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6 episodes with typica
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2 episodes with typica
2 episodes with typica
This week we talk about the taper before a race and how it messes with your mind! https://www.getoutinit.events/ - Our website; come check us out and sign up for our newsletter! You'll get bunches of fun freebies and up-to-the-minute info on our Get Out In It sports camps. Find us on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2NpPBc-irzTwu48_1ZSqA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091353277028 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getout_in_it/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GetOutInIt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/GetOutInIt/ Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5X1B1T5K35CzwuMql7i06j?si=87bc3af7f7034f50 Weekly Roast: https://bellabarista.co.uk/products/musette-blend?srsltid=AfmBOoo_TdwZJEvHHBVSx5wsDcVjiJXdTcLvbccZzn7q1lEkAqk0fKRE The Musette blend replicates the coffee roasted and served by our friends James and Rachel from the famous Musette cycling cafe in the Calpe/Denia area of Spain. Origin: Brazil, Colombia Producer: Henrique Sloper, Planadas Community Lot Process: washed & pulped natural Varietal: Catuai, Typica, Caturra, Lempira Certification: Organic
Episode 12: Join Catherine and Stephen as they explore the world of a lesser-known coffee varietal: Typica. Learn what makes it different from Arabica, Bourbon, Robusta, etc., and (most importantly) how to handle it in your roaster. SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: questions@riypod.com LINKS: 1 Kilo Aillio Bullet Coffee Roaster at CCRS Typica Coffees at Coffee Bean Corral: - Bolivia Organic Caranavi - Java Organic Kayumas Taman Dadar World Coffee Research's Typica Page CHECK US OUT HERE: Coffee Bean Corral Website Current Crop Roasting Shop Website Rancher Wholesale Website
On the latest episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, Zachary Carlsen brews BlendIn Coffee Club's Colombia Los Nogales, the winning 2024 US Brewers Cup Championship coffee (which also happens to be their house decaf coffee!) Weihong Zhang of BlendIn Coffee Club in Houston, Texas, your 2024 United States Brewers Cup champion, took top honors in Rancho Cucamonga using a decaf Typica variety from Colombia, with a coffee he serves on bar every day. Pick up a bag of it online or in their cafe year-round. This is exactly what host Jordan Michelman did the evening Zhang was announced the 2024 champion! The decaf underwent a decaffeination process developed by Oscar Hernandez of Finca Los Nogales in Huila, Colombia. After de-pulping, the green coffee is then decaffeinated using, in part, its mucilage, which helps “[avoid] off flavors and [enhance] complexity with floral and fruity notes,” Zhang told Sprudge in an interview with Zac Cadwalader. Sprudge's coverage of the 2024 US Barista Championship in Rancho Cucamonga is presented in partnership with Third Wave Water. Zachary Carlsen replicates the brew process deployed on the Brewers Cup stage as accurately as possible (with a slightly different hand grinder and variety of Hario V60—listen in to find out more). The process is especially interesting due to its use of two water temperatures and a touch of water bypass at the end.
Rebecca is an Award-winning science communicator, director of The Marine Diaries and a strong advocate of ocean conservation and storytelling. We talk about the ocean conservation, marine communications and the importance of impactful stories, and her future work with the Marine Diaries and Beyond. We do cover topics I've touched on before, but I strongly believe everyone has a unique perspective on these topics. You can find out more about Rebecca on LinkdIn and get involved with the Marine Diaries here. Follow the podcast on Instagram / follow me - @george_brynmor on Instagram / Support me on Ko-fi here Coffee feature from Foundation Coffee Country: Timor Leste Region: Atsabe, Eremera Farm: Atsabe Producers & Raimutin Washing Station Variety: Hibrido de Timor, Typica, Moka Altitude: 1400-1600 masl Process: Natural Tasting Notes: Blackcurrant Jam/ Lavendaaa/ Papayaaa Music credits - "Heron Island" by Richard Bentley
Jon is an ecological consultant specialising in reptile and amphibian advice, care and mitigation. He's also a recorder and major figurehead of his local ARG UK group. We talk about the ecosystem importance of reptiles and amphibians, why you should join your local Amphibian and Reptile UK group and the highs and lows of wildlife mitigation fieldwork. You can find out more about Jon on LinkdIn. Follow the podcast on Instagram / follow me - @george_brynmor on Instagram / Support me on Ko-fi here Coffee feature from Moon Roast Country: Peru Region: San Ignacio, Chirinos Farm: San Ignacio Variety: Red & Yellow Caturra, Castillo, Typica, Bourbon Altitude: 1700 MASL Processing Method: Washed Tasting Notes: Orange Sherbet/ Maple Syrup/ Black Grape Music credits - "Heron Island" by Richard Bentley
Você sabia que Pernambuco já foi uma potência na produção de café no Brasil? Mas em um passado nem tão distante as crises no mercado e até mesmo o incentivo governamental praticamente garantiram a erradicação dos cafezais do estado. Garanhuns e Brejão, por exemplo, ainda mantém uma produção centenária. Nos últimos anos os municípios de Taquaritinga do Norte e Triunfo tem se destacado na produção de café, especialmente quando o assunto é café especial. Com a predominância da variedade Arábica Typica, uma das mais antigas, produtores locais têm diversificado a cafeicultura com variedades mais resistente e com maior produtividade. E para debater sobre as dificuldades e desafios de produzir café em nosso estado, o nosso apresentador o barista Alan Cavalcanti do Role do Barista @roledobarista convidou o agrônomo e consultor Álvaro Eugênio para um papo.
今回のRADIO YAMABONは、エチオピアを一緒に旅したロースターに会いに行くシリーズ の4人目となるゲストは大阪・堺にあるカフェELMERS GREEN CAFE 野村啓二郎さん（ノムさん）です！ ノムさんは、元システムエンジニアという経歴の持ち主。 現在は、ELMERS GREEN CAFE や姉妹店である EMBANKMENT COFFEEなど、複数のお店のマネージャーとして活躍されておられます。 そんなノムさんが、体験したエチオピアのコーヒー農園視察についてや、旅で出会った仲間との交流、感じたこと、得たものについて伺いました。 その人の、コーヒーへの携わりかたを聞いていくことで、気づけば仕事観や人生観の話になっていくのが面白いし、なんだかいいな〜と思った今回のインタビュー。コーヒーの広がりの可能性を再確認できるとともに、その広がりには必ず「人」が関わっていることが、その魅力を一層深めているなあ、とノムさんとお話していて感じました。 MOUNT COFEE山本が「めっちゃ楽しかった！」と語るエチオピア旅。 そんな旅で出会ったコーヒーの仲間たちに会いにいくRADIO YAMABONの旅もまた、とても楽しく有意義なトークとなっています。 ぜひ、みなさんも追いかけてくださいねー！ ノムさん、ありがとうございました！ トークのつづきはぜひ広島で！ THANK YOU!!! ノムさん>>> instagram THANK YOU!!! ELMERS GREEN>>>HP ○エチオピア旅メンバーを訪ねるシリーズ BACK NUMBER○ vol1.>>> TYPICA 寺﨑浩一さん vol.2>>>STANDART japan 行武温さん vol.3>>>Gluck Coffee Spot 三木貴文さん
Starbucks is so two thousand and late. If you want some real Boom Boom Pow in your morning cup of joe, you need Boss Brew Coffee - gourmet coffee roasted to order! Check it out at https://bossbrewcoffee.shop/products/mexico Boss Brew Coffee LLC 3104 Town Avenue Unit #301, New Port Richey, Florida 34655, United States Website https://bossbrewcoffee.shop Phone +1-727-992-0971 Email hello@bossbrewcoffee.info
RADIO YAMABON 43回目のゲストはTYPICA の寺﨑浩一さん。TYPICAとは、世界中のコーヒー生産者とロースターが、麻袋1袋からダイレクトトレードすることができるオンラインプラットフォーム。物理的にも遠く、なかなかお互いの顔が見える環境を作りづらいコーヒーの世界で、生産者、ロースター、そしてコーヒーラバーといったすべてのコーヒーに関わる人によって育まれるコミュニティづくりをしているチームです。 寺﨑さん（以下、ヒロさん）は、そんなTYPICAで品質管理（QC）という立場でコミュニティづくりを実践されています。 １月にMOUNT COFFEE 山本が参加した、エチオピアのコーヒー産地視察（「TYPICA LABO」）で、コーディネーターを努めていたのがヒロさんだったということで、今回は、エチオピアぶりの再会でした。 歴史あるそば屋の息子として生まれ、幼いころから「食」の英才教育を受けてきたというヒロさん。素材の味と向き合ったり追求することが自然と生活の中であったそうです。 「食」の世界の中でも、お客様を幸せにできるパティシエの道へ。そして出会ったカカオやコーヒーの魅力に惹き込まれるようになり、より、シンプルにお客さまとのコミュニケーションを楽しむことのできる「コーヒー」のカルチャーに導かれていったそうです。 ヒロさんならではのアプローチでたどり着いたコーヒーの世界。そして、見えてきたコーヒーの現状や課題、そしてエチオピアの旅。 少しずつ、少しずつコーヒーの川上へと上がっていくことを目指すヒロさんが、今感じていること、そして未来に向けて目指していること。 今回は、貴重な東京滞在なので、欲張って2時間にわたり、お話しちゃいました。 広い広いコーヒーの世界の、これもまた一つのストーリー。 ぜひ、ヒロさんの目にうつるコーヒーの景色、 RADIO YAMABONを通じて 楽しんでくださーい！
What happens when a real estate investment goes sideways? An international business was impacted—Panama coffee farms. The pandemic disrupted coffee supply chains and labor. Erratic weather affected crop yields. It's been about four years since we've discussed this on the show. The Panamanian government shut down many businesses. There was little or no government assistance for idled workers. The co-founder explains Panama coffee problems and opportunities. Learn why the coffee parcel deed issuance has been slow for investors. There's a new distribution partner going forward, named Typica. They help sell the coffee. This is all high-end, specialty coffee, like the geisha variety. Coffee farm parcels are in the volcanic soil highlands of western Panama, near Boquete. It's shade-grown. The provider has acquired their 12th coffee farm. If you'd like to learn more about the investment, start at GREmarketplace.com/Coffee There are upcoming group tours in March and May. Resources mentioned: Show Notes: www.GetRichEducation.com/431 Learn more about Panama coffee farm investing: GREmarketplace.com/Coffee Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Analyze your RE portfolio at (use code “GRE” for 10% off): MyPropertyStats.com Memphis property that cash flows from Day 1: www.MidSouthHomeBuyers.com I'd be grateful if you search “how to leave an Apple Podcasts review” and do this for the show. Top Properties & Providers: GREmarketplace.com Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free—text ‘GRE' to 66866 Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Keith's personal Instagram: @keithweinhold
With Christmas just around the corner, the premium Guatemala selection from Boss Brew Coffee is the perfect way to please the coffee connoisseur in your life. Go to https://bossbrewcoffee.shop/products/guatemala for more information.
No hay nada como una taza de café para estimular las células del cerebro. Sherlock Holmes Ángel Burgos Barreto, Morelense viviendo en Chiapas. Amante de los buenos cafés acompañado con buenas platicas y personas, divertido por naturaleza. El lo describe es una persona que disfruta tanto de su trabajo que lo podran escuchar en el podcast; conoceremos su sencilles, su disposición para compartir el conocimiento que ha estado adquiriendo, para dar a conocer el café mexicano, así como la importancia de generar espacios de comercialización cada vez más justos. Cooperativa Tzeltal Tzotzil La Cooperativa fue constituida el 19 de Agosto de 1986 con 19 productores, actualmente tiene 262 socias y socios, ellos están ubicados en 25 comunidades pertenecientes a 6 municipios (Pantelhó, Chenalho, San Juan Cancuc, Chalchihuitan, Sitala y Simojovel) en la Región Altos de Chiapas. Esta región se caracteriza por concentrar a la mayor población de pueblos indígenas originarios hablantes de las lenguas Tzeltal y Tzotzil. El objetivo principal de la cooperativa es la comercialización del café, miel y productos artesanales a nivel local e internacional en condiciones justas, como base primordial es la preservación del ecosistema, promoviendo la agricultura ecológica y mejorar la infraestructura local. La organización también se esfuerza por involucrar y promover más a las mujeres en las actividades, por eso actualmente existe un grupo independiente de mujeres que se apoya entre ellas. Uno de los municipios donde se siembra el café es Pantelhó, que lo cruzan tres ríos y cuatro arroyos de caudal permanente, el río Chacté divide al municipio entre las etnias tzeltal y tzotzil la demarcación tiene una temperatura promedio anual es de 15°C a los 1,300 m.s.n.m. La variedad de café que se produce en la zona, es Garnica rojo, Garnica amarillo, Typica y Bourbon. Actualmente la venta de café se ha convertido en una de las actividades primordiales para las cooperativas integradas por pequeños productores mexicanos de origen Tzeltal y Tzotzil. De ahí la importancia de resaltar el trabajo del comercio justo y el cuidado de las plantaciones de café de forma natural, para poder comercializar los granos de café orgánico. Fuente: https://lachiapaneca.es/como-empezamos-la-cooperativa/ Contacto: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelbuba02/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aburgosbarreto
Lot #13 - Anaerobic in 18-y.o Rum Oak Barrel for 120hr Sidra The Sidra varietal is a new hybrid made from Bourbon and Typica, picking out the best of those two varieties. It takes the sugary aspect and syrupy mouthfeel of a Bourbon and the clarity and bright side of a Typica. Enjoy this fine dessert. Here, I want to take you to my home country: France. You will experience distinct aromas of sweet vanilla pastries and pralines like in a boulangerie followed by a delicate raspberry and floral note of fleur d'oranger (orange blossom). PRODUCER | Ana Maria & Nicolas Eduardo Crespo FARM | Pillcocaja COUNTRY | Ecuador REGION | Azuay VARIETAL | Sidra LOT | #13 / 6kg PROCESS | "INTI" 18-y.o. Rum Oak Barrel Anaerobic for 120 hours DRYING | Slow dry on African beds ELEVATION - 1650-1700 masl HARVEST | October 2021 - February 2022
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Stephen Tribble and Steph Parsons to talk about the basics of coffee varieties. You will learn about the botany of the coffee plant and what the difference is between a variety, varietal, and cultivar. What you learn in this episode will help you to look at the bag, read what the variety, varietal and/or cultivar are, and instantly anticipate what it should taste like. If you understand the varieties better, you can get better at selecting the coffee you want to drink! This topic is discussed across two episodes, and this is the second part - focusing more on the actual varieties themselves and the predicatable taste attributes they lend to your cup of coffee. KEY TAKEAWAYS Understanding what the varieties are will help you to identify the coffees you are likely to enjoy the most. Variety is not the same as varietal. The difference is explained, in the podcast. Cultivars are coffee varieties that are purposely modified. They are plants that have been crossed or cultivated selectively. There are several thousand heirloom coffees that occur naturally, often growing wild - especially in Ethiopia. Thousands of varieties are still not farmed commercially. About 50% of the taste is dependent on the farm. Why that is the case is explained in the podcast. The roaster is responsible for creating 20 to 30% of the taste. Even the shape of the plant has an impact on how the bean grows and, therefore, how it tastes. BEST MOMENTS ‘You´re going to be able to identify and pick a better coffee.' ‘Varieties do make a big difference to what the actual cup tastes like.' ‘The varietal… has to do with the actual tastes associated with the beverage.' VALUABLE RESOURCES Award-winning single-origin specialty coffee: https://umblecoffee.com/ You're disciplined and high achieving. You never settle. Shouldn't the fuel that helps you reach your goals be held to those same standards? Instead of a crash-inducing cup of jo, you need coffee with optimal antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. A coffee so good that you can drink it black. At Umble Coffee, we only roast specialty-grade arabica coffee from around the world with cupping scores 84 and above. Don't sabotage yourself in pursuing your goals - drink coffee that tastes better and is better for you. No crash, great taste, and better long-term health benefits. That's Umble Coffee. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/umblecoffee/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umblecoffee/ Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/umblecoffee ABOUT THE HOST As a coffee lover, physician, chemical engineer, serial entrepreneur, competitive runner, writer, and family man, Kenneth knows what it's like to push yourself to achieve goals very few accomplish. He's one of the best specialty coffee roasters in the United States as he's a multi-year US Coffee Roasters' Competition Finalist. He created Umble Coffee Co with the belief that, if sourced and roasted right, coffee can taste phenomenal and be good for you. “Life's too short to drink bad coffee.” CONTACT METHOD Want to reach Kenneth? Have questions, show ideas, or want to just let us know you're enjoying the show? The best way is to leave us a great review and put your thoughts in the comment section - Kenneth reads all of them! The second-best way is through DM on social media. HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW Enjoying the show?! We'd LOVE for you to leave us a review. It helps us grow and educate more people about coffee! Podcast Description Coffee 101 is an educational show on all things coffee. The host, Kenneth Thomas, starts with the most basic questions about coffee and builds your knowledge from there. If you love coffee, are curious about coffee, or you're a business just looking for a resource to train your team, Coffee 101 is without question the show for you! Season 1 - Coffee's Journey From Seed to Shelf BUY COFFEE!: https://umblecoffee.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tasting notes | Papaya, Citrus fruits, Sugarcane, Sweet Spices We are honored and excited to introduce you to a very special lot from our dear friend at Pillcocaja in Ecuador for the second year in a row. Together, we are pursuing more quality, traceability, and innovation. This is a series of 3 nano-lots from Pillcocaja for anyone who wishes to board a sensorial discovery trip. Lot #2 - Golden Honey Typica Harvested by up to 40 women from the valley, this coffee was pulped and placed directly on the most ventilated African beds in the room, all on a single level to ensure homogeneity of drying. The golden honey process expresses a radiant golden color as it dries and is a representative of Pillcocaja for its intense flavors of tropical fruits from the area. This coffee is an invitation to travel. When you start a new journey, you always have a foot home. Your thoughts, habits, and sweet comfort are still similar, except that you've built up some courage to hit the road. This lot is the perfect introduction to Pillcocaja. The complexity of this coffee is better enjoyed slowly to fully grasp the aromas and flavors as they evolve. This coffee will first remind you of your sweetest childhood memory with sweet baking spices. The first sips will take you to the road with a bright structured acidity supported by mandarin and lemon notes followed by a soft tropical fruit sweetness like papaya. Moving on, you will enjoy the silkiness of the mouthfeel making you want to drink it more. As the day ends and the coffee cools a bit, a rewarding fruity finish complements an increased sweetness from the sugarcane note. https://www.memlicoffee.com/product-page/ecuador-pillcocaja-lot-2-typica-golden-honey
「2050年までにコーヒーの世界生産量が５０％減る予測」 ・気温上昇で世界生産量50％を占めるブラジル、コロンビアが特に危惧されている ・ラテンアメリカ地域では1400万人がコーヒー産業に従事 ・農家の収入アップと環境への配慮が必要 ★TYPICA https://typica.jp/ ★Youtube紹介動画 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9AusNepor8 ★TECH CRUNCH https://jp.techcrunch.com/2021/12/06/typica-coffee-dx/ ★海外スタートアップ攻略（ブログ） https://daijirostartup.com/ ★だいじろうのTwitter（ご意見お待ちしてます！） https://twitter.com/daijirostartup #海外 #スタートアップ #コーヒー #生豆 #コーヒー農家 #地球温暖化 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daijirostartup/message
Tejao is the original name for the town of Huautla de Jimenez: a town in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, which is famous for its coffee, in the north of the La Cañada Region. Traditionally, despite coffee being the main agricultural product of the region, coffee yields have been low and crops have often been sold to the commodity market, however recent investment in the area from projects like Ensambles sees an increased focus on specialty coffee. Coffee in this region is traditionally fully washed and mainly organic, although not certified as such, and the majority of farms feature shade-grown coffee. There is a culture of minimal intervention in this area too, meaning producers tend to refrain from pruning the Typica plants, often resulting in 2-3 metre high coffee trees, as old as 40 years in some cases! Typica is a varietal that often suffers from Coffee Leaf Rust, however, due to the altitude of this region, the coffee crops have not suffered from this. Because of the lower temperatures (particularly overnight) in this region, there is a high level of humidity in the atmosphere. This makes drying coffee a tricky endeavour, meaning that many producers often have to move coffee from outdoor drying patios inside overnight. As a result of this, coffee is often dried to a lower humidity than is usually seen in the surrounding areas: around 11% humidity, compared with the typical 12-13% to ensure longevity. However, these lower temperatures aren't all bad and, when managed effectively, can lead to great things. The colder climate and later harvest than other coffee-growing parts of Mexico means the coffee cherries have a longer, slower maturation period, often resulting in a sweeter, complex cup. We think this coffee showcases this beautifully! Think soft brown sugar and tinned peaches for this coffee. A delicate raspberry joins in on the aftertaste, whilst it's silky texture and great balance keeps you going back for another sip. Country: Mexico Region: La Cañada State: Oaxaca Producers: Ensambles Processing method: Washed Altitude: 1,500–1,900 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Typica CUPPING NOTES Brown sugar, tinned peaches, raspberry. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roast Information Medium Dark - keep it nice and steady, but push the roast through the gap and just up to the first pops of second crack on the drop. This coffee is all about the sweetness and silky body, which needs to get an opportunity to develop.
