Tasting Notes: May 2021 Coffees

 Tasting Notes: May 2021 Coffees

Kawa Cafe Mokxa Sumo Brew Coffee Plus Old Spike and NORLO

Exceptional coffee roasted with passion in Paris, since their opening, Kawa have decided to focus entirely on roasting. Their motto is to offer the best roast with the greatest consistency. But, what is a good roast for Kawa? It is the one that will awaken your taste buds and sublimate the terroir of origin. Each coffee has its own history, and they feel they have the heavy responsibility of sublimating the work of their coffee-growing partners and making it easier for you to extract it.

Kawa Coffees  |  France

Coffee Information Notes & Essentials Packages
Gonzalo Armijos, Ecuador Gonzalo Armijos' farm is located in the La Papaya sector, which is very well known in Ecuador. Gonzalo mostly grows the Typica variety using Natural or Washed methods to dry his cherries. Its coffee is generally described as floral, pure, elegant and balanced. Gonzalo was born in 1973 in San Antonio de Cumbe in Loja and lived in the La Papaya area for 22 years. He is the father of 4 children and has dedicated his life to agriculture. He has been working under the tutelage of L'Hacienda de La Papaya since 2019 and has specialized in fertilization as well as the development of new washed drying methods. This is what allowed him to gain in quality to become a producer of one of the best coffees in Ecuador. Fig and tamarind. Balanced

Altitude: 2000 masl+, Process: washed
Plus 87, Rest of World
Deca [Bio], Peru A natural and organically grown decaffeinated coffee, this coffee comes from Peru's Cajamarca region. Dark chocolate and caramel

Altitude: 1500 masl, Process: washed
Decaf
Gatare 331, Rwanda Rwanda is fortunate to benefit from ideal conditions for the cultivation of coffee, in particular thanks to a high altitude, regular rains, volcanic soils with a good organic structure which allows abundance of Bourbon. The vast majority of Rwandan coffee is produced by smallholders. They are about half a million and own plots of land rarely exceeding one hectare per family. Coffee is cultivated in most parts of the country, with particularly high concentrations along Lake Kivu and in the South.

Rwandan smallholders organize themselves into cooperatives and share the services of centralized water mills - or washing stations as they are known locally. Flowering occurs between September and October and harvest runs from March to July, with shipments starting in August through December. Gatare is one of the oldest car wash stations in the country. Gatare has a long reputation for being among the first stations to process very high quality coffee for export. Located in Nyamasheke District, Western Province, the resort is surrounded by hills covered with coffee trees. Gatare has participated many times in the Excellence Cup competition, and has always finished in the best prizes. The station has a very large capacity.
Mirabelle plum and black tea

Altitude: 1800 masl+, Process: washed
Light, Single, Selected Mix
Blend Kawa, Guatemala, Brazil, Peru Association Agroexportadora de la Region San Martin is a cooperative established in the Amazonian province of Moyobamba, north of the San Martin region in Peru. This region was particularly affected by drug trafficking until 2005. Coffee cultivation and tourism have since taken over this magnificent province where the Amazon rainforest begins at the foot of the Andes mountain range.

Kawa has set up a partnership with The San Martin cooperative in order to work on improving the quality of their coffees by securing the sale of their crops. This cooperative brings together 413 farmers from 13 different communities with an average of 2.8 hectares each. It aims to improve the living conditions of farmers and the quality of coffee by pooling technical tools and knowledge, while respecting nature and the surrounding forest, vital to the survival of these communities.
Chocolate and caramel. Medium body

Altitude: various, Process: natural and washed
Dark, Blends
Todosantarita, Guatemala The Todosantarita Cooperative brings together one hundred and twenty-seven small producers (one hundred men and twenty-seven women) and is located in the town of Mash, Huehuetenango, in western Guatemala. The region enjoys a temperate micro-climate (20°C on average) in the middle of the Sierra de los Cucuchmatanes mountains, one of the largest (non-volcanic) mountain ranges in Central America. Dark chocolate and apple. Round with a hint of acidity

Altitude: 1600 masl+, Process: washed
Light, Selected Mix

Founded in 2011, Cafe Mokxa can be found in Strasbourg and Lyon, working in France and internationally with coffeeshops, restaurants and hotels. All of their attention is focused on the entire chain, from the coffee producers to the cup. With a careful selection of their green coffees on farms and/or by importers, their roasting methods, offered training and support for perfect coffee extraction, Cafe Mokxa has a commitment to offering you a diverse range of quality coffees.

