Tasting Notes: February 2024 Coffees
When the founders started Wide Awake Coffee Roasters was founded as a passion project in 2019 by Rutger. Today Wide Awake are a team of 8 geeky humans from different parts of the world, all passionate about learning and always looking for what’s better and nerding about coffee. Seasoned roasters, baristas, cuppers and service people, Wide Awake release their coffees as one of their 11 Series. Each series represent a certain taste profile that they use to source and roast the world’s best coffees, from Big and Bold to Wild and Funk. Every Series gets 4-5 releases per year, either from farmers with whom they’ve built a long-term relation, or from new, exciting producers.
Brussels is Wide Awake's hometurf, their playground for roasting and brewing - Wide Awake's roastery is based in the Magellan Parc at the Brussels canal, home to where they roast small but in consistent batches on a Probat P12.
Wide Awake Coffees | Belgium
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strawberry Fields, Honduras | Wilmer Grau’s family farm and mill is located in Masaguara in the Intibuca region of Honduras. The last few years Wilmer has consequently reinvested the premiums he earns in optimizing his processing. The farm sits at 1670 masl and creates complex red-fruit cups with a slight booziness. Wilmer is also the chairman of a group of 250 local producers. All lots are separated by cultivar before processing. When a batch of cherry arrives at the mill, it’s first floated to remove unripes. It’s then dried on raised african beds for up to 22 days. |
Apricot, red plum, cherry and rooibos Altitude: 1670 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World, Single / Light |
| Easy Rider, Peru | The Aromas Del Valle cooperative is located in the Cajamarca Region of Northern Peru. Around 300 smallholders (1-3 hectares) contribute to the cooperative. The microclimate, environment and altitude (1700 - 2100 masl) create great conditions for complex cup profiles. The farms mainly grow Caturra but also Catuai, Pache, and Bourbon. The smallholder farms have their individual beneficios where they depulp, ferment, wash and dry the coffee. Fermentation time after depulping is normally between 15-48 hours. Drying takes 12-25 days. |
Orange, dried figs, hazelnut and chocolate Altitude: 2100 masl, Process: washed |
Single / Light, Plus 87 |
| Anemone, Ethiopia | Tsegab Ayele is the owner of a washing station in the Bochessa Maleko Village in Sidama. The station is supplied by 400 smallholders from Bochessa and 4 other villages. The average altitude is 2350 masl giving the coffees incredible complexity and a vibrant, floral cup profile. After being hand-picked, the fully ripe cherries are fermented, depulped and washed. Next the parchment coffee is spread over 80 raised african beds where laborers spread it out to the depth of a fingertip and keep it turning until it is dried (10-12 days). |
Peach, violet, hibiscus and hazelnut Altitude: 2350 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Wild Card, Colombia | Finca El Diviso and Nestor Lasso have become a name like few others in coffee. At age 17, Nestor took over his parents farm and re-oriented it to specialty with an emphasis on varietal and processing experimentation. His world-class lots are used in competitions across Europe, recently winning 1st place at Brewers Cup in Ireland and 3rd in Austria. After picking, the cherry is put into open plastic tanks and is left to oxidize for 48 hours during which coffee must (juice that was extracted from a previous maceration of coffee cherries) is constantly being recirculated. Afterwards the cherry is floated and underripes are removed. Next the cherries are rinsed with heated water (thermal shock) to kickstart the anaerobic fermentation that follows afterwards. Brewers’ yeast is sprayed on the cherries before closing the fermentation vessel. After 38h the fermentation is stopped and the cherries are mechanically dried, then stabilized in dark rooms, then fully dried in marquesinas. |
Fruit-Tella, pineapple, coconut milk and strawberry Chupa Chups Altitude: 1750 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87 |
