Tasting Notes: March 2024 Coffees
Rightly regarded as one of the world's best coffee roasters, Coffee Collective have many coffee competition wins to their name, including gold in both the World Barista Championship and World Cup Tasting championships, as well as winning 5 awards at the most recent championships held as part of the Danish Coffee Festival.
Creators of fantastic coffee experiences while helping farmers achieve more value, it is very fair to say that Coffee Collective shares the exact same values as GUSTATORY - the highest of quality yet affordable coffees, all sourced with impressive ethics and sustainability from seed to cup in mind. For context of their inclusion, Coffee Collective rarely partner with third party subscriptions, and so we're always pleased to see their inclusion with GUSTATORY for yet another month. You're welcome.
Coffee Collective Coffees | Denmark
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sadi Loya, Ethiopia | A fruity coffee with an elegant profile. Expect a mild citrusy acidity, and melon and honey sweetness. Sadi Loya is an organic certified, washed offering from Jimma in Ethiopia. We are humbled to be able to share such a sweet and elegantly aromatic coffee with you, for the first time. Jimma is located in the southwest of the political region of Oromia, and is a densely-forested region with a relatively cool tropical climate. This zone is responsible for around 10% of Ethiopia's coffee production.
Although grown in Jimma, Sadi Loya is everything we love about a typical Yirgacheffe offering. Transparent fruit aromas, in a sweet and elegant profile.Sadi Loya has been processed using the washed method. Each day, carefully picked coffee cherries are delivered to the washing station and are meticulously sorted by hand and in a floatation tank prior to processing to remove unripe, overripe, or damaged fruit, in order to enhance the quality and sweetness of the cup. After sorting, the coffee cherries are pulped to remove the fruit and skin and graded by weight; heavier beans are of superior quality and deliver a sweeter cup. Once graded, the parchment-covered coffee is soaked in tanks of clean water for 36–48 hours to remove the mucilage (sticky fruit pulp) by allowing it to ferment and detach from the coffee. The coffee is then re-washed and graded again by density in washing channels and soaked in clean water for 12 hours. |
Aromatic, fruity, citrus and caramel Altitude: 2200 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Monte Grande, Peru | A balanced espresso with a creamy mouthfeel. Gentle aromas of dried fruits and chocolate. This is our third offering from Monte Grande, and we feel it is the perfect coffee to supplement our menu going forward. Over the past few years, we have witnessed a growing desire for washed low acidic and clean organic coffees. A balanced cup profile, meaning low acidity, with a slight bitterness to finish meant that Monte Grande became the ideal coffee to bring into our line up to fill this demand.
When developing Monte Grande for espresso we are looking to portray the coffees naturally full sweetness and mouthfeel, while still keeping the finish as clean as possible. Monte Grande has been hand picked, before being sorted and full washed. From there the coffee is dried on covered beds. |
Gentle fruits, chocolate and balanced Altitude: 1600-1800 masl, Process: washed |
Single / Light, Plus 87, Rest of World, Selected Mix |
| Worka, Ethiopia | Light and elegant with refreshing acidity. Floral and fruity with aroma of bergamotte, peach and grapefruit. In 1945, Habtamu Fekadu’s family made their first mark in coffee and has since passed down their knowledge and wet mills to the younger generation. They continued to cultivate, collect and supply coffee for the local markets and in 2015 Habtamu Fekadu established the company, installing a processing plant on his own farm and expanded to collect cherries from local farmers in Guji, Djimmah and Yirgacheffe.
We work by the values of transparent trade. This helps create a healthy relationship with the farmer and financial sustainability for them. We pay a quality bonus to Habtamu Fekadu that is 135% above market price ($4.40/lb FOB). The quality bonus allows the farmer to continue to produce higher quality coffee. |
Floral, fruity, beramot, peaches and grape Altitude: 2100-2300 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World, Single / Light |
| Enciso, Colombia | Clean, mild and elegant. Aroma of mandarin, milk chocolate and orange blossom. The parents of the Enciso family, Wilson and Edith, have both grown up in traditionally Colombian coffee growing families. With their son, Wilson Eduardo, they have their own coffee farms now called Lusitania, La Isla and Villa Sofia. Here, we first bought their coffee in 2018.
