Tasting Notes: December 2022 Coffees
Authenticity is everything. It’s always been about finding a better way. LOT61's goal is to realise a vision by following an itch to discover and be the best. They left home with a sense of adventure in search of a more fulfilling life: exploring new places, ideas and influences puts a spring in our step. The team of LOT61 are at their imaginative best when they’re using their hands to ply our craft, doing things as they should be done.
LOT61 Coffees | Netherlands
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layyoo, Ethiopia | Ture Waji, famously known as ‘The King of Guji’, is the gentle ruler of Sookoo Coffee, located in the Woredas of Uraga and Shakisso. He has strong connections to the land, its community and farmers, as he grew up in region. Sookoo’s washing stations are located in the Guji zone of the Oromia region, Ethiopia. The coffee from this area is sometimes mistakenly called Sidamo Guji, while instead it should be called Guji or West-Guji on its own. This relatively young but already famous coffee area is recognized for it's unique and distinctive cup profiles. In this beautiful landscape of forest jungle at an elevation of 2.100 - 2.350 meters above sea level, you can hear the workers singing cultural Guji songs while moving coffee around. |
Mango, red currant and malic Altitude: 2100 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Single / Light |
| Cuatro Caminos, Panama | Cuatro Caminos' Loma de Los Cedros is an 7.2 hectare farm at an average altitude of 1.550 meters above sea level and has around 36.150 trees. Formerly known as Finca Damarli, named after the previous owner’s daughter, is a beautiful farm located near Volcancito. The farm is situated in the shadow of the famous Volcan Baru volcano, the source of the rich volcanic soil that makes Boquete coffee so desirable. Added to the ample supply of water and natural shade, all the ingredients are there to make the coffee from Loma de Los Cedros some of the best in town. We're thrilled to feature both lots for the next weeks to come. A wonderful clean, sweet cup with notes of honey, lemon and almond. | Honey and almond Altitude: 1550 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Finca Aurora, Guatemala | Coming soon | Blueberry and anise spice Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Rukira, Kenya | Nyeri County has cool temperatures and fertile central highlands, lying between the Eastern base of the Aberdare Range, which forms part of the Eastern end of the Great Rift Valley and the Western slopes of Mt. Kenya. The combination of fertile soil, seasonal rainfall and high altitude provide the ideal climate for coffees characterised by high acidity, full body and ripe fruit flavours. Rukira wetmill is part of Othaya Farmers’ Cooperative Society Limited, one of a few washing stations that form the coop group based in the heartland of Nyeri. The mill processes coffee cherries sourced from 676 farmers. The total farmed area is 128.4 acres with individual trees yielding between 5 and 10kg of cherries per season. This particular lot sparked our interest because of it's intense sweetness and clear fruit flavors, inherent in these exclusive peaberry cherries. Expect flavor notes of black/red currant, plum and sweet sugar cane-like mouthfeel. |
Red currant, blueberry and plum Altitude: 1900 masl, Process: washed |
Selected Mix, Rest of World |
| Zimzala, Colombia / Brazil | Hey there, it's Danielle reporting from the cupping table. Let's talk Zimzala! Like a bit of a zing in your Espresso? Zimzala's base of Brazil gives it a touch of hazelnut and body but then Peru comes in, singing of stone fruit. This combo elevates the coffee into a clean and crisp cup. A true industry style coffee and great all-around afternoon sipper. | Stonefruit and maple cream Altitude: 1800 masl, Process: pulp natural, washed |
Selected Mix, Single / Light, PERCENT |
| Decaf, Guatemala | Time to put on your lab coat and safety glasses.. because we're going to cover decaf! Our decaf coffee got stripped from the jitters entirely chemically-free, by using a method called Swiss Water Processed®. The first step involves soaking the raw and unroasted beans in hot water to dissolve and separate the caffeine molecules present in coffee. Along with caffeine, also sugars and other natural components will dissolve (which we want to keep!). Next, the filtered mixture passes through a charcoal filter which separates the caffeine from the sugars and other natural components. After separating the caffeine - the natural sugars and other components are getting added back to the mix by a last soaking cyclus. Done and ready for roasting! Complicated? Nah, we think you got it. |
Chocolate and berries Altitude: 1550 masl, Process: swiss water |
Decaf |
| Bombora, Guatemala / Brazil | Hi, it’s Ray here reporting from the roastery. Although numbered a 3, the Bombora was actually our very first blend, and oh my, a lot happened since. No one within our company quite remembers it’s date of creation, but let’s just say it got forged in fire and a spinning roaster drum almost a decade ago. Used in many cafes nationwide and beyond for that morning workhorse coffee. The Guatemala component, grown at high altitude on volcanic soil, powers through the milk and delivers a sweet chocolate syrupy espresso with a long lasting after taste. The verdict: your morning hit. |
Dark chocolate and dark cherry Altitude: 1900 masl, Process: pulped natural, washed |
Blend / Darker |
After more than a decade of setting goals, experiencing remarkable moments, travelling to exciting places and meeting inspiring people around the world of coffee — in 2019 Sweven have decided to settle down and begin a new journey. A journey that has reflected on the founders' vision and perception for execution of quality and service, excellence and dedication to craft. A craft of roasting and sharing the finest and most dynamic coffees they could possibly source. To build concrete relationships that last lifetime and proven friendships through sharing special moments. Moments that leave memories and stories that become legends. It’s the dream come true and a dream they simply called Sweven.
