Specialty green coffee importers since 1917
Partnerships measured in generations
A fourth-generation family-owned and operated green coffee importer supplying specialty roasters across the United States and Canada.
Fresh on the cupping table
Current green coffee offerings
In stock now from 14 origins across Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Browse by origin →
In stock · 3 bagsCosta Rica Tirra Yellow Honey
plum, dark chocolate, lime, cream, strawberry, caramel
In stock · 216 bagsCosta Rica La Pastora
lemon, raisin, chocolate, brown sugar, apple
In stock · 40 bagsIndonesia West Java
green grape, caramel, earthy, walnut, pear, clementine
In stock · 14 bagsIndonesia Flores
walnut, lime, vanilla, orange, pecan, prune, sugar
In stock · 58 bagsKenya Nyeri Hill
grapefruit, macadamia, plum, tomato, vanilla, caramel
In stock · 16 bagsTanzania Mt Kilimanjaro Peaberry
black tea, chocolate, cherry, red grape, prune
In stock · 164 bagsGuatemala Antigua Iglesias
green tea, nectarine, brown sugar, chocolate, grape
Balzac news
Education
How Green Coffee Forward Contracts Work (and Why Roasters Use Them)
Brendan Keane
What goes into a green coffee forward contract, what it protects you from, what storage costs, and the hard questions to ask before you lock a coffee down.
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Origins & ImpactJudging the Global Coffee Awards: From El Salvador to Charleston
Traci Armstrong judged the first Global Coffee Awards World Championship in El Salvador, we...
EducationIn Defense of Decaf: A Pure Love Story in Coffee
Decaf still gets a bad rap. Here's why the stigma is out of date,...
How to buy from us
Request samples
Tell us what you roast and we will send samples of current lots to cup in your own lab.
+ Request samplesOpen an account
One application through DocuSign sets up your account, terms and shipping. For roasting and resale businesses with a tax ID and resale license.
+ Open an accountPlace your order
Order through your sales rep or the Customer Portal, spot or forward, from a single bag to a full container.
+ Purchase types and terms
Our longest relationships are with farms. Some have sold to us for decades, across more than one generation on both sides. For you that means the same coffees come back harvest after harvest, from people who know how we grade and what our roasters expect. That is what we work toward on both ends of the chain: repeatable, long-term and good for everyone in it.
+ Learn about our approach
Who we are, what we take on
Partners from the farm to your roastery
Quality control, start to finishOur Q Graders cup every lot before it ships and again when it lands in Charleston, graded to SCA standards.How we cup →
Everything between the mill and our warehouseWe pay the farm, book the vessel, clear customs and FDA, and sort out delays and damaged bags along the way. If something goes wrong, it is our problem, not the farm’s or yours.Working with us →
Buy spot, or contract it forwardBuy from the spot menu in our warehouses today, or contract a coffee forward at a set price and draw from it as you need.Spot and forward →
Our Charleston lab
Coffee courses and training
SCA and CQI courses taught in our cupping lab, including the Q Grader course, CVA for Cuppers and Barista Skills, led by our own Q Instructors and Authorized SCA Trainers.
Next course SCA Q Grader Course, November 5 to 10
See coursesFollow along @balzacbros
Origin trips, cupping sessions, new arrivals and courses. Follow us on Instagram