcel shipments into Western Australia during the last fortnight.
Our shipping partners have withdrawn or temporarily amended land-based interstate WA parcel services with rail and road infrastructure linking WA suffering from flood damage.
Most parcel freight is transported by rail to WA.
All shippers use this method to move parcels and other small and medium cargo. Rail is far more efficient, cheaper and faster than trucking. Trains can get shipment to WA in almost half the time of trucks as the trains can run 24/7.
In 2018, we sent a 20-foot container to Perth, and it arrived in under three days - rail is impressive.
After many train derailments over the last few weeks, the National Rail Link implemented emergency stoppages for repairs and safety concerns.
AusPost has declared force majeure on the regular parcel service.
In its place is a basic, temporary emergency service with minimal capacity. It also comes with a 40% surcharge and far longer, unknown transit time frames of up to 1 month. As you can see, that's incompatible with fresh roasted coffee.
There are enormous gridlocks for cargo moving across to the west as most of the truck capacity has been exhausted, with freight companies scrambling for slots.
At this stage, the temporary suspension of WA regular parcel services may last until Xmas. We are keeping a careful eye on and ramping up another air-based service.
Ironically, with the peak freight season and the vast online sales events over the last fortnight, it could not have come at a worse time.
Air freight remains the only realistic and practical option, albeit very expensive.
But as you can guess, Air freight (express) also feels the pressure of congestion as retailers scramble to get items across to WA by diverting land freight to air. It's not going to cope, or it's not managing.
Unfortunately for our WA customers, this is not good news and effectively isolated WA from Eastern cargo via land-based transport and imposes significant delays.
Allegedly, stories of truck companies asking $50K one-way for transport into WA are circulating– talk about surge pricing!
Some retailers may not care and, just unquestioningly, ignorantly lodge parcel freight for WA – we think that would be irresponsible as there is no hope of goods arriving promptly.
They will undoubtedly feel the pain of the 40% surcharge when it hits their invoices at the end of the month.
Our Account Executives from the shippers are telling us to stop sending into WA for the short term until this significant problem with capacity and flow starts to ease or to use Air Freight.
Strange Attraction
Sometimes it's not always the sweetest or fruitiest coffee that wins a top place in your heart.
Over the last couple of weeks we have been drinking a new Sulawesi Kalossi as the capable replacement for our beloved Sumatra Blue Bianca.
What took me by surprise - never had I thought my preference would shift towards those earthy, rich and savoury notes, alas I'm hooked on the Sulawesi.
Despite Blue Bianca achieving lofty cup scores in the theoretical game of coffee elitism, it's this humble and unassuming Sulawesi that has provided us with a whole lot of fun. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable coffees tasted all year.
So how can an 83+ coffee slay a 90+ point rock-star ?
Well, it's not so easy to explain and only need look at the incredibly popular and fanatical cult devotion of Monsoon Malabar for a perfect antithesis to the ways in which the global coffee industry bestow greatness upon lots exhibiting clean, sweet and fruity like it's the holy grail of coffee.
Clearly, rustic and savoury can beat clean, sweet and fruity. It's horses for courses when it comes to coffees. Not every drinker wants tropical fruit salad in their cup.
There is a "moorish" element in the Sulawesi cup that is hard to capture in descriptors other than putting it down to a vague "rustic and savoury".
So it's not surprising Indonesian coffees have that certain "X-factor" ability to keep you "hooked" and this new Sulawesi has those rare and elusive X-factors in spades.
Wet hulling is unique and also a highly risky processing method, often leading to ferment taint. But when the stars align, it's magical and utterly delicious.
Sulawesi heralds a welcome return to a forgotten era in classic coffee flavours.
Full of surprises at every corner, there's a chewy, intense flavour stamp of dark fruits contrasting with sweet acids that make this cup interesting enough to keep you coming back for more.
Oh, and did we mention there's a lovely rich and rewarding finish, especially in milk or dairy alternatives.
Sulawesi packs an enigma-like discovery of new and attractive flavours that dance upon your palate with a jester-like swagger.
We think this humble and unassuming Sulawesi will end up as a "classic".
With only limited amount available, once it's gone, there will be no more.
This folks was a one-time special order - it's been 5 years since we had our last Sulawesi lot.
A true coffee bucket list experience. Rare and exotic, Sulawesi is a special treat.
Get on it here - Sulawesi Kalossi
Xmas Trading Hours 2022/2023
Running an online business requires an ongoing 24/7 commitment and we take a couple of days off each year around Xmas to rest and recharge.
Closing at midday 23rd December 2022.
Restarting on 29th December 2022.
mycuppa.com.au remains open for accepting orders throughout the Xmas and New Year public holidays.
Orders placed after midday 23/12/22 will be roasted and shipped from the morning of 29/12/22 on a FIFO basis with Express shipping given priority as per our normal practice.
We remind our customers that public holiday periods impose enormous strain and congestion upon shipping performance nationally. Transit times for arrival may be longer due to less resources available to process and deliver parcels.
Please plan ahead.
