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Sunday Jan 24, 2016
Sunday Jan 24, 2016
We have had this coffee before. Last time the lot was produced by various smallholder farmers from the small town of Copacabana, which lies about 180 KM from La Paz in the heart of the Caranavi coffee producing region. This time it comes from one individual, called Vincent Paye, who has been working hard to produce great coffee, and who is, in fact, a beacon of hope in this tough growing region.
This is a lush and fertile region. Its steep slopes and valleys provide excellent conditions for growing specialty coffee, as well as supporting a diverse range of native flora and fauna. It has rich volcanic soils and regular rainfall.
The colony of Copacabana has a collection of small farms that are around 5 hectares each (Vincent has 10). The farms range over an altitude of 1,300 to 1,600 metres, and benefit from an average annual temperature of between 15 and 26°C. This lot comes from a farm matching these criteria, and it's at around 1,550 m.a.s.l. These traditional farms use no chemicals or pesticides and are certified organic, although we do not hold an organic certification.
The main harvest runs from May to September, peaking in June and July. The cherries are hand-picked only when fully ripe, and they're then delivered to the central mill, called Buena Vista, where they are fully washed. The cherries are then dried, mechanically this time because of the wet weather, over a 9 day period.
In the cup expect sunshine, yes sunshine yellow, think apricots, think oranges (yes I know oranges are not yellow), think peaches, think yellow. A cinder toffee sweetness that covers the mouth with a huge mouthfeel and delicious and long lasting aftertaste.
- Country: Bolivia
- Region: Caranavi
- Town: Copacabana
- Farm: Vincent Paye
- Altitude: 1,550 m.a.s.l.
- Owner: Vincent Paye
- Varietal: Caturra
- Processing: Full-washed and mechanically dried
Sunday Jan 17, 2016
Sunday Jan 17, 2016
This coffee's farm is located in a region well known for some of the most interesting coffees and also some of the most renowned coffees in Guatemala, Antigua.
It is grown by Alex Illescas, on his his grandfather's farm. His grandfather has owned the farm for just over 50 years, working the land and selling the cherry along as a commodity coffee as they have no mill with which to process their own coffee. The farm is located at 1,400 meters above sea level in Ciudad Vieja.
Alex had an idea that he wants to produce amazing, interesting, and challenging coffee for the specialty market. So with the blessing of his grandfather and help from his uncle, he used the farm to experiment with varietals and processing methods to see what might improve cup quality. This is the result of those experiments. It's dangerous to do something like this, so the lots are small but large enough that this could have caused hardship if something had gone wrong financially. The lucky thing is that in the cup this gamble has really paid off.
They chose the honeying process, as all they needed for that was a pulper and some space to dry the coffee. Alex used his uncle's roof on his home in the town as the drying patio, and between them they took it in turns to keep it turning and moving.
When I visited Alex you could see how excited he was, and how proud he was about the coffee. All the time I was there I was praying the coffee would be as good as the story, and I'm pleased to report, it's even better.
In the cup expect a brilliant mixture of chocolate and fruit, think Cadbury's Caramel + a bowl of green and red apples. There's also some juicy white grape in there and a bright green apple acidity, a very complex and delicious cup.
- Country: Guatemala
- Region: Antigua
- City: Cuidad Vieja
- Farm: Los Jocotales
- Farmer: Alex Illescas
- Altitude: 1,400 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Red Catuai
- Processing System: Honey
Sunday Jan 10, 2016
Sunday Jan 10, 2016
This wonderful farm is in its 5th year with us and we continue to develop this amazing relationship, 1 I am super proud of!
The first time we came across this farm, it came as a very well presented sample that just landed on my doorstep. It came from someone who had visited the farm and offered to try to help find a buyer for them in the UK. We get lots of these and normally give them a try on the cupping table, but find they are just not good enough for us to stock. This one was quite different: the quality was amazing. So initially we stocked it, although we knew very little about it. Since that day, I've been to see Alejandro five times in El Salvador, the last two times stopping at his house with his family and enjoying a day at the beach. Alejandro has also been to see us in Stafford twice. We have worked with him on projects (some successful, others we will brush over); we have also told him what we would like to see from the farm (some he took on board, others he didn't he's the farmer after all).
Most importantly, he has become a very very good friend, and someone whose coffee I love and company I enjoy. Alejandro took over running the farm from his father a few years ago, having returned to El Salvador after travelling around the world as an investment banker. A very intelligent guy and a very good business man, he understood the farm needed to step up in work if it was to flourish: lots of work has gone into making this cup the quality one it has become.
The farm is based in the Apaneca-Ilamtepec mountain range near to the town of Turin in the Ahuachapan dept. During the non-picking season 16 people work on the farm, maintaining and tending to the plants. During the picking period this goes up to 50 people. The altitude of the farm is 1350m. The coffee is a washed process coffee, and is sun dried on patios.
The coffee is a 100% Catimor, a controversial coffee varietal. Catimor is a cross between Timor coffee (resistant to leaf rust a big problem at the moment in Central America) and Caturra coffee. It was created in of all places Portugal in 1959.
It grows and produces fruit very quickly and has a very high yields, pest resistant and leaf rust resistant and will grow at much lower altitudes well in comparison to to many other commercial varietals. Sounds perfect, but problems come in the cup quality. Timor has its feet in the robusta species (hence all these lovely benefits) but robusta is not known for being tasty.
Luckily for us, this is one of the finest examples I have seen of this varietal, and came by with Alejandro wanting to experiment and try different varietals on different parts of the farm, one being catimor.
It's only a very small lot, but a great example of cupping a coffee with your taste buds and not what you think it might taste like. This coffee made me change my opinion of this varietal.
You may wonder why it costs more for the Catimor than it does the Bourbon? Well if the truth was known Alejandro would rather not harvest this tiny lot. It's a pain, it has to be kept separate and processed on its own. It's fiddly and lots of hassle. So I'd like to reward his hard work with a little bonus, and that's what we're doing here, to try what is normally a horrible varietal that's delicious and interesting.
In the cup this is a delicious typical El Salvadorian coffee, smooth creamy milk chocolate. There's also a lovely white grape and green apple character that give the cup another tasty dimension, delicious easy drinking coffee!
- Country: El Salvador
- Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain ranges
- City: Near Turin, Ahuachapan
- Farm: Finca Argentina
- Altitude: 1,300 m.a.s.l.
- Owner: Alejandro Martinez
- Varietal: Catimor
- Processing: Fully Washed and Sun Dried
- Workers: 16 full time rising to 50 during the picking season
Sunday Jan 03, 2016
Sunday Jan 03, 2016
It wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas blend now would it?! So for what I'm amazed and impressed to say is the TENTH YEAR here's our Has Beany take on the very best espresso you should be drinking this festive season : )
This blend will only be available for the month of December and is only available as roasted whole beans.
- 40% El Salvador Nejapa Los Vientos Washed
- 30% Kenya Kiriga AA Washed
- 30% Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kebel Aricha Natural
In the cup expect a big body with plenty of cinnamon and black pepper, loads of juicy dark fruits anddark chocolate on the finish.
For those of you with In My Mug subscriptions a bag of this delicious coffee will be with you over Christmas : )
Sunday Dec 27, 2015
Sunday Dec 27, 2015
It wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas blend now would it?! So for what I'm amazed and impressed to say is the TENTH YEAR here's our Has Beany take on the very best filter coffee you should be drinking this festive season : )
This blend will only be available for the month of December and is only available as roasted whole beans.
- 50% Ethiopia Shakiso Washed
- 25% Guatemala Maravilla Washed Bourbon & Caturra
- 25% Costa Rica Monte Brisas SALACA Black Honey Typica
In the cup expect a fruity & floral festive affair: jasmine, coffee flowers and blackcurrant mixed together with purple Opal Fruits all sprinkled with white sugar. Perfect for after Christmas dinner!
For those of you with In My Mug subscriptions a bag of this delicious coffee will be with you over Christmas : )
Sunday Dec 20, 2015
Sunday Dec 20, 2015
The farm was initially acquired by Harry Adams Butter (photo below), the grandfather of Johanna, the current owner. Harry travelled to El Salvador from Dundee, Scotland, at the end of the 1800s. At the beginning of the 1900s he decided to move his home to Berlin (a town in El Salvador, not the German one). He saw an opportunity and decided to buy this farm, which is currently managed by the family's third generation.
This is quite a different area to where most of our El Salvador coffees come from, and it's great to find a coffee we like so much from this area.
When translated, the farm's name means “Scotland”, named after Harry's homeland. The initial 16 acres of inheritance have been increased to 180 acres. Not all of the additional acreage has been exclusively planted with coffee; the varieties planted are mainly Bourbon and Kenya. Lately Pacas and Cuzcatleco have also been planted.