| Moon Safari, Brazil | Excitement surrounds the introduction of another outstanding Natural Brazilian lot from Cerrado Mineiro, produced by Draiton Moreira. His journey initiated in 1995 with just two hectares, now encompasses the management of 30 hectares on his expansive 50-hectare Fazenda Cachoeira, showcasing unwavering dedication and resilience. Across all Cerrado coffee farms, nestled between elevations of 800 to 1,300 meters, a shared reputation emerges for the consistent production of high-quality coffees, reinforcing the region's commitment to excellence. This Lot of Red Catuai is characterized by rich chocolate notes, a full body, and a velvety texture. The harvest is carried out at peak maturity, ensuring ripe fruit for processing. Coffee cherries are patio-dried after harvest, and the cherries are turned several times a day to ensure even drying throughout each lot. |
Pear, brown sugar, grapefruit and dark chocolate Altitude: 1075 masl, Process: natural |
Selected Mix, Blend / Darker, PERCENT |
| Juicebox, Kenya | Gikirima Factory (wet mill) is one out of five wet mills under the Kibugu Cooperative Society in Embu in Central Kenya. They receive cherry from hundreds of smallholders from the area. These farmers have on average 2 hectares or around 300 trees. As is common in Kenya & Ethiopia, most farmers also grow other crops such as passionfruit, maize, beans and tea. At the factory they sort the cherries before they undergo a dry fermentation. Afterwards they are washed and graded in channels, and dried on raised beds. The farmers mainly grow SL28 and SL34 and sometimes K7, Ruiru 11 and Batian. |
Orange jam, lemon balm, purple grape, peach Altitude: 1700 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Sleep Well Decaf, Colombia | GEl Carmen is located in the mountainous Huila district of Columbia. Farmers grow Caturra, Castillo & Colombia varietals here and are supported by Red Associations. This organisation works with coffee producing families to stabilize farmer incomes and control a larger part of the coffee processing value chain (mainly in drying and parchment selection to avoid that farmers need to ‘wet-sell’ their coffees at unfavourable prices). For producer members, these systematic changes result in 2.5 x the profit generated through coffee, compared with the average income over the past 5 years. The coffee is fully washed before it is decaffeinated. Sugarcane decaffeination relies on ethyl acetate, an organic compound derived from the fermentation of sugarcane. It’s preferable to traditional Swiss Water Decaf (SWD) for taste, economic sustainability and ecological footprint. Ethyl acetate does a much better job at separating caffeine molecules without affecting the 1000+ aromatic compounds present in green coffee beans. As sugarcane is abundantly available in Colombia, the decaffeination is done locally, leaving more economic value at origin. As a result there’s no need to ship the coffee to SWD factories in Canada, saving a polluting shipment. So how does it work? First green coffee is steamed for 30 minutes to open its pores so that caffeine can be extracted. The coffee is then placed in a solution of water and Ethyl Acetate, a naturally occurring compound and solvent derived through the fermentation of sugarcane. This solvent bonds to the salts of chlorogenic acids in coffee, allowing for the extraction of caffeine. Once 97% of caffeine is extracted, the coffee is ready for a final low-pressure steaming that removes the remaining traces of Ethyl Acetate. |
Crème brûlée, cacao, orange jam, cherry Altitude: 1700 masl, Process: sugarcane decaf |
Decaf |
Round Hill Back in 2016, together with Silo Coffee, Father Carpenter opened a coffee roastery and co-founded Fjord Coffee Roasters. The next year, their cafe was already quite busy and they wanted to open a space that allowed them to sell more retail goods, hold public cuppings and produce take away goods fast, and so Father Carpenter ToGo was born. Fast forward to 2023, the Father Carpenter team thought it was time to let Fjord be Fjord and Father Carpenter be Father Carpenter, and so they disconnected, now sourcing their own green coffee and starting to roast their own coffee. Their team's desired preference for roast profiles was a little different and so the change spurred on their roasting approach of 'fast and light'.
Father Carpenter have a modern approach to coffee and coffee roasting, you could call it a romantic and puritan approach. They believe that each of their green coffees has a peak potential for flavour and that flavour is intrinsic; coffee should be bright, sweet and clean as a minimum requirement.