Sweven Coffees | UK
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gisanga, Rwanda | This natural processed lot comes from Gisanga coffee washing station and includes an extended “anaerobic” cherry fermentation in sealed tanks (a low oxygen environment). After fermentation for up to 96 hours, the cherries are dried slowly on raised African beds for 6 weeks and the result is clean and fruity cup profile. Situated in Ruhango district, Gisanga processes cherries from 925 local smallholder farmers. Gisanga is one of the best coffee-growing regions of Rwanda’s central plateau. The region varies from 1,650-1,850m above sea level with volcanic, sandy clay soils and cool temperatures. Like much of Rwanda – “the land of a thousand hills” – the terrain is mountainous, rugged and exceptionally beautiful. Rich volcanic soils, plentiful sunshine, and tropical rainfall provide exceptional conditions for the cultivation of Arabica, and the Bourbon variety particularly excels in the high elevations of Rwanda’s mountains. Tropic Coffee – the owners and operators of the Gisanga washing station – support farmers to nurture and protect their coffee plants through sustainable, organic and shade-grown practices. They train local farmers in the best agricultural practices from seedling preparation to planting and harvesting, and have set up a field school in each village. Farmers plant coffee trees in well-spaced rows allowing light penetration and air movement to help plants grow well. Windbreaks protect the coffee trees from high mountain winds. For crop diversity and food, farmers plant cassava, beans, maize and bananas. |
Dates, guava, cherry cola. Very sweet and luscious Altitude: 1650 - 1850 masl, Process: anaerobic natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Kamwangi, Kenya | The coffee cherries are hand sorted for unripes and overripes by the farmers before they go into production. The pulp is removed and the coffee is fermented for 24-36 hour under close shade depending on climate temperatures. After fermentation the coffees are washed and again graded by density in washing channels. They are then taken to the drying tables where they will be sun dried on African drying beds for 12 to 20 days (this time depends on weather conditions). Coffees are covered in plastic during midday and at night to protect the beans from night moisture and rains. Kamwangi Coffee Factory is located in the north east corner of Kirinyaga County, Nyangeni sub- location, Ngariama Location. It is one of three Factories managed by the New Ngariama FCS. This was the second factory established by the Co-op, Kainamui being the original. With increasing volume pressure on both Kamwangi and Kainamui the Co-op established and began processing at their third Factory, Kiamugumo. |
Blackcurrant, grapefruit, vanilla. Very sweet and juicy. Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| Los Rodriguez, Bolivia | This particular lot is 100% Java cultivar picked at peak ripeness and dried on raised beds for total 24 days. This completely traditional natural process in combination with this exotic varietal results in an extremely sweet and clean cup. Simple yet beautiful and we love it! The Fincas Los Rodriguez journey began 35 years ago when founder and former banker Pedro Rodriguez pursued his passion in coffee. Initially starting out as a commercial enterprise, Pedro went on to become on of the pioneers of specialty coffee in Bolivia. Pedro owns and operates an export company called Agricafe with his daughter Daniela and son Pedro Pablo. In order to grow volumes, in 2012 Agricafe acquired land in Caranavi, Los Yungas with their dream of starting their own farm, Finca La Linda. They now own a total of 12 farms, 8 in Caranavi and 4 in Samaipata. The Los Rodriguez farms are situated in the ‘Los Yungas’ region around Caranavi, La Paz department, and Samaipata, Santa Cruz department. Los Yungas is the main traditional coffee growing region of Bolivia, while Samaipata is typically known for its wine production. Pedro’s farms are an example of high quality and perfection which he has been able to achieve through continuous hard work and creation of respectful and meaningful relationships. In 2017 Pedro’s hard work has been rewarded when Japanese barista Miki Suzuki came in second place at the World Barista Championship in Seoul, using one of his lots and we are over the moon to present his natural Java here at Sweven. |
Mango, peach, chewy candy, very sweet and clean Process: natural |
Rest of World |