The rest of the property has been left as it was originally; a nice forest, in order to protect the local flora and fauna, as well as the two fountain heads. There are native species of trees in the process of becoming extinct, but more are being planted every year.
Last year we were super lucky to find this farm via the El Salvador Cup of Excellence but this year we've bought from the farm all on our own, exciting!
In the cup this a caramel covered chocolate lime sweet, oodles of thick caramel that give it an amazingmouthfeel accompanied by milk chocolate and an artificial lime sweetness. There's a sweet and delicate acidity in the cup that makes me think of mandarin oranges.
- Country: El Salvador
- Region: Usulutan
- City: Berlin
- Farm: Escocia
- Farmer: Johanna Adams Butter
- Farm size: 65 hectares
- Coffee growing area: 46 hectares
- Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Bourbon
- Processing system: Washed
Sunday Dec 13, 2015
Sunday Dec 13, 2015
I am so pleased to see this coffee back for an amazing FIFTH year! It’s become a big favourite for me, and I know this is also true for many of you out there.
The farm is located in the colony of Bolinda in the North Yungas region of Bolivia, near to the town of Caranavi. The farm is called Finca David Vilca, as it doesn't have a proper name. This is quite common in Bolivia: farms are often named after an individual or the family running them.
David migrated from La Paz to the farm 15 years ago after a career in mining left him with damaged hearing. He bought this 12 hectare farm as security for himself and his family, to make sure they could support themselves. When he took over, he only had one acre planted with coffee (it was of the Criolla varietal). After two years, David was comfortable with coffee farming. He was becoming increasingly interested in it, and so he decided to extend the planting. He now has five acres of coffee (and we have bought the coffee from all of them). He has very little outside help with the farm, except from direct family: his wife helps him greatly.
The varietals on the farm are Caturra, Catuai and Criolla. The farm is under constant improvement. David is now removing much of the Criolla and focusing on Typica and Catuai, for cup quality reasons. This coffee comes from the Caturra parts of the farm.
Last year you might have noticed the price was a little unusual, I've visited David a couple of times now, I thought he was being rude to me by ignoring me, or not responding when I spoke to him. Last time I visited, though, I found out David had damaged his hearing whilst working as a miner before purchasing the farm.
I've visited David a couple of times now. I thought he was being rude to me by ignoring me, or not responding when I spoke to him. Last time I visited, though, I found out David had damaged his hearing whilst working as a miner before purchasing the farm.
In the past the exporter had given David some money to get hearing aids, but he spent the money on satellite TV (for his wife – who hasn’t been in that situation)! So last year we paid for two hearing aids while we were there, so that he could hear again.
We thought that would be the last of it. But when I last visited David didn’t have his hearing aids in. He told us that they were not good while he was picking what to wear, but also that he couldn’t afford the batteries. So we left him with cash for a microphone hearing-device for around his neck, and $200 for batteries. This worked out at 7p per bag for all the coffee we buy from him, and I didn't pick up the tab you lovely people did! So a big THANK YOU from me and also of course from David!
http://www.hasblog.co.uk/the-cost-of-hearing
This year you can also enjoy coffee from David Vilca in a lip balm! Who doesn't like lip balm? You can order separately via the product page http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/single-origin-lip-balm-v2-0 😁
This is a wonderfully sweet cup, as you have come to expect from Bolivia; it has milk chocolate and hints of sweet sweet honey. There's a lot of mouthfeel that makes this a beautifully creamy and velvety cup which leaves you with a delicious aftertaste of caramel.
- Country: Bolivia
- Farm: Finca David Vilca
- Founded: 2001
- Province: Caranavi
- Region: North Yungas
- Farmer: David Vilca
- Altitude: 1,570–1,600 m.a.s.l.
- Hectares of total farm: 7 hectares Hectares of coffee plantation: 5 hectares
- Quantity of coffee plants: 20,000
- Shade: Natural shade by Inga sp. (Sinquili) and others
- Coffee varieties: Caturra, Criolla and Typica
- Processing method: Washed
- Rainfall period: Nov–February
- Average temperature: 8°C ≤ 19°≥ 30°C
- Soil type: Clay and shale-y
- Other crops grown: Citrus fruits (orange and tangerine), and avocado
- Average age of coffee plants: 8 to 12 years old.
- Now renovating plantations with Caturra and Typica.
Monday Dec 07, 2015
Monday Dec 07, 2015
Hello children, Uncle Steve has a story to tell you! Sit back, relax and enjoy the story of the Kiriga Coffee Estate in Kenya. :)
The first coffee bush at Kiriga Estate was planted around 1954 by colonial settlers. At about the same time, less than 10 kilometres away along the same Kigio road, a young boy (Aloysius Gakunga, son of the Chief for the larger Muranga) helped his father, Senior Chief Ndungíu Kagori, plant the first coffee seedling in the area. The area was known as Gaitegi village, Muranga Location1 (Loco One). A love affair with coffee had been born!
Several years later the young boy had grown up. He was riding his bicycle along Kigio Road and as he rode past the vast coffee estates, then well established, he promised himself that he would one day own one of them.
He realized this dream in 1976.
Sadly the boy, or Mr. A. N. Gakunga, passed away in July 2014. By the time of his death Mr. Gakunga had passed on the mantle at Kiriga Coffee Estate, and the love of coffee, to Dr. Brian Ndungíu Gakunga. Brian was his second child, and the eldest son of his six children. According to kikuyu cultural naming systems, Brian is named after Mr. Gakungaís' father, who was his grandfather and Gatangaís' pioneer coffee farmer.
- Dr. Brian Gakunga is a coffee farmer who is well known in Kenyan coffee circles. He is a founding member and a former long-serving Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Coffee Producers Association, a national farmers organization that worked to promote the economic and social interests of the coffee farmers through active participation in the national and international arena.
- Brian is also a former Board Member and Chairman of Transitional Exchange Committee (operationally, the then Chairman of Nairobi Coffee Exchange), where over 90% of all of Kenya's coffee is currently sold, and currently the Founding Chairman of Africa Coffee Farmers Network.
- Africa Coffee Farmers Network represents the interests of coffee farmers, as spelled out in the organisation's core objective of improving the earnings of poor coffee farmers in order to break the vicious cycle of poverty. One way of doing this is by getting direct sales for the farmers.
The Kiriga Coffee Estate sits between 1,550 and 1,650 metres above sea level. It is approximately five kilometres from Thika town, which is an industrial town in the central province of Kenya. It's four kilometres from Blue Posts Hotel, which has the famous Chania and Thika falls. Thika lies 50 kilometres north east of Nairobi.
Administratively, Kiriga Coffee Estate is in Gatanga Constituency of Muranga county and separated from Kiambu county by the Chania river.
Kiriga coffee is Arabica of predominantly SL28 variety (notable for its world-renowned cup quality) with an estimate two hectares of Ruiru 11 variety (improved resistance to coffee berry disease and leaf rust); some K7 variety (similar characteristics as SL28 but with better resistance to leaf rust compared to SL28); and a field of the newest Batian variety.
At Kiriga all coffee activities are carried out from the coffee nursery to all the farm operations (pruning, weed control, nutrition, irrigation, basin digging, disease control, infilling, mulching, planting). Wet mill operations are also carried out on the factory level. Kiriga delivers both parchment coffee and Mbuni (naturals) to the commercial dry mill for milling and grading, in preparation for sale at the coffee auction and in direct sale.
In addition to growing coffee the estate also has, I was told, shoats (sheep and goats), a dairy, and the potential to keep fish. It's all about diversity, and what's more diverse than a 'shoat'?! The estate is also occasionally visited by two hippos, in addition to some bird-life, while also being the home of a family of monkeys.
During the dry season that happened earlier this year Kiriga irrigated all its coffee trees despite the crippling electricity costs involved, to ensure their high standards were maintained despite the weather.
By the end of this year (2015) the estate will change the cycle of its coffee trees by removing the old heads and growing new heads, which in return will give a higher yield of bold beans with the characteristic 'Kiriga coffee characteristics'. Over 40% of the 'old heads' will have to go! This is way above the recommended 25%, and as a result we expect to have decreased yield but increased quality.
At Kiriga they talk about having a 'Kiriga Family'; 30% of the total workforce is made up of resident families who live on the estate, and 50% of those know no other home. The remaining percentage consists of smallholder farmers who commute daily and depend on the estate for survival. There are smallholder farmers who have been part of the family since 1976 and have no desire to work anywhere else, commuting a whopping 10 KM (or more!) daily, past other estates, just to work at Kiriga.