We work by the values of transparent trade. This helps create a healthy relationship with the farmer and financial sustainability for them. We pay a quality bonus to Enciso that is 145% above market price ($4.60/lb FOB). The quality bonus allows the farmer to continue to produce higher quality coffee. |
Chocolate, apricot and honey Altitude: 1700 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Selected Mix |
| Vargas, Colombia | Unavailable | Fruity, mandarin and tropical Process: Washed anaerobic |
Plus 87 |
| Kieni, Kenya | Juicy acidity and intense sweetness. Full-bodied and refreshing with complex aromas of blackcurrant, raspberry and blackberry. Kieni, a dry mill built up by a cooperative of 1,000 small farmers and managed by Josphat Kariuki. This is mill we have worked with since 2010. It is undoubtedly one of the best coffees we have tasted in Kenya. It gives a unique acidity and intense fruity aroma to our menu. We work by the values of transparent trade. This helps create a healthy relationship with the cooperative and financial sustainability for them. We pay a quality bonus to Kieni that is 149% above market price ($5.94/lb FOB). The quality bonus allows the farmer to continue to produce higher quality coffee. |
Blackcurrant, raspberry and blackbery Altitude: 1800 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
Hola Coffee was founded by two friends, Pablo and Nolo, in 2016. Between them they have accumulated years of experience working in different areas of the coffee industry, and together they decided to develop their own project. In Hola Coffee, the two captured their vision of speciality coffee and their passion for the community that surrounds it. The project has evolved over the years and has positioned itself as a strong reference in specialty coffee in and out of Madrid, going from being the dream of two passionate coffee lovers to a team of professionals who seek to offer the best quality and service possible.
In their two Madrid premises, Hola Coffee shows their way of understanding coffee service, as well as supply speciality cafes across Europe. Hola Coffee has also become an element of knowledge dissemination through the academy they founded and the podcast they record, which is essential to accompany the project.
Hola Coffees | Spain
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Jorco, Costa Rica | This coffee stands out for its sweetness. Its tasting notes remind us of a vanilla beverage with a light texture. It has a taste similar to that of cane sugar, which makes this coffee a perfect beverage to drink on its own or with milk. Rio Jorco is a true phoenix story. The farm and mill have a long history of producing one of the most consistent, representative and accessible coffees in Tarrazú, Costa Rica. After many, many years of making a name for itself and setting a high standard for coffee production in the area, its management began to run into financial problems due to poor decision making. The project reached such a point that Rio Jorco had to be sold. Recently, Carlos Castro, a farmer and philanthropist, acquired the project to support the surrounding community. Since Carlos' family took over the project, it has truly flourished, not only in business, but especially in plantings and the wellbeing of the mill. Together, with Carlos' daughter, her husband, Yendry, and his right-hand man, Gerardo, they have turned Rio Jorco around and even improved its reputation.
The variety of this coffee is Catuai and Catigua. The Catigua variety because it is a plant with positive characteristics: it produces well, is fairly disease resistant and gives a good cup profile. The process is washed. In this case, the coffee is uniformly harvested as ripe as possible, the husk is removed mechanically with a classic washed process. It is then placed on African beds to dry for approximately 10 days until it reaches optimum humidity. |
Sugarcane, molasses and vanilla Altitude: 1800-2000 masl, Process: washed |
Rest of World, Plus 87, Bloom |
| Lobos, Costa Rica | Another coffee arrives at Hola: a Costa Rica with a creamy and long-lasting texture in the mouth. Its flavour reminds us of chocolate, with a slight aftertaste similar to that of red wine. It is a coffee that goes well on its own, but with milk its toasted almond notes stand out. | Roasted almond, chocolate and red wine Altitude: 1800-2000 masl, Process: semiwashed |
Selected Mix |
| Gakui AA, Kenya | Unavailable | Berries, orange and cola Process: washed |
Rest of World, Plus 87 |
| La Cabana, Colombia | La Cabaña is one of the most complex coffees we have recently tasted. It is very fruity, sweet, and creamy, with a honey-like body and medium acidity. Its enzymatic fruity fragrance stands out, reminiscent of red fruits, Amaretto liqueur, and good Cognac.