| Cata Project, Colombia | Only several months ago we began planning for our next seasonal house espresso and we approached our good friends at Cata Export. The request was simple – we wanted something outstanding that works well as espresso and with milk and that has an amazing sweetness, aroma and texture. A week later Cata sent us some samples and one of them instantly stood out on the cupping table and this was exactly this lot! We then contacted Cata immediately and contracted the entire lot with having in mind the real potential for working towards this project in future and continuing developing our relationship further, which now has become more of a good friendship. This particular lot is a blend of Yellow, Red and Pink Bourbon produced by school mates and good friends Nestor Lasso (El Diviso) and Johan Vergara (Las Flores) in Huila, Colombia. The Bourbon cherries blend are firstly oxidised for 24hrs under complete Aerobic environment and then are taken into sealed tanks for an extended Anaerobic fermentation for 180hrs. And finally the cherries are moved on to drying tables for slow drying up to 2-3 weeks. The results are amazing and we are incredibly proud to be taking part of this project we called “Cata Project” and we cannot wait to visit El Diviso and Las Flores this autumn and lay out the foundations of this project for years to come! Cata Natural Bourbon blend is created exclusively for Sweven, we select the best batches that can complement each other. Our team of selectors manually separate grain by grain to obtain a unique and particular blend aimed at special customers. At Cata Export we design our own grinding processes, this is really very important and exclusive, since in Colombia producers do not usually do it and much is unknown about this subject, we also have equipment for pixel selection, density selection, selection of meshes and manual selection, thus reducing the waste of high-quality coffee and also ensuring that we offer something unique to our customers in Europe. All the selected coffees have almost the same profile in the cup, they are coffees with very fruity round profiles, which, unlike the other coffees that we export from mesh 15 onwards, this Blend can fall in mesh 13 and mesh 14 and taking into account that they are very sweet and that their complexity when exporting is high due to their size, likewise we offer the option that if any client requires us to do this work, we do it especially for him. Award winning farms such as El Diviso and Las Flores in the department of Huila, with their clean agriculture and post-harvest fermentation protocols, are the ones who participate in this process, being specialists in red bourbon, pink bourbon and yellow bourbon, achieving good control of extended fermentation and They have known how to standardise their drying processes very well, taking into account that this is a very complex step due to the level of rainfall in Colombia. They are also very simple processes that can easily be replicated in other coffee-producing farms. |
Passion fruit, cherry liqueurs, white chocolate. Very sweet and exotic Process: anaerobic natural |
Selected Mix, Plus 87 |
| Las Lajas, Costa Rica | The Chacón family have become so precise in their processing that they have been able to produce several offerings under various monikers; this particular coffee is their Yellow-Honey Diamond. This is a honey-process coffee by which coffee is de-pulped, then added to the drying patios in a large pile to increase activity in fermentation. As the coffee dries, it is piled up, and then flattened out to slow the process. Yellow honey has a bit more mucilage left on the seed, as well as a bit more activity in fermentation. The mucilage left on will turn a golden yellow colour as the oxidation of fermentation takes place. These are usually shade-dried and turned just a few times per day of drying. Costa Rica is a small country but the diversity of climates found there and their impact on coffee production has led to a coffee industry that punches above its weight. The first coffee was grown in the Central Valley – a lush, fertile region influenced by Atlantic weather patterns – and this is where Las Lajas coffee is grown by the Chacón family. Six farms – owned by six brothers and together comprising 73ha – and a mill are located in the town of Sabanilla de Alajuela, on the slopes of the Poás volcano. The mill stands at 1,300 masl and the farms above at 1,450-1,500 masl. The mill, which produces about 2,000 exportable bags per year, is owned and run by Oscar Chacón and his wife Francisca, with help from their four children – the eldest of whom took the second level of the Q Processing course in 2020. The Chacón farms are mostly run along organic farming principles. It has become more costly and complicated to gain official organic certification – and the family felt that certification wasn’t adding sufficient value to their product – so they let their certification lapse. However, organic principles have remained fundamental to their farming philosophy, with a chemical-free production process, pulp from the mill being used to make compost for the coffee plants, and processes that use only one cubic meter of water per day. Innovation is central to the farms, and the family has experimented with different coffee varieties. |
Red grapes, papaya, tamarind. Very sweet and tropical Altitude: 1300 masl, Process: yellow honey |
Plus 87 |
Gringo coiffee roasters are a curious little coffee roasting company in Göteburg, Sweden. Established in May 2018, they are committed to great coffee, sourcing a wide range of 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 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 Coffees | Sweden