Something really amazing I wanted to tell you about was the Kiriga Welfare Fund. In the past the estate saw its workers get turned away from banks when they tried to acquire loans for dealing with family issues or emergencies. To help his 'Kiriga Family', over the past year Brian has encouraged the workers to set up a welfare group with him as its patron, and Brian has provided money for loaning out to staff according to their most pressing needs.
Brian has also approached a banking institution to see whether they can fund workers to acquire dairy animals on loan and repay from the milk proceeds. Under such an arrangement 50% of the proceeds would go towards paying for the loan. A market would be readily available and the remaining 50% would be extra income to the workers. This is ongoing and if successful it would have the effect of supplementing the workers' wages and greatly improving their quality of life.
During my visit to Kenya last year I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with Brian. I even managed to record some of it too! Make sure to have a listen. :)
Has Blog: An Interview with Brian & Peter from Kiriga (Part 1)
Has Blog: An Interview with Brian & Peter from Kiriga (Part 2)
In the cup you can expect fruit, ALL the fruit! Starts off with blackcurrant but a very tart blackcurrant (almost like a blackcurrant sour beer) but then it shifts to more of a white grape / green apple before finishing with a shoulder of gooseberry, a whopping citrus delight.
- Country: Kenya
- Constituency: Gatanga
- County: Muranga
- Nearest Town: Thika
- Estate: Kiriga
- Farmer: Dr. Brian Gakunga
- Altitude: 1,550 - 1,650 m.a.s.l.
- Varietal: SL28 AA
- Processing Method: Washed
Sunday Nov 29, 2015
Sunday Nov 29, 2015
A coffee I first fell in love with waaaaaaay back in 2007 makes a super-welcome return to the Has Bean family. Everyone please welcome back FINCA ALASKA!
Finca Alaska is located just one hour from Santa Ana city on the north west slopes of the Santa Ana volcano, which is one of the most amazing coffee growing areas in El Salvador. It is owned by Ernesto Mednez of La Ilusion fame or, as we like to call him, Neto! This is a name you should be familiar with by now, because I think you know how much I love the coffee this amazing man grows. I often get asked what my favourite coffee of all time is and I will never say exactly (although my friends know the true answer), but I always narrow it to three coffees; one of them is definitely from Neto.
This is a coffee that we first saw back in 2007 (check out 2007 Steve and Neto in the main picture!) and I was desperate to have a long-term relationship with the grower. Due to some politics and miscommunication, it slipped through our fingers. The following year we bought coffee from La Ilusion but it always felt like there was a piece of the jigsaw missing. I managed to get my hands on Finca Alaska four years later in 2011, and now another four years later in 2015 I've done it again. I will do my best to not let it be four years until we see Finca Alaska again, I promise!
In the cup you're going to think you've melted down a bar of Galaxy chocolate, super smooth andcreamy and dreamy milk chocolate everywhere! There's also a generous handful of hazelnuts with a delicious soft peach acidity on the finish 🍫🌰🍑
- Country: El Salvador
- Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range
- Nearest City: Santa Ana
- Farm: Finca Alaska
- Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello
- Altitude: 1,620 m.a.s.l.
- Farm Size: 3.15 Hectares
- Coffee growing area: 3.15 Hectares
- Variety: Bourbón
- Processing System: Washed & Sun Dried
- Type of Shade: Pepeto peludo, gravileo, cypress, copalchi, etc.
- Average Annual Rainfall: 2,100 mm
- Average Temperature: 18º C
- Type of Soil: Sandy loam
- Fauna: Armadillos, Torogoz, Agouti, snakes, squirrels, orioles, deer, hawks, rabbits.
- GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N 13º 52’ 22.2’’
- Longitude: W 89º 36’ 22.6’’
Sunday Nov 22, 2015
Sunday Nov 22, 2015
This coffee is from the town of Mubuga in the Karongi District in the Western Province of Rwanda, approximately a 3 hour drive from the capital city Kigali.
Processed at the Karongi Washing Station where ripe cherries are delivered to the mill are graded, sorted, de-pulped using Pinalhense pulper (4 MT/hour yield) and then double fermented (12 hours wet and then 18 hours dry.) The parchment is then soaked in clean water for 24 hours.
The parchment is then rinsed thoroughly and sorted in washing channels and then dried on raised beds. The drying period averages 15 days. The coffee is turned by hand at regular intervals and the raised beds allow for air circulation around and under the coffee. During the hottest parts of the day, the coffee is covered to avoid over-exposure to sunlight and heat. The coffee is then transported to Kigali for dry milling and export (road transport to port of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania).
Rwanda is a country that has a troubled past. In the early 1990s, coffee was Rwanda’s most lucrative export with the country exporting 45,000 tonnes of it in 1990. Events in the 1990s, however, decimated Rwanda’s coffee industry. Most importantly, the 1994 genocide claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans, destroying Rwanda’s economy and erasing much of the specialised knowledge needed to export coffee profitably. Simultaneously, world coffee prices plummeted in the 1990s due to increased worldwide production and consolidation of purchasing by multinational corporations.
Rwanda currently produces less than half the amount of coffee it produced in 1990. However, it makes a much higher quality coffee now and has been involved in the Cup of Excellence program in recent years, being the first African country to do so.
Rwanda’s climate, altitude, and high-quality Bourbon-variety coffee trees give it the ability to produce high quality coffee for the specialty coffee market. Rwanda's also been helped by foreign aid agencies on how to maximise their efforts in this area.
In the cup expect something super quaffable, a lovely creamy cup that may very well make you think of a banana milkshake! This is super sweet; think fudge and Dolly Mixtures melted and mixed together. On the finish there's a little pop of spice but that creamy sweet mouthfeel carries on and on.
- Country: Rwanda
- Region: Western Province
- District: Karongi
- Town: Mubuga
- Washing Station: Karongi
- Altitude: 1,788 m.a.s.l.
- Varietal: Bourbon
- Processing Method: Fully Washed
- Average Temperature: 20°C
- Rainfall: 1,218 mm. a year. Wettest month is April with 173mm.
- Soil: Sandy & stoney, water is sourced from an underground spring.
Monday Nov 16, 2015
Monday Nov 16, 2015
Well, well, well...what do we have here? Might it be a world-exclusive coffee only available at Has Bean? I think we might!
This coffee is from a farm we're supporting for the ninth (!) year, and it's one that I am very proud to be working with and linked with; the owner is my very good friend, Stephen Hurst.
I’ll let Stephen Hurst tell you the story of how he came to own ‘Inglaterra':
“Maybe it had always been an idea in the back of my mind... so a couple of years ago when some friends in Brazil mentioned that a small coffee farm was for sale, I had a look.
The farm's name (Fazenda Toca Da Onca) meant ‘hiding place of a small wildcat’. The locals now call the farm ‘Inglaterra’. The previous owners had abandoned Toca Da Onca/Inglaterra; we had to start again, almost from scratch. Some surviving coffee trees were pruned right back and the coffee that you are now drinking is that re-growth from the original, old trees.
Information for the coffee people: the varietals are Icatu, Acaia and Catuai. In future I expect coffee cherry varietals to become as well known as wine grape varietals, and to a much wider audience. The farm is located near the lovely spa town of Pocos De Caldas in the coffee growing heartlands of Brazil’s Minas Gerais state. The farm’s elevation is 950–1300 meters, and it has rich soil. It's on the edge of an ancient caldera/ super volcano whose outline can be seen on satellite images. 50% of the farm is virgin Mata Atlantica forest, and it will stay that way as long as I own it. I am replanting some areas with the help of my local friends Gabriel and Cristiano, without whose assistance this project would never had started”.
Back to me!
We think the Bourbon varietal probably originated on the island of Bourbon, or perhaps in Ethiopia. It's a varietal with many sub-varietals. It's at high risk from pests and diseases and is decidedly average in terms of yield, but the cup profile tends to be anything but average. It hasvery close links to the SL28, Typica and Caturra varietals.In the right environment, because of its low yield, Bourbon tends to produce a very high quality cup (there is evidence that the lower the yield isthe higher the quality will be, becausethe plant can use its energy more efficiently). I don’t think it is a coincidence that my top three coffees of all time have been from the Bourbon varietal. For a little more information about the Bourbon varietal make sure to have a look at the varietal section of our articles here.
In the cup this is like a melted bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk Whole Nut. It's super-balanced and absolutely rammed full of milk chocolate with a nutty hazelnut edge, there's also a silky mouthfeelthat really reminds me of melted milk chocolate.