La Cabaña farm is located in Pitalito, in the Huila region. Specifically, it is situated in the upper part of the Bruselas district, in a location that is difficult to access due to its high mountainous geographical conditions. These same conditions favor the production of very special coffees because it receives all the sunlight from the Laboyos Valley but also experiences the cold from the high altitude, resulting in very cold nights and warm sunny days.The Ortiz family moved to this area around 1965, and since 2009, they have been working on this farm, which is also their home. William recalls that from a young age, he loved being involved in everything related to the farm, especially coffee. Later, during his student years, he formally trained to balance daily fieldwork with his passion for coffee innovation. He began experimenting with fermentation processes and started planting different varieties of very high quality on his farm, with controlled harvesting and fertilization. As a result of all this work, La Cabaña farm has participated in several Colombian Cup of Excellence competitions and has always been among the top 30 finalists. |
Red fruits, amaretto and cognac Altitude: 1700-1900 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World, Bloom |
| El Bebedero, Costa Rica | This Costa Rica surprises us with notes similar to red fruit yoghurt and an aftertaste similar to cocoa and honey. Its creamy texture makes Anfiteatro a complete coffee that goes well both as a filter or with milk.
José Solís loves coffee and carrying on his family's tradition of coffee production. He works closely with his father, whom we affectionately call Pito. José's father is a legitimate coffee farmer and is known to be a very good grower in the area. Pito is very involved in setting up baby coffee nurseries so that he can help other farmers grow new and good varieties. They also plant new varieties on their farm to see if they work and, when they have real trials, they work with other farmers to grow the new varieties. Their main farms are in El Vapor and Naranjo in the Los Santos growing region. José Solís is a farmer, but he makes time to take some of his father's best fruit and process it into micro batches. Over the years, José's passion has turned into a real skill for selecting the best fruit, processing it with intention and creating some exceptional micro batches. The process is semi-washed. Jose Solis takes the hand-picked fruit to the wet mill and lets the cherries spend the night in parchment bags. The next day, he separates the seed from the fruit without using water and leaves the parchment to ferment in buckets for 12-16 hours. This causes the mucilage to ferment and separate from the seed. Finally, Jose Solis can rinse the mucilage from the seed with a little water and put the coffee to dry on raised beds. The light-coloured parchment is moved frequently throughout the day and remains in thin layers. The whole process takes 10 to 12 days. |
Strawberry syrup, chocolate and syrah wine Altitude: 1800-2000 masl, Process: semiwashed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Ojo De Agua, Nicaragua | Unavailable | Plum, floral, roses and milk chocolate Process: semiwashed |
Selected Mix |
| No Molestar, Colombia | We weren't going to leave out those who like coffee but don't want more caffeine. That's why we have added this decaffeinated Colombia to our selection using a natural process with minimal intervention in the final flavour. In the mouth it has a light acidity and notes reminiscent of cocoa and almonds. Creamy body, to enjoy at any time of the day.
