Tasting Notes: January 2021 Coffees
A farily new addition to the roasting scene but with bags of experience in the team behind it, Nordic Roasting Co was founded on a belief that coffee can foster more equal social relations across the food value chain by bridging the geographical and social gaps which keep producers and consumers apart.
For them, specialty coffee is not just high-quality coffee. It is indeed, much more than that. It’s also about transparency and accountability as a to means to achieve social and environmental sustainability at every stage of the supply chain, from the coffee farm to the final cup of coffee.
Nordic Roasting Co Coffees | Denmark
| Coffee | Information | Notes | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darkness My Old Friend | For the nostalgic of the dark roast. Nordic roast this blend to the frontier of the drinkable darkness. Expect a strong cup of coffee with a lingering aftertaste of dark chocolate. | Dark chocolate. | Dark |
| Women's Edition Coffee | Women are at the core of farming in many coffeelands: they are a guarantee that revenues are re-invested to support the household income and fragile livelihoods. One of Nordic’s direct-trade coffee, with a taste of ripe grape and panela (raw sugar cane juice). A true Colombian getaway. | Ripe grape and panela (raw sugar cane juice). | Single |
| Easy Like Sunday Morning | Kick back, relax. Let your old filter coffee dripper brew this rich and chocolaty blend for you, while you are enjoying one of those lazy and slow Sunday mornings. | Rich and chocolatey. | Blends |
| Nano Challa Ethiopia | An ancient crop in Jimma where generations of farmers plant coffee coming from wild coffee trees, following agroforestry practices to ensure the protection of biodiversity. The members of the Nano Challa Coop are all smallholders and they share production facilities to process this elegant organic coffee with notes of citrus fruit and a delicate caramel-like sweetness. | Citrus fruit and a delicate caramel-like sweetness. | Plus 87 |
| Monte Nevado Honduras | This microlot from Monte Nevado is organic and bird-friendly certified, with 50% of the plantation surface shaded by native tree species. This honey-processed (semi-washed) lot, comes from April 2020 harvest and it is rich and fruity with light notes of fermented grape and berries. | Nutty, milk chocolate, yellow fruit and cane sugar. | Rest of World |
| Hangadhi Village | A complex coffee grown in the heart of the Guji appellation. After the harvest, the beans are sun-dried in the village of Hangadhi, resulting in a fruity profile with pleasant notes of blueberry and apple. Certified organic and in recognition of a local know-how that is respectful of people and the environment. | Fruity profile with pleasant notes of blueberry and apple. | Plus 87 |
Gringo Nordic are a curious little coffee roasting company in Gothenburg, Sweden. Established in May 2018, they are committed to great coffee and to their customers – and for this month, to our customers.
They source 100% fully transparent speciality coffees from single farms, estates and cooperatives. Whilst a lot of the coffees come from organically certified farms, a lot more coffee comes from much smaller plantations, where a certification would not be economically possible. Gringo Nordic choose to support these farms as there is often a good intentions behind each farmer, especially the ones that work with quality, that translate into positive and considerate environmentally-friendly practices.
