Help splurging on coffee?

No, not slurping. I freely admit I’ve already splurged on coffee this week—see the bag of Portola’s Roney Diaz Villela that just arrived 2 days post-roast below—but with my birthday coming up on 6/6 I’m in the mood to go a little *more* overboard. Would you mind helping?

Idea #1: Underneath my last blog post you might have noticed some brief discussion concerning a Colombian Geisha from Finca Cerro Azul. Ceremony’s Andy Sprenger won the 2012 U.S. Brewers Cup by brewing this coffee using a Beehouse dripper. Interestingly, Bird Rock’s charging much less for what could well be the same lot. I’ve confirmed both are fully washed, at least. Tempting, no? I remember having a great deal of fun with the last batch of Geisha I ordered (Don Pachi; Panama; Sept. 2011).

Idea #2: Aida Batlle's latest coffees are finally starting to appear. For example, Counter Culture bought 4 separate lots of her Finca Los Alpes this year. By the look of the washed version (first to be released), trying all 4 might be pricey! But, hey, I’m worth it! Let’s not forget that Finca Los Alpes has been unavailable outside of Japan for the past 9 years, which adds to the appeal.

Idea #3: Some sort of sampler. I’ve already got a gift certificate for the appropriate amount that I plan to use when the time is right at barismo. Dogwood offers a pair of them. Who am I missing? I suppose subscriptions *almost* fit the bill here, but I like to work with more than one coffee at a time.

Despite the fact that I’m leaning toward #1, your input is much-appreciated and could very well sway me. I’m all ears, people. Nothing is too outrageous to consider—though let’s stick to coffee and not gear.