The decaffeination process is carried out in the city of Manizales using ethyl acetate naturally extracted from sugar cane. The natural decaffeination process combines high mountain spring water and naturally occurring Ethyl Acetate (EO); the latter is present in all coffee beans in their natural state (as well as in many fruits and vegetables), so there is no addition of synthetic chemicals of any kind. Natural EO is obtained by a process based on sugar cane and, together with mountain spring water, are the only elements with which the coffee comes into contact. This water-EA process allows for a gentle extraction of caffeine from the bean, avoiding excessive heat and pressure, thus maintaining the natural structure and characteristics of the coffee bean. |
Almond, chocolate and caramel Altitude: 1800 masl, Process: EA decaf |
Decaf |
| Luceo Blend Capsules | Lucero is the neighborhood that saw our coffee roaster open and the name with which we baptized our first Blend. It is made up of two coffees of South American origin: a Peru from the San Martín region and a Brazil from Cerrado Mineiro. After many tests looking for a super sweet flavor profile, we have found a combination in which we find nuances of vanilla and chocolate. Also a soft floral acidity that gives structure and complexity to the coffee. All this makes it ideal to drink with milk, although it is also a perfect coffee to accompany breakfast or close a good meal.
At Hola Coffee we want to bring our coffee and our passion to all consumers equally. We felt that those who use a capsule coffee maker didn't have much choice in the market to enjoy specialty coffee. It was clear to us from the beginning, let's create some coffee capsules. |
Almond, chocolate and caramel Altitude: 1800 masl, Process: EA decaf |
Capsule Pods |
Is there a Mr Reindl? Contrary to popular belief no, it’s not a person. Across the street from their first Café stands the Viennese traffic construction Schottentor, which is the inspiration for their name. Major Franz Jonas had it built in 1961. The word 'Reindl' is Viennese for an oval cooking pan. Since this tram station resembles a Reindl’s shape, the locals dubbed it 'Jonas Reindl'. Striving to create a unique coffee experience by offering distinct flavours and aromas and by providing transparency from bean to cup, Jonas Reindl are certainly Austrian favourites.
Jonas Reindl Coffees | Austria
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fazenda Furnas, Brazil | Rinaldo de Castro Junqueria is the owner of the 280-hectare Fazenda Furnas, on which 200 hectares are planted in coffee. He grows Yellow Bourbon, Yellow Catucai, and both Yellow and Red Catuai on his farm, which also grows some bananas. His great-grandfather was a laborer on a coffee farm, and his grandfather was the first in the family to own a coffee farm, which was inherited in segments to the family. Rinaldo’s father took over a piece of his father’s land, and after several years of cultivating standard-quality Brazilian coffee, he turned his attention to specialty lots. It was this decision that inspired Rinaldo and his father to sell the original farm and invest in a new piece, Fazenda Furnas, which was a 100-year-old plot with better potential for producing.
Rinaldo initially pursued a career in engineering before making his way back to the family coffee business, and he has been involved in growing coffee since the early 1990s. Initially, he wasn’t interested in following in the family’s footsteps, carving himself out a different path. When his father called him back to work on the farm during a long period of illness, Rinaldo was surprised at how quickly he fell in love with coffee, and his passion caused him to gain a strong reputation and recognition. He was elected president of the local coffee growers cooperative association, COCARIVE, and was a finalist in several Cup of Excellence competitions. Fazenda Furnas was also one of the first facilities to experiment with pulped natural processing. |
Nutty flavours, dried plum and mellow citric acidity Altitude: 1350 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World, Selected Mix |
| El Indio, Colombia | This coffee was carefully hand-picked in order to use only the ripest cherries, later hand sorted to remove any defects. Coffee is sundried on raised beds under temperature-controlled conditions until the ideal moisture content is achieved.
This microlot is 100% Caturra. This variety originated in Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is a natural mutation of Red Bourbon. Caturra produces more coffee and is more resistant to plant diseases than Bourbon. |
Passion fruit, chocolate, wine and orange Altitude: 1500 - 2150 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World, Single / Light, Selected Mix |
| Los Alpes, Nicaragua | This organically certified farm is where we source the lion share of our coffee supply from. It is our house espresso and unlike all our other coffees is never exchanged. It was selected by our founder and Head Roaster Philip Feyer after having visited this estate in Nicaragua.