Fasther Carpenter Coffees | Germany
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookissa, Ethiopia | Melancholy and Chopin's Nocturne No. 20. Hailing from a bright and sun kissed origin this coffees flavour profiles takes you to dawn, with a dew laiden yard and an open day ahead. Sweet black cherry, and young strawberry are what lays the foundation of flavour for this coffee. Tamarind, cinnamon and cream roll in second and complete the taste experience. | Black cherry, strawberry, tamarind Process: washed |
Rest of World, Plus 87, Single / Light |
| Paulo De Paula, Brazil | Paulo de Paula espresso roast can take you to places that Brazilian coffee usually cannot. It's been given a gift, an ability to transport. A solid foundation like most Brazilian coffees, the Red and Yellow Catuai has soft, melted chocolate to start you off. A hint of citrus tricks you into thinking it's of altitude, but no, another gift. | Chocolate, Caramel, citrus Process: washed |
Rest of World, Plus 87, Single / Light |
| Tayebo Aba Bulgu, Ethiopia | A bomb of fragrant delight. A bouquet of flowers for a loved one, or a fully washed Ethiopian Landrace from Tayebo Aba Bulgu. Bright and intense, this coffee can immediately change the fate of the day. | Citrus fruits, floral, bergamot Process: washed |
Selected Mix, Single / Light |
| Githembe AA, Kenya | Githembe AA is a coffee that has an impressive personality. You think it's reserved and thoughtful, and you are right, but it's charachter both impresses and surprises you with it's complexity and depth of knowledge. Releasing a barage of clear and distinct flavours that reminds us of the time we'd pick the years first berries, full of young acidity and life. You remember Githembe AA long after you've sipped. | Blackberry, plum, lime Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| Giku, Lot 1, Burundi | There is a sensuality to this coffee that is mysterious. Deep, viscous aromas of lilac and cooked plums. A coffee that tastes of the colour purple. It is the Black Forest, a dark room, dusk with a breeze. | Cherry, rooibos tea, chocolate macadamia Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| Nkonge, Lot 3, Burundi | A Wintery Bouquet intense and fragrant. Simplicity is beautiful and becomes more and more obviously associated with quality and pleasure as one ages. This washed Bourbon variety takes the heat given from the roaster with ease and grace, and brewing is not different. Nkonge's 3rd lot is very easy to make delicious. | Stone fruits, lilac, citrus Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
After spending a number of years in Japan and the UK, Ralf Rueller founded fThe Barn back in 2010. Rueller pioneered specialty coffee in an uncompromising way in Germany by focusing on the product, farm relationships, roasting and sharing knowledge that he leart along the way. Such factors helped The Barn establish their international reputation for quality and earned them the accolade for the best independent roaster in Europe and the Middle East. Now with cafes across Seoul, Mallorca, Dubai and more, The Barn's growth journey is all rather impressive.
The Barn Coffees | Germany
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kabingara AA, Kenya | Our latest release from Kenya! Over 800 smallholders deliver their ripest cherries to the Kabingara Factory, a washing station owned by the local cooperative. This AA lot is bursting with fresh flavour. Bright but balanced: the luscious flavour of blackcurrant is unmistakably Kenyan. Across the fertile region of Kirinyaga, over 800 farmers cultivate small coffee farms of approximately 250 to 350 trees. With an altitude of around 1750 meters, warm days and cool nights help nurture sweet, dense coffee cherries, delivering the wonderful character that lets Kenyan coffee stand apart. The washing station is owned and operated by Karithathi Farmers Cooperative Society. Farmers receive technical agronomic support from our export partner Sucafina Kenya, with the goal of minimising additions to the soil whilst maximising yield and quality. |
Blackcurrant, rosehip. juicy Altitude: 1750 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World, Single / Light |
| Volcan Azul, Costa Rica | The incredible Costa Rican landscape is one of the most diverse in the world and Volcan Azul is a farm we fell in love with many season ago. Alejo produces a range of outstanding coffees and his natural processed lots are real favourites. This year, expect sweet and complex flavour, with a refined note of dried fig that is irresistibly smooth. The West Valley is the most prominent coffee growing region in Costa Rica. Most of its coffees are grown under protective shade, and produced on fertile clay. The mountainous landscape is dominated by three volcanoes and a gentle tectonic depression, while the Pacific weather patterns create well-defined dry and wet seasons. Volcan Azul is located on the edges of the Poás Volcano. For 5 generations, the producers have continued making coffee with the objective in mind of achieving excellence and superior quality. The descendants of the founders families are acquiring natural tropical forest in order to protect and preserve the environment, and to reduce air contamination and global warming. It is their way of contributing to a better future for the generations to come. |
