I think this subject has come up a few times before. The consensus was that
aging requires the special climate in the country of origin.
However, I recently roasted a few remnants of coffees about a year old since
purchase. They were stored in the original plastic bag in my house at room
temperature and not subject to any extremes of temperature or humidity. The
first was Columbian Quindio, which acquired a distinct raisin-tobacco flavor
uncharacteristic of any Colombian coffee that I have tasted. This tobacco
flavor was present in two roasts from different roasters and different
profiles, and completely absent in all previous roasts.
But the most amazing result came from Timor Maubesse '02-'03. While some
tobacco was noted in the fresh roasts 6 to 11 months ago, this latest roast
has it as the predominant flavor. What was a good coffee 6 months ago is now
a great coffee.
The other remnants of that 13 months ago purchase did not show any aging
effect. The Timor was bought 11 months ago and there are plenty of other
coffees from that order yet to roast. Maybe others will show an improvement.
While I cannot claim to have "aged" those two coffees, just storing them for
about a year has given them some qualities of aged coffee.
--

Ken, you wrote:
<Snip>
since
<Snip>
The
<Snip>
flavor
<Snip>
Thanks for sharing this info.  Did you notice if these beans roasted evenly?
Were the colors uniform?
I bought some test/calibration beans of ill repute from an online vendor
whose reputation is just as ... ill.  These beans were not from Colombia,
but they have a raisin taste to them and at darker roasts, a tobacco taste
as well.
I know there's a distinction between "properly aged beans" and just
downright old beans, but perhaps the tobacco-raisin is a charecteristic of
not so "fresh" greans?  I've never roasted/drank aged coffee so forgive me
if the answer is a given.
Respectfully,
   Felix

--- Ken Mary  wrote:
<Snip>
 That's kinda interesting... None of my older greens stash seems
to get better with age, and the stuff going on 3 years old I
think I'll moisten a bit a day before roasting. Coffee that's
been aged in parchment on my suppliers' farms does often cup
better to me, though. More body, more "chocolate", more sweet
spots at diferent roast stages. They don't do anything special
except protect it from the weather, and maybe don't need to do
all the laborious turning that one reads about with the aged
Malabar or Indos, because they don't have huge piles of it. Any
defects get more nasty, however, and it's more important than
ever to remove all of them. I'm pretty sure that all aged
coffees are aged in parchment.
 BTW, Ken--do you smoke tobacco? ;o)
  Charlie
=====
Brick Oven Roasting in British Columbia
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakeshttp://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus

<Snip>
Bean color was slightly uneven, but my short 5 minute roasts are often this
way, even with fresh beans.
<Snip>
It seems to be a main character of properly aged coffee. But no doubt Tom or
others have enough experience tasting older/stale beans to chime in here
with an answer.
--

<Snip>
No, never smoked, but I have been around long enough to know the smell of
unburned tobacco.
Please be reminded that only two out of ten coffees "improved", but none of
the others seemed to get worse with the year's storage.
--

Hello,
Received shipment of greens today from sweetmarias ... hooray!!
The latest issue of Tiny Joy (Jan-Feb 04) discusses "Fresh Green Coffee".
Cheers,
   Felix