Partirà il 18 ottobre in Italia l'innovativa piattaforma per la distribuzione e commercializzazione diretta di caffè verde.
コーヒー文化の「今」と「未来」、今後のビジョンについて、「TYPICA」創業者の後藤将さんにお話を伺いました。
コーヒー生豆のDX化を実現した「TYPICA」が提供する"旬を味わう体験"に注目。 コーヒー前のダイレクトトレードを実現した新しいプラットフォームとして、ことし４月にローンチした「TYPICA」。TYPICA創業者の後藤将さんに、この事業を起ち上げたきっかけを教えて頂きました。
これまでなかった「仕組み」を創りあげたプロセス、どんな道のりだったのか、TYPICA創業者の後藤将さんに伺いました。
世界中のコーヒー生産者、ロースター、生活者と・・・、コーヒーを愛するすべての人によって育まれるコミュニティとして日々成長を続ける「TYPICA」ですが、こうした「成長」が持続しているのにはどんな秘密があるのでしょうか？「TYPICA」創業者の後藤将さんにお話を伺いました。
Aside from Ethiopia, Yemen has one of the longest (and we think among the most interesting) histories with coffee production. The region is largely to thank for the global spread of coffee, both as an agricultural product and as a beverage. Yet in recent years it has had a dramatic decline in both the production and, unfortunately, the quality of its coffee, largely due to political and social upheaval. Yemeni coffees were some of the first really different and unusual lots we came across and we were very proud to offer, but because of the difficulties in Yemen we were unable to find any great lots for six years. Then, in 2017, something very special came across our cupping table – a great Yemeni Natural – and this is the fourth crop we've had following on from that. Coffee's discovery in what we now recognize as Ethiopia was the beginning of the story, but it is spice traders and devout Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula who are credited with turning the local crop into an international one. For one thing, the plants themselves made the jump across the Red Sea. They were transplanted for the first time in Yemeni soil in the 17th century as the merchants sought to corner the coffee market, both for their own personal use and for trade with Europe. It was via those trade routes that the beverage spread in popularity, and by the late 1600s, Yemen was the world's coffee powerhouse in every sense. It was a plant from Yemen – probably the Moka variety (so-called after the country's major port, Al Mokha) – that made its way to Java and began the enormous Dutch plantations there, which subsequently fed plants to the rest of the New World. It's among the most dangerous and difficult places in the world to survive – let alone to do business and to help communities. Despite this, we've seen a small, very fragile bloom in the last few years of people doing just that and using coffee as a way to a better future. This lot has come from the traditional coffee production of Yemen - being sold as dried cherries. Traditionally, coffee producers would dry their cherries on the tree and then on their roofs, storing the dried cherries for selling as they needed cash (or in trade for other goods). As time moved on, it became normal for traders to buy these cherries, combine them and sell them on. This meant that finding a great lot was always a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, but finding one from the same producers next year was absolutely impossible. Recently, some enterprising speciality coffee exporters have tried to give Yemeni coffees that traceability and consistency. At the front of this is Qima, who source fresh coffee cherries from farmers and handle the drying of those cherries at one of their special facilities. They've also supported recent research into the coffee plants in Yemen. The results are super interesting and hold a lot of promise for the future, as they have shown that although some of the coffee plants in Yemen are descended from Bourbon and Typica (the plants from which the rest of the world's cultivated arabica comes from), some of Yemen's plants are not related to these at all. This collection of varietals - dubbed Yemenia - is thought to have come as wild Ethiopian arabica into Yemen at some point and then not left. This could offer not only new flavour profiles, but also hope for finding varietals which will handle drought, high temperature and diseases better than their more well-known cousins. Qima have done an amazing job buying fresh cherries, but the production in this way is still a super tiny amount and they're ambitious to make a bigger impact. This has lead to a sister company - Arabica Felix. They combine the traditional method of selling dried coffee cherries with the traceability, expertise and control that the infrastructure on the ground makes possible. This lot, one of theirs, is sourced from 6 communities around Sana'a and Mahwit. The cherries are delivered to the processing centre in Sana'a where they are assessed and sorted, before being matched together into bigger lots. The flavour profile you'll get here is distinctively a “Classic” Yemeni coffee - there's chocolate and dried fruit flavours and full body, but with an unusual spice edge to the finish. We're really excited to see a good example of this unique coffee style again. This is an unusual one - it's rather like a fruit crumble, but what's coming to the fore changes a lot as it cools. It starts of with a big grating of nutmeg. When it's hot, the crumble topping and brown sugar stand out too, but when it's cooled down there's a fruitiness of cooked plums and prune, with a little cinnamon edge coming in. Country: Yemen Region: Sana' a and Mahwit Farm: Various local smallholder farmers Varietals: Tuffahi, Dawairi, Jaadi, and other indigenous wild varietals Collection centre: Sanani-Mahwiti Altitude: 1,700-2,300 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Natural
PRODUCER - Ana Maria & Nicolas Eduardo Crespo FARM - Pillcocaja COUNTRY - Ecuador REGION - Azuay VARIETAL - Typica LOT - #13 / 28 lbs PROCESS - Carbonic Maceration for 96 hours DRYING - 24 days, 50% Shaded African Beds ELEVATION - 1700 masl HARVEST - August 2020 TASTING NOTES - raspberry jam, cherry, white chocolate, grapes https://www.memlicoffee.com/product-page/ecuador-pillcocaja-lot-13-typica-carbonic-maceration
PRODUCER - Ana Maria & Nicolas Eduardo Crespo FARM - Pillcocaja COUNTRY - Ecuador REGION - Azuay VARIETAL - Typica LOT - #4 / 570 lbs PROCESS - Golden Honey DRYING - 20 days, 50% Shaded African Beds ELEVATION - 1700 masl HARVEST - August 2020 TASTING NOTES - Tropical fruits (papaya, banana), Acai berries, Sugar Cane, Chocolate https://www.memlicoffee.com/product-page/ecuador-pillcocaja-lot-4-typica-golden-honey
Seguro has escuchado hablar de Caturra, Typica, Geysha y otras. Esas son variedades del café Arábica. En este episodio hablamos de sus características más importantes. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/cafemaguana/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cafemaguana/support
PRODUCER - Ana Maria & Nicolas Eduardo Crespo FARM - Pillcocaja COUNTRY - Ecuador REGION - Azuay VARIETAL - Typica LOT - #1 / 1652 lbs PROCESS - Fully Washed for 18 hours DRYING - 12 days, 70% Shaded African Beds ELEVATION - 1700 masl HARVEST - August 2020 TASTING NOTES - Nougat, Orange Blossom, Pear
「産地とつながるダイレクトトレード。コーヒー生豆流通のDX「TYPICA」」 山田さんが立ち上げたのが「コーヒー生豆のオンラインマーケット事業」。山田さんは生産地に直接足を運んで生産者とコミュニケーションをとり、品質確認と、生産者の取材や撮影を行います。そうして得た情報は、ティピカのWebサイトに掲載し、日本のロースターはティピカのWebサイトを通して質の高いコーヒー豆を現地の農家から直接仕入れることができます。The post 産地とつながるダイレクトトレード。コーヒー生豆流通のDX「TYPICA」 first appeared on IDEAS FOR GOOD.
In this podcast we talk all about coffee species, varieties and the potential threats to coffee as we know it now. We start with out talking about species, then we move into the history of Typica and Bourbon, some thoughts on genetic diversity, what we think the future of coffee may look like and much more.Disclaimer: Neither Eddy or Spencer are botanists so if you feel something is incorrect, please reach out so we can correct it in the future! LinksCafe Imports Variety TreePink Bourbon StoryTypica/Boubon LineageSCA Botany 101 PodcastTip us or our guests (Type episode # and we will split the tip with the guest)Venmo: @spencer-aidukaitisInstagram@unfilteredcoffeepodcastEmailunfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com
PRODUCER - Ana Maria & Nicolas Eduardo Crespo FARM - Pillcocaja COUNTRY - Ecuador REGION - Azuay VARIETAL - Typica LOT - #4 / 570 lbs PROCESS - Golden Honey DRYING - 20 days, 50% Shaded African Beds ELEVATION - 1700 masl HARVEST - August 2020 TASTING NOTES - Tropical fruits (papaya, banana), Acai berries, Sugar Cane, Chocolate
El Fuerte was named in honour of the 'Fort of Samaipata', which is a unique ruin in Bolivia. El Fuerte de Samaipata (Fort Samaipata), also known simply as 'El Fuerte', is a pre-Columbian archaeological site. It's unique in that it represents the legacies of Inca, Spanish, and Chanè cultures, and it's one of Samaipata's main attractions. Situated in the eastern foothills of the Bolivian Andes, in the Santa Cruz department of Florida province, the archaeological site is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. El Fuerte de Samaipata is not a military fortification. It is generally considered to be a pre-Columbian religious site built by the Chané people, who were a pre-Inca culture of Arawak origin. There are also ruins of an Inca city built near the temple; the city was built during the Inca expansion to the southeast. Both Incas and Chanés suffered several raids from Guarani warriors, who invaded the region from time to time. Eventually, the Guarani warriors conquered the plains and valleys of Santa Cruz and destroyed Samaipata. The Guaranis dominated the region well into the Spanish colonial period. The Spaniards also built a settlement near the temple, and there are remains of buildings of typical Andalusi Arabic architecture. The Spaniards abandoned the settlement and moved to the nearby valley, where the town of Samaipata is currently located. The archaeological site at El Fuerte is unique, and it encompasses buildings of three different cultures: Chanés, Incas, and Spaniards. El Fuerte was a first experiment in developing coffee in a region with excellent characteristics for producing amazing quality coffee (good soil conditions and high altitude), but with traditionally little coffee production and no specialty coffee. After consulting with a specialised agronomist, the region of Agua Rica at the edge of the Amboró National Park – some 20 KM east of Samaipata was chosen as the ideal location. Initially, several different varietals were tried, including Red Bourbon and Yellow and Red Caturra (although nowadays Agricafe, which runs the farm, has ventured into growing other varietals). Caturra and Typica are both traditionally grown in Bolivia and are commonly seen, but alongside other, slightly rarer varietals like Java and Geisha. Although there is little need for trees for shade because the altitude keeps the temperature down, trees were planted to protect the coffee trees from the strong winds that are common in the region. Deciding to go ahead and plant coffee at El Fuerte was something of a risk, but it's one that has undoubtedly paid off. The location has proved to be strategic and the weather is ideal; so much so that a second wet mill has been established at the site, meaning all coffee produced in the Samaipata farms can be processed at El Fuerte. The team at Agricafe have been carefully experimenting at their wet mill with new ways of processing their coffee. This brought us their wonderful Naturals, but now they've turned their attention to their washed coffees! In particular, they've focused on the stage before the freshly picked coffee cherries are depulped, adding an Anaerobic resting phase. This basically means putting the coffee cherries into large, sealed barrels along with water. This can create very unique and distinctive flavours, but using the same attention to detail and careful control of the processes that we see in their Naturals, the Agricafe team monitor and manage the process to get the best out of it. They do this by keeping the temperature low, which keeps the flavours crisp and clean, and by carefully judging the right moment to move the process on and remove the pulp. Juicy pear fills the mouth with the first sip, with a milk chocolate sweetness following on its heels. As it cools, there's a malty but fruity sweetness, rather like malt loaf, before it finishes with a glacé cherry (on top). Country: Bolivia Province: Florida Department: Santa Cruz Farm: El Fuerte Altitude: 1,550–1,700 ;m.a.s.l. Variety: Bourbon Process: Anaerobic Washed Drying: Stationary Dryer (72 hours, 40º temp.) CUPPING NOTES Pear, milk chocolate, malt loaf, glacé cherry. Clean cup (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness (1–8): 6.5 Acidity (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel (1–8): 6 Flavour (1–8): 7 Aftertaste (1–8): 6 Balance (1–8): 7 Overall (1–8): 7 Correction (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 88 Roast Information Medium-dark - reduce the heat during first crack and let them run through to the end of the gap. Drop just before second crack begins.
El Fuerte was named in honour of the 'Fort of Samaipata', which is a unique ruin in Bolivia. El Fuerte de Samaipata (Fort Samaipata), also known simply as 'El Fuerte', is a pre-Columbian archaeological site. It's unique in that it represents the legacies of Inca, Spanish, and Chanè cultures, and it's one of Samaipata's main attractions. Situated in the eastern foothills of the Bolivian Andes, in the Santa Cruz department of Florida province, the archaeological site is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. El Fuerte de Samaipata is not a military fortification. It is generally considered to be a pre-Columbian religious site built by the Chané people, who were a pre-Inca culture of Arawak origin. There are also ruins of an Inca city built near the temple; the city was built during the Inca expansion to the southeast. Both Incas and Chanés suffered several raids from Guarani warriors, who invaded the region from time to time. Eventually, the Guarani warriors conquered the plains and valleys of Santa Cruz and destroyed Samaipata. The Guaranis dominated the region well into the Spanish colonial period. The Spaniards also built a settlement near the temple, and there are remains of buildings of typical Andalusi Arabic architecture. The Spaniards abandoned the settlement and moved to the nearby valley, where the town of Samaipata is currently located. The archaeological site at El Fuerte is unique, and it encompasses buildings of three different cultures: Chanés, Incas, and Spaniards. El Fuerte was a first experiment in developing coffee in a region with excellent characteristics for producing amazing quality coffee (good soil conditions and high altitude), but with traditionally little coffee production and no specialty coffee. After consulting with a specialised agronomist, the region of Agua Rica at the edge of the Amboró National Park – some 20 KM east of Samaipata was chosen as the ideal location. Initially, several different varietals were tried, including Red Bourbon and Yellow and Red Caturra (although nowadays Agricafe, which runs the farm, has ventured into growing other varietals). Caturra and Typica are both traditionally grown in Bolivia and are commonly seen, but alongside other, slightly rarer varietals like Java and Geisha. Although there is little need for trees for shade because the altitude keeps the temperature down, trees were planted to protect the coffee trees from the strong winds that are common in the region. Deciding to go ahead and plant coffee at El Fuerte was something of a risk, but it's one that has undoubtedly paid off. The location has proved to be strategic and the weather is ideal; so much so that a second wet mill has been established at the site, meaning all coffee produced in the Samaipata farms can be processed at El Fuerte. The team at Agricafe have been carefully experimenting at their wet mill with new ways of processing their coffee. This brought us their wonderful Naturals, but now they've turned their attention to their washed coffees! In particular, they've focused on the stage before the freshly picked coffee cherries are depulped, adding an Anaerobic resting phase. This basically means putting the coffee cherries into large, sealed barrels along with water. This can create very unique and distinctive flavours, but using the same attention to detail and careful control of the processes that we see in their Naturals, the Agricafe team monitor and manage the process to get the best out of it. They do this by keeping the temperature low, which keeps the flavours crisp and clean, and by carefully judging the right moment to move the process on and remove the pulp. Juicy pear fills the mouth with the first sip, with a milk chocolate sweetness following on its heels. As it cools, there's a malty but fruity sweetness, rather like malt loaf, before it finishes with a glacé cherry (on top). Country: Bolivia Province: Florida Department: Santa Cruz Farm: El Fuerte Altitude: 1,550–1,700 ;m.a.s.l. Variety: Bourbon Process: Anaerobic Washed Drying: Stationary Dryer (72 hours, 40º temp.) CUPPING NOTES Pear, milk chocolate, malt loaf, glacé cherry. Clean cup (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness (1–8): 6.5 Acidity (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel (1–8): 6 Flavour (1–8): 7 Aftertaste (1–8): 6 Balance (1–8): 7 Overall (1–8): 7 Correction (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 88 Roast Information Medium-dark - reduce the heat during first crack and let them run through to the end of the gap. Drop just before second crack begins.
One of our all-time favourite farms returns once more! We often get asked what our favourite coffee of all time is, but we will never say exactly (although our friends know the true answer). However, we do narrow it to three coffees, and this is one of them. We went to El Salvador on a buying trip in 2008, and were visiting some of the farms that we buy from. We actually arrived the evening of the Cup of Excellence awards, and after the ceremony we were walking around when this guy who seemed very popular came over and introduced himself. He was Ernesto or, as we would come to know him, Neto. He'd just won the Cup of Excellence competition with his 'La Ilusión' farm, the sister farm of 'Alaska'. Alaska is a farm we had bought from via the Cup of Excellence the year before. Ernesto invited us to visit La Ilusión the next day, and it was so great to finally meet someone we had communicated with so many times via email! Neto bought La Ilusión many years ago. The farm has coffee trees averaging 20+ years of age and is growing 95% Bourbon (70% is Red Bourbon and 25% is Orange Bourbon). The remaining 5% is a combination of other varietals, and it's possible to spot some Typica and Kenya trees too. The farm is run using environmentally friendly practices because the farmers are trying to maintain a balance with the surrounding ecosystem, which is part of a natural fauna corridor crucial to migratory and native birds. This is very important for Ernesto because La Ilusión neighbours one of the most important national parks in El Salvador, known as 'Los Andes'. It is nestled on the Santa Ana volcano and delineates his farm with dense pine and cypress forest, which itself provides a special micro-climate for La Ilusión. The 2011 version of this naturally processed lot was used by the 2011 World Barista champion, Alejandro Mendez. He caused a bit of a stir in the World of Barista Championships by using a naturally processed lot in his milk drinks and his signature drink, and then using the washed version as his espresso. He caused such a stir that he won! That year we had roasted the coffee for Alejandro, and it had been grown by Neto. There was a magical moment backstage in which we were stood, polishing glass, with Alejandro and Neto; the grower, roaster and barista all stood together, preparing for the presentation. It's not too often you get such wonderful things happening! Aah, the wonders of barista competition. :) The intense sweetness of strawberry jam runs throughout the coffee. There's a bit of peach too, adding a little complexity, and a shoulder of orange on the finish. Country: El Salvador Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range City: Santa Ana Farm: La Ilusión Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello Altitude: 1,750–1,850 m.a.s.l. Variety: Bourbon Processing system: Natural CUPPING NOTES Strawberry jam, peach, orange Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roasting Information Medium to medium-dark - through first and slow it a little, pushing it towards the second but finishing the roast before second gets going.
Our sourcing partners Beanspire have been working in Doi Pangkhon for 7 years now. Doi Pangkhon, in Chiang Rai, has 300 households, each typically producing about 1-2 tons of parchment. In the past years, Beanspire worked with each house individually on their wet processing and bought their parchment before hulling and grading at our mill. During the 2017-2018 season, there was substantial investment in a new wet mill and is currently being operated by a few trusted partner producers and allows for more control of the coffee processing. In 2018-2019 season, the mill was improved with the addition of a new roof, new pulpers and improved workflows. This harvest season, the mill received a new electricity generator, a cupping lab was built for the farmers, and new concentrate flooring was put down too. This is a natural processed micro lot. Coffee cherries were floated and then laid on bamboo raised beds in a one-inch layer. Under-ripes and fermented cherries were sorted out throughout the drying process and the cherries were raked multiple times each day. After the cherries were dried, they're bagged to cure for two months before milling at the dry mill. All of the villagers belong to Akha Hilltribe and they are very young for coffee farmers, 25-35 years old, mostly. The elevation at Doi Pangkhon is from 1,250-15,00 meters above sea level. This area is 19 degrees north of the equator, which means that this elevation is really high (e.g. Colombia Narino is 1 degree north, Costa Rica Terrazu is 9 degree north so coffee can grow beyond 1,600m there). Coffee cannot grow in Thailand above 1,550m. The varietals here are a mixture of Typica, Catuai, and Chiang Mai (with many unknowns as well). Chiang Mai is a local hybrid that is a cross between SL28 x Caturra x Hibrido de Timor. So it's a catimor variant (like Colombia and Castillo varietals!) that's backcrossed with SL28 in order to improve the cup quality. It's a rust-resistant cultivar that's been developed by the late Thai King as part of his effort to eradicate opium plantation by the hill tribe in the North. In terms of green preparation, the coffee went through a destoner, huller, size grader, density table and ended with hand-sorting. The green passed through density table multiple times. The coffee was shipped coffee in a triple-layered bag, which includes a cotton bag in the outer layer, High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) in the middle layer and Grain Pro in the innermost layer. Boozy Christmas pudding meets sticky toffee pudding right here. There's a hit of fruity booze which reminds me of sherry with a bit of orange peel. That's backed up by a sweet, velvety body with a big toffee sweetness and a sprinkle of raisins. Country: Thailand Region: Doi Pangkhong, Chiang Rai Altitude: 1,250–1,500 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Natural Varietals: Catuai, Typica and Chiang Mai CUPPING NOTES Sherry, orange, toffee, raisins Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87.5 Roasting Information Medium to medium-dark - through first and keep this going steadily towards second, looking for the first pops of second in the cooling tray.