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oreti, Kenya | The producer Boyce Harris – who owns the farm Oreti – is a big favorite with us and it is a great pleasure to be able to offer his coffee again (there is extremely high competition to buy his coffee). This year we have been able to buy two sacks of washed green coffee (120 kilos) and are selling the coffee as long as it is available. Oreti is one of two medium-sized coffee farms remaining in Kenya today. It has been owned by the Harris family for several generations. The family has a great commitment to environmental issues and, among other things, cares for 80 hectares of original rainforest. They also have developed social work with, among other things, schools for their employees' children This year's coffee from Oreti is, just like last year's harvest, rich in lots of lovely fruit acidity and has a charming, crowd-pleasing character. We are reminded of how coffee from Kenya tasted on the large coffee farms near Nairobi, before they became housing for the emerging Kenyan middle class. |
Strawberry, lemonade and vanilla Altitude: 1600 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Single / Light |
| Guerrero Juba, Mexico | Finally one of our most popular coffees is back with a new crop, much loved 2021 version of this fine coffee and we are genuinely happy to work with these producers again. Since so many have taken the coffee to their hearts, and palates, here is some extra information about the coffee: Juba means mountain in Mepha, which is the language used by the producers – mainly women – who produce the coffee. The coffee is part of a long-term project that aims to strengthen coffee's position in the region; the participating producers are paid three times more than the market price. The character of the coffee is balanced with character of nuts, soft fruitiness, fine chocolate tones and a pronounced fullness. One of the cornerstones of specialty coffee at the origin is quality control and separation between different coffee lots. Running a lab in the coffee areas is the key to careful quality control and direct feedback to the growers. In 2022, Ensambles Cafes Mexicanos went from 1 to 3 laboratories in Montaña alta. A successful move this year was to have a spot on local radio to announce the company's presence and explain the important work they do. Since the messages were spoken in both Spanish and Mephaa, many producers heard it and came to visit the lab to have their samples assessed. The result is that they now receive coffee from twice as many municipalities as last year. |
Macadamia nut, milk chocolate and peach Altitude: 1500 - 1900 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Single / Light |
| Arusha, Papua New Guinea | Paul Pora owns and operates the Grass Roots washing station in Papua New Guinea's Western Highlands. The volcanic soil in this area is extremely fertile, making the region the country's premier for coffee production. Paul is not your typical coffee producer: unlike the average PNG coffee farmer, he has a degree in agriculture from university and a diploma from an agricultural school in the UK. Before becoming a producer himself, he worked at a coffee research institute. Paul's background and knowledge of the coffee industry is reflected in the management of his washing station and the consistent quality of coffees that are processed here. On this lot, he has let coffee cherries from the Arusha variety dry in his own pulp for almost a month. The fruit character is clear, here we find - behind the powerful body - notes of dark fruits, sultanas, blackberries and a long aftertaste. |
Blackberry, fresh figs and sultanas Altitude: 1600 - 1900 masl, Process: natural |
Selected Mix |
| Bensa, Ethiopia | About 14 hours drive from Addis Ababa we find smaller plateau communities around the local village of Bombe, in the Bensa district of the Sidamo region. This area is known for "Konjo Buna" which means good coffee in Ethiopian. The strength of Sidamo coffee lies in the region's diversity of profiles, the many microclimates and different soil types lead to striking differences depending on where the coffee grows. Throughout Sidamo, coffee has a complexity that many also attribute to the diversity of local varieties, these can differ from town to town and even from farm to farm, where each farmer may have more than one unique variety that is rarely or never found outside of their plot. Farming methods in Sidamo are still largely traditional. Sidamo farmers usually intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops. This method is common among smallholder farmers because it maximizes land use and provides food for the family. Most farms also have organic farming as standard, farmers in Sidamo typically use very few – if any – fertilizers or pesticides. Most farm work is done manually and few tasks are mechanized, even during processing. In this micro-lot from the Bensa Shantaweni washing station - which we buy for the second year in a row - the freshly picked coffee berries have been sealed in an oxygen-free environment for 72 hours. In this way, specific microbial interactions are encouraged resulting in a fruity coffee with complex berry and chocolate notes. |
