Mark Pendergrast’s wrote a full-page article in the November 30 issue of Wine Spectator entitled “George Howell’s Quest” where he highlights Terroir Coffee’s revolutionary measures to change the way green coffee is stored and shipped. He concludes the following: “Howell is convinced that it is all worth it. He set up a cupping session for me to demonstrate the effect of storage methods on La Minita beans: 2004 beans stored in jute bags; 2004 frozen beans; 2006 frozen beans; and 2006 roasted beans allowed to go stale for a few weeks. Every roaster should make this comparison. The results were clear-cut and startling.

"The brews made from the frozen beans sparkled with the famed bright acidity and flavor notes, which Howell characterizes as 'maple syrup, nuts and a hint of peaches.' The 2-year-old beans in jute bags had lost all of those qualities. The aromatic oils had evaporated, and a substance called lignin in the cell walls had hardened, producing a woody, carbonized flavor. The jute-kept coffee tasted as bad as the deliberately staled cup.

"Howell convinced me that he is on to something. Perhaps in the future, coffee lovers will not have to rely only on their memories of that wonderful year for Tegus. They will still be able to savor the flavor, thanks to the deep freeze."