Cafe Mokxa make particular demands on their selection of coffee, with all 100% Arabica and coming only from sustainable or organic farming. The roasters also only work with current harvests and offer those with a tasting score higher than 85/100.

Cafe Mokxa Coffees  |  France

Coffee Information Notes & Essentials Packages
Seasonal Espresso Blend, Colombia, Brazil A Brazilian and Colombian blend, this coffee's producers are Jose Wagner Ribeiro Junqueira (Brazil) and several producers (Colombia), from Mantiqueira De Minas of Brazil and Tolima of Colombia. Grown at 1250m (Brazil) and 1600-2000m (Colombia) and with processes Natural (Brazil) and washed (Colombia), this coffee is great for an espresso. Cocoa, hazelnut and rapadura. Sweet and a nice length in the mouth

Altitude: 1250 - 2000 masl, Process: natural and washed
Dark, Blends
Don Claudio, Mexico Attached to Cafeología, Don Claudio, the producer of this micro-lot cultivated under the shade of the Mexican forest, is accompanied on the technicality of the processes, by Jesus Salazar, Q-processor and project leader. Cafeología is a laboratory around coffee growing involving the Mayan communities and reviving high quality production, creating value. Although not certified, all coffees are produced under the model of organic farming. Milk chocolate, red plum and lime. Juicy and delicate with a nice roundness

Altitude: 1200 - 1600 masl, Process: natural fermentation anareobic 48hrs
Single, Rest of World, Plus 87
La Maria, Colombia In summer 2018 in Strasbourg, Viviana Viera's sister came to meet Cafe Mokxa in Strasbourg to offer them samples. Convinced of the quality of the coffees, we decide to import the entire production of the family farm. Eco Finca La María is the only certified organic permaculture farm in the municipality. In direct contact for 3 years, we support Viviana in the long steps to export her coffee and offer you today her third harvest. Grapes, grapefruit and blackcurrant. Silky, clean, complex and delicate

Altitude: 1500 masl. Process: washed
Light, Single
Organic Decaf, Peru Conventional methods of decaffeination use chemical solvents. This coffee is decaffeinated by a natural extraction method, using just water. The green beans are immersed in a hot bath to extract the caffeine and soluble aromatic components. The water is filtered, the caffeine eliminated. A new spit is mixed with this concentrated aroma water and the “principle of osmosis” balances the caffeine content. The process is repeated until the caffeine is reduced to between 0.01% and 0.02%. Caramel, vanilla and oats. Mild

Altitude: 1200 - 1800 masl, Process: decaffeinated with water
Decaf
Juliana Guevara, Colombia A coffee farmer alongside her husband for several years, Juliana is also passionate about agricultural innovation. She quickly got involved in the development of agricultural projects for coffee producers. According to her, it is essential to obtain a quality of production through agroecological practices.

These two hats allow it to improve the profiles of its coffees and to experiment with new post-harvest processes, such as this micro-batch in double fermentation honey. Uncommon on a post-harvest honey treatment basis, a first anaerobic fermentation is carried out just after harvest, where the cherries are locked in vats for 24 hours. Then once pulped while keeping the mucilage, the grains enter fermentation again for 60 hours, before being dried in the sun. This coffee is grown without any chemical input on a plantation which is in the process of converting to Organic Agriculture certification.
Muscat, caramel and black tea. Beautiful aromatic complexity, smooth

Altitude: 1700 masl, Process: honey anaerobic
Plus 87, Rest of World
Rio Blanco, Colombia Rio Blanco is the name given to the source of water in the Tolima region, a real boon for agricultural crops. It is in the Valle Del Cauca, that since 1945, the many plantations of the family production Café Granja La Esperanza have been located.