- Country: Brazil
- Region: Minas Gerias
- City: Poços de Caldas
- Farm: Fazenda Inglaterra
- Farmer: Stephen Hurst
- Farm size: 10 hectares
- Coffee growing area: 5 hectares
- Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
- Varietal: Bourbon
- Processing system: Pulped Natural
Sunday Nov 08, 2015
Sunday Nov 08, 2015
My friend in Guatemala has been buying from these guys for a couple of years now and was very keen for me to go meet them. Located around 1 hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of around 1600 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes who used to be the Mayor of Palencia and has helped to build and develop the town.
Palencia is not part of the 8 regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of this. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up and coming, as well as those established players.
The farm produces mainly Caturra and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara, ooh we do like experimentation!
In fact the experimentation comes from the motivation of “Beto,” who in the last two years has really focused on the farm. He wanted to take more care in every step that they take, from picking to processing to shipping, and also the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair, with his wife and son also working on the farm, along with siblings. In fact his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college, for the benefit of the farm.
The dedication and care in each step is reflected in that they have built up a new wet mill so they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of all the coffee. Previously the mill could just process one lot, now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their parcels.
With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees and the process them. Again another sign this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee.
When I visited the farm Beto was the perfect host, welcoming me around the farm and into his home, and he prepared the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big and home cooked and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meal was just the ticket and I am sure it saved my life.
But more importantly you can tell this is a farm on the up. A farm on top of their game. Every question was dispatched with exactly the right answer, every suggestion was listened to and taken on board, and in the coming years, I think this will be one of the most exciting relationships we have.
In the cup there's plenty of dark chocolate alongside mashed banana, think of a banana sandwichsprinkled with dark chocolate. On the finish there's also a lovely soft waft of sherry.
- Country: Guatemala
- Region: Palencia
- Farm: San Patricio El Limon
- Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes
- Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Bourbon
- Processing System: Natural
Monday Nov 02, 2015
Monday Nov 02, 2015
Finca San José is the pride and joy of the Rodríguez family, and is now in the hands of a 4th and 5th generation of coffee producers. The story begins in 1815 when José María Rodriguez and Josefina Rodriguez (Great grandparents) planted the first coffee trees with their own hands.
Through the generations the farm has passed through the hands of many committed farmers like José's son Israel Rodriguez, who was then followed by Jose Maria Rodriguez, who took care of the farm until it came to the most recent owner, Gloria Mercedes Rodriguez Fontán.
Ever the strong woman, Gloria has overcome gender barriers in an industry that has historically been the province of men and personally supervises every step at the farm level. Gloria not only takes care of San José, but together with her siblings' support, she manages five other small farms which collectively add up to 38 hectares.
The mountain slopes of Finca San José are fully shaded by trees that help to maintain and preserve the crop and the surrounding environment. In addition to the trees' diversity, the farm is home to a variety of wild animals and birds, which can be seen in their natural habitat. San José is nested in the north-western slope of an extinct volcanic crater that holds inside it a small lagoon named Nymph Lagoon, due to the abundance of water lilies.
This year San José has 17 full-time workers performing several activities such as shade tree and coffee pruning, vegetative tissue renewing, and weed control. All of this work is done skillfully by hand. Approximately 60 more seasonal workers assist in the harvest process, earning their livelihood from picking and selecting coffee cherries only at the peak of ripeness. The people who harvest coffee have extensive experience and share a commitment of growing a superior quality coffee.
Gloria believes in maintaining highly motivated staff; the farm's permanent workers are receiving almost 10% above the legal wage, while the seasonal workers received almost 50% more during harvest due to the importance of this specific task for the end quality.
One of Gloria’s major blessings is to have Antonio Avelino as her farm manager or “mandador”, as his level of commitment, knowledge, and shared philosophy of quality makes him an integral part of this effort.
At Finca San José, coffee goes through extensive quality control in addition to being grown under standards that support specialty coffee production. The unique micro-climate conditions include an average altitude of 1,500 meters (above sea level), an average temperature of 17° C, rich and loamy clay soil, and the coffee is grown mainly to Bourbon variety. Some other works done to the farm this past year included the 3 foliar fertilizations and 2 soil fertilizations, including one of organic fertilizer named Huisil, based on soil studies to ensure specific requirements. Where possible, workers ply the farm with stem bending or “agobio”, and perform coffee shade pruning to balance sunlight and shade requirements under sustainable levels. They also perform weed control, mainly manually.
One of Gloria’s commitments is to reinvest an important share of the economic benefits from this activity into the farms, impacting the people who toil the fields and maintaining the quality of the production chain from seed to cup.
In the cup expect a chic a cherry cola! (Savage Garden, anyone?) A bucket load of sweetness mixed in with cherry and a sparkling effervescence. But this isn't just any normal cherry cola, it's definitely been working out; thick gloopy mouthfeel, beautiful smooth chocolatey body, and an amazing aftertaste.
- Country: El Salvador
- Departlent: Ahuachapán
- Municipality: Apaneca
- Nearest City: El Saitillal
- Farm: Finca San José
- Owner: Gloria Mercedes Rodriguez Fontán
- Farm Manager: Antonio Avelino
- Type of Shade: Pepeto, inga sp, and other native trees
- Processing Method: Washed
- Varietal: Red Bourbon
- Average Annual Rainfall: 2,100 mm
- Altitude: 1,500 m.a.s.l.
- Average Temperature: 17ºC
- Type of Soil: Clay loam
- Mill & company where lot was processed: Beneficio El Carmen, Agrícola San Agustín, S.A. de C.V.
- Fauna: Armadillo, gray fox, small wildcats, agouti paca, hawks, pocket gopher, magpie, turquoise-browed Motmot, among others.
- GPS Coordinates: Latitude: N 13º 52 52.3 / Longitude: W 89º 48 24.5
Sunday Oct 25, 2015
Sunday Oct 25, 2015
For a long time I struggled to find a Kalosi that I wanted to stock, for over 2 and a half years I tasted so many samples but nothing came close to what I wanted so the struggle continued. Last year that streak was broken and much like busses I waited for so so long then 2 came along at once! And guess what? I've gone and got 2 again this year!
Sulawesi (Celebes) was influenced and controlled by the Netherlands from 1605 until World War II. In 1669 the Dutch East India Company took control of the trade in Sulawesi. The Dutch built Fort Rotterdam in Ujung Pandang (now Makassar) in the mid 1600s. It was not until 1905 that they finally gained control of the whole island, becoming part of the Dutch state colony of the Netherlands East Indies. The Dutch East India Company was in control of coffee production in Indonesia during most of the 1700s, and introduced Arabica Coffee (Typica) to Sulawesi in 1750.
Indonesian coffee has traditionally been processed with the Giling-Basah (or wet-hulled) method, like Sumatran coffee. In 1976 TOARCO, a Japanese-Indonesian joint-venture, introduced the traditional washed process to Sulawesi, similar to that found in Central America.
TOARCO owns the Pedamaran plantation, which is at 900 – 1,250 metres above sea level, and purchases wet-parchment (at 40% moisture) from small producers at 1,200 – 1,800 m.a.s.l. Coffee is driven to Pedamaran plantation immediately and gets dried on patios at their mill facilities. If a producer wants to sell their parchment coffee to TOARCO they have to get certified to TOARCO's standards for selective-picking, storage, transportation, moisture levels, etc. Farmers are issued ID cards that allow them to sell their coffee at various purchasing points in the Tana Toraja region, during the market of the week.
This lot comes from those small producers at the higher altitude areas, rather than the plantation.
Most of the coffee produced in Tana Toraja is S795 variety: it's a Typica hybrid. This proves once again how importantly the variety translates in the cup. Indonesia has a great deal of Catimor and a Robusta-heavy Arabica hybrid, but Tana Toraja has kept high-quality varieties.
In the cup don't expect to find a 'traditional' Kalosi, this one is super clean and loaded with creamy smooth milk chocolate! There's a big huge mouthfeel and soft muted acidity throughout.
- Country: Indonesia
- Region: Sulawesi
- Location: Pango Pango-Perindingan, Tana Toraja
- Altitude: 1,200 – 1,600 m.a.s.l.
- Soil type: Volcanic
- Rainfalls in mm/year: 4,700
- Main crop: September - March. Fly crop June - July.
- Picking method: Manual
- Processing method: Washed
- Drying method: Sun-dried at special open-air concrete floors
- Varietal: Typica Peaberry
Sunday Oct 18, 2015
Sunday Oct 18, 2015
We first discovered this farm through the Mierisch auction 'Los Favorties', which is an auction of their finest lots from their nine farms. They sifted through each one of their lots from every farm; all the lots come from various plots on the farms, different harvest days, cultivars, microclimates and, in some cases, different processing methods.
These coffees are truly the best of their production and the best representation in their class. The lot sizes were kept small to make the coffees unique and exclusive.