One of our all-time favourite farms returns once again! I was visiting some of the farms we buy from during a buying trip to El Salvador in 2008. I actually arrived on the evening of the Cup of Excellence awards, and after the ceremony I was walking around when this guy who seemed very popular came over to me and introduced himself. He was Ernesto, or Neto, as I would come to know him. He'd just won the Cup of Excellence competition with his 'La Ilusión' farm, which is the sister farm to 'Alaska'. Alaska is a farm we had bought from via the Cup of Excellence the year before. Ernesto invited me to visit La Ilusión the next day, and it was so great to finally meet someone I had communicated with so many times via email! Neto bought La Ilusión many years ago. The farm has coffee trees averaging 20+ years of age and is growing 95% Bourbon (70% is Red Bourbon and 25% is Orange Bourbon). The remaining 5% is a combination of other varietals, and it's possible to spot some Typica and Kenya trees too. The farm is run using environmentally friendly practices because Neto is trying to maintain a balance with the surrounding ecosystem, which is part of a natural fauna corridor crucial to migratory and native birds. This is very important for Ernesto because La Ilusión neighbours one of the most important national parks in El Salvador, known as 'Los Andes'. It is nestled on the Santa Ana volcano and delineates his farm with dense pine and cypress forest, which itself provides a special micro-climate for La Ilusión. The naturally processed version of this coffee was used by the 2011 World Barista champion, Alejandro Mendez. He caused a bit of a stir at the WBC by using a naturally-processed lot in his milk drinks and his signature drink, and then using the washed version (this coffee) as his espresso. It caused such a stir that he won! That year I'd roasted the coffee for Alejandro, and it had been grown by Neto. There was a magical moment backstage in which I was stood, polishing glass, with Alejandro and Neto; the grower, roaster and barista all stood together, preparing for the presentation. It's not too often you get such wonderful things happening! Aah, the wonders of barista competition.
Thailand is not traditionally known as a country that produces specialty coffee, yet it has been producing Arabica coffee since the early '80s. It started off as part of the Thai King's opium eradication project. Because Arabica coffee thrives in conditions similar to those favoured by opium, it was selected as a substitution crop against the cultivation of the illicit plant. Today, Thailand produces about 8,000 tonnes of Arabica coffee, mainly in the mountainous north of the country. On top of that, Thailand produces about ten times as much Robusta coffee, making it the third-largest coffee producer in Asia. Thai specialty coffee is rarely seen in the top specialty roaster segment abroad. Thailand is a middle-income country and has a thriving local coffee market. That means relatively high production costs for a relatively undemanding coffee market. Having said this, a strong specialty coffee segment is emerging. At least on the consumer side, the Third Wave is quite well established, with artisan roasters and cafés in Bangkok and Chang Mai. These roasters have recently begun to develop and buy local coffees too, not least because of import tariffs on foreign coffees. However, this scene is still very small and hardly creates enough incentives for farmers to improve the quality of their coffee to specialty grade – at least for now. So even though they have been doing a great job at pushing the limits of Thai coffee, the specialty coffee scene would be greatly aided with more specialty coffee knowledge and global integration. Our sourcing partners Beanspire have been actively assisting the farming families of Doi Pangkhon to improve the quality of their coffee. For this lot, they specifically worked with two entrepreneurial siblings of the Becheku family from the Akha hilltribe: Ata and Pupae. At 31, Ata is the oldest of the three siblings. His entrepreneurial spirit and leadership is a force for change in his community. Pupae is Ata's 27-year-old sister. She worked in both Korea and Taiwan before returning home to Doi Pangkhon to help her brother produce coffee. Pupae speaks fluent Chinese, and she's a Chinese language teacher at a local school. The young Bechekus are third generation coffee farmers at Doi Pangkhon, and they represent one of the most inspiring aspects of the Thai coffee scene. The future of the entire specialty industry around the world is unclear, because farmers and their children are quitting coffee manufacturing for other more lucrative opportunities. Pupae and other people like her are returning home to work on coffee because they see a bright future in it, and they are farming coffee by choice; not because they lack other opportunities. Doi Pangkhon's coffee farms, at 1,250–1,500 metres above sea level, contain Caturra, Catimor, Bourbon and Typica cultivars. Such a mixture of cultivars allows farmers to mitigate various risks. For example, Bourbon and Typica tend to be weaker plants and sometimes come under attack from leaf rust and other diseases, but they have great cupping potential. Caturra and especially Catimor are more rust resistant and have a higher yield. Due to the famously fragrant soil in the Chang Rai area, even these hybrid varieties are capable of producing complex and delicious coffees, yet they could struggle if grown in different areas. Imagine a Cadbury's Wholenut - lashings of milk chocolate with a hefty sprinkle of hazelnut - and you're pretty much there with this coffee. Now throw in a sprinkle of macadamia nuts too and just a hint of caramel for a super moreish hug in a mug. Country: Thailand Region: Doi Pangkhong, Chiang Rai Altitude: 1,250–1,500 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Black Honey Varietals: Catuai, Typica & Chiang Mai CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, hazelnut, macadamia nut Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 86.5 Roasting Information Medium to Medium Dark - keep pushing it steadily through the gap, looking for the first pops of second as it cools.
Welcome to Recap, a brief overview of recent coffee developments every two weeks from the Specialty Coffee Association, made possible with the support of DaVinci. Special Thanks to Our Sponsor, DaVinciThis episode of Recap is made possible with support from DaVinci. With its heritage in specialty coffee and expertise in trends and menu innovation, DaVinci is the beverage brand of choice for the foodservice professional. Their product range is designed to provide end-to-end solutions and support specialty coffee professionals in their mission to create inspirational beverages. Follow us at DaVinci Europe, DaVinci North America, or using #WeAreDaVinciGourmet. In Episode #15, we covered the rise of the C market price for coffee, largely attributed to the shifting relationship between the US dollar and the Brazilian real. An increase in price was further bolstered across August by concerns over low levels of coffee outputs and exports. But supplies may not be tight for long: Brazil has managed a bumper crop this year despite difficult weather and COVID-19 restrictions. Combined with a weak currency, this has made Brazilian coffee more competitive than washed Arabica from Central America. Bloomberg reports that major traders are preparing to ship Brazilian coffee to warehouses for approval to replenish dwindling coffee stockpiles, at their lowest level since 2000. On Tuesday, September 7, Reuters reported that 855 60 kg bags of Brazilian Arabica were accepted by exchange warehouses in Antwerp, more than doubling the amount of Brazilian coffee in the warehouse in one day. Accepted deliveries of Brazilian coffee to the exchange are rare: Arabica futures are backed by washed coffees, while Brazil produces mostly natural and pulped natural, or “semi-washed,” coffees. However, this season's record crop is of high quality and expected to contain a fair amount of semi-washed coffees, which are more likely to be certified as deliverable. If further shipments are accepted as meeting the requirements of the commodity market, the increase in warehouse supply could destabilize the steady growth of the C market price over the past two months. Qima Coffee, a Yemeni coffee specialist, announced it has discovered a new genetic group of Arabica. In partnership with coffee geneticist Christophe Montagnon, Qima Coffee undertook a multi-year research project that conducted genetic fingerprinting of over 130 Arabica samples across 25,000 sq. km. The new genetic group has been named Yemenia, which can be translated to “the Yemeni mother,” and has been touted as the most significant finding in Arabica coffee since the centuries-old discoveries of the other major Arabica groups Typica, Bourbon, and the SLs. The results of the research project have been submitted for publication to the Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution Journal. Qima Coffee will partner with the Alliance of Coffee Excellence to host a public auction focused entirely on Qima's coffees, with 15 of the 20 lots on offer made up of the newly discovered, high-scoring Yemenia genetic group. The International Coffee Organization, Inter African Coffee Organization, and the Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International have proposed a plan to alleviate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the African coffee sector. The US$14 million dollar plan is designed to improve food security for smallholders suffering from a prolonged period of low coffee prices exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic on infrastructure and markets. Scheduled to take place over three years and across 11 countries, the plan seeks to both boost coffee exports and encourage the addition of other crops for cash and consumption. Supported by the African Union Commission, the proposal has now been submitted to the European Commission for consideration. Flash Coffee, an Indonesian coffee chain that recently made the jump to Thailand, appears to be thriving despite the difficult operating conditions of the pandemic. Seeking to blend a specialty coffee menu with affordable prices and tech, Flash Coffee worked with Thai World Latte Art Champion Arnon Thitiprasert, to build their offering. The company's Managing Director, Pan Leenutaphong, remarked, “if anything, COVID-19 has facilitated our launches, and landlords have been more welcoming to our new concept.” Flash Coffee Thailand launched their first store in May of this year with funding from Rocket International, a Berlin tech incubator. The company plans to use technology to enhance operational performance and to facilitate other core parts of its business. This episode of Recap was made possible with the support of DaVinci. If you want to dive deeper into anything you heard today, check out the links in the description of this episode. Recap will be back in two weeks' time. Thanks for listening.Further Reading: Coffee Struggles for Direction as ICE Prepares Brazil Supply Dump (FXDaily Report) August Marks the Second Consecutive Monthly Rise in Coffee Prices (Global Coffee Report) Brazil is Preparing to Flood the NY Coffee Market with Beans (Bloomberg) Rare Batch of Brazilian Coffee Certified by ICE Exchange (Reuters) Yemenia: The Coffee Discovery of the Century (Qima Coffee) Making Coffee History: Yemenia (Fresh Cup) Qima Auction Brings World's First Offering of Yemenia Coffee Genetic Group (Global Coffee Report) ICO, IACO, and CABI Launch US$14 Million Plan to Improve Food Security for Coffee Farmers in Africa (Daily Coffee News) Building the post-COVID-19 Resilience for Africa's Coffee Sector (Global Coffee Report) This Startup Coffee Chain is Everywhere and Pan Leenutaphong Tells Us All About It (Prestige)
This is our fifth year buying from the folks at Finca Carmela. The 3-hectare farm is owned by Allan Oviedo Rodriguez and his family, along with the neighbouring Finca La Cumbre, and the Don Joel micromill which services the processing needs of both farms (along with occasional small lots for their neighbours when there's space as they've got a good reputation for it). Finca Carmela is located right on the border between the Central and Western Valleys, in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. Situated around 1600 metres above sea level, the farm is just a short 5 minute drive away from their first farm La Cumbre on the other side of the hill. Allan has been producing coffee in the area for 18 years; he grew up in a coffee family and learnt the traditional producing methods alongside his father (Don Joel) and brothers. It was during these early years that he saw the difficulties that came with making a living as a coffee farmer, such as poor returns for what is a very demanding job, and the ever-increasing cost of living. When Allan inherited his first farm La Cumbre (the larger family farm was divided between him and his brothers when Don Joel passed away) he decided to implement changes to improve their lot. During his early years of owning the farm he used to work as a taxi driver in San Jose by night and managing the farm by day to make ends meet. But owning the farm was his dream and he was ardently focused on giving that security to his family. With a mix of willingness to try new things, an eye for detail, and the ability to learn quickly, Allan was able to keep improving his farm. A regular visitor to the wet mill where his coffee was being processed, he took a keen interest in how the processes worked and how the best results could be achieved, which lead him to build his own micromill on La Cumbre, naming it after his father. He began to work on replanting the land with a focus on high-quality cup profile. The varietals he chose to work with were Caturra, Catuai, and Villa Sarchi. Finca Carmela followed when Allan was able to invest in expanding his growing area, and here planted mainly Villa Sarchi and Typica, which he's now been tending for 4 years. Allan employs 2 staff outside harvest season, and staffing during the harvest will depend how good the year is - 7 people in a bad year, up to a maximum of 20 in a really good year. Despite the very short distance between the two farms, they exhibit interestingly different microclimates that impact the way that the coffee thrives. For example, rain may reach one side of the mountain but not the other, strong winds can damage one whilst the other is sheltered. These factors may seem small, but can make a big difference in terms of when the coffee plant goes into flower, how much sun it gets, whether plants get damaged etc and this all adds up. You can see Poás Volcano from La Cumbre, which makes the farm roughly North-East facing, whereas Carmela is more South-East as you can see back towards San Jose. Think about it like planting up your garden at home - south facing? lots of shade? good drainage? Shelter from wind? all of these things are going to have an effect on what sort of plants are happiest living there, and happy plants are the first step towards tasty coffee! Like a lot of Costa Rican producers, Allan's scale is very small. However, he's got an interest in the wider world and wider coffee market which we've only usually seen in producers who are much larger and well-travelled. On his most recent visit, Roland spent the day with him and over a delicious dinner (cooked by his wife) they quizzed him on global coffee trends, new processes and origins, what customers liked and didn't, British politics, roasting… it was wide-ranging! Roland says "I was there with Davian, who works with our exporters. His English is a bit better than my Spanish, but not by a long way, so I can say it was quite a challenge to explain Brexit! (Thank you Google Translate)." Of the people we work with, Allan is situated the closest to Poás Volcano - only 7km away. He had worked incredibly hard building up the farm, taking on Carmela and expanding La Cumbre - then it spewed ash over the area in 2019. It really brings home the risks a producer takes when they invest in their farm. In one swoop, all his plants had leaves hidden by ash and all he could do was hope the rains would come quickly to wash it away. This was further impacted by the 2019 El Niño, where warming reinforced the dry season patterns January through April and reduced rainfall during the rainy season in June through December. All this added up to a very difficult period for production in Costa Rica, but we're pleased to hear that things are much more positive this year and Allan has managed to get a great crop from Carmela. It's milk chocolate and lime all the way here. Super sweet and clean, on the finish there's an unusual delicate hint of mint which I love, before the aftertaste brings sweet caramel and chocolate again. Country: Costa Rica Region: Western Valley Province: Alajuela Nearest City: San Luis de Grecia Farm: Finca Carmela Micromill: Don Joel Producer: Allan Oviedo Rodriguez and family Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Red Honey Varietal: Villa Sarchi CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, lime, mint, caramel Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 87.5 Roast Information: Medium - into the gap at a nice steady pace, but drop it before second gets going.
Coffee production in Bolivia was traditionally concentrated in the region of Los Yungas, where lush sub-tropical vegetation and environmental conditions helped to produce the amazing-quality Bolivian coffee that we all know and love. Caranavi is located north of the department of La Paz city. It's 150 kilometres from the capital, and it is the centre of Bolivian coffee production. Its fertile soils and altitude give Bolivia the potential to produce brilliant and unique coffees. Due to the many complications and challenges within the Bolivian coffee industry, many of the smaller farms we have worked with in the past are no longer producing coffee. Whilst this has created some challenges for us, it has had a much more significant impact on our exporting partners AgriCafe, who have been working with these growers for many years. As a result, they have decided to begin farming themselves, in an effort to demonstrate what can be achieved with the application of more modern techniques and a scientific farming approach. Agricafe manages seven farms, of which La Linda was the first to bear fruit a few years ago. La Linda is known as The Seed Garden for the other farms in the Buena Vista project. Alongside this Caturra lot, the farm is producing Longberry, Catuai and Typica lots; it's also producing Java, SL28 and Bourbon, which are all relatively new plantings in Bolivia. It's a Cadbury's Whole Nut, with some macadamia nuts mixed in. This is a great example of just how good a simple coffee can be - the smooth texture, chocolate sweetness and nutty finish is just an incredibly chuggable brewed coffee and a fantastic classic style espresso. Country: Bolivia Region: Yungas Province: Caranavi Colony: Bolinda Farm: La Linda Altitude: 1,400 - 1,450 m.a.s.l. Processing Method: Washed Varietal: Caturra CUPPING NOTES Cadbury's Whole Nut, macadamia nut Clean Cup: (1-8): 6 Sweetness: (1-8): 7 Acidity: (1-8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6.5 Flavour: (1-8): 7 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6 Balance: (1-8): 7 Overall: (1-8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium-dark - keep it steady and aim for the first pops of second on the drop.
Sulawesi was formerly known as Celebes. Along with the rest of Indonesia, it was under Dutch control from the early 1600s until World War II. Coffee production in Indonesia was introduced and dictated by the Dutch East India Company. The first Typica plants arrived in 1750, as they had begun to be spread around the other islands of Java and Sumatra. The most famous coffees from Indonesia are those from the island of Sumatra, and they're processed as wet hulled coffees. This lends them their characteristic earthy, savoury, and sometimes almost meaty flavours. Sulawesi, on the other hand, primarily produces washed coffees for export, and our partners there at TOARCO (a Japanese-Indonesian joint mill and export venture) are experts at producing clean, sweet, and fruity coffees that we really enjoy. TOARCO owns the Pedamaran Plantation at 900–1,250 metres above sea level. It also purchases wet parchment (at 40% moisture) coffees from small producers at collection points in Perangian, Pango Pango, Minanga, and Perindingan. Once collected, the coffee is trucked to Pedamaran Plantation immediately after purchase. When it gets there it's dried using mechanical Yamamoto vertical dryers and Pinalhalense guardiolas, or horizontal dryers like those often found throughout Colombia. The mechanical dryers assist in maintaining uniform drying, and this helps the processing go more efficiently and cleanly. The drying typically takes 72 hours. If a producer wants to sell their parchment coffee to TOARCO, they need to get certified to the quality standards in selective picking, storage, transportation, moisture levels, and so on. Farmers are issued ID cards that allow them to sell their coffee at various purchasing points in the Tana Toraja region during the market week. TOARCO is focused on providing education and support to its producer partners. Currently, the company offers once-yearly classes for producers to receive their ID cards, but they hope to expand their educational opportunities to twice yearly and include things such as cherry selection, planting and picking techniques, and fermentation. They also hold a party at the end of the harvest cycle to celebrate, giving out awards to producers. The rewards include things such as depulpers and other necessary tools. Between 150 and 200 producers attend the party every year. Most of the coffee produced in Toraja is of the S795 varietal (the S stands for 'section'). It is thought to be the cross of S288 (a natural hybrid of Liberica and Arabica) and an old Kent varietal (a Typica variety that has been adapted to growing conditions in India). S795 is the most commonly-planted Arabica coffee in India and southeast Asia, and it was one of the first coffee leaf rust-resistant varieties to be discovered. It is also commonly known as 'Jember' thanks to the Jember Indonesian Coffee and Cacao Research Institute (ICCRI), whose staff first introduced it to the coffee farmers of Indonesia. This coffee is big and bold. There are bags of dark treacle with a delicate zing of dried cranberries and goji berries, and then it finishes with dark chocolate. Country: Indonesia Island: Sulawesi Region: Toraja Altitude: 1,400–1,600 m.a.s.l. Producers: Various smallholder farmers of Perangian, Pango Pango, Minanga, and Perindingan Processing method: Washed Drying method: Yamamoto vertical dryers, and Pinhalense guardiola Drying time: 72 hours Varietal: S795 Grade: A CUPPING NOTES Treacle, dried cranberries, goji berries, dark chocolate Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 86.5 Roast Information Medium-dark to dark – we prefer this pushed steadily to the edge of second to let all the flavours shine, but it'll take a slightly slower and darker roast if you want to reduce the acidity and focus on the heavy body.