Gringo Nordic Coffees | Sweden
| Coffee | Information | Notes | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radical Brew | A powerful, fruity balanced coffee with a dark-roasted character. Here you can expect a rich and bold cup of coffee where the roasting machine has given the beans an extra spin. The extra caramelization gives them a sense of toasted nuts and spices. Happily enjoyed with a dash of milk. Organically certified. | Spicy, powerful and musty. | Dark |
| Sumatra Kerinci Natural | At over 1000 meters in height lies the village of Sipangan Bolon, at the northern part of Lake Toba, around the Bukit Barisan mountain range. Within the cooperative, coffee growers are assisted with various agricultural techniques, so that the recycling is maximized and the impact on the environment is minimal. Raja Toba is a classic Sumatra coffee, it has the characteristic rich flavor with typically spicy tones. | Strawberry, chocolate and red cherries. | Light, Single, Selected Mix |
| Sleepy Gringo | Gringo have roasted the best caffeine-free coffee that is in season right now and strive to create a flavorful coffee with a nice sweetness and a medium-rich character. Currently, the coffee comes from ten producers in the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. Several of the farms are small, but together they have created a lot that gives a score of 84-85 points on a quality scale (so-called Specialty Coffee). This makes it different from 99% of all decaffeinated coffee produced, through both its high quality and its full transparency. |
Nice sweetness and a medium-bodied character. | Decaf |
| Ethiopia Aricha Natural | The small region of Guji in southern Ethiopia, probably produces the world's most exciting coffee today; the variety and quality is unmatched. This Natural organic pearl from small family farms on the Dimtu Tero plantation is one of them. Here, the coffee has dried in its juicy cherry when fully ripe. The taste is reminiscent of dried fruit, sweet berries and vanilla. It tastes great in all kind of brewers. Organically Certified. | Flavourful, berries and vanilla. | Single, Selected Mix |
| Brazil Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza | Coming soon | A very smooth chocolaty (mocha). | Single, Selected Mix |
| Daily Brew | This coffee is the liquid equivalent to a hug; soft and comforting. Made for the concept of Fika, this smooth full bodied coffee is nutty sweet, yummy and bold enough to go beautifully together with pastries and sandwiches or be frivolously sipped on its own. | Cocoa, caramel and almonds. | Blends |
| El Salvador La Fany Glazed | Gringo have known Carmen and Rafael Da Silva for 15 years and visited theirs farm Finca La Fany many times. They always surprise Gringo with new improvements and experiments. They call this microlot Glazed Honey; the coffee first dries in its own sugar for two days, before being fermented in barrels for a few more days and then slowly dried like a honey for 30 days. It results in a complex and sweet coffee with hints of milk chocolate and yellow berries. Good in all conceivable brewing methods. | Smooth, very sweet and delicate. | Plus 87, Rest of World |
| El Salvador Noruega Natural | Coming soon | Very clean and cocoa sweet (natural). | Plus 87, Rest of World |
Puchero are not yet sure if coffee found them or if it was the other way around, but their story smells like coffee; but not just any coffee, but specialty coffee. Purchero were founded by Paloma and Marco, a Castilian and an Italian who, after several years living in London, decided to stop, reflect and look at things with a new perspective to focus on their way.
They travelled to new countries and, on their journey, they met incredible people who passed on their love for the exciting world of coffee, all of which helped to give birth to Puchero. This was back in 2015 and since then has grown to become a benchmark in specialty coffee and one of the best roasters in the country.
Puchero Coffees | Spain
| Coffee | Information | Notes | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia Monte Bonito | On the highway that goes from Manizales to Honda is the small town of Monte Bonito with less than a thousand inhabitants. They are in charge of the proper functioning of the farm and the collection of coffee. During the harvest, the coffee is collected, pulped and fermented for 16 to 18 hours. The next day it is washed and put to dry in "Eldas" (on the roofs of the houses) or "carros quindianos" (drying beds with a rail system). | Sweet mandarin, orange blossom and cane sugar. | Light |
| Colombia San Lorenzo | Caffeine, bound to naturally occurring chlorogenic acid, is extracted through hydrolysis. The coffee is steamed at low pressure before being moistened with hot water, allowing the beans to open and expand. The coffee that results from this process is washed several times with the “extractor” (ethyl acetate that is obtained naturally from the fermentation of cane sugar) to reduce caffeine levels. | Clementine, tamarind and dark chocolate. | Decaf |