The San Jose farm was acquired in November 2003. At the time it was completely abandoned, and due to its inaccessibility it's been a work in progress for many, many years. It's up in the chain of mountains that marks the border of Jinotega and surrounds the skirts of Apanas lake at 1,300-1,400 metres above sea level. San Jose overlooks the long-time favourite farm 'Escondida', and that farm can be seen from the very top of San Jose.
This is a Pacamara varietal coffee. Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table. Pacamaras are exciting. I like Pacamaras! I could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while — oh, wait a minute — in fact I did! If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal, make sure to have a look at the article I wrote...
It's an incredibly beautiful farm with amazing views that are well worth the off-road trek up the mountain to gain access (even if we did get stuck two times). Dr. Mierisch said that he may build himself a small house on the farm to retire to one day: "overlooking the coffee plants and Lake Apanas in the background sounds like a dream come true".
In the cup it's a real Mojito of a coffee: clean, crisp and refreshing with hints of lime and a slight mintyedge. There's also an extraordinary body that adds a delicious creaminess, an amazing marriage of complexity.
- Country: Nicaragua
- Community: Lipululo
- Departamento: Jinotega
- Farm: San Jose
- Farm Manager: Jesus Antonio Cruz
- Coffee Area: 66 manzanas
- Elevation: 1,250 - 1,400 m.a.s.l.
- Harvest Months: December - March
- Diurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 27C, Low 15C
- Varietal: Yellow Pacamara
- Processing Type: Natural
Sunday Oct 11, 2015
Sunday Oct 11, 2015
My friend in Guatemala has been buying from these guys for a couple of years now and was very keen for me to go meet them. Located around 1 hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of around 1600 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes who used to be the Mayor of Palencia and has helped to build and develop the town.
Palencia is not part of the 8 regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of this. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up and coming, as well as those established players.
The farm produces mainly Cattura and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara, ooh we like experimentation!
In fact the experimentation comes from the motivation of “Beto,” who in the last two years has really focused on the farm. He wanted to take more care in every step that they take, from picking to processing to shipping, and also the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair, with his wife and son also working on the farm, along with siblings. In fact his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college, for the benefit of the farm.
The dedication and care in each step is reflected in that they have built up a new wet mill so they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of all the coffee. Previously the mill could just process one lot, now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their parcels.
With this wet mill came another opportunity, which was for neighbours and people within the region of Palencia to bring their coffees and the process them. Again another sign this is a hot spot for Guatemalan coffee.
When I visited the farm Beto was the perfect host, welcoming me around the farm and into his home, and he prepared the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big and home cooked and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meal was just the ticket and I am sure it saved my life.
But more importantly you can tell this is a farm on the up. A farm on top of their game. Every question was dispatched with exactly the right answer, every suggestion was listened to and taken on board, and in the coming years, I think this will be one of the most exciting relationships we have.
This comes from a small and experimental lot of Pacamara. Last year we had some for the first time after the year before Beto had already sold it all, this year I'm super excited to have it back for a second time!
So in the cup this starts off just like the washed Caturra, with big sweet creamy milk chocolate, and a wonderful fresh green apple acidity. The difference comes in the aftertaste, gooseberry and green grape with a big caramel aftertaste.
- Country: Guatemala
- Region: Palencia
- Farm: San Patricio El Limon
- Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes
- Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Pacamara
- Processing System: Washed
Sunday Oct 04, 2015
Sunday Oct 04, 2015
The Kieni Wet Mill is located in Nyeri in the central highlands of Kenya at an altitude of 1,700 metres above sea level and is run by the Mugaga Farmers' Cooperative Society.
Nyeri County has cool temperatures and fertile central highlands, lying between the Eastern base of the Aberdare (Nyandarua) Range, which forms part of the Eastern end of the Great Rift Valley, and the Western slopes of Mt. Kenya. Nyeri town (county headquarters) acts as a destination for those visiting Aberdare National Park and Mt. Kenya. It is in Nyeri County, at the Treetops Hotel, (a rustic tree house hotel) where the young Elizabeth went up a princess and came down in the morning as queen of England. Her father, King George VI, died on 5th February 1952, the night she spent at Treetops while on honeymoon.
Most of the coffee beans from Nyeri develop and mature slowly producing extra hard beans. This quality is also evident in the cup. As a result Nyeri is traditionally known as the heart of Kenya’s black gold coffee.
Coffee is mainly grown on the slopes and the upper plateau where most of the homes are located, the farms are demarcated into small family plots where each individual family looks after their own coffee.
The coffee is wet processed, where the fully ripe cherries are; pulped, fermented, washed then dried slowly over 2- 3 weeks where the moisture content is reduced to 10-12%. The coffee is then delivered to the dry mill.
In the cup expect a super traditional Kenyan that's been shaken up with a Tiki twist. First thing you'll get is the huge creamy mouthfeel, like double cream with some clotted cream added in for fun. Then there's a big hit of juicy tropical fruit which finishes with a super sweet pineapple acidity. A deliciously different Kenyan.
- Country: Kenya
- County: Nyeri
- Mill: Kieni
- Society: Mugaga Farmers’ Cooperative Society Limited
- Farmers: 905
- Acreage Farmed: 202 Acres
- Altitude: 1,700 m.a.s.l.
- Varietal: SL28
- Coffee Grade: AA
- Flowering Perioid: March
- Harvest Season: October - December
- Average Annual Rainfall: 1,680mm
- Average Annual Temperature: 12-27°C
- Soil Type: Red volcanic soils that are rich in phosphorus and are well drained
- Processing Method: Wet processing (Washed)
- Drying Process: Dry, milling after the parchment has dried
Sunday Sep 27, 2015
Sunday Sep 27, 2015
The growing region of Yirgacheffe in central-southern Ethiopia is world famous and has some amazing plant stock. This coffee comes from 800 smallholders in the town of Gedeb, which is about 40 km south of Yirgacheffe (pronunciation: Irgachefe) town, heading towards the Kenyan border, at an altitude of around 1,900–2,100 metres above sea level.
Many thousands of bags marked ‘Yirgacheffe’ are sold every year but there may be significant differences between them in terms of cup quality. Selecting by cupping cuts the wheat from the chaff, and this coffee was very special on the cupping table. It has been classified as a 'Q-grade Grade 1 fully washed coffee' by the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange Central Liquoring Unit, which really highlights it as an extra special lot.
The varietal is one we don't often see around these parts. Kurume is an indigenous Ethiopian varietal. It's smaller in size than other Typica/heirloom beans, but it's very sweet in the cup and also gives a very aromatic cup.
Processing-wise, ripe cherries are delivered to the mill where they're graded, sorted, de-pulped and then fermented underwater for between 36–48 hours. The fermentation time varies depending on temperature, humidity and other local factors that the team at the mill know all about. Parchment is sorted in washing channels and then placed onto raised African drying tables made of bamboo tree and mesh wire. The drying period generally lasts for up to 2 weeks or until the moisture level of the coffee reaches 12% or lower.
In the cup it's all about the fruit: loads of apricot up front, which is backed up by buckets of fruit sweetness. The acidity is lower than you might expect from a washed Ethiopian, I'd even go as far as to call it 'soft'. In the finish it's super delicate – there's a real floral edge with hints of jasmine.
- Country: Ethiopia
- Region: Yergacheffe
- Town: Gedeb
- Varietal: Kurume
- Processing: Fully Washed
- Producers: 800 smallholders, with up to 2 hectares each
- Altitude: 1,900 - 2,100 m.a.s.l.
- Soil: Red brown, depth of over 1m.
- Rainfall: 1,980 mm per year, 8 months rainy, 3-4 months dry
- Temperature: Averages 21ºC
Sunday Sep 20, 2015
Sunday Sep 20, 2015
Right folks, listen up! Long coffee name right here to please allow me to explain! Costa Rica (I'm guessing you worked this out!) is the country it's from. Don Mayo is the name of the micro mill where the coffee is milled and processed. Finca La Loma is the farm that the coffee was grown on. Yellow Honey is the processing method (if you want to learn a little more about processing be sure to check out our processing videos) and Caturra is the varietal of coffee bean (more information about Caturraavailable in our varietal archive) See I told you it was all important stuff!
Finca La Loma is located at an altitude of 1,850–1,900 metres above sea level in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica, and is owned by Hector Bonilla and his family. We first had a chance to enjoy coffee from this farm last year in 2014, and I'm delighted to see it back for a second year. I came across it on my trip to Costa Rica in January 2013, because we were already working with the Bonilla family on coffee from the neighbouring Finca Bella Vista.