Las Alasitas is the biggest farm of Fincas Buena Vista in Caranavi where, every year, a festival is held in honour of Ekeko (iqiqu), the god of abundance. It has everything in miniature – but in abundance, just like him! 'Buy me!' said Alasitas. And well, we did! It's all in the name... Las Alasitas (which literally translates to 'buy me' in Aymaran) is owned by the Rodriguez family, who have been doing some awesome things for coffee in Bolivia. They own their own mills, processing and exporting coffee for farmers in the Caranavi and Sud Yungas region. The family has been sourcing coffee from small coffee producers for three decades, but the steady decline of coffee production has put the sustainability of their export business in jeopardy. Without the intervention of people like the Rodriguez family, the future of coffee production in Bolivia is at risk of disappearing. Back in 2014, the Rodriguez family bought land in the Caranavi region to showcase their practices and educate other producers in sustainable farming, as well as increasing the overall volume at their mills. Caranavi is located just north of the department of La Paz city, 150 kilometres from the capital, and is the central hub of Bolivian coffee production. Its altitude and fertile soils make it perfect for producing brilliant and unique coffees. The Rodriguez family prepared the land they bought across 20.6 hectares, where they planted Red Caturra, Java and Geisha. They've also introduced a sustainable model for the producers who supply them at their mill. They built this on three mantras: economical sustainability, social understanding, and environmental awareness – the Sol de la Mañana program. The family decided that they could make a change and make things better. They have taken on the challenge of increasing the production of Bolivian coffee by planting their own new coffee plantations. They are currently also developing woodland on their farm to combat the ongoing issue of deforestation. What superstars! Las Alasitas is a 20.6-hectare farm that's located at 1,550 metres above sea level in the Bolinda colony of Caranavi, Bolivia. Of those 20 hectares, 16 are used to grow coffee. As far as we can tell, the Longberry varietal (also known as Java) is a Typica-type coffee because of its bean shape, as is the Geisha. Its physical appearance is a uniform seed that is elongated, and it has been described by several of our customers as an 'Ethiopian Long Berry type'. A true marriage of classic flavours, from the Longberry varietal you'll get a hit of lemon zest and florals, but the Bolivian land it's grown on gives it extra depth and sweetness and reminds me of golden sugar. It finishes with a return to its distant Ethiopian heritage with a clean black tea flavour. Country: Bolivia Region: Yungas Municipality: Caranavi Colony: Bolinda Farm: Las Alasitas Altitude: 1,550 m.a.s.l. Farm size: 20.6 hectares Coffee growing area: 16 hectares Varietal: Longberry (Java) Processing method: Washed GPS: 15º46'43.07"S 67º32'53.06"O CUPPING NOTES Lemon zest, floral, golden sugar, black tea Clean cup (1–8): 7 Sweetness (1–8): 7 Acidity (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel (1–8): 6 Flavour (1–8): 8 Aftertaste (1–8): 6 Balance (1–8): 6 Overall (1–8): 7 Correction (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 90 Brewing Tip As this berry is long it will benefit from a slightly finer grind than you would use for a more regularly sized bean. Not as much as you would change things up for something like a Pacamara, but a little tweak finer should set you up for deliciousness. Roasting Information Medium - slow this down a little as you go through first and push it through the gap, but don't let it get close to second.
We first came across Balmaadi Estate in India many years ago and loved the coffees. You did too, so it was really disappointing when we weren't able to get hold of them any more. Fast forward 9 years and we've been able to get it here again! It wasn't an easy process, but it's been a huge pleasure to see an old favourite return. More than that though, this time round we've been able to visit the farm and learn more than ever before about this unique place and what makes it so special. As is so often the case, what makes it so special turns out to be the people. Balmaadi, as we know it today, owes a huge amount to one person - Unnamalai Thiagarjen. The farm had been in her husband's family since the 1970s, but it was in 2003 that she took over running it. Totally new to coffee farming, she went off and studied, beginning to worry about how to make profitable a traditional farm in a region which is frequently cut off from access by monsoon weather. She realised that the fertilisers and pesticides most commercial farms used would be difficult to get and need lots of labour to apply (equally difficult in a remote region like this). It was then that she came across the Biodynamic model, which she applied ever after. Combining Organic principles with spiritual ones, she's made the most of her isolated location. This means making their own compost, foliar sprays and other treatments from the other plants and material on the farm. It was a great idea to take a challenge and make it into an opportunity - which in turn has produced an interesting and unique coffee. They grow two varietals - Kent and S795. Both of these are common to India, but less common in other countries. Kent is a Typica mutation which is thought to have occurred in the early 20th Century in India, before being introduced in Kenya (where it has lost popularity to the SL varietals and Ruiru 11). S-795 is thought to be a cross of Kent with a Liberica/Arabica hybrid called S-288 (catchy name, right?) and has become popular in India and Indonesia for being quite resistant to Leaf Rust. A big, gloopy coffee with loads of sultana and a sweetness which reminds me of marzipan. There's a little cherry jam in there too, which makes for a delicious and interesting balance. As it cools, the booziness really comes centre stage with a big hit of Armagnac. Country: India State: Tamil Nadu Region: Nilgiris Farm: Balmaadi Estate Owner: Unnamalai Thiagarajen Varietals: Kent and S795 Process: Natural Certification: Biodynamic Drying Method: Patios and African beds Altitude: 1,200-1,830 m.a.s.l Farm size: 169 hectares, of which 148 hectares are coffee CUPPING NOTES Sultana, marzipan, cherry jam, Armagnac Clean Cup: (1-8): 6 Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5 Acidity: (1-8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6.5 Flavour: (1-8): 7 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6 Balance: (1-8): 6.5 Overall: (1-8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roasting Information Medium-dark - this needs to be pushed pretty hot to get the right level of development, just up to the first pops of second.
The Don Joel Micromill is owned by Allan Oviedo Rodriguez and his family. Right on the border between the Central and Western Valleys in Costa Rica, Allan has been producing coffee there for 18 years. Growing up in a coffee family, Allan learnt the traditional producing methods with his father (Don Joel) and brothers but also saw the difficulties this lifestyle had, with poor returns and increasing cost of living. When his father passed away, the farms were split up between the family and Allan, working the La Cumbre farm, decided to change how he did things. Building the micromill he named for his father, he set about replanting with a focus on taste quality. It's no surprise that the varietals he chose will be familiar from our range - Caturra, Catuai and Villa Sarchi. With a mix of a willingness to try new things, an eye for detail and the ability to learn quickly, Allan was able to build a great reputation for consistently and cleverly grown and processed coffees. A few years ago, Allan was able to invest in expanding his growing area and added this farm - Carmela - alongside La Cumbre. Despite a difficult year for coffee growing in the Western Valley (with high temperatures, unseasonal rain and ash from Poás volcano among the challenges), Allan managed to get a great crop from Carmela. Carmela is a 3-hectare farm, planted mostly with Villa Sarchi and some Typica. Situated around 1600 masl, it's only 5 minutes drive from La Cumbre but on the opposite edge of the hill. Even in these short distances, Allan's noticed significant differences in the weather, giving each farm it's own character. Like many producers in Costa Rica, Allan works in a semi-organic way - reducing the use of sprays as much as possible. One of the tricks he does to help this is creating his own fertiliser, using native microorganisms to create a base before including some trace nutrients for the plants which he can then spray on. This has got a really intense sweetness which reminds me of boiled sweets. There's a big hit of red apple and it finishes with a spoonful of white sugar. Country: Costa Rica Region: Western Valley Nearest City: San Luis de Grecia Farm: Finca Carmela Micromill: Don Joel Producer: Allan Oviedo Rodriguez and family Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Red Honey Varietal: Villa Sarchi CUPPING NOTES Red apple, boiled sweets, white sugar Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 87 Roast Information: Medium - nicely through first crack and develop it right to the cusp of second before you drop it.
This farm was originally called 'La Pampa'. It was purchased by Mr Prudencio Perez Rosales in 1915. When he unfortunately passed away, his daughters inherited the farm and divided it equally into three properties called La Pampa, San Juan, and El Libano. Herbert purchased El Libano in 1992. In the early days of El Libano (or La Pampa, I guess I should say) coffee was commercialised in cherry form with other farms and/or buyers who took it to local wet mills for the post-harvest process. When coffee production at the farm increased between 1958 and 1960, a wet mill was built on a lower part of the farm and drying fields were built in the higher parts. At that time, coffee was taken by workers on mules from the pulping area to the drying fields. This was down a narrow road, which (as I'm sure you can imagine) made work rather difficult. This was extended in 1970, and thanks to increasing coffee sales they were able to buy a vehicle to let the mules get some rest. There have been many changes to the farm since then. They improved the quality of what they could produce via modernisation of the wet mill and the pulping area, and by improving the drying process. In the drying area they have increased the drying patios and added a guardiola dryer, which has the capacity of processing 40 quintales (4 kilos) of coffee. Besides producing delicious coffee, El Libano also plays a really important role for the local people. The farm's workers have been provided with equipped houses to live in on the farm with their families, and they've also built not just one but two modern swimming pools for workers and their families! It's located in the traditional Guatemalan coffee region of Chimaltenango. It's 21 hectares in size, with 17.5 of them set aside for coffee production. Its owner is Herbert Estuardo Perez Liquidano, who is a third generation coffee producer on this farm. The farm sits at 1,350 metres above sea level, and it grows a mixture of Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Pache, Pache Colis and Geisha coffee. This lot is a mixture of Caturra, Typica, and Bourbon. If you've got a sweet tooth, this one's for you - it's full on Orange Fruit Pastille. There's a hint of milk chocolate too, with an aftertaste which reminds me of cocoa nibs. Country: Guatemala Department: Chimaltenango Municipality: Acatenango Nearest village: La Pampa Farm name: El Libano Farmer: Herbert Estuardo Pérez Liquidano Altitude: 1,350 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Drying: Sun dried Farm size: 21 hectares Coffee growing area: 17.5 hectares Varietal: Caturra, Typica, and Bourbon CUPPING NOTES Orange Fruit Pastille, milk chocolate, cocoa nibs. Clean Cup: (1-8): 6 Sweetness: (1-8): 7 Acidity: (1-8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6.5 Balance: (1-8): 6.5 Overall: (1-8): 6 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max 100): 87 Roasting Information Medium - Medium Dark - Through first and let it develop a little, but this one can shine anywhere from the end of the gap into the first pops of second, depending on your preference.
"Waliki?" "Waliki." Waliki is an Ayamara greeting, meaning "how's everything?" to which the correct response is... "Waliki" meaning "all good". As the word is so ingrained into the local culture, the Rodriguez family (who own this farm) naturally decided it should be named just that, and here we are! This is the first time we've bought any coffee from this farm as it's still very young (It was first planted in 2016!) But it has a great story behind it in that it is the first farm that the Rodriguez family have tried 100% Organic production of both Typicas and Javas to establish whether this is a reliable means of coffee production in Bolivia. Although it's grown and farmed using Organic processes, the farm is yet to have official Organic certification, but we think it tastes awesome either way! In the cup you'll get an up front zing which reminds me of green melon, but that doesn't last as sweet chocolate orange floods in immediately after. The texture is smooth and silky, enhancing that chocolate flavour. Country: Bolivia Region: Caranavi Farm: Waliki Farm Size: 3.6 Hectares Farmer: Los Rodriguez Altitude: 1650 m.a.s.l Variety: Typica Processing system: Mechanically Washed CUPPING NOTES Green Melon, Chocolate Orange, Silky Clean Cup: (1-8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1-8): 7 Acidity: (1-8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 7 Flavour: (1-8): 6 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6 Balance: (1-8): 7 Overall: (1-8): 6 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max 100): 87.5 Roast information Medium Dark - take it through first crack and slow it down a little to extend the development slightly, then increase the heat to reach the first pops of second just as you finish the roast.
David Vilca's farm is located in Illimani in the Los Yungas region of Bolivia, near to the city of Caranavi. The farm didn't originally actually have an actual name so was named after its producer, it's quite a common thing in Bolivia as farms are often named after an individual or the family running them rather than being given a specific name. David migrated from La Paz to the farm seventeen years ago after a career in mining left him with damaged hearing and seeking a different course. He bought a twelve-hectare farm as security for himself and his family, to make sure that they could support themselves. When he took over the farm he only had one acre planted with coffee and it was Criolla, after two years David was comfortable with coffee farming and started to expand what he was doing. He was becoming increasingly interested in the possibilities of what he could accomplish and decided to extend the coffee plantation area - he's now up to a whopping five acres land that produces coffee. He has very little outside help with the farm, except from his direct family and I'd like to give a very special nod to his wife who I know helps him greatly. The varietals grown on the farm are Typica, Caturra, Catuai and a very small amount of Criolla that's still growing from when David first bought the land. The farm is under constant improvement - David removed much of the Criolla that was originally growing so he could put more focus on the Typica, Caturra and Catuai, for cup quality reasons. This lot is a mixture of all the varietals on the farm, excluding Criolla. Although maybe we'll be able to get some 1 year just for fun, I'll speak to David. I have a really good relationship with David, and you might remember that a number of years ago we did something a little different with the coffee's price. I've visited a couple of times now but on my first visit to the farm I thought he was being rude to me by ignoring pretty much everything I was saying, or not just responding when I spoke to him. Afterwards, I found out that David's hearing had become damaged whilst he was working as a miner before he made the move into coffee and oh, he wasn't being rude, he just couldn't hear me! In the past, the exporter had given David some money to get hearing aids to help with exactly that situation, but he spent the money on satellite TV (for his wife – who hasn't been in that situation!). So a couple of years ago we paid for two hearing aids while we were there so that he could hear properly again and enjoy my smooth and soothing Cannock accent #yamyam ;) yamyamyam
Finca El Fuerte was named in honor of the 'Fort of Samaipata', which is a unique ruin in Bolivia. El Fuerte de Samaipata (Fort Samaipata), also known simply as 'El Fuerte', is a pre-Columbian archaeological site, unique in that it represents the legacies of Inca, Spanish and Chanè cultures and is one of Samaipata's main attractions. Situated in the eastern foothills of the Bolivian Andes, in the Santa Cruz department of Florida province, the archaeological site is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. El Fuerte de Samaipata is not actually a military fortification, but it is generally considered a pre-Columbian religious site, built by the Chané people, who were a pre-Inca culture of Arawak origin. There are also ruins of an Inca city built near the temple; the city was built during the Inca expansion to the southeast. Both Incas and Chanés suffered several raids from Guarani warriors, who invaded the region from time to time. Eventually, the Guarani warriors conquered the plains and valleys of Santa Cruz, and destroyed Samaipata. The Guaranis dominated the region well into the Spanish colonial period. The Spaniards also built a settlement near the temple, and there are remains of buildings of typical Andalusi Arabic architecture. The Spaniards abandoned the settlement and moved to the nearby valley, where the town of Samaipata is currently located. The archaeological site at El Fuerte is unique, and it encompasses buildings of three different cultures: Chanés, Incas and Spaniards. El Fuerte was a first experiment in developing coffee in a region with excellent characteristics for producing amazing quality coffee (good soil conditions and high altitude), but traditionally little coffee production and no specialty coffee. After consulting with a specialised agronomist, the region of Agua Rica at the edge of the Amboró National Park, some 20km east of Samaipata, was chosen as the ideal location. Initially several different varietals were tried, including Red Bourbon, and Yellow and Red Caturra - although nowadays Agricafe (who run the farm) have ventured into growing other varietals. Caturra and Typica (both are traditionally grown in Bolivia) are commonly seen, but alongside other slightly rarer varietals like Java and Geisha. Although there is little need for trees for shade as the altitude keeps the temperature down, trees were planted to protect the coffee trees from the strong winds that are common in the region. Deciding to go ahead and plant coffee at El Fuerte was something of a risk, but it's one that undoubtedly has paid off. The location has proved to be strategic and the weather is ideal, so much so that a second wet mill will soon be established at the site - and once it is, all coffee produced in the Samaipata farms will be processed at El Fuerte. On my last visit to the farm I climbed up to the higher altitudes where this Java crop is grown and caught sight of some trees I hadn't seen on the farm before, the Geisha trees! Oooooh - you know I'll do all I can to get my hands on some when they're first harvested! In the cup you're going to get an orange creme chocolate. The sweet citrus dominates, but with that hint of chocolate mixed in. That orange creme is really highlighted by the heavy, silky body. That's paired with a soft floral aftertaste, which makes for a super interesting and complex cup. Country: Bolivia Province: Florida Department: Santa Cruz Farm: Finca El Fuerte Altitude: 1,550–1,700 m.a.s.l. Variety: Java (Longberry) Process: Washed Fermentation: Wet fermentation Drying: Stationary Dryer (70 hrs/40º temp) CUPPING NOTES Orange creme, chocolate, floral. Clean cup (1–8): 7 Sweetness (1–8): 6 Acidity (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel (1–8): 8 Flavour (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste (1–8): 6.5 Balance (1–8): 6.5 Overall (1–8): 6.5 Correction (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 90 Roast Information Medium - through first then take the heat out to let it develop, but don't let this reach second.
Finca El Fuerte was named in honor of the 'Fort of Samaipata', which is a unique ruin in Bolivia. El Fuerte de Samaipata (Fort Samaipata), also known simply as 'El Fuerte', is a pre-Columbian archaeological site, unique in that it represents the legacies of Inca, Spanish and Chanè cultures and is one of Samaipata's main attractions. Situated in the eastern foothills of the Bolivian Andes, in the Santa Cruz department of Florida province, the archaeological site is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. El Fuerte de Samaipata is not actually a military fortification, but it is generally considered a pre-Columbian religious site, built by the Chané people, who were a pre-Inca culture of Arawak origin. There are also ruins of an Inca city built near the temple; the city was built during the Inca expansion to the southeast. Both Incas and Chanés suffered several raids from Guarani warriors, who invaded the region from time to time. Eventually, the Guarani warriors conquered the plains and valleys of Santa Cruz, and destroyed Samaipata. The Guaranis dominated the region well into the Spanish colonial period. The Spaniards also built a settlement near the temple, and there are remains of buildings of typical Andalusi Arabic architecture. The Spaniards abandoned the settlement and moved to the nearby valley, where the town of Samaipata is currently located. The archaeological site at El Fuerte is unique, and it encompasses buildings of three different cultures: Chanés, Incas and Spaniards. El Fuerte was a first experiment in developing coffee in a region with excellent characteristics for producing amazing quality coffee (good soil conditions and high altitude), but traditionally little coffee production and no specialty coffee. After consulting with a specialised agronomist, the region of Agua Rica at the edge of the Amboró National Park, some 20km east of Samaipata, was chosen as the ideal location. Initially several different varietals were tried, including Red Bourbon, and Yellow and Red Caturra - although nowadays Agricafe (who run the farm) have ventured into growing other varietals. Caturra and Typica (both are traditionally grown in Bolivia) are commonly seen, but alongside other slightly rarer varietals like Java and Geisha. Although there is little need for trees for shade as the altitude keeps the temperature down, trees were planted to protect the coffee trees from the strong winds that are common in the region. Deciding to go ahead and plant coffee at El Fuerte was something of a risk, but it's one that undoubtedly has paid off. The location has proved to be strategic and the weather is ideal, so much so that a second wet mill will soon be established at the site - and once it is, all coffee produced in the Samaipata farms will be processed at El Fuerte. In the cup this is all about the sweet flavours. It makes me think of a part melted chocolate bar. There's a shoulder of red apple acidity, then it shifts into sweet almond on the finish, leaving a creamy aftertaste behind. Country: Bolivia Province: Florida Department: Santa Cruz Farm: Finca El Fuerte Altitude: 1,550–1,700 m.a.s.l. Variety: Red Bourbon Process: Washed Drying: Stationary Dryer (72 hours, 40º temp) CUPPING NOTES Melted chocolate, red apple, almond. Clean cup (1–8): 6 Sweetness (1–8): 6.5 Acidity (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel (1–8): 7 Flavour (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste (1–8): 6 Balance (1–8): 7 Overall (1–8): 6 Correction (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roast Information Medium dark - slow it down but push it through the gap between cracks, you're looking for those very first pops of second on the drop.