| Brazil Pedra Branca | Located in the southern part of Minas Gerais, in the Carmo region, the Pedra Branca farm is located in Pedralva and is part of the Carmo Coffees group. The surrounding area enjoys a unique terroir , significant heights, good sunlight and rainfall. The region is made up of 7000 coffee producers with an annual production of 1 million bags. Ripe cherries are dried for 7-10 days before finishing for 2-3 days with careful temperature control to ensure the correct moisture content is reached. | Milk chocolate, orange and cashew. | Single, Selected Mix |
| Kenya Mahiga | Mount Kenya, on the cusp of central Africa, is the second highest peak on the continent and it is in the forests above it that many consider some of the best coffee in Kenya and the world to be made. Nyeri is perhaps the best known of these central counties, and for its quality, the coffees command very high average prices year after year. Coffee production in Kenya is organized by a cooperative system. Mahiga has 400 active members who collect and deliver to the processing center. | Orange, pineapple and peach. | Plus87, Rest of World |
| Costa Rica La Candelilla | La Candelilla was the first independent farm created in Costa Rica in 2000. The family business is run by brothers and occupies a total area of 70 hectares. In this farm, the natives and the most fragile varieties begin their journey of drying in beds and, later, being transferred to patios. This batch remains unhandled for 2 days to avoid breaking the cherries and completes its drying within 17 to 22 days. | Rose, apricot and tropical fruits. | Plus 87 |
| Ethiopia Bombe | This coffee was named after the mountains where it grows. Its process developed after Kenean (son of the owner of the farm Daye Bensa) visited La Esperanza Antigua in Guatemala, it is a variation of the traditional washing process (the pulp is separated from the grain before drying) that does not add water to the tank during fermentation. This "dry" fermentation uses much less water in its process and has helped the environmental sustainability of this production. The result is a rich and complex fruity flavour. | Sweet apricot, bergamot and black tea. | Plus 87, Rest of World |
A cup of coffee can go down in an instant, even when nursed throughout a morning. However, years of preparation, laborious picking of ripe cherries, fermenting, drying, processing, endless cuppings, roasting, experimenting and brewing are behind every one of those fleeting moments. The process captivates 39 Steps coffee roasters, and it is their joy to be a part of every one of those thirty eight incremental steps.
39 Steps have over a decade of combined roasting and sourcing experience. They buy the majority of their coffees direct from origin, building relationships with farmers to ensure full traceability of each of their coffees and generating better prices for the people that deserve it most.
39 Steps Coffees | UK
| Coffee | Information | Notes | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mina Blend | 39 Steps ever evolving, seasonal and experimental Mina Blend seeks the sweetest and most satisfying cup, whether it be in your flat white or as a stand-alone espresso. | Nectarine, Brazil nut and milk chocolate. | Blends |
| Colombia – Tres Pioneros | Great coffees can be found in several departments throughout Colombia, but Huila has become a major contender among them. This Decaf Pioneers Blend is another exemplary coffee from Azahar’s pioneering producing partners in southern Huila. This coffee utilises a washed process prior to decaffeination, which is solvent base, using ethyl-acetate. It is derived from a mix of acetic acid (vinegar) and a natural extract distilled from sugar cane, blackberries, beets or sometimes grapes. | Chocolate, lime and velvety. | Decaf |
| Altoalegre | 39 Steps are very excited to be partnering up with the producers at Alto Alegre, for what is now their second direct trade project. Vera Lucia De Almeida Conceição, the owner of the 500-hectare farm, carries on her family’s business which can be dated as far back as the 1880s. Over time the farm has become more and more specialised in an ongoing mission to raise quality and consistency. By dividing varietals into separate lots and carrying out processing at the farm, 39 Steps are really able to hone into specific, juicy and elegant profiles of each coffee. |
Chocolate raisin, toffee and peach. | Single, Selected Mix |
| Ngogomo | Ngogomo is one of the main stations in the province of Muyinga. Today serves more than 1,800 farmers on 18 hills. Quality assurance begins as soon as farmers deliver their cherry. All cherry is floated in small buckets as a first step to check its quality. After sorting, cherry is de-pulped within 6 hours of delivery. The beans are then transported directly to the drying tables where they will dry for 2-3 weeks. | Green tea, lemon and sweet honey. | Plus 87 |
GUSTATORY (adjective): curating excellence in taste.