The Don Mayo mill is somewhat of a celebrity in the world of coffee mills, winning a beautiful selection of awards for its coffees, which are bought by many top buyers from around the world and I am (of course) very pleased to be one of them.
In the cup you can expect a big bowl of creamy, melted vanilla ice cream, not only in flavour but also in mouthfeel. When you mix this with its delicate and sweet peachy acidity you get a cup that's all about the mouthfeel: deliciously viscous and full.
- Country: Costa Rica
- Region: Tarrazú
- City: Llano Bonito de León Cortes
- Farm: Finca La Loma
- Farmer: Hector Bonilla
- Micro Mill: Don Mayo
- Altitude: 1,850 - 1,900 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Caturra
- Processing System: Yellow Honey and sun dried
Sunday Sep 13, 2015
Sunday Sep 13, 2015
Finca Noruega is located in the volcanic Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, Apaneca, Ahuachapán. It consists of 27 hectares at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters above sea level. This is quite high for Apaneca and it has an awful lot of shady trees (not trees of questionable character: trees that provide precious shade for the coffee trees). This makes the crop mature much more slowly than some of the other farms: this means the coffee really only comes into full production towards what is thought to be the end of the season in El Salvador. The farm grows both Bourbon, as in this case, and a small amount of Pacamara. In total the farm produces around 400 bags which is really not so big.
It's owned by our friends Carmen and Rafael who you may recognise from the other amazing coffee farms Finca Siberia and Finca La Fany. The name for this farm is one of those amazing love stories of boy meets girl. I'll let Carmen tell the story in her words...
"This farm has a romantic tint to it. Rafael´s grandparents met in San Francisco, California, when young around the 1930s. Sara Valdivieso Borja was from El Salvador and sent to school in California; she met Ralph Hoff, another student, who came to San Francisco to study all the way from Norway. They fell in love, got married and established their residence in El Salvador after renaming the farm Noruega (“Norway” in English) on behalf of the husband Ralph. He learned to work and love the land, and he made it prosper. They had an only child, Thelma, who continued the legacy through her 5 children."
A lovely story and a lovely coffee.
In the cup you get a beautiful blast of green apple acidity, that's followed right up with a buttery mouthfeel that dominates the mouth. It then goes in another direction of dark chocolate sweetness and a gentle white grape acidity that keeps you coming back for more.
- Country: El Salvador
- Department: Ahuachapán
- Municipality: Apaneca
- Farm: Finca Noruega
- Farmer: Carmen and Rafael Da Silva
- Farm size: 27 hectares
- Coffee growing area: 27 hectares
- Altitude: 1,610 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Bourbon
- Processing system: Pulped Natural
- Location: Latitude: 13.845794 Longitude: -89.809667
Sunday Sep 06, 2015
Sunday Sep 06, 2015
This is from my early 2013 trip to Guatemala. We never bought directly from Guatemala before 2 year ago; this has become one of our strongest and amazing relationships.My friend in Guatemala has been buying from these guys for a couple of years now and was very keen for me to go meet them. Located around an hour's drive to the east of Guatemala City in the small town of Palencia, this farm sits at an altitude of around 1600-1800 meters above sea level. It's owned by Guadalupe Alberto Reyes who used to be the Mayor of Palencia and has helped to build and develop the town.
Palencia is not part of the 8 regions of coffee from Anacafe, but you can see a lot of development in that zone. San Patricio el Limon is a perfect example of this. I like being in places that are working to be hot and up and coming, as well as those that are established players.
The farm produces mainly Caturra and Bourbon, and does some experimentation with Pacamara.
In fact the experimentation comes from the motivation of “Beto,” who in the last three years has really focused on the farm. He wanted to take more care in every step they take, from picking to processing to shipping, and also in the agronomy of the farm. This is very much a family affair; his wife and son also work on the farm, along with Beto's siblings. In fact his son is actually studying agronomy at the local college, for the benefit of the farm.
The dedication and care in each step is reflected in the fact that they have built up a new wet mill so they can separate different lots and have control over the quality of the coffee. Previously the mill could just process one lot; now they are able to process many lots and keep separate day's pickings and varietals in their own parcels.
This coffee is a Caturra variety comes from one section of the farm called Pie Del Cerro, that nicknamed "Poco inglaterra". Its Beto's favourite part, and has had the best production for many years, and is exclusively for us. Its the higest part of the farm at 1800 masl.
Since beginning to work with Beto he continues to invest in the farm, this year the visit showed us lots of new planting, and a lot of building work around the wet mill, he is also building a QC lab, and new accommodation for people working on the farm, it was a real hive of activity.
Everytime I visit the farm Beto and his family are the perfect hosts, welcoming me around the farm and into his home, and always preparing the most amazing meal. When you travel as much as I do, mid-trip you find yourself longing for something big and home cooked and not from a restaurant or roadside pop-up cafe. This traditional Guatemalan meals are just the ticket and I always look forwards to the food, but mainly the company.
So in the cup it starts off as sweet milk chocolate, with a wonderful satsuma orange acidity of the first time we tasted this coffee comes running back, along with a brown sugar sweetness, and a silky mouthfeel.
- Farm: San Patricio El Limon
- Farmer: Guadalupe Alberto Reyes
- Region: Palencia
- Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Caturra
- Processing system: Washed
Sunday Aug 30, 2015
Sunday Aug 30, 2015
Finca La Escondida is close to Lake Apanas, near the town of Jinotega. The straight translation from Spanish to English of 'escondida' is ‘hidden’. The farm is named because it is 'hidden' from the road by forest and trees, which makes it appear to blend right into the side of the mountain. It is a young farm: the first trees were planted there in 2006. La Escondida is planned around identifying the plots with individually different micro-environments resulting from factors such as soil quality, sun exposure and temperature range. This is one of the upsides of starting to plant a new farm.
This is the Catuai varietal, which you don't see so much in specialty coffee. The varietal was selected for this farm because it was thought it would do very well with the identified soil quality, sun exposure, temperature range and weather conditions in particular, given the farm's quite exposed on the side of the mountain.
Catuai is related to Yellow Caturra and Mundo Novo, and it's a hybrid that grows best at 800 metres above sea level. It is mostly prevalent in Brazil and central / South America. This is a dwarf variety of plant; it doesn't grow very high, and this is its most obvious distinguishing trait. Selected by the instituto Agronomico in the 1950s–1960s, it now accounts for 50% of the coffee acreage in Brazil and is widely used in Central America. It also benefits from the fruit not falling off the branch easily, which helps when there are strong winds or rain, or where wind breaker coverage is at a minimum like it is here.
Some of the downsides of starting a brand new farm can be that it may take a while for the quality of the cup profile to build up, it might take time to have the right facilities for processing and picking, and it might take time to train the staff for picking and processing. Not to mention that it might take a while to achieve the yield to go with it all. But this farm, for me, has hit the whole group of requirements running. As a result of their experience in the area, the Mierisch family have built a new mill with a huge investment, and they use some of the people already in place in the neighbouring 'San Jose' to blend together an Escondida team comprising experienced and new members.
I love this coffee for being so different to the others we have brought in. It's super clean, very zesty andzingy, with hints of raspberry and lime; but it also has a lovely body of caramel that sits on the palate for an age, and a delicious and long-lingering aftertaste.
- Country: Nicaragua
- Municipality: Lipululo
- Departament: Jinotega
- Farm: La Escondida
- Farm Manager: Boanerje Martinez Montenegro
- Coffee Area: 92 Manzanas
- Protected Area: 3 Manzanas
- Elevation: 975 - 1,230 m.a.s.l.
- Harvest Months: December-March
- Diurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg-High 27C, Low 16C
- Coffee Varieties: Bourbon, Java, Caturra, Catuai & Laurina
- Processing Type: Dry Fermented then Washed
Sunday Aug 23, 2015
Sunday Aug 23, 2015
This is the third year of us having this coffee, and we are finding out more about the farm piece by piece. When we first found it in 2013 we had very little information on the farm; so much so that it didn’t even have a name!
I've been lucky enough to visit the farm on my trips to Costa Rica, and over the past 2 years I've found out lots more and also built a stronger relationship going forwards. Let me tell you what I know so far...
I first got to meet Carlos in 2013, at the exporter's office on the last day of my visit in Costa Rica. He arrived around 10 minutes after I had cupped the first table of coffees, where I had found one lot that was making me sing. It just had to be his coffee.
Here ensued the worst negotiation ever to take place for buying coffee.
"How much do you want?" I asked.
He replies, "How much do you like it?"
"A lot,” I say.
"I'd like a lot then, please," Carlos says.
"OK..."
Luckily at this point a grown-up from the exporter's office stepped in and made sure I didn't give Carlos my house, car and pension plan. We agreed a price that rewarded Carlos more than he had ever gotten before and left me with a home to return to in Stafford.