The name of this coffee producer may sound a little familiar...Bebeto (Beto for short) is the son of the legend that is Teodocio Mamani. Teodocio owns Finca Canton Uyunense, which is a farm we have worked with since 2012. His farm is located in 18 de Mayo, which is a municipality of Caranavi (and part of canton Uyunense). Lots of farms can be called a variation on these names because the land traditionally tends not to have a name. This year is the fourth year that Bebeto has grown his own coffee under his own guardianship, and it's the third year that he has processed it himself too. And just like previous years, and as you'd expect from a Mamani, the results are delicious. Although Bebeto grows Typica, Caturra and Catuai on his farm, this is a lot of just Caturra. Bebeto used a depulper that removes the cherry, then left the coffee to go through a dry fermentation process for 16–18 hours, and then ran it through the scrubber section of the pulper to remove the final remains of the mucilage. Bebeto then transferred the coffee to raised African beds, where it dried in around 7–9 days. The picking method Bebeto uses is called 'Ayne', just like his dad uses on Canton Uyunense. This method involves selective picking (not stripping the tree like their neighbours), and demands much more labour and incurs much higher costs. But because of this Bebeto gets more coffee he can sell as specialty, and the cup profile is improving year after year. In the cup I want you to think lime curd. Not tart, but sweet and creamy and that lime flavour running though. As it finishes, there's a medley of fruit flavours that creep in - pineapple cubes and raspberry alongside tropical hints. With all that fruit and cream, there's no surprise this reminds me of trifle! Yum! Country: Bolivia Department: La Paz Region: Yungas Province: Caranavi Municipality: 18 de Mayo Producer: Bebeto Mamani Varietals grown: Typica, Caturra and Catuai Altitude: 1,600–1,750 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Fermentation: 16–18 hours Drying method: Raised beds Other crops grown: citrus, papaya, banana, wild forest CUPPING NOTES Lime curd, pineapple cubes, raspberry, trifle. Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction: (+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 89 Roast Information Medium to medium dark - through first and make sure it's well developed, but anywhere from the end of the gap into the early start of second crack will give tasty results.
El Libano is located in the traditional Guatemalan coffee region of Chimaltenango and is 21 hectares in size with 17.5 of them set aside for coffee production. Its owner is Herbert Estuardo Perez Liquidano, a third generation coffee producer on this farm. Originally this farm was called La Pampa and was purchased by Mr Prudencio Perez Rosales in 1915. When he unfortunately passed away his daughters inherited the farm and divided it equally into three properties called La Pampa, San Juan and El Libano. Herbert purchased El Libano in 1992. In the early days of El Libano (or La Pampa I guess I should say) coffee was commercialized in cherry form with other farms and/or buyers who took it to local wet mills for the post harvest process. When coffee production at the farm increased, between 1958 and 1960, a wet mill was built on a lower part of the farm and drying fields were built in the higher parts. At that time, coffee was taken by workers on mules from the pulping area to the drying fields, down a narrow road, which as I'm sure you can imagine made work rather difficult. Later, in 1970, this was extended and thanks to increasing coffee sales they were able to buy a vehicle to let the mules get some rest. Since then as I'm sure you guessed there have been many changes to the farm...they improved the quality of what they could produce via modernisation of the wet mill, the pulping area and in the drying process. In the drying area, they have increased the drying patios and added a guardiola dryer, which has the capacity of processing 40 quintales (4 kilos) of coffee. Besides producing delicious coffee El Libano also plays a really important role for the local people, the worked of the farm have been provided with equipped houses to live on the farm with their families and they've also built not just 1 but 2 modern swimming pools for workers and their families! The farm sits at 1,350 metres above sea level and grows a mixture of Typica, Bourbon, Catuaí, Caturra and Geisha, this lot is a mixture of Caturra, Typica and Bourbon. In the cup it's milk chocolate with a silky mouthfeel. There's a hint of hazelnut and shoulder of pear, but it's the chocolate that lasts and shifts into a dark chocolate on the finish as it cools. Country: Guatemala Department: Chimaltenango Municipality: Acatenango Nearest Village: La Pampa Farm Name: El Libano Farmer: Herbert Estuardo Pérez Liquidano Altitude: 1,350 m.a.s.l. Processing method: Washed Drying: Sun dried Farm Size: 21 Hectares Coffee growing area: 17.5 Hectares Varietal: Caturra, Typica & Bourbon CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, hazelnut, pear, silky. Clean Cup: (1-8): 6 Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5 Acidity: (1-8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6.5 Flavour: (1-8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6 Balance: (1-8): 7 Overall: (1-8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max 100): 87 Roasting Information Medium dark - go nice and steady: through first, develop it well and drop just as you get to the first pops of second. "Quick Look" Guide Milk chocolate, hazelnut, pear, silky.
One of our all-time favourite farms returns once again! On a buying trip to El Salvador in 2008, I was visiting some of the farms that we buy from. I actually arrived the evening of the Cup of Excellence awards, and after the ceremony I was walking around when this guy who seemed very popular came over to me and introduced himself. He was Ernesto or, as I would come to know him, Neto. He'd just won the Cup of Excellence competition with his 'La Ilusión' farm, the sister farm of 'Alaska'. Alaska is a farm we had bought from via the Cup of Excellence the year before. Ernesto invited me to visit La Ilusión the next day, and it was so great to finally meet someone I had communicated with so many times via email! Neto bought La Ilusión many years ago. The farm has coffee trees averaging 20+ years of age and is growing 95% Bourbon (70% is Red Bourbon and 25% is Orange Bourbon). The remaining 5% is a combination of other varietals, and it's possible to spot some Typica and Kenya trees too. The farm is run using environmentally friendly practices because Neto is trying to maintain a balance with the surrounding ecosystem, which is part of a natural fauna corridor crucial to migratory and native birds. This is very important for Ernesto because La Ilusión neighbours one of the most important national parks in El Salvador, known as 'Los Andes'. It is nestled on the Santa Ana volcano and delineates his farm with dense pine and cypress forest, which itself provides a special micro-climate for La Ilusión. The naturally processed version of this coffee was used by the 2011 World Barista champion, Alejandro Mendez. He caused a bit of a stir at the WBC by using a naturally processed lot in his milk drinks and his signature drink, and then using the washed version (this coffee) as his espresso. Such a stir that he won! That year I had roasted the coffee for Alejandro, and it had been grown by Neto. There was a magical moment backstage in which I was stood, polishing glass, with Alejandro and Neto; the grower, roaster and barista all stood together, preparing for the presentation. It's not too often you get such wonderful things happening! Aah, the wonders of barista competition. :) In the cup you'll find a sweet milk chocolate, with delicate lemon rind and brown sugar notes. It's complex but balanced, with hints of Fruit Salad sweets and double cream appearing on the finish. Country: El Salvador Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range Department: Santa Ana City: Santa Ana Farm: La Ilusión Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello Altitude: 1,750–1,850 m.a.s.l. Variety: Bourbon Processing system: Washed CUPPING NOTES Milk chocolate, lemon rind, brown sugar, Fruit Salad sweets, double cream. Clean cup: (1–8): 7.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 90 Roasting Information Medium dark - nice and slow through crack, drop just before second begins. "Quick Look" Guide Milk chocolate, lemon rind, brown sugar, Fruit Salad sweets, double cream.
This farm was brand new to us last year and we're super excited to have Las Delicias back for a second year, hoping it's the first return of many! Although the farm itself is still very new to us, the people behind it most certainly aren't new to us - in fact we've been working with them for over 10 years now. The family Mierisch (who you may remember from such farms as Limoncillo, Mama Mina, Escondida and Milligros) have worked with us over that time to bring us delicious coffee, and continue to do so year after year : ) Much of that deliciousness is thanks to their amazing processing, and Eleane Mierisch is in charge of that. She works in the family business but has never owned her own farm – until 2 years ago, when she acquired Las Delicias all for herself. The farm is located in the region of Jinotega at an average altitude of 1,450 metres above sea level. It's located next to another Mierisch farm, which you might have heard of; it's called San José and we've had coffee from there a few times, definitely hoping to see more in the future too. Eleane knows the area very well, and knows the land and what it's capable of producing. Add to this her passion for coffee, and you can start to understand why she wanted to produce coffee on a farm of her own. The Longberry varietal is the fruit of some of the amazing experimental work that's taking place at Limoncillo, another Mierisch farm (as if I even need to tell you that!) To explain a little bit of the story behind it, I'll hand over to another Mierisch that I just so happen to know. Oh hi there, Erwin! Here my 'story' begins back in mid-2001. I sound like a grandfather ... My father and I were coming back from visiting some top farms in Nicaragua, as we sometimes did – and do – in order to learn from our neighbours. If we discover anything worthwhile we then implement those things to improve efficiency and quality on our own farms. As we drove past the UNICAFE experiment station Juanetillo, which had gone under, a man on the side of the road flagged us down and explained to us how the experiment station had closed down and that his 'severance' was tools and coffee seeds since they did not have the cash to pay him. He asked if we would be interested in helping him out by purchasing these items off of him. In all honesty, I was not very happy that my father forced me to stop to see what this man wanted; therefore, I was not very receptive to his offer, but I purchased a bag of seeds and old beaten up shovels. I gave no immediate thought to the 20 lb bag of coffee seeds that was labelled as JAVA. My father later showed these seeds to our then-supervising agronomist Ing. Patricia Contreras, who had worked at that research station, and she was ecstatic. She told us about how great this coffee was, but also that it was not very productive nor resistant to disease, as she recalled from running this study at Juanetillo back in the '80s. She also said that the real name for it is Longberry and that it has its roots in Ethiopia. We began to run some more experiments – various altitudes and processing methods – and have been learning how to manage it since. --- As far as we can tell the Longberry varietal is a Typica-type coffee because of it's bean shape, as is the Geisha. Its physical appearance is a uniform seed that is elongated and has been described by several of our customers as an 'Ethiopian Long Berry type'. In the cup expect an Orange Viscount! For those without my love of biscuits, I'm talking about chunky milk chocolate around creamy orange and crunchy biscuit. Add to that some delicate florals and a hit of brown sugar on the finish and it's delicious. Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Lipululu Region: Jinotega Farm name: Las Delicias Farmer: Eleane Mierisch Farm size: 20 manzanas (hectares) Coffee growing area: 20 hectares Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Longberry Processing method: Washed CUPPING NOTES Orange, chocolate, biscuit, floral, brown sugar. Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 89 Roasting Information Medium – slow this down once you're in first crack and drop in the gap. "Quick Look" Guide Orange, chocolate, biscuit, floral, brown sugar.
I've been telling the story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo for many, many years now and I don't intend to stop any time soon because it's such a big big big relationship for me : ) so much of where we are today has come from this relationship, and I'm really proud of everything that's happened in the past, as well as super excited for where we can go in the future. The relationship with Finca Limoncillo began in 2007, and back then we were buying their delicious coffee as part of a buying group. I loved it from the very first time I cupped it, and it was a coffee I just had to get. It was only after the auction closed that I discovered it was owned by a family in Nicaragua who were already good friends of mine, and indeed probably the only people I know from the whole country! The following year I visited the farm with our importers and spent the whole trip begging them to bring the coffee into the UK for us. Eventually, via my supreme Steve pester power they caved in (probably just to stop the flow of emails and phone calls!) and kindly did so. This setup worked well for a time, but we received notice a couple of years ago that the importers were not going to be buying the coffee again (and for reasons other than the cup quality). This led to some frantic phone calls and a thorough search down the back of the sofa for loose change to fund buying twelve months' worth of coffee all at once. There were many, many obstacles in the way of doing this deal, but we were lucky in that we were able to pull everything together in a very short amount of time. The upside of all of this is that we now work directly with Finca Limoncillo instead of going via anyone else, and this is a relationship I'm super happy to have. This coffee has gone from a one-off Cup of Excellence buy to a fantastic long-term relationship that I'm so very proud to have. Finca Limoncillo is located in Matagalpa and, at 171 hectares in size, it. is. huge! Situated at an amazing location, it boasts 9 waterfalls within the farm and is owned by the Mierisch family; as I have already said, they're good friends, and also well-respected producers in Nicaragua. They're known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee. The fact that the family are friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them, and the information continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee. On the farm, the family: Pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage. Provide free housing for 60 families. Provide free electricity and running water for their workers' homes. Provide free food for all workers. Provide free daycare facilities for families to use. Provide free healthcare facilities. Employ on-site teachers who educate the staff and teach other skills, such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills. The teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities. The coffees we receive from Limoncillo are fantastic and they come from a fantastic relationship. Erwin Mierisch has visited Stafford many times, and it's always a pleasure to have him around. Last time he was visiting we ended up at a Weird Beard tap takeover in Manchester, talking to two Weird Beards about crazy brewing / coffee farming ideas! A coffee from Finca Limoncillo (the 'Funky Red Pacamara') is used in two of Weird Beard's beers: Black Perle and Double Perle, both of which are mighty delicious beers! So what's this Ethiosar varietal, I hear you ask? Well, we've been roasting Ethiosar from Limoncillo for quite a few years now, and it comes from the hard work of the Mierisch family and their cousin Ricardo. He owns a farm near to Limoncillo, but at a much lower altitude of 800 metres above sea level. Ricardo noticed that his yield and his plants were suffering and that they seemed to be becoming more susceptible to disease. He put this down to growing issues in Nicaragua, a change in climate, increased rains and his low altitude. But from experiments he was running on the farm, he noticed that this newly-spliced varietal he had put together was thriving. It was fruiting much more than the other plants and was not suffering. The varietal, Ethiosar, is a stable hybrid plant. It's a cross of an Ethiopian variety (Sudan Rume) with a Sarchimor (a cross of a Villa Sarchi with a Timor variety). The offspring of this plant is then crossed once again with a Villa Sarchi, which is an improved Caturra / Bourbon from Costa Rica. The Timor variety is the Robusta variety used to produce all the Catimors. In short, it only has a very small percentage of Catimor in it, thus making it very resistant to leaf rust in most parts of the world. The Sudan Rume is a very old variety of Typica from Ethiopia. Both Sudan Rume and Villa Sarchi are known for their great cup characteristics. What Ethiosar does is increase production by up to 40% whilst only needing 2,800 plants per manzana, whereas with Caturra you would need 4,000 plants. This may not seem important until you begin to think that each plant needs fertiliser. So not only are you getting more yield but it's cheaper to grow because you need less fertiliser and less plants (plants have to be grown or bought), and it's also quicker to pick. On top of all of this, it's super tasty. In the cup there's green apple backed up by a single cream type sweetness and texture. Hints of black pepper and tinned strawberries mingle in the finish. Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Yasica Norte Region: Matagalpa Farm name: Limoncillo Farmer: Dr Erwin Mierisch Farm size: 171 hectares Coffee growing area: 109 hectares Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Ethiosar (Ricardo) Processing system: Washed CUPPING NOTES Green apple, single cream, black pepper, tinned strawberries. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roasting Information Medium dark - slow it down in the gap and push it through to the start of second, but only catch is as you drop the roast out. "Quick Look" Guide Green apple, single cream, black pepper, tinned strawberries.
This is a coffee farmed by selected outgrowers and processed at the Frinsa Estate located in West Java, locally called Sunda. Frinsa is a farm that's about 110 hectares in size and sits between 1,300 - 1,600 metres above sea level. They have a wetmill located at 1,400 m.a.s.l. as well as a well ventilated storage space and a dry mill which means they are in fully control of their product from harvest to grading, sorting and shipment. The coffee is dry fermented, soaked, pre-dried on raised beds and finished off on the patio. Wildan and his wife Atieq started their first coffee project in Sindangkerta, Weninggalih area in 2010 which later became the main growing area at his farm Java Frinsa Estate. Since the first year of production, Wildan has aimed to focus on quality which requires meticulous attention and processes. While the majority of Indonesian producers are doing the wet hulled coffees, even for specialty, Wildan is focusing on the fully washed. Besides the quality, and social and economic impact for the community, I believe his coffee project will also have long term benefits for water conservation and reforestation in the area. Frinsa Estate have 6 main growing plots spread out in the area and they buy cherries from a few selected outgrowers from the surroundings of the Estate. Weninggalih : 60 hectare (plan for another 50 hectare expansion) Altitude is about 1,400 m.a.s.l. The cultivars grown are Sigararutang, Lini S795, Borbor, Timtim, Andungsari, Ateng Super, P88, Blue Mountain and Belawan Pesuma. Mekarwangi: 10 hectare, altitude about 1,400 m.a.s.l. The cultivars grown are Typica, Sigararutang and Lini S795. Tilu Mountain: 10 hectare altitudes about 1,600 m.a.s.l. The cultivars grown are Sigararutang, Lini S795, Borbor, Timtim, Andungsari, P88 and Kopyol. Pengalengan: 20 hectare, altitudes about 1,500 m.a.s.l. The cultivars grown are Typica, Sigararutang, Borbor, Andungsari and P88. Malabar Mountain: 5 hectare, altitudes about 1,600 m.a.s.l. The cultivars grown are Sigararutang, Lini S795 and Andungsari. Garut: 4 hectare (in partnership with the local smallholder farmers) Altitudes is about 1,300 m.a.s.l. The cultivars grown are Sigararutang, Lini S795, Andungsari and P88. Most of the coffees are fully washed but they do some wet-hulled and naturals, mainly for the local market. Their coffees are always separated in lots by field location, cultivar, and date of picking. The parchment are stored in plastic bags with LDPE liners Through cooperation with a coffee research center they have been planting a lot of other different unknown cultivars, all separated by blocks in the farm. As the farm and the trees are still very young nobody knows how the flavour profile for many of these trees will come out, but how exciting is that?! Harvesting: coffees are harvesting from May – September, with the main harvest from June- August. The coffees are picked and then hand sorted for unripe and diseased cherries. Processing: after harvesting the coffees are dry fermented in small tanks 15-18 hours before they are rinsed and soaked under water for another 10-12 hours and washed under clean water. Drying: they mainly dry on patio, but are investing in way more drying tables for the future. Currently most of the coffees are pre dried on beds for a day or two in green houses and then transferred to the patio. Drying can take 14-20 days, depending on the rain during the drying period. Varietal: there's some disagreement on the exact history of the Sigarar Utang varietal, but it's become a popular one in Indonesia. It's thought to be a Catimor, descended from Hibrido de Timor (also the parent of many other catimors around the world and a natural Robusta-Arabica hybrid that was discovered in Timor). Sigarar Utang roughly translates as Paid Debt and refers to the fact that the varietal starts producing a crop in only 18 months to 2 years rather than the 3 years typically needed for new coffee plants - so farmers can start to earn money back on their investment quickly. It's considered a semi-dwarf varietal - usually quite short but occasionally said to grow tall when left unattended. In the cup it starts unexpectedly with the flavour of apricot yoghurt, before swinging into the more classic Indonesian flavours of dark chocolate digestive biscuit and a shoulder of peppery spice on the finish. Country: Indonesia Region: West Java Region: Weninggalih City: Sindangkerta Farm: Frinsa Estate Producers: Smallholder Farmers Varietal: Sigarar Utang Processing method: Fully Washed Altitude: 1,300-1,600 m.a.s.l. CUPPING NOTES Apricot yoghurt, dark chocolate, digestive biscuit, pepper. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5 Acidity: (1–8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 7 Overall: (1–8): 6 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 87 Roasting Information Medium dark - through first crack and all the way up to the cusp of second crack and drop before it really starts to get going. "Quick Look" Guide Apricot yoghurt, dark chocolate, digestive biscuit, pepper.
Coffee production in Bolivia was traditionally concentrated in the region of Los Yungas, where lush sub-tropical vegetation and environmental conditions helped to produce the amazing-quality Bolivian coffee that we all know and love. Caranavi is located north of the department of La Paz city. It's 150 kilometres from the capital, and it is the centre of Bolivian coffee production. Its fertile soils and altitude give Bolivia the potential to produce brilliant and unique coffees. Due to the many complications and challenges within the Bolivian coffee industry, many of the smaller farms we have worked with in the past are no longer producing coffee. Whilst this has created some challenges for us, it has had a much more significant impact on our exporting partners AgriCafe, who have been working with these growers for many years. As a result, they have decided to begin farming themselves, in an effort to demonstrate what can be achieved with the application of more modern techniques and a scientific farming approach. Agricafe now manage seven farms, of which La Linda was the first to bear fruit. La Linda is known as The Seed Garden for the other farms in the Buena Vista project. Alongside this Caturra lot, the farm is producing Longberry, Catuai and Typica lots; it's also producing Java, SL28 and Bourbon, which are all new plantings in Bolivia. All the coffee has been picked by a group of seven specifically-trained female workers. In the cup this reminds me of Horlicks mixed with a Terry's Chocolate Orange - little bit of malt, plenty of chocolate and a shoulder of orange, yum! There's also a thick and almost buttery mouthfeel that really makes this coffee super chuggable. Country: Bolivia Region: Yungas Province: Caranavi Colony: Bolinda Farm: La Linda Altitude: 1,400 - 1,450 m.a.s.l. Processing Method: Washed Varietal: Caturra CUPPING NOTES Horlicks, Terry's Chocolate Orange, buttery, chuggable. Clean Cup: (1-8): 6 Sweetness: (1-8): 7 Acidity: (1-8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6 Flavour: (1-8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1-8): 7 Balance: (1-8): 7 Overall: (1-8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total: (max 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium dark - aim for just a pop or two of second as you're dropping the roast, no more. "Quick Look" Guide Horlicks, Terry's Chocolate Orange, buttery, chuggable.