The coffee is grown in the Cerro Kilambé natural reserve in the district of Jinotega at an altitude of 1800 metres above sea level. The high altitude offers the ideal terroir for coffee cultivation. Both varieties, Caturra and Tipica, which we use in this espresso, are grown sustainably in the cloud forest surrounded by enormous bio-diversity. The green coffee is imported by Jonas Reindl directly to Austria and there are no middle men between the producer Ulrich Salamun and us. In the coffee industry, direct trade is an approach taken by the specialty coffee industry as it is the most transparent way to buy coffee. Unlike commodity coffee which usually involves a broad range of middlemen and leaves with very little pay and security for the farmers. Fair Trade coffee is slightly better than commodity traded coffee but still comes with many obstacles such as the involvement of more middlemen and less transparency, traceability, and lower margins for the farmers than specialty coffee. Ulrich Salamun lives in Nicaragua and manages several coffee estates there. He devoted himself to sustainable farming and direct trading over 20 years ago. Through the premiums he has earned by growing specialty coffee, he has made long-term investments in the regional coffee culture, the development of school projects, counseling of other farmers and more. For this reason, Philip Feyer chose and has stayed loyal to this farm as our main partner. We are very proud of this coffee and its transparent supply chain. We established this direct trade many years ago in 2014 and have since then built great relationships with the producers, whilst watching them improve their infrastructure and thereby their coffee quality. This is why we do what we do, because we want to change the way we consume coffee and affect those who work so hard to deliver it to us. |
Dark chocolate, nougat, almonds, citrus acidity, creamy and full-bodied Altitude: 1700-1800 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Capsule Pods |
| Yaye, Ethiopia | Yaye is a privately owned washing station that is located in the Arbegona woreda (administrative district) in Ethiopia’s Sidama zone. The washing station is found in the kebele (local village) of Chericho, and is one of twenty owned and managed by Testi Coffee, a family-owned company founded by Mr Faysel A. Yonis.
Sitting at 2,230m above sea level, Yaye produces exceptional washed, natural and special preparation lots. Built in 2021, the washing station is one of Testi’s premium sites, meaning it only accepts the highest quality cherry, and farmers receive added payments for those lots. Premium sites are selected for their regional characteristics (Yaye, for example, was built next to the Gelana River), as these can streamline processing and guarantee they only receive cherry from local farmers who grow coffee under exceptionally prodigious conditions. During harvest, the freshly picked coffee cherries are delivered daily by some 300 independent growers from the kebeles surrounding the nearby Tulecha mountain. The majority of the families that contribute to this lot farm organically on tiny plots of land, which average just one hectare in size. Coffee is their main cash crop and grows alongside food crops of corn, grain and bananas, under the shade of native Birbira, Wanza, and Acacia trees. The average elevation of the farms in this region is very high – around 1,995–2,230m above sea level – and this, combined region’s cool temperatures, is ideal for the slow ripening of coffee cherries, leading to denser beans and a sweeter, more complex cup profile. This coffee lot was produced as part of Testi’s quality improvement initiative, Premium Cherry Selection (PCS). Launched in 2018, the Premium Cherry Selection program ensures that best practices are used for growing, harvesting and processing the coffee cherry. Through the program, Testi pay a premium to farmers who pick and deliver only the ripest cherries from their farms. Coffees produced as part of the program represent the highest quality and cleanest cup profile available from the washing station and wider region. Head here to learn more about Testi Coffee’s work in Ethiopia. |
Strawberry jelly, pomelo, almonds and white grape Altitude: 1500-2200 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Muthigiini AB, Kenya | Muthingiini factory is operated by the Rwama Farmers Cooperative Society (F.C.S.) and is located near Kianyaga town in the Gichugu divison of Kirinyaga. It was built in 1968 on 7 acres, and serves the nearby communities of Cieni, Gaciongo, Kiaragana, and Kariko. Membership is 1,560 smallholders, but about 1,000 of those registered to the co-op are active at any time. There are seven permanent staff members at the factory, and the members are provided pre-financing services as well as advances for school fees and farm inputs. Trainings and seminars for the farmers are available through Coffee Management Services (CMS), and field days are held by the minister of agriculture on a regular basis. There is also a test farm near the factory which is used for demonstration of techniques and best practices.