Developing a strong interest in preserving their environment without reducing the quality of the grain, it was at the end of the 90s that the family decided to take a new direction with the conversion of crops to organic.
Cocoa, almonds and maple syrup. Sweet and balanced

Altitude: 1500 - 1900 masl, Process: washed
Plus 87, Rest of World

At Old Spike, they're committed to ensuring everyone who comes through their doors leaves with a better story than the one they came in with. Whether that's by offering those affected by homelessness tangible ways to gain new skills and a job, or by serving a customer a delicious, socially conscious cup of coffee, they want to create meaningful social impact.

Old Spike began their journey in 2014 when they launched our cafe and roastery space at their very fist site on Peckham Rye. Old Spike were the first speciality coffee roastery operating as a social enterprise and have since been at the forefront of using coffee as a vehicle for social change. This model has served them well and they have since grown and now reside just round the corner at their state-of-the-art SCA Campus - still in Peckham.

Old Spike Coffees  |  UK

Coffee Information Notes & Essentials Packages
Paramo, Peru Aprocassi is a cooperative social enterprise, in the San Ignacio region of Peru, with the goal to improve social and economic livelihoods of farmers through technical assistance and education in sustainable farming practices. As a cooperative, farmers that are a part of Aprocassi can come together through shared marketing allowing their coffees to break into the specialty markets.

This lot produced by various smallholders is an easy drinking coffee. It has a deep caramel sweetness and a comforting chocolate finish – a perfect coffee for a Saturday afternoon.
Dulche de leche, dark chocolate and nectarine

Altitude: 1100m - 1800 masl, Process: washed
Light, Single, Selected Mix
Amahoro, Rwanda Rwanda is known as the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’, this coffee comes from a single hill in the Nyaruguru region. Boho separates coffee lots by hills as the different microclimates yield different cups. In doing this it also increases the traceability of each lot making it easier to identify any issues that may occur. The producer, Boho, has named this hill Amahoro meaning peace. Representing the peaceful lives, the Rwandan people have cultivated since the horrors of genocide in the mid-90s.

95% of all Rwandan coffee is of the Bourbon variety, giving Rwandan coffee a distinctive flavor profile, and this coffee does not disappoint. Amahoro is both floral and tea like with a sweet agave finish a perfect complement to the Spring season.
Jasmine, lemongrass and agave syrup

Altitude: 1550 - 1850 masl, Process: fully washed
Light, Single, Selected Mix
La Serranía Decaf, Colombia La Serrania is grown along the central cordillera of the Andes. The coffee is a regional blend, that represents the work of over 50 producers, the coffees are hand sorted at each farm and undergo E.A. processing. This allows us to present one of the cleanest and highest quality non-chemical processed decaf coffees on the market.

The decaffeination process works by soaking the green coffee in a water bath containing ethyl acetate which is naturally derived from fermented sugar – giving the coffee its sweet taste. The coffee is then removed from the water bath and steamed in order to ensure no traces of E.A. The finished product is then almost entirely free of caffeine (0.1- 0.3%). Unlike some other methods, this process occurs at origin, providing extra employment and boosting the local economy.
Fig, cocoa and brown sugar

Altitude: 1500 masl, Process: sugar cane decaf
Decaf
Benedict Blend, Brazil, Nicaragua Named after St Benedict, the patron saint of homelessness our house blend is a symbol of what Old Spike represents with 65% of our profits going directly to training and employing those experiencing homelessness.

This seasonally changing blend will always deliver a versatile and balanced espresso packed full of sweetness and body. Fantastic with or without milk, hot or iced, Benedict is the perfect all rounder!
Candied almond, chocolate and prune

Altitude: 1200 - 1500 masl, Process: natural and washed
Blends, Selected Mix
Finca Fatima, Mexico coming soon Grapefruit, apricot and dark chocolate

Process: washed
Plus 87, Selected Mix

Sumo coffee roasters was founded in 2020 by World Cup Taster Champion 2019, Daniel Horbat, with a mission of creating a transparent and ethical coffee business, which highlights and celebrates everyone from the producers and farmers who put their heart and sweat into their craft, to the baristas who will produce the finished product and all in between.

By helping to educate consumers about the farmers' craft, by telling the story behind the bean and by doing their best to achieve perfection in their roast, Sumo’s plan is to increase the standard and experience for all who are involved in the industry, innovating the way forward for coffee. Through direct trade, Sumo pay a fair price to their farmers.