Liqueur confectionery, sweet chocolate and tropical fruit Altitude: 1860 - 1900 masl, Process: Anaerobic natural |
Rest of World |
| Gundikhan, India | Gundikhan Estate is owned by the Saif Ulla family; Saif is the third generation to grow coffee on the plantation. The farm is located at an altitude from 1380-1560 meters in the Baba Budan Giri area. About six years ago, the farm was replanted with the variety Chandragiri, which is a semi-dwarf variety, which means a powerful coffee tree. Its leaves are broad, thick and dark green in color. The variety is characterized by larger beans compared to most other Arabica trees. The coffee is grown in varied shade together with many different tree species; many of them indigenous. The farm shares boundaries with the Bhadra Tiger Reserve and provides a haven for many species of birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians. It also acts as a wildlife corridor. Gundikhan Honey is a spicy and full-bodied coffee with mild fruit notes in the character, great both as pour over and espresso. Gundikhan Estate also grows pepper along with the coffee. We are not experts on pepper, but think it is very aromatic and has a balanced spiciness. Sold at a special price together with the coffee. |
Cinnamon, peach and forest honey Altitude: 1350 - 1600 masl, Process: honey |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| San Jose, El Salvador | The brand new harvest from the Magaña family, which we have known for 15 years. We have visited their farm San José - which has been owned by the women of the family for four generations - several times. Ecological awareness is high and on the farm there is a diversity of animals and plants. Here they grow the Bourbon variety and really do everything to optimize its delicate character; the coffee trees grow under shade and all coffee is picked by hand when fully ripe. We buy all the coffee that the family produces. Every year before harvest, we jointly decide how their coffee should be processed after picking. It is a rewarding way of working, which creates added value for them, us and those who get to enjoy their fine coffee. The washed method used in this coffee is the basis of their production and gives a truly elegant and consistent result. San José Bourbon is a creamy and soft-bodied coffee with peach sweetness and sweet chocolate in its character. |
Milk chocolate, smooth and sweet Altitude: 1450 masl, Process: washed |
Blend / Darker, Selected Mix |
| Santuario 300, Brazil | Last and Best is not an expression you hear often, but as we now launch 2022's last new coffee from Brazil, it is time to call upon this unused expression. Because on this lot, our friend Luiz Paulo Dias Pereira Filho has really outdone himself. Luis – who we visited earlier this summer – owns the farm Fazenda Santuário Sul and we buy several of his micro lots every year. He founded the farm as recently as 2015, when he decided to show the world what variety there can be in Brazilian coffee. On the farm there are over 30 varieties and Luiz experiments with different types of fermentation and drying. This lot is an anaerobically fermented Bourbon 300, a variety originating from the Antigua region of Guatemala. Just like the other exotic varieties on the farm, the harvest takes place through selective hand picking when the fully ripe berries reach a sugar brix level of 21-23°. The berries are then allowed to ferment in a yeast culture that Luis himself has developed from the coffee berries. Here they lie for 72 hours in sealed barrels before being rinsed and slowly dried on raised drying beds. In this irresistible lot we find notes of peach, strawberry, a soft sweetness, fruitiness and a powerful chocolate character. |
Caramel, milk chocolate and peach Altitude: 1220 masl, Process: anaerobic natural |
Selected Mix, Plus 87 |
| Sleepy Gringo, Colombia | The coffee comes from producers in the Nariño region of Colombia. 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, due to both its high quality and its transparency. The city of Buesaco is located high on a ridge in the Andes in the Nariño region of Colombia. Cooperativa de Cafés Especiales de Nariño has its offices, cupping lab and warehouse here, where the coop collects coffee from smallholders whose farms are hidden in the slopes that surround the city. The cooperative collaborates with more than 300 small farmers throughout Nariño, who usually harvest coffee all year round. The lots are analyzed and bought and the farmers receive premiums in addition to the market price. These premiums stimulate high quality standards and good agricultural practices, such as avoiding the use of glyphosate and other chemicals. In particular, this amount of decaffeinated coffee consists of small batches of beans from farms around the Galeras volcano. |
Chocolate, caramel and balanced Altitude: 1550 - 1650 masl, Process: CO2 decaf |
Decaf |
