NEW Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers™ Specialty Coffee Line Launched Nationwide

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Farmer Brothers (NASDAQ: FARM) has launched Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers™, the company’s first specialty line of world-class coffees that are available through its nationwide direct-store-delivery (DSD) network. These carefully selected coffees are coaxed to perfection by seasoned roasters and tested by skilled baristas. The line includes unique single origins as well as traditional coffeehouse favorites. Further, every bag of Artisan Collection coffees comes in innovative, one-way valved packaging to maintain a peak level of freshness and flavor. This unique line is one of the very few sustainably produced coffees sold at this scale through nationwide DSD distribution.

“Our customers are excited, and their response to the Artisan Collection has been beyond our expectations”

As part of Farmer Brothers’ sustainability mission of reducing impact on the environment, these coffees are roasted in a LEED® Silver Certified facility that was built with recycled materials and is operated with industry-leading practices for waste control and energy consumption. What’s more, proceeds from the sale of these coffees support food security projects in Central America coffee communities.

Fourteen new varieties are now available in the Artisan Collection line, and each variety is handcrafted by their Roastmaster in small batches, yielding the most flavorful cup of coffee possible. The majority of the blends are either Rainforest Alliance™ Certified or USDA Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified™. The new portfolio will target “coffee destination” establishments such as upscale restaurants, college campuses, hospitality, gaming channels and, of course, coffeehouses.

“Our customers are excited, and their response to the Artisan Collection has been beyond our expectations,” said Michael Keown, President and CEO, Farmer Brothers. “The Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers™ provides a new level of handcrafted quality, freshness and sustainability with our enhanced world-class specialty coffee capabilities, nationwide reach and a deeper commitment to social responsibility.”

Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers™ offers a range of light, medium and dark roast coffee blends. From the signature 18^th Street Blend™, a call out to where the company’s first coffees were roasted in downtown Los Angeles a century ago, to the creamy and smooth Velvet Roast® Espresso, this new collection offers a flavor profile for all discerning taste buds.

The line-up includes:

18th Street Blend™ (Light Roast): Bright and complex with a toasty finish.
Decaf 18th Street Blend™ (Medium Roast): Caramel sweetness with a chocolate finish.
Breakfast Blend (Light Roast): Green apple crispness with a lingering finish, and is Rainforest Alliance Certified™.
Peak Roast® Espresso (Medium Roast): Balanced with dark chocolate notes, roasty flavor and aroma and is Rainforest Alliance Certified™.
Rift Valley African Blend (Medium Roast): Seasonally available, with notes of lemon, blueberries and brown sugar.
Peru Sunrise Blend (Medium Roast): Seasonally available with milk chocolate, orange peel and floral aroma, and is Organic and Fair Trade Certified.
Lake Toba Indonesian Blend (Medium Roast): Seasonally available with a thick, rich body finished by herbal sweetness.
South Bay Blend™ (Medium Roast): Creamy and round with a spicy lemon flavor.
Portland Coffeehouse® Blend (Medium Roast): Combination of nutmeg, lemon and a long finish that is Organic and Fair Trade Certified™.
Trattoria Blend (Medium Roast): Has bittersweet chocolate and nutty caramel flavor, and is Rainforest Alliance Certified™.
Velvet Roast® Espresso (Dark Roast): Creamy smoothness with a fruity finish and is Organic and Fair Trade Certified™.
Italian Roast (Dark Roast): Contains nutty, spicy and toasty flavors.
French Roast (Dark Roast): Rich, dark and intense and is Organic and Fair Trade Certified™.
Decaf French Roast (Dark Roast): Balanced acidity with a smoky finish, and is Organic and Fair Trade Certified™.

Rainforest Alliance Certified™ ensures compliance of sustainable agricultural and labor practices for coffee producers, including wildlife protection, water conservation, community relations and occupational safety. Certified Organic coffees are grown under a set of environmental best practices, including no artificial fertilizers or pesticides, plenty of native habitat and wide buffer zones. Fair Trade Certified™ guarantees that coffee growers are justly compensated for their efforts, which improves quality of life, empowers communities and encourages environmental preservation.

Stewardship

Farmer Brothers pledges to provide coffee with purpose and authenticity, developing strategies to provide a variety of coffee products without compromising the welfare of future generations. As the company’s mission and through an employee-led social, environmental and economic development program (SEED), Farmer Brothers strives to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, pursue renewable energy options, educate employees and the community, unify stakeholders, affect positive social change and foster creativity.

Striving to ensure responsible and successful coffee productivity, Farmer Brothers supports the World Coffee Research fund, a global non-profit organization committed to protecting and growing the global coffee supply chain, to determine the most strategic way to implement future solutions. The company believes it will be an industry-wide, cross-functional effort in creating a new coffee paradigm.

About Farmer Brothers

Founded in 1912 and currently celebrating its milestone centennial, Farmer Brothers is a manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor of a variety of high quality coffee, tea and culinary products to food service establishments and retailers nationwide. The company distributes its products through its direct-store-delivery network of 117 branches located across the country, and in third-party distribution partnerships as directed by its larger customers. Farmer Brothers products can be enjoyed in restaurants, hotels, casinos, healthcare facilities, convenience stores and other food service operations, in addition to grocery retailers across the country. The company’s primary brands include Farmer Brothers®, Superior®, Metropolitan®, Sierra Tea®, Cain’s® and McGarvey®.

For more information, visit: www.FarmerBros.com. Follow Farmer Brothers on Facebook and Twitter.