Sumo Coffees  |  Ireland

Coffee Information Notes & Essentials Packages
Red Catuai, Corrego da Prata, Brazil The Montanhas do Espirito Santo region is dominated by small-scale coffee growers and is characterized by the presence of farmers who are actively engaged in the entire chain of the production process. Growers in Espirito Santo work with family members and build off of traditional knowledge to innovate and improve their quality of life and coffee.

Located in the southern area of the Espirito Santo state, where mild temperatures (23ºC) and steep highlands (between 700 and 1000 meters) favor growing Arabica coffees, this region produces a superb quality coffee with a round body, nice acidity, and fine sweetness. Pulped Naturals are increasing in popularity as a processing style to capture the attributes of the region’s coffee.
Plums, dried figs, cacao, orange and molasses. Long cacao aftertaste

Altitude: 1000 masl, Process: pulped natural
Single, Selected Mix
La Palma y El Tucan, Colombia Back in 2019 Daniel visited La Palma y El Tucan for the first time, and he was mesmerized by the farm’s approach to the coffee processing and theirs completely sustainable system that produces some of the highest scoring coffees in the world.

La Palma is one of the farms that holds a special place in Daniel’s heart and he’s very much looking forward to going back to visit them.
Hibiscus, strawberry, blackberry, clementine and vanilla. Sweet and creamy

Altitude: 1400 - 1800 masl, Process: lactic fermentation
Plus 87, Rest of World

Small is beautiful. A micro-roastery based in South West London focused on transparency and quality, Brew Coffee Plus opened in April 2019. Combining co-founders' Enea and Matthew's love for great coffee after a combined 18 years of experience working in the industry, Brew Coffee Plus are based within a restored and modernised industrial unit in Streatham, and combine the production of ethically traded and high quality coffee with a forward-thinking approach.

Brew Coffee Plus Coffees  |  UK

Coffee Information Notes & Essentials Packages
Bloom Espresso 50% Ethiopia, 50% Colombia, by farmers Dawo Tobi and Santa Maria. Chocolates

Process: semi-washed and natural
Selected Mix, Blends
Guatemala Microlot From Finca Buenos Aires of Guatemala's Huehuetenango region, an excellent mundo novo varietal microlot coffee. Jasmine, caramel and honey

Altitude: 1500 - 1700 masl, Process: washed
Single, Plus 87, Rest of World
Jardines Del Eden Coming soon Coming soon Plus 87
Bolivia From Finca La Linda of Bolivia's La Paz region, a wonderfully floral caturra varietal coffee. Honey, black tea and white grapes

Altitude: 1550 masl, Process: coco natural
Single, Plus 87, Rest of World
Brazil Espresso From Fazenda Taquaral of Brazil's Campo das Vertentes region, a fruity yellow bourbon varietal coffee, perfect for espresso. Cranberry, red apple and dry berries

Altitude: 1900 - 2200 masl, Process: natural
Plus 87
Colombia, Decaf From various smallholder farmers across Colombia's Huila region, a classic caturra varietal decaf coffee with a citrus twist. Citrus, caramel and walnuts

Altitude: 1200 - 2000 masl, Process: washed
Decaf

Being organic certified and speciality-grade means NORLO's coffee is part of a rare group of amazing coffee suppliers that make up just less than 1% of all coffee served worldwide. NORLO are passionate not only about producing the very best quality coffee, but also how coffee impacts our health for the better. Quality, taste and sustainability are the foundation of what NORLO do but their very light roast-profiles also preserve much more of the natural goodness of their coffee beans meaning a healthier, better cup of coffee for you.

Norlo Coffees  |  UK

Coffee Information Notes & Essentials Packages
Capsules Inspired by Nordic coffee culture, Norlo very lightly roast their speciality organic beans to craft a smooth and mouthwatering blend. The same uniquely crafted Norlo for your home Nespresso machine, their pods are 100% compostable and have been designed for a smooth, long-lasting crema. Perfect for all coffee lovers, especially for those regularly on-the-go. Best served black - No milk required. Jasmine, bergamot, chocolate with a healthy hint of blueberries and stone fruits. Full bodied

Altitude: coming soon, Process: coming soon
Capsules

GUSTATORY (adjective): curating excellence in taste.

GUSTATORY Curation TeamApril 28, 2021