Back then this coffee was just called Carlos Arietta, because that was all we knew about it.
Last year on my return visit I got to spend some time with the family. I stopped for some lunch, hung out and asked lots of questions. First of all there's the mill, which is called Arbar, which is very close to the house. Here they have drying tables and a small nursery. They didn't have a deplulper, but more about this later. The mill is new; before they would just sell their coffee to the local coop and so have no interaction with the coffee.
Then I found out that they own two small farms, this one being El Oasis, which provided the coffee we bought in 2013. The farm is located in the Western Valley region near to the town of Lourdes de Naranjo. It's located at 1,600 metres above sea level and contains mostly Caturra, and a tiny bit of Villa Sarchi, with plans to plant some small micro lots in the future. The farm produces between 700–1,400 KG a year.
Carlos runs the farm with his wife and his children, Maria Isabel, Yesica, Karen, Stephen and Jose Ignacio. He has owned this farm for 15 years but only started processing the coffee himself in 2014 (while still paying someone to pulp it for him — more on this later). He hadn't been able to present his coffee to a buyer previously, so he would send it to the exporter we use in Costa Rica.
Last year you may remember that the coffee was priced a little differently; our normal, nicely rounded-down price was not there. The coffee should have been sold for £7.50 (we negotiated a small price drop from the previous year because we bought everything from both farms, and this works out that there are some economies of scale compared to the £10.00 of 2013), but we charged £7.88. Well, this was so that we (by “we” I mean “you”) could buy Carlos and his family a depulper for his next harvest. This meant he didn’t have to pay someone else to pulp his coffee, and he could gain more control of his amazing coffee.
You can go and see what your generosity bought: I lent the money to Carlos because I promised you would pay it back (and you did!) at the blog post here.
This year one of my roasting team, Roland (of “Roland's Daft Fact” fame), travelled to Costa Rica to be on the jury for their Cup of Excellence competition. If you ever wondered what a coffee roaster from the UK would get up to if let loose in Costa Rica, then you should have a read about his trip in Roland Glew's Costa Rican Adventure.
In the cup it's like someone has slipped in a big glug of 5 Alive Tropical Hit fruit juice. It's all peachesand pineapples, with a really complex but delicious fruit sweetness.
- Country: Costa Rica
- Region: Western Valley
- City: Lourdes de Naranjo
- Farm: El Oasis
- Farmer: Carlos Arrieta
- Micro Mill: Arbar
- Altitude: 1,600 m.a.s.l.
- Varietals: Catuai, Caturra and small amount of Villa Sarchi
- Processing System: Red honey
Sunday Aug 16, 2015
Sunday Aug 16, 2015
A staple; a huge, special coffee we love very much and we are pleased to see it back for its 9th season. A massive coffee.
I already loved this coffee before I got to try it at El Bosque. I mean that I was truly blown away with how good it tasted. However, my first visit to the farm in January 2007 made me love it some more because I got to meet the fantastic people behind the coffee.
Don Roberto and his two brothers have tried to move away from generic commercial coffee by raising their growing and milling standards, and you can really tell in the cup. During another visit in 2009, I got talking to Francisco about the Bourbon and asked if it would it be possible to split the red and yellow beans to compare the results. Of course, I could only really ask them to do this for me if we bought all of the coffee, and we were delighted to do so. Nowhere else in the world will you be able to try this famous coffee using just the specific Red Bourbon varietal.
Julian Flores founded Finca El Bosque in 1932. The 14-hectare extension of land was planted out with Bourbon varietal coffee and grew over the next few years with the purchase of additional land. Julian Flores died in 1947 and his only son, José Eladio Flores, continued in his father’s footsteps. In 1970, Jose bought another 23 hectares and planted the same Bourbon coffee varietal. Since his death in 1996, a third generation has taken charge under the direction of José’s widow, Martha Stalla, and their sons Julio, José, Francisco, and Mario.
The first two generations cultivated and sold coffee in cherry form only. Now the third generation has taken care to innovate and build a plant for processing the cherries in line with strict environmental guidelines. They have also diversified into growing other plants for local consumption such as avocado, roses, and lemons, as well as a new grass innovation.
El Bosque farm is located on a hillside running parallel and a way off from the main road near the capital, Guatemala City. It may be jeopardized by urban development in future, but in the time we have been working with El Bosque prices and returns for the farm have made it a much higher concern for the brothers and they are very motivated.
This coffee is a world exclusive; we buy every single Bourbon bean from this farm. The rest of the coffee we also bought this year and after the success of last year sent most of it for decaffeination. We are the only people you can get this current crop of coffee from.
In the cup expect smooth milk chocolate with a white grape acidity that's sweet and very pleasing, with hints of cherry and a spicy blast of black pepper in the aftertaste. Delicious espresso, delightful brewed coffee, and a real all rounder.
- Country: Guatemala
- Region: Aldea Loma Larga Mountains, Amatitlán
- City: Municipality of Villa Canales
- Farm: El Bosque
- Farmer: Flores Family
- Farm Size: 37 Hectares
- Coffee growing area: 14 Hectares
- Altitude: 1,400-1,645 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Red Bourbon
- Processing System: Washed
Sunday Aug 09, 2015
Sunday Aug 09, 2015
This coffee comes from the Arusha, Arumeru district, in Northern Tanzania, on the lower slopes of Mount Meru (which rises to a whopping 4,565 metres). Arusha town centre is approximately 8 kilometres from the estates, but over recent years the urban sprawl has meant that the town has expanded up to the borders of the estates.
Burka was founded in 1899 by a German settler (a Mr. Rahn), who decided to plant coffee to send back to his native Germany. Burka covers 1,437 acres, of which 870 acres are coffee. The neighbouring estate, Selian, is also owned by the same group.
The estates have about 200 permanent staff as well as 200 daily causal staff; however, in the peak of the harvest season, there can be up to 5,000 staff involved in picking and processing. All permanent staff are provided with housing on the estates (in four different camps), and the minimum salary is set at 20% above the government minimum requirement. Staff have social security and labour union membership included in their contracts, and an estate credit union also offers loans and advice for education, health, and house construction.
Each estate has its own nursery which educates over 100 children, and two primary schools also cater for over 600 children, who come from the estate workers' families and the neighbouring communities. An on-site health centre with estate nurse and dispensary is available to meet the needs of all staff, and the estate has its own ambulance. It also has shops, sport facilities, churches, and a mosque.
Regular inter-estate and inter-camp football & netball matches occur, along with staff BBQs and other holiday celebrations. Workers are supplied with free firewood from stumped coffee trees, and fruit & nut trees are grown around the staff villages.
For the processing of this coffee ripe cherries are delivered to mill within 6 hours of picking, where they are graded, sorted, de-pulped and then fermented underwater for between 24-36 hours, depending on temperature, humidity and other factors. Burka has a natural spring which supplies the wet mill, which is then recirculated before disposal into seepage pits, constructed wetlands and settlement ponds. The mill at neighbouring Selian draws its water from boreholes, which is then recirculated as above. The waste cherry pulp is mixed with worms and produce organic fertiliser, which is then re-used on the estates.
Parchment is then sorted and thoroughly rinsed in washing channels, and placed onto raised African drying tables. The drying period generally lasts for 5-7 days, until moisture level reaches 12% or lower, with regular turning, particularly in the first 48 hours to ensure even rates of drying. Parchment is transported to Moshi for milling and bagging, and then to Dar Es Salaam for export.
Burka has its own cupping lab on site and samples of each day’s lot are cupped and assessed for quality. This is the second year we've worked with this farm and you should start getting excited about what they're up to behind the scenes, they're experimenting with various washing processing methods and also different patio vs raised bed drying with different turning rates.
In the cup it's all about that mouthfeel, a super creamy cup that really reminds me of a massive fluffy marshmallow. There's peach acidity and brown sugar sweetness which overall makes it a bit like a toasted Flump.
- Country: Tanzania
- District: Arumeru
- Town: Arusha
- Estate: Burka
- Varietal: Red Bourbon N39 and Kent KP423
- Processing: Washed
- Altitude: 1,340 - 1,470 m.a.s.l.
- Soil: Volcanic tuffs and basalt-based soils, ranging from clay loams to sandy clay loams.
- Temperature: 8ºC - 30ºC
Sunday Aug 02, 2015
Sunday Aug 02, 2015
This is one of my all time favourite farms back for a second year! We welcome it back with the widest of arms, it's so so special. I often get asked what my favourite coffee of all time. I will never say (although my friends know the true answer), but I say three, this is one of them.