Dried fig, vanilla, intense Altitude: 1450 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World, Single / Light, Selected Mix |
| Los Churros, Honduras | Each season, our Honduran portfolio continues to grow, but it was back in 2017 when the taste of Los Chorros helped change our perceptions. Our latest Lempira lot was fully washed, offering a beautifully clean profile. Notes of juicy red grape and delicate florals are balanced by rich cacao: a delicate blend of sweetness and acidity we could enjoy all day. Across a 22 hectare farm, Roman Flores tends to 16 hectares of coffee plants, including the Lempira beans we are bringing you this season. Roman grew up on his parents coffee plantation, surrounded by coffee from a young age. When he and his wife inherited the land they decided to move back to the mountains and devote themselves to making the best of the land. Having spent three years working in the USA, Roman was able to provide enough investment to focus on quality speciality production and their coffee has been improving ever since. With their dream to export to countries across the world, it was a pleasure to taste the results of all their hard work. Coffee from Honduras can be amazing when they are from the right places and are processed well. They often have more complexity, depth and richness than other Central American coffees. Many specialty coffee buyers in Honduras are focused in and around the region of Santa Barbara. The region of Intibuca, however, is also very special and it stands out with delicious coffees, and enormous potential to produce more if producers can find a market. We know we will be working with Roman for many seasons to come. |
Grape, chocolate, luscious Altitude: 1850 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Single / Light |
| Mohammed Ali, Ethiopia | When we decided to work more closely with producers in Ethiopia, Mohamed Ali became one of our closest partners. There was so much potential to improve, and Mustafa Mohamed Ali was eager to find an exclusive roasting partner to make his vision a reality. Fast forward, we are involved in 3 sustainability projects at his two estates and the coffees of Mohamed Ali are true seasonal highlights. This year, his naturally processed coffee is better than ever, with improvements achieved through training and investment at the farm offering a beautiful cup profile: the beautiful sweetness of ripe strawberry awaits. Prices of Ethiopian coffees have risen by more than 20% this season: an effect of the government forcing coffee exporters to exchange their USD-proceeds to local currency at an unfavourable rate. Today, Mustafa Mohamed Ali runs the farm with the help of his brother. Through our exclusive relationship and the support of our export partner, the quality produced by Mohamed Ali has continued to increase. The farm is now organically certified, while investment in the training of workers and processing infrastructure continues to reap rewards. |
Strawberry, chocolate, creamy Altitude: 2050 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of Worldx |
| Cruz Gorda, El Salvador | With Finca Himalaya finished for the seaon, we are offering another great coffee from Mauricio Salaverria. Grown at his Cruz Gorda estate, in an area dominated by the Los Naranjos mountain, frequent mists keep the landscape cool. Coffee cherries slowly ripen before an extended natural process that gives our Bourbon lot superb depth and cherry-like sweetness. Meeting Mauricio, his passion for coffee is plain to see. Driven to innovate, he has built on years of knowledge at Finca Himalaya to consistently produce Cup of Excellence winning coffees. Finca Cruz Gorda was acquired by Mauricios family in the 1940s, to produce coffee alongside Finca Himalaya. Situated in Ilamatepec, El Salvadors 'Flower Route', the region is known for for the amazing bio diversity. Walking his estates, it becomes instantly clear that the level of execution is in another league; with meticulous lot separation, different processing styles, huge wooden wine crates and anaerobic tanks all visible. Like us, Mauricio is driven by a desire to reduce his environmental impact, using rainwater for his washed process coffee and reusing the skin of the coffee cherries after they are pulped to produce cascara. The terroir has an ideal combination of clay and volcanic soils, producing coffees with character. Most lots are grown under shade and across the farm cypress help provide habitat for a variety of flora and fauna. |
Chocolate Ganache, cherry, rich Altitude: 1500 masl, Process: natural |
Selected Mix, Plus 87 |
| La Cumbre, Guatemala | Unavailable | Chocolate, white grape, smooth Process: washed |
Selected Mix |