The name of this coffee producer may sound a little familiar. Bebeto (Beto for short) is the son of the legend that is Teodocio Mamani. Teodocio owns Finca Canton Uyunense, which is a farm we have worked with since 2012. His farm is located in 18 de Mayo, which is a municipality of Caranavi (and part of canton Uyunense). Lots of farms can be called a variation on these names because the land traditionally tends not to have a name. This year is the third year that Bebeto has grown his own coffee under his own guardianship, and it's the second year that he has processed it himself (Dad letting go). And just like previous years, and as you'd expect from a Mamani, the results are super tasty! This coffee is a mixture of red and yellow Typica, Caturra and Catuai. Bebeto used a depulper that removes the cherry, then left the coffee to go through a dry fermentation process for 16–18 hours, and then ran it through the scrubber section of the pulper to remove the final remains of the mucilage. Bebeto then transferred the coffee to raised African beds, where it dried in around 7–9 days. The picking method Bebeto uses is called 'Ayne', just like his dad uses on Canton Uyunense. This method involves selective picking (not stripping the tree like their neighbours), and demands much more labour and incurs much higher costs. But because of this Bebeto gets more coffee he can sell as specialty, and the cup profile is improving year after year. In the cup this makes me think of soft, sweet fruits. It begins with a subtle, sticky papaya before you get a burst of pomegranate with a floral edge. As it finishes, it takes a left turn, leaving a milk chocolate aftertaste which lingers delightfully. Country: Bolivia Department: La Paz Region: Yungas Province: Caranavi Municipality: 18 de Mayo Farm: Bebeto Mamani Owner: Bebeto Mamani Varietals: Typica, Caturra and Catuai Ripe cherry colour: Red and yellow Altitude: 1,600–1,750 m.a.s.l. Processing: Washed Fermentation: 16–18 hours Drying method: Raised beds Other crops grown: citrus, papaya, banana, wild forest CUPPING NOTES Papaya, pomegranate, floral, milk chocolate. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 7 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 6 Overall: (1–8): 6.5 Correction: (+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 88 Roasting Information Medium to medium dark - through first and make sure it's well developed, but anywhere from the end of the gap into the early start of second crack will give tasty results. "Quick Look" Guide Papaya, pomegranate, floral, milk chocolate.
This is a big, big Bolivian favourite here at Hasbean. I am so pleased to see this coffee back for an amazing SEVENTH year! It's a big favourite for me, and I know this is also true for many of you too. The farm is located in Illimani in the Los Yungas region of Bolivia, near to the city of Caranavi. The farm didn't originally actually have a proper name and so it has been named after the gentleman that runs it, David Vilca. This is quite common in Bolivia: farms are often named after an individual or the family running them. David migrated from La Paz to the farm sixteen years ago, after a career in mining left him with damaged hearing. He bought a twelve hectare farm as security for himself and his family, to make sure that they could support themselves. When he took over, he only had one acre planted with coffee (it was of the Criolla varietal). After two years, David was comfortable with coffee farming. He was becoming increasingly interested in it, and so he decided to extend the coffee plantation. He now has five acres of coffee (and we have bought the coffee from all five acres). He has very little outside help with the farm, except from direct family; his wife helps him greatly. The varietals on the farm are Typica, Caturra, Catuai and a very small amount of Criolla. The farm is under constant improvement - David removed much of the Criolla that was growing so he could put more focus on the Typica, Caturra and Catuai, for cup quality reasons. This coffee is a mixture of all the varietals on the farm, excluding Criolla. I have a really good relationship with David, and you might remember that three years ago we did something a little different with the coffee's price. I've visited David a couple of times now and when I was there I thought he was being rude to me by ignoring me, or not responding when I spoke to him. Last time I visited, though, I found out that David's hearing had become damaged whilst he was working as a miner before he made the move into coffee. In the past the exporter had given David some money to get hearing aids, but he spent the money on satellite TV (for his wife – who hasn't been in that situation!). So 3 years ago we paid for two hearing aids while we were there, so that he could hear properly again and enjoy my smooth and soothing Cannock accent #yamyam ;) yamyamyam We thought that would be the last of it. But when I next visited, David didn't have his hearing aids in. He told us that they were not good while he was picking what to wear, but also that he couldn't afford the batteries. So we left him with cash for a microphone hearing-device for around his neck, and $200 for batteries. This worked out at 7p per bag for all the coffee we buy from him, and I didn't pick up the tab – you lovely people did! So a big THANK YOU from me, and also, of course, from David! http://www.hasblog.co.uk/the-cost-of-hearing David's farm is between 1,550 and 1,700 metres above sea level. This is a mechanically washed coffee that underwent full wet fermentation for 16 hours before being dried on raised beds and in a stationary dryer. In the cup you can expect to taste what it'd be like if a Milky Way chocolate bar was walking down the street and bumped into a bunch of overripe white grapes. There's also a subtle orange like acidity that's been walking closely behind them too. Country: Bolivia Region: Illimani Farmer: David Vilca Altitude: 1,550–1,700 m.a.s.l. Varietals: Typica, Caturra & Catuai Ripe cherry colour: Red & yellow Processing method: Washed Washing method: Mechanical Fermentation: Full wet Fermentation time: 16 hours Drying method: Raised beds + stationary dryer Other farm products: Citrus fruits, yuca, banana. CUPPING NOTES Milky Way, white grape, orange. Clean cup: (1–8): 6 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 7 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 89 Roasting Information Medium dark - take this just up to the first pops of second crack and then drop the roast. "Quick Look" Guide Milky Way, white grape, orange.
I first discovered El Limon on my trip to Guatemala in early 2013. At the time we'd never bought coffee directly from Guatemala, but since then this has become one of our strongest and most amazing relationships. My friend Raul (whom you may remember as the World Barista Champion of 2012!) in Guatemala had been buying coffee from these guys for a couple of years, and he was very keen for me to go and meet them. Located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of between 1,600 and 1,800 metres above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes, who's also just known as Beto. He used to be the Mayor of Palencia and helped to build and develop the town. Palencia is not part of the eight regions of coffee as defined by Anacafé, but you can see a lot of development in the zone, and this farm is a perfect example of that development. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up-and-coming, as well as those that are established players. One of the main reasons I love El Limon is the desire to experiment; the farm mostly produces Bourbon and Caturra, but also plays around with a few other varietals. The experimentation comes from Beto's motivation; he has really focused on the farm over the last couple of years. He wanted to take more care in every step they take – from picking to processing, to shipping – and also take more care in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair: his wife and son also work on the farm, along with Beto's siblings. In fact, his son is studying agronomy at the local college for the benefit of the farm. Pache is a dwarf mutation of Typica. It's high-yielding, and it grows well between 900 and 1,800 metres above sea level. It was first seen in Guatemala and has since been crossed with some other varietals because of its high yield, and its resistance to pests and disease. The dedication and care devoted to each step of production is reflected in the fact that the family has built a new wet mill so that they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. Previously the mill could process only one lot; now they are able to process many lots, and keep separate days' pickings and varietals in their own parcels. With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees to the mill where they could get them processed. Again, another sign that this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee. As time moves on, Beto doesn't want to stand still and is continuing to invest in the farm. He showed me lots of new planting during my recent visit, and a lot of building work around the wet mill. He is also building a QC lab and new accommodation for people working on the farm. It was a real hive of activity. Beto and his family have always been the perfect hosts whenever I visited the farm. They are such welcoming people and take great pride in showing me around their farm. One of the kindest things they've done for me is to welcome me into their home when I am visiting, and they always prepare the most amazing meals! When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big, home-cooked, and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. Traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket, and I always look forward to the food – but mainly I look forward to the company. In the cup this reminds me of Greek yoghurt and lemon rind but the finish does a right turn into dark chocolate and delicate allspice. Country: Guatemala Region: Palencia Farm: El Limon Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes a.k.a. 'Beto' Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Pache Processing method: Washed
This is a brand new farm to us from the department of Jinotega, in the community of Lipululu. Although brand new, it comes from people who we know well and have worked with for over ten years. The family Mierisch (who you may recognise from such farms as Limoncillo, Mama Mina, Escondida and Milligros) have worked with us over that time to bring us delicious coffee. Much of that deliciousness is thanks to their amazing processing, and Eleane is in charge of that. She works in the family business but has never owned her own farm – until last year, when she acquired Las Delicias. The farm is located in the region of Jinotega at an average altitude of 1,450 metres above sea leve. It is located next to another Mierisch farm, which you might have heard of; it's called San José. Eleane knows the area very well, and knows the land and what it's capable of producing. Add to this her passion for coffee, and you can start to understand why she wanted to produce coffee on a farm of her own. The Longberry varietal is the fruit of some of the amazing experimental work that's taking place at Limoncello, another Mierisch farm. To explain a little bit of the story behind it, I'll hand over to another Mierisch that I just so happen to know. Oh hi there, Erwin! Here my 'story' begins back in mid-2001. I sound like a grandfather ... My father and I were coming back from visiting some top farms in Nicaragua, as we sometimes did – and do – in order to learn from our neighbours. If we discover anything worthwhile we then implement those things to improve efficiency and quality on our own farms. As we drove past the UNICAFE experiment station Juanetillo, which had gone under, a man on the side of the road flagged us down and explained to us how the experiment station had closed down and that his 'severance' was tools and coffee seeds since they did not have the cash to pay him. He asked if we would be interested in helping him out by purchasing these items off of him. In all honesty, I was not very happy that my father forced me to stop to see what this man wanted; therefore, I was not very receptive to his offer, but I purchased a bag of seeds and old beaten up shovels. I gave no immediate thought to the 20 lb bag of coffee seeds that was labelled as JAVA. My father later showed these seeds to our then-supervising agronomist Ing. Patricia Contreras, who had worked at that research station, and she was ecstatic. She told us about how great this coffee was, but also that it was not very productive nor resistant to disease, as she recalled from running this study at Juanetillo back in the '80s. She also said that the real name for it is Longberry and that it has its roots in Ethiopia. We began to run some more experiments – various altitudes and processing methods – and have been learning how to manage it since. --- As far as we can tell the Longberry varietal is a Typica-type coffee because of its bean shape, as is the Geisha. Its physical appearance is a uniform seed that is elongated and has been described by several of our customers as an 'Ethiopian Long Berry type'. In the cup there are lemons and lychees with a milk chocolate sweetness. It has a complex and super interesting finish. Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Lipululu Region: Jinotenga Farm name: Las Delicias Farmer: Eleane Mierisch Farm size: 20 manzanas (hectares) Coffee growing area: 20 hectares Harvest months: December–February Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Longberry Processing method: Washed Diurnal temperature cycle: average high: 28°C; average low: 20°C
On top of the Nymph Lagoon (a volcanic crater nested in Apaneca) Finca La Lagunita is located at an altitude of 1,650 metres above sea level. Within its 4.9 hectares, 3.5 ha. are dedicated to coffee and it's mainly Bourbon and Typica that mainly grow, there's a bit of Elephante too. The top of the hill has been kept as a native forest, a sanctuary of trees that are hundreds of years old, and as I'm sure you can imagine an area like that also attracts loads of birds and animals so it serves as a wonderful nature reserve too. Who grew this coffee? Gloria Mercedes Rodríguez Fontan. She's a fourth generation coffee grower and owns + personally supervises six small farms located in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range: San José, Mamatita, El Porvenir, Nejapa, Nueva Granada and La Lagunita. This piece of land was Gloria's first farm, and she holds it very close to her heart. When her father, José María Rodríguez died in 1975 it was time for her to learn all the responsibilities of coffee farming, he symbolically presented her with his higher altitude farm: La Lagunita. Gloria's father's plan was to have his only daughter earn her own money to pay for her university and expenses. I was lucky enough to get to visit the farm on my trip to El Salvador 2 years ago, you can read a little about it if you like... The secret diary of a green coffee buyer aged 40 and 1/4 A trip around Central America Day 7 Apaneca San Jose Gloria works under strict specialty coffee standards such as only harvesting fully ripe cherries, careful milling, appreciative pruning, etc., while she is blessed by amazing coffee terroir conditions such as altitude, sandy loam soils and rich in organic matter, among others. Coffee pickers are selected from her staff based on their experience and passion, and their understanding on the requirements to obtain high-quality coffee. Each year Gloria employs around 35 people during the harvesting season, and all year round she manages a permanent "winter works" team of 15 people. The idea is to have a solid trained and skilled working group that receive better wages and working conditions. Gloria pays during harvest around 90% above legal minimum wage to give workers incentive and assure the best coffee cherries possible. After every production cycle, she gives a proportional bonus according to every week of labour of her “winter workers” that normally derives into a 1.2 months extra of income for them. La Lagunita had four foliar fertilizations and two soil fertilizations, its soil type is predominantly sandy loam, and rainfall is between 2,000 to 2,700mm annually. With the additional income from auctioned coffee, Gloria plans to improve husbandry practices at her farm and keep focus on improving quality at both the farm and mill level. This coffee is a washed coffee and I get quite a few emails asking me what on earth that means, well my friends...I made a video! In the cup this is a classic El Salvador with milk chocolate loveliness and a walnut edge to it. However, it gets a little more complex than that, with hints of pear and an icing sugar sweetness that carries on in the aftertaste. Country: El Salvador Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Apaneca Farm: La Lagunita Farmer: Gloria Mercedes Rodríguez Fontan Farm Size: 7 hectares Coffee growing area: 5 hectares Altitude: 1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Bourbon Processing System: Washed
The story of Has Bean and Finca Limoncillo has been told many many times, but it's one that I really love to share. So much of where we are today has come from this relationship, and I'm super proud of everything that's happened in the past, as well as amazingly excited for where we can go in the future. My relationship with Finca Limoncillo began in 2007, and back then we were buying their delicious coffee as part of a buying group. I loved it from the very first time I cupped it, and it was a coffee I just had to get. It was only after the auction closed that I discovered it was owned by a family in Nicaragua who were already good friends of mine, and indeed probably the only people I know from the whole country! The following year I visited the farm with our importers and spent the whole trip begging them to bring the coffee in for us. Eventually, they caved in (possibly just to stop me pestering them!) and kindly did so. This setup worked well for a time, but we received notice a couple of years ago that the importers were not going to be buying the coffee again (and for reasons other than the cup quality). This led to some frantic phone calls and a thorough search down the back of the sofa for loose change to fund buying twelve months' worth of coffee all at once. There were many, many obstacles in the way of doing this deal, but we were lucky in that we were able to pull everything together in a very short amount of time. The upside of all of this is that we now work directly with Finca Limoncillo instead of going via anyone else, and this is a relationship I'm super happy to have. This coffee has gone from a one-off Cup of Excellence buy to a fantastic long-term relationship. Finca Limoncillo is located in Matagalpa and, at 171 hectares, it. Is. Huge! Situated at an amazing location, it boasts 9 waterfalls within the farm and is owned by the Mierisch family; as I have already said, they're good friends, and also well-respected producers in Nicaragua. They're known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee. The fact that the family are friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them, and the information continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee. On the farm, the family: Pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage. Provide free housing for 60 families. Provide free electricity and running water for their workers' homes. Provide free food for all workers. Provide free daycare facilities for families to use. Provide free healthcare facilities. Employ on-site teachers who educate the staff and teach other skills, such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills. The teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities. The coffees we receive from Limoncillo are fantastic and they come from a fantastic relationship. Erwin Mierisch has visited Stafford many times, and it's always a pleasure to have him around. Last time he was over he ended up at a Weird Beard tap takeover in Manchester, talking to two Weird Beards about crazy brewing / coffee farming ideas! A coffee from Finca Limoncillo (the 'Funky Red Pacamara') is used in two of Weird Beard's beers: Black Perle and Double Perle, both of which are mighty delicious beers! So what's this Ethiosar varietal, I hear you ask? Well, this is the fourth year we've been lucky enough to have some, and it comes from the hard work of the Mierisch family and their cousin Ricardo. He owns a farm near to Limoncillo, but at a much lower altitude of 800 metres above sea level. Ricardo noticed that his yield and his plants were suffering and that they seemed to be becoming more suscep7tible to disease. He put this down to growing issues in Nicaragua, a change in climate, increased rains and his low altitude. But from experiments he was running on the farm, he noticed that this newly-spliced varietal he had put together was thriving. It was fruiting much more than the other plants and was not suffering. The varietal, Ethiosar, is a stable hybrid plant. It's a cross of an Ethiopian variety (Sudan Rume) with a Sarchimor (a cross of a Villa Sarchi with a Timor variety). The offspring of this plant is then crossed once again with a Villa Sarchi, which is an improved Caturra / Bourbon from Costa Rica. The Timor variety is the Robusta variety used to produce all the Catimors. In short, it only has a very small percentage of Catimor in it, thus making it very resistant to leaf rust in most parts of the world. The Sudan Rume is a very old variety of Typica from Ethiopia. Both Sudan Rume and Villa Sarchi are known for their great cup characteristics. What Ethiosar does is increase production by up to 40% whilst only needing 2,800 plants per manzana, whereas with Caturra you would need 4,000 plants. This may not seem important until you begin to think that each plant needs fertiliser. So not only are you getting more yield but it's cheaper to grow because you need less fertiliser and less plants (plants have to be grown or bought), and it's also quicker to pick. On top of all of this, it's super tasty. In the cup think green apple meets caramel down a dark alley and they mix themselves up. There's also an apple juice like acidity + a dark chocolate finish = leaving you wanting more! Country: Nicaragua Municipality: Yasica Norte Region: Matagalpa Farm name: Limoncillo Farmer: Dr Erwin Mierisch Farm size: 171 hectares Coffee growing area: 109 hectares Harvest months: December–February Diurnal temperature cycle: average: high 28° C, low 20° C Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Ethiosar (Ricardo) Processing system: Pulped Natural
The name of this coffee producer may sound a little familiar. Bebeto (Beto for short) is the son of the legend that is Teodocio Mamani. Teodocio owns Finca Canton Uyunense, which is a farm we have worked with since 2012. His farm is located in 18 de mayo, which is a municipality of Caranavi (and part of Canton Uyunense). Lots of farms can be called a variation on these names because the land traditionally tends not to have a name. This year is the second year that Bebeto has grown his own coffee under his own guardianship, and it's the first year that he has processed it himself (dad letting go). Just like last year, the results are amazing! This coffee is a mixture of red and yellow Typica, Caturra and Catuai. Bebeto used a depulper that removes the cherry, then left the coffee to go through a dry fermentation process for 16–18 hours, and then ran it through the scrubber section of the pulper to remove the final remains of the mucilage. Bebeto then transferred the coffee to raised African beds, where it dried in around 7–9 days. The picking method Bebeto uses is called 'Ayne', just like his dad uses on Canton Uyunense. This method involves selective picking (not stripping the tree like their neighbours), and demands much more labour and incurs much higher costs. But because of this Bebeto gets more coffee he can sell as specialty, and the cup profile is improving year after year. In the cup there's green apple and malted milk biscuit with a hint of gooseberry, and a whole load of caramel on the finish. Country: Bolivia Department: La Paz Region: Yungas Province: Caranavi Municipality: 18 de mayo Farm: Bebeto Mamani Owner: Bebeto Mamani Varietals: Typica, Caturra and Catuai Ripe cherry colour: Red and Yellow Altitude: 1,500–1,700 m.a.s.l. Processing: Washed Fermentation: 16–18 hours Drying method: Raised beds Other crops grown: citrus, papaya, banana, wild forest