After picking, the cherry is delivered ripe to the factory, where it is sorted and processed. The coffee is depulped immediately using a three-disc machine, then fermented overnight before being washed in fresh water and sorted using soaking channels. It is then soaked until space is available on the drying tables, where it will dry for 7–15 days, being constantly sorted and rotated throughout. Coffee in Kenya is typically traceable down to the factory, or mill level: Most farmers own between 1/8 to 1/4 of a hectare, and often grow crops other than coffee as well, which means they rely on a central processing unit for sale and processing of their coffee. Producers deliver in cherry form to a factory, where the cooperative will sort, weigh, and issue payment for the delivery. The coffee is then blended with the rest of the day’s deliveries and goes on to be processed. Because of this system, which serves many hundreds to several thoughts of smallholder farmers per factory, there is limited traceability down to the individual producers whose coffee comprises the lots. |
Fresh gooseberry and toffee with winey acidity and candy-like sweetness Altitude: 1500-2000 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World, Single / Light |
Machina was founded when it's founder decided to move on from the music industry and follow a new path. Coffee fitted the bill perfectly ~ less travel, but still bringing people together through a collective experience and still focusing on a creative passion that he could share with everyone.
Around 2004 the Edinburgh coffee scene had just started to enter the 'third wave', but it was definitely in its humble beginnings of hipster-dom, which was not really what the founder had in mind for Machina. With various Scottish barista qualifications under his belt, and drawing inspiration from coffee scenes around the world, be it Wellington and Auckland, LA, Portland and NYC through to Tokyo, London and more, Machina was born with a philosophy more akin to developing a new style driven by aesthetics and knowledge.
Machina Coffees | United Kingdom
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index, Americas | Unavailable | Chocolate, hazelnut and rich Process: washed |
Blend / Darker, PERCENT, Selected Mix |
| El Pedrero, Honduras | El Pedrero is our new crop washed Honduran that really pushes the levels of quality in Honduran coffee. It's very clean, super sweet and low in acidity, showing all the signs of a coffee that is going to be widely popular. It has a very smooth creamy milk chocolate body, with a subtle layer of morello cherry and cashew sweetness. A tinge of acidity is present, but it's muted and sits gently in the background. It would be very at home in drip machines, Cafetiere's, Moka Pots or the Aeropress.
Honduras has become one of our most popular origins to source from over the last 4 years, with coffees like Capucas and Lepaterique, both being hugely popular. Most of the coffees we source from Honduras tend to be regionals, meaning they are coffees coming from a collective of small farms that are commonly a close knit community or coop. In this case, El Pedrero is actually a tiny single estate small farm of just 7 hectares, but falls within the collectives support and goals. It's a bit of a gem, and a pretty special little coffee. |
Chocolate, cherry, cashew Altitude: 1550-1650 masl, Process: natural |
Selected Mix, Single / Light, Plus 87 |
| Kilimbi, Rwanda | Unavailable | Pomelo, blackcurrant, rhubarb and bright Process: honey |
Selected Mix, Single / Light, Plus 87 |
| San Cristobal, Mexico | San Cristobal is our latest coffee sourced from small holder farmers in the region of Chiapas, southern Mexico. Mexican roasts tend to be accessible to a range of pallets making them a fan favourite. We’ve selected San Cristobal to roast as a filter as well as a single origin espresso, so you can brew this coffee any way you like.