A relatively new roaster, Sanctuary's 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 | UK
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Dionne, Colombia | This season, Sweet Dionne is made up of a wonderful coffee from the mountains of Huila, Colombia - and we are really excited to share this with you. This lot is the product of a project known as El Carmen de Acevedo kickstarted by social enterprise importers, Raw Material, who channel all of their profits back to coffee farmers. In May 2017, Raw Material met with Invercafe and two new coffee producer groups in Pitalito, Huila, to understand what is preventing farmers from accessing the specialty market. During these discussions Raw Material heard farmers describe their core challenges: a lack of key infrastructure; and lack of stable prices to provide certainty for investment in improved quality. To address these challenges, Raw Material created an initiative called Red Associations. This initiative reformed infrastructure to better reflect modern farming and the problems faced. Through a new payment system, Raw Material provides stable prices that result in 2.5x the average household income, compared to previous seasons. On top of this, the redevelopment of physical structures such as drying beds and QC facilities at the central community hub aids to improve quality, consistency and in turn delivers stable value. In the cup, this coffee is light and floral with a big and bright lychee sweetness. A proper lip-smacker. |
White grape, lychee and honeysuckle Altitude: 1900 masl, Process: natural |
Selected Mix, Single / Light, Plus 87 |
| Session Brew, Guatemala | Meeting farmers and establishing relationships creates something very powerful for coffee trade. We first started talking with Sebastian in January this year. A friend of ours and Guatemalan native, Anne, headed home for Christmas in 2021 and on her return, she brought a heap of coffee samples from friends and relatives all over Guatemala. Session Brew was grown on La Comunidad, one of many farms owned by the Falla family. Sebastian is a 5th generation farmer and his family’s company spans over 100 years. Like so many young producers, Sebastian is a data-driven, modern farmer. Each lot is systematically cared for to ensure timely development of fruits in preparation for a punctual harvest. His fanatic attention to detail is the driving force behind the coffee’s fantastic flavour. |
Honey, citrus and caramel Altitude: 1400 masl, Process: washed |
Selected Mix, Blend / Darker |
| Cluck Berry, Nicaragua | In a foggy rainforest with rich climatic conditions, you can find several of the most productive haciendas in the country. The name Las Nubes comes from the beautiful views that the clouds make around the tops of the mountains and over the farms of this region. Las Nubes is made up of coffee from 20 hardworking producers, located in the Cordillera Isabelia. The Cordillera Isabelia is located just 45 km away from the department of Jinotega, boarding with the department of Matagalpa. This cordillera is one of the first regions that started with large productions of coffee and most of the farmers there still conserve traditional production techniques. |
Berries, butterscotch and caramel Altitude: 1300 masl, Process: washed |
Selected Mix, Single / Light, Plus 87 |
| Sleep Jeans, Colombia | Elias and Shady Bayter’s work in coffee production at the El Vergel estate is innovation in motion. This estate lot has been decaffeinated onsite using the EA method. If you’re not familiar, you can read here to learn more about EA decaffeination - and why it’s our decaf method of choice. For the most part, decaffeinated coffee can be quite harsh. El Vergel however, see the value in taking care with decaffeinated coffee and delivering a premium experience for decaf-lovers. The name Sleep Jeans is our nod to Feeding Steven, an ongoing saga involving content creator Arryn Skelly, and a very cheeky seagull, Steven, who visited Arryn’s window one day and has since returned on a daily basis for food, water and a well earned rest. |
Frangipane, apricot and chocolatee Altitude: 1500 masl, Process: EA decaf |
Decaf |
| Sanctuary Blend, Brazil | Our Sanctuary Blend is designed for year-round consistency spanning across two to three key coffee producing countries: Brazil, Colombia and Nicaragua, with Brazil being our mainstay. By dipping in and out of Colombia and Nicaragua, we are directly using seasonality to keep consistency in the cup. This season, and likely to stay for the coming months, we see our annual lot from Mió Fazenda in Brazil, paired with San Juan del Rio Coco, Nicaragua; a farm certified bird friendly by the Smithsonian Institute. This coffee is designed to be the best option for a traditional coffee lover. Its natural sweetness and rounded cocoa profile works perfectly with big milk-based beverages as well as standing up by itself as a perfectly balanced coffee. |
Dark chocolate, fudge and sugar Altitude: 900 - 1350 masl, Process: red honey and washed |
Blend / Darker, PERCENT |
GUSTATORY (adjective): curating excellence in taste.