This coffee comes from the family of a producer we know from previous years, Estanislao Pañuni. Whereas Estanislao is in charge of the main lot of coffee, this coffee is his family's project (but Estanislao does look after the processing for them). The coffee's grown at an altitude of between 1,800 and 1,850 metres above sea level near the town of Irupana in the Sud Yungas province of Bolivia, and it's a mechanically washed and dry fermented mixture of Typica, Caturra and Catuai. Estanislao is young, enthusiastic and a self-confessed coffee lover. (Just like me!) He started out in coffee with the job of controlling the fermentation process at the Coaraca Cooperative in Bolivia, and it was there that he really developed his skills as a coffee producer. Two years ago he decided he wanted to help his father, so he moved away from his day job to take on a role producing coffee with his dad. This coffee is the product of all that hard work, learning and family love. In the cup this coffee is very sweet. I want you to think of a big bag of pic n' mix sweets that have been sprinkled with white sugar. That sweetness sits alongside a gentle citrus acidity in a very clean and silky cup. Country: Bolivia Department: La Paz Region: Yungas Province: Caranavi Town: Irupana town Producer: The Pañuni Family Altitude: 1,550–1,800 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Typica, Caturra and Catuai Ripe cherry colour: Red and Yellow Processing method: Washed Washing: Mechanical Fermentation: Yes, dry Fermentation time: 16–18 hours Drying method: Raised African beds Coordinates: 16°27′58″S / 67°27′17″O CUPPING NOTES Pic n' mix sweets, white sugar, citrus, clean, silky. Clean cup: (1–8): 7 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 6.5 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5 Flavour: (1–8): 6 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6 Balance: (1–8): 6.5 Overall: (1–8): 7 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max. 100): 88.5
A big big Bolivian favourite here at Hasbean, I am so pleased to see this coffee back for an amazing SIXTH year! It's a big favourite for me, and I know this is also true for many of you too. The farm is located in the colony of Bolinda in the North Yungas region of Bolivia, near to the town of Caranavi. The farm doesn't actually have a proper name and so is named after the gentleman that runs it, David Vilca. This is quite common in Bolivia: farms are often named after an individual or the family running them. David migrated from La Paz to the farm fifteen years ago, after a career in mining left him with damaged hearing. He bought this twelve hectare farm as security for himself and his family, to make sure that they could support themselves. When he took over, he only had one acre planted with coffee (it was of the Criolla varietal). After two years, David was comfortable with coffee farming. He was becoming increasingly interested in it, and so he decided to extend the coffee plantation. He now has five acres of coffee (and we have bought the coffee from all five acres). He has very little outside help with the farm, except from direct family: his wife helps him greatly. The varietals on the farm are Caturra, Catuai, Typica and Criolla. The farm is under constant improvement. David is now removing much of the Criolla and focusing on Typica and Catuai, for cup quality reasons. This coffee comes from the Caturra and Typica parts of the farm. I have a really good relationship with David and you might remember 2 years ago we did something a little different with the coffee's price. I've visited David a couple of times now and when I was there I thought he was being rude to me by ignoring me, or not responding when I spoke to him. Last time I visited, though, I found out that David's hearing had become damaged whilst he was working as a miner before he made the move into coffee. In the past the exporter had given David some money to get hearing aids, but he spent the money on satellite TV (for his wife – who hasn't been in that situation!) so the year before last we paid for two hearing aids while we were there, so that he could hear properly again and enjoy my smooth and soothing English voice ; ) We thought that would be the last of it. But when I last visited David didn't have his hearing aids in. He told us that they were not good while he was picking what to wear, but also that he couldn't afford the batteries. So we left him with cash for a microphone hearing-device for around his neck, and $200.00 USD for batteries. This worked out at 7p per bag for all the coffee we buy from him, and I didn't pick up the tab – you lovely people did! So a big THANK YOU from me, and also, of course, from David! http://www.hasblog.co.uk/the-cost-of-hearing David's farm is between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level, this is a mechanically washed coffee that underwent full wet fermentation for 16 hours before being dried in a mechanical dryer for 48 hours. In the cup this a very sweet, creamy, well structured and chuggable coffee...think about a liquid chocolate covered papaya that you can just drink and drink and drink. This is 1 of those coffees where you finish the mug without noticing, go to take another sip and then just have to brew more. Country: Bolivia Region: Illimani Farmer: David Vilca Altitude: 1,550 - 1,650 m.a.s.l. Varietals: Caturra and Typica Total farm size: 7 hectares Coffee growing area: 5 hectares Processing method: Washed Washing method: Mechanical Fermentation: Full wet Fermentation time: 16 hours Drying method: Mechanical dryer Drying time: 48 hours Rainfall period: Nov–February Average temperature: 8°C ≤ 19°≥ 30°C Soil type: Clay and shale-y Other crops grown: Citrus fruits (orange and tangerine), and avocado CUPPING NOTES Chocolate, papaya, creamy. Clean Cup: (1-8): 6 Sweetness: (1-8): 8 Acidity: (1-8): 6 Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6.5 Flavour: (1-8): 7 Aftertaste: (1-8): 6.5 Balance: (1-8): 6.5 Overall: (1-8): 6.5 Correction:(+36): +36 Total (max 100): 89
Coffee came to Peru in the mid 1700s and was most likely introduced by Dutch immigrants. The Dutch brought the Typica variety which still dominates especially amongst the older farms and micro-farms. The first coffee plantings were in Chinchao, Huanuco in Selva Central and disseminated from there to the Northern (Cajamarca) and Southern (Cusco and Puno) regions of the country. Peru had its first coffee shop in 1771 in Lima and started exporting coffee in 1887. Peru is a country which has great potential but for particular reasons it is extremely hard to find 87+ coffee landed in consuming countries. The potential is there: the country is the 8th largest producer of coffee in the world, has plenty of farms at and above 1600 and 1800 meters, and has predominantly Typica and Bourbon varieties. But sadly this is not the case, high-end coffee out of Peru is very scarce due to the challenges they face. Most farmers own a couple of hectares only and are in remote areas. Many times their farms are 4 hours by foot from the nearest town and the town could be 8 hours by truck from the nearest port. This means coffee can sit at the farm unnecessarily for extended periods of time after it is dried. During the drying season climate conditions tend to be very humid with precipitation. Without proper storage, such as GrainPro, coffee will gain moisture and destabilize cup-quality But this is (of course) not the case here, deliciousness! This coffee comes from the San José de Lourdes district in the Cajamarca region of Peru. The capital city of Cajamarca is Cajamarca (love it when that happens) and sits in Peru's northern highlands, in the Andes Mountains. La Flor del Cafe is 1 of 3 farms owned by Apolinar Arevalo where he grows Caturra and Pache at 1,800 metres above sea level. In the cup dark chocolate is up front riding shotgun with cinder toffee, some Brazil nuts are sat in the back along with their good friend Mr walnut, and there's a little pear as it cools. Country: Peru Region: Cajamarca Province: San Ignacio District: San José de Lourdes Farm: La Flor del Cafe Farmer: Apolinar Arevalo Altitude: 1,800 m.a.s.l. Varietals: Caturra & Pache Processing System: Washed
Finca El Fuerte was named in honor of the 'Fort of Samaipata', which is a unique ruin in Bolivia. El Fuerte de Samaipata (Fort Samaipata), also known simply as 'El Fuerte', is an archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Santa Cruz department of Florida province. It is situated in the eastern foothills of the Bolivian Andes, and it's a popular tourist destination for Bolivians and foreigners alike. It is served by the nearby town of Samaipata. It is not actually a military fortification, but it is generally considered a pre-Columbian religious site, built by the Chané people, who were a pre-Inca culture of Arawak origin. There are also ruins of an Inca city built near the temple; the city was built during the Inca expansion to the southeast. Both Incas and Chanés suffered several raids from Guarani warriors, who invaded the region from time to time. Eventually, the Guarani warriors conquered the plains and valleys of Santa Cruz, and destroyed Samaipata. The Guaranis dominated the region well into the Spanish colonial period. The Spaniards also built a settlement near the temple, and there are remains of buildings of typical Andalusi Arabic architecture. The Spaniards abandoned the settlement and moved to the nearby valley, where the town of Samaipata is currently located. The archaeological site at El Fuerte is unique, and it encompasses buildings of three different cultures: Chanés, Incas and Spaniards. AgriCafe Buena Vista has been sourcing coffee from small coffee producers for three decades. However, the steady decline of coffee production has put at risk the sustainability of the business and the future of coffee production in Bolivia; it's at risk of disappearing completely. Faced with these circumstances and crises, AgriCafe assumes the challenge of boosting the production and supporting the Bolivian coffee growing. AgriCafe has undertaken the development of 'Fincas Buena Vista', which is home to new coffee plantations with a sustainable model based on three pillars: economical, social and environmental. Besides Caturra and Typica (both of which are traditional varieties in Bolivia), Agricafe has ventured into new exotic varieties to plant on its farms, and is also implementing new processes post-harvest. Finca El Fuerte is the first coffee farm in the Samaipata region that's focusing on producing specialty coffees. Finca El Fuerte is a bet to develop coffee agriculture in this new region which has all the conditions to produce spectacular high quality coffees, and it's a new opportunity for many farmers to start producing specialty coffee. Through a lot of effort in the new plantations, and a lot of effort in caring for the harvest and the beans' processing, it has managed to produce coffees like Geisha. AgriCafe has utilised a careful and delicate process, and it has achieved a coffee that highlights the attributes of sweetness, complexity and quality in the cup. In the cup expect mushed up yellow fruit (but in a good way). Think apricot and peach puree sweetness, flavour and texture that ends with a white grape finish. Country: Bolivia Province: Florida Department: Santa Cruz Farm: El Fuerte Altitude: 1,450–1,700 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Caturra Process: Pulped Natural Total hectares of the farm: 35 hectares Latitude: S 18°11'57'' W 63°45'31'
One of my all-time favourite farms returns! We welcome it back with the widest of arms, it's so, so special. I often get asked what my favourite coffee of all time is but I will never say exactly (although my friends know the true answer). However, I do narrow it to three coffees, and this is one of them. I went to El Salvador in 2008 on a buying trip, and I was visiting some of the farms that we buy from. I actually arrived the evening of the Cup of Excellence awards, and after the ceremony I was walking around when this guy who seemed very popular came over to me and introduced himself. He was Ernesto or, as I would come to know him, Neto. He'd just won the Cup of Excellence competition with his 'La Ilusión' farm, the sister farm of 'Alaska'. Alaska is a farm we had bought from via the Cup of Excellence the year before. Ernesto invited me to visit La Ilusión the next day, and it was so great to finally meet someone I had communicated with so many times via email! Neto bought La Ilusión nine years ago. The farm has coffee trees averaging nineteen years of age and is growing 95% Bourbon (70% is red Bourbon and 25% is Orange Bourbon). The remaining 5% is a combination of other varietals, and it is possible to spot some Typica and Kenya trees. The farm is run using environmentally friendly practices because they are trying to maintain a balance with the surrounding ecosystem, which is part of a natural fauna corridor crucial to migratory and native birds. This is very important for Ernesto because La Ilusión neighbours one of the most important national parks in El Salvador, known as 'Los Andes'. It is nestled on the Santa Ana volcano and delineates his farm with dense pine and cypress forest, which itself provides a special micro-climate for La Ilusión. The naturally processed version of this coffee was used by the 2011 World Barista champion, Alejandro Mendez. He caused a bit of a stir in the world of barista competition by using the naturally processed lot in his milk drinks and his signature drink, and then using the washed version (this coffee) as his espresso. He caused such a stir that he won! That year I had roasted the coffee for Alejandro, and it had been grown by Neto. There was a magical moment backstage in which I was stood, polishing glass, with Alejandro and Neto; the grower, roaster and barista all stood together, preparing for the presentation. It's not too often you get such wonderful things happening! Aah, the wonders of barista competition. :) In the cup I get Fruit Salad sweets, a lot of white sugar, and candied lemon. A very clean, sweet and delicious coffee. Country: El Salvador Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range City: Santa Ana Farm: La Ilusión Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello Altitude: 1,750–1,850 m.a.s.l. Variety: Bourbon Processing system: Washed CUPPING NOTES Fruit salad sweets, white sugar, candied lemon. Clean cup: (1–8): 8 Sweetness: (1–8): 7 Acidity: (1–8): 7 Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6 Flavour: (1–8): 7.5 Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5 Balance: (1–8): 8 Overall: (1–8): 8 Correction:(+36): +36 Total: (max. 100): 94 Roasting Information Medium – just before second crack starts. "Quick Look" Guide Fruit salad sweets, white sugar, candied lemon.
Back for a third year we have the coffee that in the past I affectionately started calling 'Monty Burns' : ) In previous years we've only had 1 lot from this mill/farm combo but this year we have 2! A black honey Typica lot that is available on our website and this lot which has been sent out exclusively to In My Mug subscribers and isn't available to purchase on our website. So I think I should start by explaining this coffee's long and rather complicated name. The mill where this coffee is processed is called Monte Brisas, and the name of the farm is Finca Salaca. The varietal of the coffee plant is Villalobos, and the processing method is natural. This coffee comes from the west valley in the region of Zarcero; both the farm and the mill are very near to the famous mill owned by our friends Gillio and Zarcero. The farm (Salaca) is located at 1,750 metres above sea level and is owned by Luis Salazar, who has a total of 12 hectares of land (11 of which are for coffee production). Although the family have been farming for years, Monte Brisas is a brand new micro mill in only its third year of production. I visited last year. The family had the tiniest amount of coffee, and had already pre-sold it to another buyer. Luis promised he would have something for me this year, and the sample was waiting when I visited again. Natural processing, well I could type a bit about what it's all about, or...I could give you a link to a sweet video! https://www.hasbean.co.uk/blogs/processing-videos/7476774-natural-coffee that's 1 of a series of 3 videos we made to explain more about coffee processing methods, I hope you enjoy it : ) In the cup you can taste that it's almost December, a very clean coffee where Christmas cake meets tinned prunes all sprinkled with brown sugar. Country: Costa Rica Region: Zarcero Farm: Finca Salaca Mill: Monte Brisas Farmer: Luis Salazar Farm Size: 12 hectares Coffee growing area: 11 hectares Altitude: 1,750 m.a.s.l. Variety: Villalobos Processing System: Natural
This coffee comes from the town of Irupana in the Sud Yungas province of Bolivia, it's grown at an altitude of between 1,800 and 1,850 metres above sea level and is a mechanically washed, dry fermented Typica. Estanislao Panuni is young, enthusiastic and a self-confessed coffee lover (just like me!) He started out in coffee controlling the fermentation process at the Coaraca Cooperative in Bolivia and it was there that he really developed his skills as a coffee producer. 2 years ago he decided he wanted to help his father and so moved away from his day job to take on a role producing coffee with his Dad, this coffee is the product of all that hard work, learning and family love. In the cup expect orange Jelly Tots covered with white sugar, a floral honey-like mouthfeel and aftertaste mixed with cacao drops. Country: Bolivia Department: La Paz Province: Sud Yungas Municipality: Irupana Town: Irupana Town Producer: Estanislao Panuni Altitude: 1,800-1,850 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Typica Processing method: Washed Washing: Mechanical Fermentation: Dry fermentation for 16 hours Drying: African beds for 7-8 days Coordinates: 16°27′58″S 67°27′17″O
I first met Teodocio Mamani on my visit to Bolivia in 2012. Long story short: he's an amazing guy. We got talking about the photo we had of him in a Chelsea shirt, and then of course we started talking football. He had the Chelsea shirt because he played for a local team that played in blue, but I managed to convince him that he needed a shirt from a real team so I sent him a Sunderland shirt. It's amazing to think that was so long ago and this year I'm super happy to welcome this coffee back for its fourth year! Canton Uyunense is a municipality of Caranavi, and lots of farms can be called a variation on that name. This is a super small lot coming from just 6,000 plants on 2 hectares of land. It's a mixture of Catuai and Typica varietals (this is from the Typica), both red and yellow. Teodocio also has one hectare of land that is natural forest reserve, in which he owns a house where he lives with his wife and two children. He is also planting a new area which we should see start to produce coffee in the next couple of years (and I can't wait!). This year is the third year that Teodocio has processed the majority of his coffee on the farm, which for me is super exciting. He used a depulper that removes the cherry, then left the cherry to go through a dry fermentation process (aerobic) for 16 hours, and then ran it through the scrubber section of the pulper to remove the final remains of the mucilage. He then transferred the coffee to raised African beds where it dried in around 12 days (depending on local weather conditions). I was talking to the exporter about Teodocio's picking methods and he was explaining that the family uses a method called Ayne. With this method the most mature fruits are harvested each day, demanding the labour of 8–10 people (who are all family members in this case) to selectively pick, and pick correctly. But because of this he gets more coffee he can sell as specialty, and the cup profile improves too. Teodocio is just as passionate about improving the cup quality as he is about his football! In the cup this is a really unique coffee, with effervescent blackcurrant (think sherbet) alongside lime zest acidity and an amazing floral finish. Every time I look at this coffee I find different fruit notes, a fruit bowl in a cup. Country: Bolivia Region: North Yungas City: Caranavi Farm: Teodocio Mamani Varietal: Typica Altitude: 1,250 – 1,650 m.a.s.l. Processing: Washed (mechanically scrubbed) Rainfall period: Nov–February Average temperature: 8°C ≤ 19°≥ 30°C Soil type: clay and shale Other crops grown: citrus fruits (orange, tangerine), avocado
Introducing a coffee we have seen before, in fact twice we have had then lost, let me take you on a journey. The story starts back in 2009 when it seemed like we had been searching for a great Colombian coffee forever. This had been much harder than it should have been, with Colombian yields massively down and lots of the coffee being hoovered up by people with big pockets who just need to have a Colombian, regardless of the quality. We found this farm on an offer sheet of an importer we don't usually use, but bought it as it was tasting great and had a great back story too. We stocked the 2009 Typica crop from this farm and it was only a small lot, but it was so popular and so enjoyed that it was gone in two and a half weeks. We had expected it would last until the new crop was due to arrive, many weeks later. So we stocked a good amount of it last year (and it still flew out the door). The coffee become a favourite farm. But this year we found out from Camilo that the importer would not be bringing in the coffee and all the hard work, searching, and cupping would be wasted. So cue the music and a flight to Colombia (tagged on to the start of my trip to the World Barista Championships); I flew out to see Camilo and to try to fix this. We bought directly, but some communication issues and shipment problems meant we lost this farm. It was so sad, and I don't think I ever truly forgot this coffee. Fast forward to Seattle last year at the World Barista Championships (yes another championships) and I bump into Camillo and a long conversation we decided it was for sure worth another try. Camilo is one of the leading lights and the you could say a template for future of the Colombian coffee industry. I'll try and quantify that statement; for years Colombia has had a great reputation, and has achieved great prices (even when markets were low the Colombian differential was always high). But changes in climate and issues with plant diseases (leaf rust is a huge problem in Colombia) have put pressure on yields, and so put pressure on farms to change traditional plant stock for that of more disease resistant strains such as Castillo, Catimor, and Colombia. The problem with this is that these varietals don't take into account what's important to me: how it tastes. Camilo is working with varietals purely for their intrinsic taste values and to make the best farm; not just in the region or in Colombia, but the world. He is constantly asking questions, working with interesting irrigation ideas to work against the change in climate, even building a giant greenhouse for an experimental lot of growing coffee under cover. This crazy approach to growing coffee is nothing new to Camilo; he bought land that Santuario now sits on, before it had any coffee on it at all. The land had previously been grazing ground for cattle. It was barren and in a rather bad way, but it seemed there was potential for great Colombian coffee to be grown. With an altitude of 1,800 - 2,100 metres, low temperatures at night (but not too low), and high temperatures during the day (again not too high), the land had possibilities. With active agronomy, soil management, and careful varietal selection, this farm is now one of the most amazing coffee experiments I have seen. If I were to build a farm (and one day I hope this will happen), this would be the model I would follow. Camilo has selected Typica and Bourbon as the main crop (80%) and experimental lots of Geisha, Maragogype, and Mocha (20%). You can see by the map below that this farm has been meticulously planned and every piece designed to fit in with each other. Aguacatillo is a tablon on the farm, and the first time I've seen this lot, and the good news is it's delicious. In the cup this starts out as baker's chocolate with lots of brown sugar alongside a delicious sweet and juicy lime acidity. A chocolate lime sweet in a cup. Country: Colombia Region: Cauca City: Cali Farm: Finca Santuario Owner: Camilo Merizald Farm Size: 135.4 hectares Coffee growing size: 62.9 Hectares Tablon: Aquacatillo Varietal: Red Typica Processing: Washed Altitude: This lot 2,050 m.a.s.l. rest of farm (1,890 - 2,010 m.a.s.l.)