| Shantawene, Ethiopia | Shantawene village is located in the well-known Sidama region: the heart of coffee production in the country. Harnessing local knowledge and growing traditions, Shantawene is managed by two brothers who are pushing the boundaries of Ethiopian cup profiles. With flavour enhanced through Anaerobic processing, Shantawene will fill your cup with exotic fruit notes. Daye Bensa was founded by two brothers - Assefa and Mulugeta Dukamo - with the ambition to showcase the amazing potential of Ethiopian coffee. Over the past 15 years, they have built up 3 farms, 19 washing stations, and 5 warehouses. Working with over 1400 small producers, they have been driven by quality and flavour; consistently delivering some of our most memorable Ethiopian coffees. Shantawene is also the name of the village where the washing station is located. At over 2000 meters high up in the Bombe mountains, it is surrounded by rich soil that benefits from endemic biodiversity of the region. Daye Bensa has recently reforested the farmland and increased the shade available for coffee plants. The very high altitude means coffee matures slowly: creating small, dense cherries that are packed full of distinctive Ethiopian flavour. |
Passion fruit, strawberry, round Altitude: 1900-2300 masl, Process: anaerobic natural |
Plus 87 |
| La Colina, Guatemala | This is the second season we have worked with Antonio Medina, owner of La Colina. Grown at 1700 metres, our coffee is a blend of two classic Central American varietals: Caturra and Bourbon. Fully washed, it offers a beautiful blend of rich sweetness and gentle, citric acidity. Located in San Martín Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, La Colina - The Hill - is named for the steep elevations of the area. Antonio is the third generation of his family to farm here, and began by planting by grains and pulses. However, he told us that it has always been his dream to farm coffee, and in 1991, the first coffee tree was planted. Slowly but surely, Antonio increased the number of trees and the production capacity of La Colina. Nine years ago, Antonio built his own processing facilities, and with his focus on quality rather than quantity, he has achieved excellent rankings in the Guatemala Cup of Excellence competition. The coffee grows within a beautiful landscape of oak, cypress, and pine. The farm benefits from multiple streams, with fresh water for irrigation and processing. Only one quarter of his farm is planted with coffee, while the rest remains native forest, certified by the National Institution of Protection of Forests. |
Pineapple, citrus, velvety Altitude: 1700 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| Volcan Azul Geisha, Costa Rica | The legendary Geisha varietal coupled with anaerobic processing: This coffee promises a lot! Volcan Azul is a farm with over 100 years of coffee producing history that you will find all wrapped up in this exotically profiled coffee. For our newest coffee of our Rarity Line, we are excited to feature an outstanding coffee from Alejo Castro Kahle: this is a fruit-forward geisha with superb refinement. In the cup, expect beautiful fragrant jasmine and the soft sweetness of ripe peach that offer a beautifully elegant experience. The West Valley is the most prominent coffee growing region in Costa Rica. Most of its coffees are grown under protective shade, and produced on fertile clay. The mountainous landscape is dominated by three volcanoes and a gentle tectonic depression, while the Pacific weather patterns create well-defined dry and wet seasons. Volcan Azul is located on the edges of the Poás Volcano. For 5 generations, the producers have continued making coffee with superior quality. The descendants of the founders families are acquiring natural tropical forest to help reducing global warming. |
Peach, blackberry, jasmine Altitude: 1400 masl, Process: anaerobic natural |
Plus 87 |
| Mococa, Brazil | We proudly present our new sustainable capsule that stays truthful to our values. Aiming to make great coffees accessible to more people, we found a way of packing our unique Single Origin Coffees into 100% bio-based coffee capsules made of German wood chips. Enjoy great flavours from handpicked coffees that were carefully roasted by our crew in Berlin. Our new Specialty Coffee Capsules are made from renewable resources (local wood chips). They completely dissolve in nature and do not contain any micro-plastic. We found a way of grinding and tamping our coffees so that we can stick to our light roasts. Advantages are clear: You get a clean, full flavour experience. |
Toffee, vanilla, rich Altitude: 1200 masl, Process: natural |
Capsule Pods |
Kiss The Hippo is a speciality coffee brand devoted to creating the ultimate coffee experience, with a range of cafes in boutique areas of London. Accomplishing this through a considered approach to coffee making that places a strong appreciation for quality and sustainability at the forefront, Kiss The Hippo may also always be proud in being London's first carbon negative roasters.