No sooner than your order arrives, you’ll be sipping on an exceptional cup of coffee, brimming with a smooth and creamy treacle flavour, complemented by a delicate nuttiness and a hint of nutmeg. Something to note about San Cristobal is its relatively little-known varietal Marsellesa. Crossed between Timor Hybrid and Villa Sarchi in Nicaragua it tends to produce higher yields that are specifically rust resistant. |
Treacle, walnut and nutmeg Altitude: 1100-1350 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Single / Light, Selected Mix |
| Excelso, Colombia | Replacing the hugely popular Popayan, this is another washed Colombian from the exact same region and has also been decaffeinated with the Sugar Cane Process. Expect a rich, but very sweet tasting decaf with a smooth cashew like mouthfeel. Few can spot it as the odd one out on the cupping table. | Brown sugar, cashew and tangerine Altitude: 1500 - 2000 masl, Process: sugar cane decaf |
Decaf |
| Biftu Gudina, Ethiopia | Over the last 20 years there have been a select few farms that have consistently overdelivered, growing and processing coffee that punches way above the norm. One of those is Biftu Gudina, alongside the likes of Nano Chala and Duromina - all cult coffee names from this origin. We have previously bought coffee from all three of these coops, and this is the second time we bought Biftu Gudina.
We purchase this coffee from Nordic Approach, who are (in our opinion!) the best coffee hunters in the world for this origin, only selecting the top 3% of crops on a yearly basis. This particular lot is the output of another amazing years work that does not disappoint. It is rich creamy (a bit like a peach yogurt), with a dense Demerara Sugar like body, whilst being insanely complex at the same time with layer upon layer of beautiful white fruit and floral notes capturing Peach and Jasmine. Amazing as a pure espresso, and equally enjoyable and complex as a long black. |
Peach, jasmine and sugar Altitude: 1950 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
Frank and Rachel's coffee journey began four years ago in Colombia. After a visit to Frank’s family coffee farms in the well-known coffee region Nariño, they saw amazing opportunities to work alongside his family, to find new and exciting prospects for their coffee.
What began as a small family project of 4 farms has evolved to working with many more small farmers in the region, with Fidela coffee roasters visiting each farm they work with on a regular basis throughout the harvesting season and providing support in any way possible. In 2017 they set up their own coffee laboratory near their Colombia farms, a great opportunity to enable them to show their farmers the results of their hard work at farm level. This enables Fidela to bring more farmers onboard and build positive relationships. Also available for you, roasted in Northern Ireland.
Fidela Coffees | United Kingdom
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Para, Colombia | Carlos Alberto Erazo Lopez is a 25 year veteran in coffee farming, having inherited his farm from his father when he was 23. Coffee farming is more often than not, generational, with knowledge and expertise passed down from one generation to the next. Don Carlos has become renowned in his region for his commitment to great farming practices and processing methods.
Don Carlos holds the title as the North Nariño coffee growing union representative, as well winning numerous awards for his crop in contests. We are excited to have purchased two of Don Carlos’ lots this year. The El Para lot has been naturally processed. This process has resulted in a milk chocolate mouthfeel, with beautiful notes of fresh blueberries, soft peach and rich brown sugar. |
Raspberry, blueberry and peach Process: natural |
Single / Light, Bloom, Plus 87 |
| Los Naranjos, Colombia | Tiberio Realpe was born into a family of coffee growers, who taught him as a child the love for the land and respect for work. He grew up among the mountains and the coffee plantations, learning the trade from his parents and grandparents. His dream was to have his own farm, where he could produce excellent coffee. To achieve this, he worked tirelessly from a young age, saving every peso he earned on other people's farms. When he was 25 years old, he met Nery Reyes, a beautiful and sweet woman, who also came from a coffee-growing family.
Tiberio and Nery bought a farm in the El Chilcal village, in the municipality of La Unión, Nariño. There they began to grow coffee with care and dedication, following the best agricultural and environmental practices. Their coffee stood out for being high quality, renowned for citrus and caramel notes. His farm, called Los Naranjos, became a benchmark for quality and sustainability. Tiberius had the support of his wife and his children, who helped him in all stages of cultivation. They shared his passion for coffee and his vision for progress. Tiberio loves the work on the coffee farms and gives the best to his family. He knows that he has fulfilled his dream, but also that he must continue learning and improving. He is a successful coffee farmer, who represents the perseverance and human quality of Colombian farmers. |
Cherry, currants and toffee Altitude: 1800 masl, Process: natural |
Bloom, Plus 87 |
At Never Worry Coffee, their love for coffee goes beyond borders. They're not just passionate roasters; they're coffee enthusiasts on a global quest. Nestled in the heart of Antrim, Northern Ireland, Never Worry's roastery is a haven for those who find joy in the extraordinary world of coffee.