In Bolivia, coffee production was traditionally concentrated in the region of Los Yungas where lush subtropical vegetation and environmental conditions helped to produce the amazing quality Bolivian coffee that we all know and love. Caranavi is located north of the department of La Paz city – 150 kilometers from the capital, is the center of Bolivian coffee production. It's fertile soils and altitude gave Bolivia the potential to produce brilliant and unique coffees. Due to the many complications and challenges within the Bolivian coffee growing industry many of the smaller farms we have worked with in the past are no longer producing coffee. Whilst this has created some challenges for us it has had a much more significant impact on our exporting partners AgriCafe who have been working with these growers for many years. As a result they have decided to begin farming themselves in an effort to demonstrate what can be achieved with the application of more modern techniques and a scientific farming approach. Agricafe now manage 7 farms, of which La Linda is the first to bear fruit and is known as The Seed Garden for the other farms in the Buena Vista project. Alongside this Red Caturra lot the farm is producing Catuai and Typica lots as well as Java, SL28 and Bourbon which are all new plantings in Bolivia. All the coffee has been picked by a group of seven specifically trained female workers. The newer varieties will only become available next year but we are incredibly proud to support this project and the producers of Caranavi. In the cup this coffee creates a wonderful new dark chocolate selection box chocolate for me, a dark chocolate raspberry cream! This is a super clean coffee with a velvety texture and creamy aftertaste. Country: Bolivia Region: Los Yungas Farm: La Linda Altitude: 1,400 - 1,450 m.a.s.l. Processing Method: Mechanically Washed Varietal: Red Caturra
This coffee comes from a mill in the Gedeo zone, which is an area that we've been lucky enough to enjoy coffee from before. It's situated about four kilometres west of the town of Yirgacheffe, in the Guji area of Ethiopia. The mill is called Kerbal Aricha, and it's owned by Surafel Birhanu. It's supplied by around 650–750 smallholder farmers (mainly garden growers), who produce around five containers of specialty coffee and around ten containers of commercial-grade coffee per year. The altitude is varied but goes between 1,950 and 2,100 metres above sea level. The varietals are anyone's guess, but they seem to be mainly made up from Typica and various other heirloom varietals. This is what you get in Ethiopia: lots of small growers with lots of different mutations and variations of plants, and little interest in separating them and finding out what's what. The term 'heirloom' is a strange one and people are starting to question its use as an accurate descriptor for the amazing coffees we're drinking from Ethiopia. Perhaps we should use the term 'wild' instead? That's certainly what Dale Harris thinks. For processing, ripe cherries are delivered to the mill where they're graded and then placed onto raised drying beds in thin layers. They're turned every 2–3 hours in the first few days to avoid over-fermentation and mold growth. 4–6 weeks later (depending on weather and temperature) the beans are de-hulled, transported to Addis in parchment, and then milled, prior to shipping. In the cup this coffee is as funky as funky can be. One ticket for a ride on board the funky bus, please! It's loaded with blueberries and has an amazing sparkling acidity. It's a fantastically exciting and different coffee. Country: Ethiopia District: Yirgacheffe Zone: Gedeo Mill: Kebel Aricha Owner: Surafel Birhanu Processing: Sun Dried natural Producers: Approx. 650 - 700 smallholder farmers, who have on average 150-200 trees each Varietal: Heirloom – Typica and various other indigenous Ethiopian varietals Soil: pH 5.2 – 6.2, red brown, depth of over 1.5m Altitude: 1,950 - 2,100 m.a.s.l. Rainfall: 2,000mm per year (8 months rainy, 3-4 months dry) Temperature: 18ºC - 28ºC
I am so pleased to see this coffee back for an amazing FIFTH year! It's become a big favourite for me, and I know this is also true for many of you out there. The farm is located in the colony of Bolinda in the North Yungas region of Bolivia, near to the town of Caranavi. The farm is called Finca David Vilca, as it doesn't have a proper name. This is quite common in Bolivia: farms are often named after an individual or the family running them. David migrated from La Paz to the farm 15 years ago after a career in mining left him with damaged hearing. He bought this 12 hectare farm as security for himself and his family, to make sure they could support themselves. When he took over, he only had one acre planted with coffee (it was of the Criolla varietal). After two years, David was comfortable with coffee farming. He was becoming increasingly interested in it, and so he decided to extend the planting. He now has five acres of coffee (and we have bought the coffee from all of them). He has very little outside help with the farm, except from direct family: his wife helps him greatly. The varietals on the farm are Caturra, Catuai and Criolla. The farm is under constant improvement. David is now removing much of the Criolla and focusing on Typica and Catuai, for cup quality reasons. This coffee comes from the Caturra parts of the farm. Last year you might have noticed the price was a little unusual, I've visited David a couple of times now, I thought he was being rude to me by ignoring me, or not responding when I spoke to him. Last time I visited, though, I found out David had damaged his hearing whilst working as a miner before purchasing the farm. I've visited David a couple of times now. I thought he was being rude to me by ignoring me, or not responding when I spoke to him. Last time I visited, though, I found out David had damaged his hearing whilst working as a miner before purchasing the farm. In the past the exporter had given David some money to get hearing aids, but he spent the money on satellite TV (for his wife – who hasn't been in that situation)! So last year we paid for two hearing aids while we were there, so that he could hear again. We thought that would be the last of it. But when I last visited David didn't have his hearing aids in. He told us that they were not good while he was picking what to wear, but also that he couldn't afford the batteries. So we left him with cash for a microphone hearing-device for around his neck, and $200 for batteries. This worked out at 7p per bag for all the coffee we buy from him, and I didn't pick up the tab you lovely people did! So a big THANK YOU from me and also of course from David! http://www.hasblog.co.uk/the-cost-of-hearing This year you can also enjoy coffee from David Vilca in a lip balm! Who doesn't like lip balm? You can order separately via the product page http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/single-origin-lip-balm-v2-0
Well, well, well...what do we have here? Might it be a world-exclusive coffee only available at Has Bean? I think we might! This coffee is from a farm we're supporting for the ninth (!) year, and it's one that I am very proud to be working with and linked with; the owner is my very good friend, Stephen Hurst. I'll let Stephen Hurst tell you the story of how he came to own ‘Inglaterra': “Maybe it had always been an idea in the back of my mind... so a couple of years ago when some friends in Brazil mentioned that a small coffee farm was for sale, I had a look. The farm's name (Fazenda Toca Da Onca) meant ‘hiding place of a small wildcat'. The locals now call the farm ‘Inglaterra'. The previous owners had abandoned Toca Da Onca/Inglaterra; we had to start again, almost from scratch. Some surviving coffee trees were pruned right back and the coffee that you are now drinking is that re-growth from the original, old trees. Information for the coffee people: the varietals are Icatu, Acaia and Catuai. In future I expect coffee cherry varietals to become as well known as wine grape varietals, and to a much wider audience. The farm is located near the lovely spa town of Pocos De Caldas in the coffee growing heartlands of Brazil's Minas Gerais state. The farm's elevation is 950–1300 meters, and it has rich soil. It's on the edge of an ancient caldera/ super volcano whose outline can be seen on satellite images. 50% of the farm is virgin Mata Atlantica forest, and it will stay that way as long as I own it. I am replanting some areas with the help of my local friends Gabriel and Cristiano, without whose assistance this project would never had started”. Back to me! We think the Bourbon varietal probably originated on the island of Bourbon, or perhaps in Ethiopia. It's a varietal with many sub-varietals. It's at high risk from pests and diseases and is decidedly average in terms of yield, but the cup profile tends to be anything but average. It hasvery close links to the SL28, Typica and Caturra varietals.In the right environment, because of its low yield, Bourbon tends to produce a very high quality cup (there is evidence that the lower the yield isthe higher the quality will be, becausethe plant can use its energy more efficiently). I don't think it is a coincidence that my top three coffees of all time have been from the Bourbon varietal. For a little more information about the Bourbon varietal make sure to have a look at the varietal section of our articles here. In the cup this is like a melted bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk Whole Nut. It's super-balanced and absolutely rammed full of milk chocolate with a nutty hazelnut edge, there's also a silky mouthfeelthat really reminds me of melted milk chocolate. Country: Brazil Region: Minas Gerias City: Poços de Caldas Farm: Fazenda Inglaterra Farmer: Stephen Hurst Farm size: 10 hectares Coffee growing area: 5 hectares Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Bourbon Processing system: Pulped Natural
For a long time I struggled to find a Kalosi that I wanted to stock, for over 2 and a half years I tasted so many samples but nothing came close to what I wanted so the struggle continued. Last year that streak was broken and much like busses I waited for so so long then 2 came along at once! And guess what? I've gone and got 2 again this year! Sulawesi (Celebes) was influenced and controlled by the Netherlands from 1605 until World War II. In 1669 the Dutch East India Company took control of the trade in Sulawesi. The Dutch built Fort Rotterdam in Ujung Pandang (now Makassar) in the mid 1600s. It was not until 1905 that they finally gained control of the whole island, becoming part of the Dutch state colony of the Netherlands East Indies. The Dutch East India Company was in control of coffee production in Indonesia during most of the 1700s, and introduced Arabica Coffee (Typica) to Sulawesi in 1750. Indonesian coffee has traditionally been processed with the Giling-Basah (or wet-hulled) method, like Sumatran coffee. In 1976 TOARCO, a Japanese-Indonesian joint-venture, introduced the traditional washed process to Sulawesi, similar to that found in Central America. TOARCO owns the Pedamaran plantation, which is at 900 – 1,250 metres above sea level, and purchases wet-parchment (at 40% moisture) from small producers at 1,200 – 1,800 m.a.s.l. Coffee is driven to Pedamaran plantation immediately and gets dried on patios at their mill facilities. If a producer wants to sell their parchment coffee to TOARCO they have to get certified to TOARCO's standards for selective-picking, storage, transportation, moisture levels, etc. Farmers are issued ID cards that allow them to sell their coffee at various purchasing points in the Tana Toraja region, during the market of the week. This lot comes from those small producers at the higher altitude areas, rather than the plantation. Most of the coffee produced in Tana Toraja is S795 variety: it's a Typica hybrid. This proves once again how importantly the variety translates in the cup. Indonesia has a great deal of Catimor and a Robusta-heavy Arabica hybrid, but Tana Toraja has kept high-quality varieties. In the cup don't expect to find a 'traditional' Kalosi, this one is super clean and loaded with creamy smooth milk chocolate! There's a big huge mouthfeel and soft muted acidity throughout. Country: Indonesia Region: Sulawesi Location: Pango Pango-Perindingan, Tana Toraja Altitude: 1,200 – 1,600 m.a.s.l. Soil type: Volcanic Rainfalls in mm/year: 4,700 Main crop: September - March. Fly crop June - July. Picking method: Manual Processing method: Washed Drying method: Sun-dried at special open-air concrete floors Varietal: Typica Peaberry
The growing region of Yirgacheffe in central-southern Ethiopia is world famous and has some amazing plant stock. This coffee comes from 800 smallholders in the town of Gedeb, which is about 40 km south of Yirgacheffe (pronunciation: Irgachefe) town, heading towards the Kenyan border, at an altitude of around 1,900–2,100 metres above sea level. Many thousands of bags marked ‘Yirgacheffe' are sold every year but there may be significant differences between them in terms of cup quality. Selecting by cupping cuts the wheat from the chaff, and this coffee was very special on the cupping table. It has been classified as a 'Q-grade Grade 1 fully washed coffee' by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange Central Liquoring Unit, which really highlights it as an extra special lot. The varietal is one we don't often see around these parts. Kurume is an indigenous Ethiopian varietal. It's smaller in size than other Typica/heirloom beans, but it's very sweet in the cup and also gives a very aromatic cup. Processing-wise, ripe cherries are delivered to the mill where they're graded, sorted, de-pulped and then fermented underwater for between 36–48 hours. The fermentation time varies depending on temperature, humidity and other local factors that the team at the mill know all about. Parchment is sorted in washing channels and then placed onto raised African drying tables made of bamboo tree and mesh wire. The drying period generally lasts for up to 2 weeks or until the moisture level of the coffee reaches 12% or lower. In the cup it's all about the fruit: loads of apricot up front, which is backed up by buckets of fruit sweetness. The acidity is lower than you might expect from a washed Ethiopian, I'd even go as far as to call it 'soft'. In the finish it's super delicate – there's a real floral edge with hints of jasmine. Country: Ethiopia Region: Yergacheffe Town: Gedeb Varietal: Kurume Processing: Fully Washed Producers: 800 smallholders, with up to 2 hectares each Altitude: 1,900 - 2,100 m.a.s.l. Soil: Red brown, depth of over 1m. Rainfall: 1,980 mm per year, 8 months rainy, 3-4 months dry Temperature: Averages 21ºC
This is one of my all time favourite farms back for a second year! We welcome it back with the widest of arms, it's so so special. I often get asked what my favourite coffee of all time. I will never say (although my friends know the true answer), but I say three, this is one of them. I went to El Salvador in 2008 on a buying trip, visiting some of the farms that we buy from. I actually arrived the evening of the Cup of Excellence awards. After the ceremony, I was walking around when this guy who seemed very popular came over to me and introduced himself. He was Ernesto, or as I would come to know him, Neto. He had just won the Cup of Excellence competition with his 'La Ilusión' farm, the sister farm of 'Alaska'. Alaska is a farm we had bought from in Cup of Excellence the year before. Ernesto invited me to visit La Ilusión the next day. It was so great to finally meet someone I had communicated with so many times via email. Neto bought La Ilusión 9 years ago. The farm has coffee trees averaging 19 years of age and is growing 95% Bourbon (70% is red Bourbon and 25% is orange Bourbon). The remaining 5% is a combination of other varietals, and it is possible to spot some Typica and Kenya trees. The farm is run using environmentally friendly practices. They are trying to maintain a balance with the surrounding ecosystem, which is part of a natural fauna corridor crucial to migratory and native birds. This is very important for Ernesto, since La Ilusión is neighbouring one of the most important national parks in El Salvador, known as 'Los Andes'. It is nestled on the Santa Ana volcano and delineates his farm with dense pine and cypress forest, which itself provides a special micro-climate for La Ilusión. The naturally processed version of this coffee was used by the 2011 World Barista Champion Alejandro Mendez, he caused a bit of a stir in the world of barista competition by using the naturally processed lot in his milk drinks and sig drink then the washed (this coffee) as his espresso, such a stir that he won! That year I had roasted the coffee for Alejandro that had been grown by Neto and there was a magical moment backstage where I was stood with Alejandro and Neto polishing glasses, the grower and roaster and barista all stood together preparing for the presentation, not too often you get such wonderful things happening! In the cup I got fruit salad sweets (for those who don't know this is a very sweet fruits chewy sweet) all on the front end. A lovely pink lemonade acidity to match. Not over powering but completely inbalance with the whole cup. And this is what it does best, balance in the cup. Then it's the sweet sweet sticky chewy fruit salad aftertaste that just carries on and on and on. Country: El Salvador Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range City: Santa Ana Farm: La Ilusión Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello Altitude: 1,750-1,850 m.a.s.l. Variety: Bourbon Processing System: Washed
El Libano is located in the traditional Guatemalan coffee region of Chimaltenango and is 21 hectares in size with 17.5 of them set aside for coffee production. Its owner is Herbert Estuardo Perez Liquidano, a third generation coffee producer on this farm. Originally this farm was called La Pampa and was purchased by Mr Prudencio Perez Rosales in 1915. When he unfortunately passed away his daughters inherited the farm and divided it equally into three properties called La Pampa, San Juan and El Libano. Herbert purchased El Libano in 1992. In the early days of El Libano (or La Pampa I guess I should say) coffee was commercialized in cherry form with other farms and/or buyers who took it to local wet mills for the post harvest process. When coffee production at the farm increased, between 1958 and 1960, a wet mill was built on a lower part of the farm and drying fields were built in the higher parts. At that time, coffee was taken by workers on mules from the pulping area to the drying fields, down a narrow road, which as I'm sure you can imagine made work rather difficult. Later, in 1970, this was extended and thanks to increasing coffee sales they were able to buy a vehicle to let the mules get some rest. Since then as I'm sure you guessed there have been many changes to the farm...they improved the quality of what they could produce via modernisation of the wet mill, the pulping area and in the drying process. In the drying area, they have increased the drying patios and added a guardiola dryer, which has the capacity of processing 40 quintales (4 kilos) of coffee. Besides producing delicious coffee El Libano also plays a really important role for the local people, the worked of the farm have been provided with equipped houses to live on the farm with their families and they've also built not just 1 but 2 modern swimming pools for workers and their families! The farm sits at 1,350 metres above sea level and has a mixture of Typica, Catuaí, Caturra and Geisha, although this lot is just Caturra. It's our second year of working with this farm after working with them for the very first time last year, back then I said I had high hopes for the future and guess what, I was right In the cup you can expect to find a rather large Granny Smith green apple! It's a super sweet superclean cup that finishes with a delicious aftertaste of mango. Country: Guatemala Department: Chimaltenango Municipality: Acatenango Nearest Village: La Pampa Farm Name: El Libano Farmer: Herbert Estuardo Pérez Liquidano Altitude: 1,350 m.a.s.l. Process: Washed Drying: Sun dried Farm Size: 21 Hectares Coffee growing area: 17.5 Hectares Varietal: Caturra
We first bought coffee from this amazing farm back in 2007 as part of a buying group in the Cup of Excellence. The very first time I cupped a coffee from Finca Limoncillo I absolutely loved it and knew it was a farm I had to get involved with. It was only after the auction closed that I found out it was owned by the father of two brothers in Nicaragua who are probably the only people I know from the country, and are good friends of mine. The farm is a whopping 171 hectares in size and is located in Matagalpa towards the north west of Nicaragua, it's an amazing location that has not 1, not 2 but 9 waterfalls on the farm! It's owned by the Mieresch family, whom as I have already said are good friends, and are also well respected producers in Nicaragua known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee. The fact that the family are friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them, and continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee. The employers: Pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage Provide free housing for 60 families on their farms Provide free electricity and running water for their homes Provide free food for all workers Have free day care facilities for families to use Provide free health care facilities on the farms Employee on-site teachers who educate their staff and teach other skills such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills, the teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities. So what's this Ethiosar varietal I hear you ask? Well it's from the hard work of the Mierisch family and their cousin Ricardo who owns a farm near to Limoncillo but at a much lower altitude of 800 m.a.s.l. Ricardo noticed that his yield and his plants were suffering and seemed to be becoming more susceptible to disease, he puts this down to growing issues in Nicaragua, a change in climate, increased rains and his low altitude. But from experiments he was running on the farm he noticed that this newly spliced varietal he had put together was thriving, it was fruiting much more than the other plants, and was not suffering. The varietal, Ethiosar, is a stable hybrid plant. It is a cross of an Ethiopian variety (Rume Sudan) with a Sarchimore (a cross of a Villa Sarchi with a Timor variety). The offspring of this plant is then crossed once again with a Villa Sarchi (an improved Caturra / Bourbon from Costa Rica). The Timor variety is the robusta variety used to produce all the Catimores, in short it only has a very small percentage of Catimores in it, thus making it very resistant to rust in most parts of the world. The Rume Sudan is a very old variety of Typica from Ethiopia. Both Rume Sudan and Villa Sarchi are known for their great cup characteristics. What Ethiosar does is increase production by up to 40% whilst only needing 2,800 plants per manzana, whereas with Caturra you would need 4,000 plants. This may not seem important until you begin to think that each plant needs fertiliser, so not only are you getting more yield but it's cheaper to grow because you need less fertiliser, less plants (plants have to be grown or bought), and it's also quicker to pick. On top of all of this, it's super tasty. In the cup expect plenty of fresh lime zest, with a bright and zingy acidity that's super clean and refreshing. In the aftertaste you'll find a taste of delicious craft beer hops. Country: NicaraguaMunicipality: Yasica Norte Region: Matagalpa Farm Name: LimoncilloFarmer: Dr Erwin MierischFarm Size: 171 Manzanas HectaresCoffee growing area: 109 Hectares Harvest Months: December - FebruaryDiurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 28C, Low 20CAltitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Ethiosar (Ricardo) Processing System: Washed
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