With the aim of offering the most refined freshly roasted coffees, served in beautiful spaces as part of a thoroughly memorable service experience, Kiss The Hippo are absolutely worth the recommendation.
Kiss The Hippo Coffees | United Kingdom
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luis Anibal PB, Colombia | Unavailable | Mango, papaya, fig Process: natural |
Plus 87, Single / Light, Selected Mix |
| Organic House Blend | Enjoy a café-quality coffee break in the comfort of your own home with our Nespresso® compatible coffee pods, filled with delicious, carbon negative Kiss the Hippo coffee. Organic House Blend was created by blending two organic coffees from Latin America: the Colombian Los Vascos and the Nicaraguan San Juan. |
Chocolate, caramel, red berries Process: washed |
Capsule Pods |
| Nziza, Rwanda | Unavailable | Red apple, orange, floral Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| Marcala Lenca, Honduras | Back in March of 2020 we met Nancy Hernandez, not on her farm but in the café roastery she’s built in the town she calls home in La Paz. At the time, we were blown away not only by the delicious coffee Nancy creates, but by the place she had built to enjoy it. It became a cherished memory once the world shut down, one last coffee with a producer we admired before everything changed. Last year, Nancy told us about the local indigenous Lenca community, who produce coffee in tiny volumes on their land. They’ve got lots of expertise, but don’t have access to the speciality coffee market. These coffees from around 20 families have been combined and then processed by Nancy, using her knowledge of the coffee trade. We think that this coffee makes the perfect everyday drinker, with sweet and clean flavours of caramel, milk chocolate and dried fruits. Delicious! The Lenca people, who number more than 450,000, are the largest indigenous community in Honduras and make up over 60 per cent of the indigenous population. The Lenca live in the central department of La Paz, and the western departments of Lempira, Ocotepeque and Itibuca, as well as in some smaller communities in the northern part of the country. There are about 612 Lenca communities, many in remote hard-to-reach mountainous areas that lack basic services such as running water, roads or transportation. Lenca men engage in agriculture including coffee cultivation. The increasing resurgence of Lenca traditional arts such as weaving and pottery by Lenca women is helping to generate income as well as to preserve cultural traditions. Although the Lenca have not retained their language, traditional Lenca social structures remain strong, and the Lenca traditionally expect all members to participate in communal life. |
Milk chocolate, sultana, caramel Altitude: 1400-1800 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Single / Light, Selected Mix |
| Donna, Americas | The Donna Espresso Blend is our nod towards a more traditional coffee flavour. First, we find coffees that have the inherent characteristics of deep chocolate, with low acidity and lots of body. We then roast a little darker than our other coffees, to the point where the natural sugars are browned to a dark caramel quality. Donna tastes robust and strong, but still allows the unique characteristics of our seasonal coffees to shine through. Savara coffee thrives under unique circumstances. Producers based in the highest elevations in the state of Bahia enjoy some of the best coffee cultivation conditions in Brazil. However, they often face challenges with drying due to high humidity and rainfall during the harvest and processing season. To overcome this, many choose to transport their cherries approximately 50km to the neighboring Caatinga biome, known for its warmer, drier climate. During this journey, the cherries undergo a unique fermentation process in a closed truck. Though the process never lasts more than 24 hours, the resulting cup profile is packed with fruity sweetness. |
Dark chocolate, walnut, caramel Process: washed |
Blend / Darker, PERCENT |
