In the previous edition of Origin Stories we took a look at past crop coffee and learned that there is a strong correlation between how recently harvested are the green beans, and the quality of the brewed cup. In this edition of Origin Stories we are going to delve deeper into the connection between freshness and flavor. Why is fresher better, and how fresh is fresh enough when talking about green coffee?

Perfect Daily Grind recently published an article titled "What is past crop coffee, and how can you use it?" The article makes some revealing statements about green coffee that has been in storage for long periods of time. It recognizes that "generally speaking, coffees “become” past crop when they are still in the hands of exporters and importers" and that past crop coffee "doesn’t have the same complexity and nuance as in-season green coffee."