Never Worry's journey is fueled by a desire to discover the most intriguing and out-of-the-box coffees from every corner of the globe. From the heights of Ethiopian plateaus to the lush plantations of Central America, they embark on a quest to bring you the most exceptional and unique coffee beans. But it doesn't stop there. Never Worry are dedicated craftsmen, honing their skills in the delicate art of roasting and brewing. Every roast is a symphony of flavours, carefully curated to create a sensory experience that transcends the ordinary, believing that each cup tells a story with the goal to craft narratives that captivate your palate and transport you to the origins of our carefully selected beans.
Never Worry Coffees | United Kingdom
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Anita, Costa Rica | Introducing our Costa Rican coffee, a tropical flavor paradise in your cup! Picture this: a rich Chocolatey base, a hint of sweet Melon, comforting Brown Sugar, a burst of Strawberry goodness, creamy Vanilla, and a dash of sophisticated Wine-like complexity. It's like a vacation for your taste buds, straight from the lush coffee farms of Costa Rica. Sip and savor the pure tropical bliss! | Melon, strawberry, vanilla and chocolate Altitude: 1400 masl, Process: natural |
Bloom, Plus 87, Selected Mix |
| Manos Juntas, Colombia | Colombian natural coffee is a wild ride of sun-drenched flavors, boasting luscious berry notes intertwined with a caramel-like sweetness that'll make your taste buds dance to the rhythm of succulent strawberries. Get ready to savor every delicious sip of this vibrant experience. | Florals, strawberry, toffee and chocolate Altitude: 1400-2000 masl, Process: natural |
Bloom, Plus 87 |
| Cerrado, Brazil | Check out our Brazilian coffee vibes! It's like a flavor adventure in your cup. Picture this: Cacao Nibs giving you those chocolatey vibes, Creamy like your fave latte, Hazelnut Praliné bringing that nutty goodness, pomegranate with a fruity twist, Brown Sugar for that sweet, sweet touch, and Floral notes to keep it fresh. This coffee from Brazil is all about those chill, laid-back flavours that'll make your taste buds do a happy dance. It's like a coffee hug for your soul.
Londrina vibes, peeps! It's a massive 394 hectares of pure awesomeness, and guess what? They've got 190 hectares totally dedicated to growing coffee. The coffee trees start blooming in September and October, and then we patiently wait until July to September for that epic harvest. Oh, and speaking of climate, it's a cool 21°C on average – perfect for those coffee trees to thrive! Now, let's talk coffee varieties because it's not just your regular joe. Londrina is rocking some Catuai, Topazio, Mundo Novo, Acacia Cerrado, Rubi, Paraiso, and Catucai. It's like a coffee variety party up in there! And here's the tea (or should I say coffee?): This particular batch of Red Catuai coffee went through the Natural processing method. Catuai, by the way, is this awesome coffee type born from a fusion of Mundo Novo and Caturra varieties, thanks to the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) in Campinas, Brazil. These Catuai beans are like the cool kids of the coffee world – super productive and widely loved all over Brazil. So there you have it, Londrina's coffee game is strong, and we're here for it! |
Almond, chocolate and sweet Process: EA decaf |
Selected Mix, Blend / Darker, PERCENT, Bloom |
| Galeras, Colombia | Check out our Colombian decaf coffee – it's the chill choice for those caffeine-free vibes. This brew brings you the sweet and cozy taste of Caramel, the smooth vibes of Milk Chocolate, a hint of fruity Apple, and a touch of zesty Lemon for that extra zest. It's like a coffee party without the caffeine buzz! | Caramel, milk chocolate, apple and lemon Altitude: 1600 masl, Process: sugar cane decaf |
Decaf |
GUSTATORY (adjective): curating excellence in taste.