| Jazmin, Honduras | Unavailable | Milk chocolate, blackberry, caramel Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| Popayan, Colombia | Popayán is located in the Cauca department of Colombia, at an altitude of 1,700 meters above sea level. The Meseta de Popayán is sheltered by the Andes Mountains, which helps to create a uniform climate and altitude. This coffee is a mix of Castillo and Caturra varieties, which undergoes a typical washed process where cherries are floated and sorted before being pulped and washed to remove all the cherry and mucilage. Parchments of coffee are then placed on patios to dry over the course of 20+ days. After this first washed process, the milled coffee is delivered to Descafecol in Manizales, where it is decaffeinated using the sugar cane process. The green coffee beans are put into a steam chamber where their silver skin is removed, then submerged in spring water. As soon as the coffee is saturated with water, it is sent to the extractors where the beans have direct contact with ethyl acetate – a natural byproduct created in the production of sugar cane refining – for eight hours, dissolving the caffeine content. After this, the then-decaffeinated coffee is dried in a chamber to reach the same moisture content which it had prior to the process. The ethyl acetate can be reused a number of times before it is sent on for refinement, and the resulting caffeine is then dried and sold to other industries such as pharmaceuticals and energy drinks manufacturers. |
Honey, malt, chocolate Process: EA decaf |
Decaf |
Ninth Coffee Roasters is a roastery based in Saffron Walden, Essex. Collaborating with UK importers who work closely with farmers on producing exceptional coffees in a more stainable way. Every coffee is carefully roasted in small batches to highlight the nuance of origins, processes, regions and varietals.
Ninth was founded in late 2022 by Arron and Callum, where a joint passion for specialty coffee materialised into the roastery they run today. Arron had worked in the service side of the industry for over 3 years before exploring other avenues. In 2020, he began roasting at home. Later that year, he seized the opportunity to roast for his employer, slot roasting until the end of 2022.
Ninth Coffees | United Kingdom
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Negra, Colombia | Super approachable filter coffee that goes well black or with milk. A pleasure to pour and slurp! | Cherry, chocolate, caramel Altitude: 1700-2200 masl, Process: washed |
Bloom |
| Bom Jesus, Brazil | Unavailable | Chocolate, hazelnut, citrus Altitude: 1000 masl, Process: natural |
Bloom |
| De Cana, Colombia | Decaf that doesn't suck! Onmi roasting meaning it works great for Espresso and Filter. | Toffee, cacao, orange zest Altitude: 1100 masl, Process: EA decaf |
Decaf |
Sanctuary Coffee Roasters' founders have previous senior experience at Kiss The Hippo, Old Spike and Redemption; it is safe to say they know something about good coffee. As a result of volunteering at a local animal shelter during the COVID pandemic, the founders learnt about rescues, volunteers and the hard graft and sacrifice to keep a shelter running. With a near zero number of rescues in the UK receiving any form of government funding, this leaves over three million rescued, abandoned and abused animals relying on donations to survive. Knowing that their personal donations wouldn’t be enough to make much of impact, then launched Sanctuary coffee, a way to make the UK’s favourite morning beverage directly fund rescues. With high quality speciality coffees inside fun cereal box-esque packaging, Sanctuary are a gentle reminder of how speciality coffee is that bit more special and much more ethical than any commodity coffee alternative.
Sanctuary Coffees | United Kingdom
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fifty Three, Rwanda | Vibrant, bright and totally refreshing. | Raspberry, peach, black tea Altitude: 1760 masl, Process: honey |
Bloom, Plus 87 |
| Session, Peru | Inspired by Session IPAs. Juicy and balanced. Knock it back all day. | Wild honey, citrus, juicy Altitude: 1350-1890 masl, Process: washed |
Bloom, Selected Mix |
| Sleep Jeans Decaf | Tasty coffee - caffeine + good vibes = Sleep Jeans | Frangipane, apricot, chocolate Process: EA decaf |
Decaf |
GUSTATORY (adjective): curating excellence in taste.