I went to El Salvador in 2008 on a buying trip, visiting some of the farms that we buy from. I actually arrived the evening of the Cup of Excellence awards. After the ceremony, I was walking around when this guy who seemed very popular came over to me and introduced himself. He was Ernesto, or as I would come to know him, Neto. He had just won the Cup of Excellence competition with his 'La Ilusión' farm, the sister farm of 'Alaska'. Alaska is a farm we had bought from in Cup of Excellence the year before. Ernesto invited me to visit La Ilusión the next day. It was so great to finally meet someone I had communicated with so many times via email.
Neto bought La Ilusión 9 years ago. The farm has coffee trees averaging 19 years of age and is growing 95% Bourbon (70% is red Bourbon and 25% is orange Bourbon). The remaining 5% is a combination of other varietals, and it is possible to spot some Typica and Kenya trees.
The farm is run using environmentally friendly practices. They are trying to maintain a balance with the surrounding ecosystem, which is part of a natural fauna corridor crucial to migratory and native birds. This is very important for Ernesto, since La Ilusión is neighbouring one of the most important national parks in El Salvador, known as 'Los Andes'. It is nestled on the Santa Ana volcano and delineates his farm with dense pine and cypress forest, which itself provides a special micro-climate for La Ilusión.
The naturally processed version of this coffee was used by the 2011 World Barista Champion Alejandro Mendez, he caused a bit of a stir in the world of barista competition by using the naturally processed lot in his milk drinks and sig drink then the washed (this coffee) as his espresso, such a stir that he won! That year I had roasted the coffee for Alejandro that had been grown by Neto and there was a magical moment backstage where I was stood with Alejandro and Neto polishing glasses, the grower and roaster and barista all stood together preparing for the presentation, not too often you get such wonderful things happening!
In the cup I got fruit salad sweets (for those who don't know this is a very sweet fruits chewy sweet) all on the front end. A lovely pink lemonade acidity to match. Not over powering but completely inbalance with the whole cup. And this is what it does best, balance in the cup. Then it's the sweet sweet sticky chewy fruit salad aftertaste that just carries on and on and on.
- Country: El Salvador
- Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range
- City: Santa Ana
- Farm: La Ilusión
- Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello
- Altitude: 1,750-1,850 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Bourbon
- Processing System: Washed
Sunday Jul 26, 2015
Sunday Jul 26, 2015
The first time we came across this farm, it came as a very well presented sample that just landed on my doorstep. It came from someone who had visited the farm and offered to try to help find a buyer for them in the UK. We get lots of these and normally give them a try on the cupping table, but find they are just not good enough for us to stock. This one was quite different: the quality was amazing. So initially we stocked it, although we knew very little about it. Since that day, I've been to see Alejandro five times in El Salvador, the last two times stopping at his house with his family and enjoying a day at the beach. Alejandro has also been to see us in Stafford twice. We have worked with him on projects (some successful, others we will brush over); we have also told him what we would like to see from the farm (some he took on board, others he didn't he's the farmer after all).
Most importantly, he has become a very very good friend, and someone whose coffee I love and company I enjoy. Alejandro took over running the farm from his father a few years ago, having returned to El Salvador after travelling around the world as an investment banker. A very intelligent guy and a very good business man, he understood the farm needed to step up in work if it was to flourish: lots of work has gone into making this cup the quality one it has become. Part of this work last year was to separate the farm into tablons (the Spanish word for plot). It was separated into 8 plots, with 7 of them growing coffee.
This coffee comes from the highest part of the farm called San Jorge, which is about 3 manzanas with a production ranging from 25 to 40 bags of coffee. The tablon goes from 1,300 to 1,350 metres above sea level and is very hilly so difficult to pick.
Historically, the Owner's Selection coffee came from San Jorge (Alejandro told me his grandfather used to reserves some coffee for his personal use). It is interesting since from all his farms his grandfather used to own, over 250 manzanas, he picked San Jorge for his own coffee.
The coffee is 100% Bourbon, as 70% of plant stock in El Salvador is. This heirloom varietal is one of the reasons why coffee from this country is right up amongst some of the best in the world. They have the perfect climate and conditions for this low yielding, high maintenance strain.
The farm is based in the Apaneca-Ilamtepec mountain range near to the town of Turin in the Ahuachapan dept. During the non-picking season 16 people work on the farm, maintaining and tending to the plants. During the picking period this goes up to 50 people. The altitude of the farm is 1350m. The coffee is a washed process coffee, and is sun dried on patios.
This is a world exclusive for us and a coffee I'm certain you will enjoy. In the cup expect lots ofchocolatey sweetness like all great El Salvador Bourbons, but then there's a blast of oranges. I find this coffee balanced with a smooth and almost creamy body to it, in the aftertaste there's a waft ofpomegranate.
- Country: El Salvador
- Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain ranges
- Nearest City: Turin, Ahuachapan
- Farm: Finca Argentina
- Owner: Alejandro Martinez
- Tablon: San Jorge
- Varietal: Bourbon
- Processing: Fully washed and sun dried
- Workers: 16 full time rising to 50 during the picking season
- Altitude: 1,350 m.a.s.l.
Sunday Jul 19, 2015
Sunday Jul 19, 2015
El Libano is located in the traditional Guatemalan coffee region of Chimaltenango and is 21 hectares in size with 17.5 of them set aside for coffee production. Its owner is Herbert Estuardo Perez Liquidano, a third generation coffee producer on this farm.
Originally this farm was called La Pampa and was purchased by Mr Prudencio Perez Rosales in 1915. When he unfortunately passed away his daughters inherited the farm and divided it equally into three properties called La Pampa, San Juan and El Libano. Herbert purchased El Libano in 1992.
In the early days of El Libano (or La Pampa I guess I should say) coffee was commercialized in cherry form with other farms and/or buyers who took it to local wet mills for the post harvest process. When coffee production at the farm increased, between 1958 and 1960, a wet mill was built on a lower part of the farm and drying fields were built in the higher parts. At that time, coffee was taken by workers on mules from the pulping area to the drying fields, down a narrow road, which as I'm sure you can imagine made work rather difficult. Later, in 1970, this was extended and thanks to increasing coffee sales they were able to buy a vehicle to let the mules get some rest.
Since then as I'm sure you guessed there have been many changes to the farm...they improved the quality of what they could produce via modernisation of the wet mill, the pulping area and in the drying process. In the drying area, they have increased the drying patios and added a guardiola dryer, which has the capacity of processing 40 quintales (4 kilos) of coffee. Besides producing delicious coffee El Libano also plays a really important role for the local people, the worked of the farm have been provided with equipped houses to live on the farm with their families and they've also built not just 1 but 2 modern swimming pools for workers and their families!
The farm sits at 1,350 metres above sea level and has a mixture of Typica, Catuaí, Caturra and Geisha, although this lot is just Caturra. It's our second year of working with this farm after working with them for the very first time last year, back then I said I had high hopes for the future and guess what, I was right ;)
In the cup you can expect to find a rather large Granny Smith green apple! It’s a super sweet superclean cup that finishes with a delicious aftertaste of mango.
- Country: Guatemala
- Department: Chimaltenango
- Municipality: Acatenango
- Nearest Village: La Pampa
- Farm Name: El Libano
- Farmer: Herbert Estuardo Pérez Liquidano
- Altitude: 1,350 m.a.s.l.
- Process: Washed
- Drying: Sun dried
- Farm Size: 21 Hectares
- Coffee growing area: 17.5 Hectares
- Varietal: Caturra
Sunday Jul 12, 2015
Sunday Jul 12, 2015
An old favourite returns! But this time, it returns with a little more information.
Costa Rica Herbazu is a mill in the Naranjo region, which is the sixth canton in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of 126.62 square kilometres and has a population of 45,005 people.
Herbazu isn't a million miles from another of our old favourites: the amazing and lovely Licho! Like Licho, Herbazu is a family-run concern. It consists of 13 micro farms, owned by 5 brothers and 8 sisters who all have a say in the running and development of this farm/mill. I was lucky enough to visit Herbazu and meet some of the family in February 2011, February 2013 and again last year in January 2014.
When I visited I was fortunate enough to cup nearly 20 different lots of coffee from this farm (different days' picking, different parts of the farms, and different honeys of red and yellow); this lot shone head and shoulders, and little tippie-toes, above them all. On a blind cupping table of over 130 coffees this was one of my favourites. It was super special, and I hope you are going to feel the same about it too.
In the cup straight away you're going to get loads and loads of sticky-sweet toffee. Then there's a blast of lemon acidity (think sweet lemons) before the toffee marches back in with a massive hit of Nutella chocolate spread. There is a hint of candy floss there when brewed as espresso. Super sweet and delicious coffee.
- Country: Costa Rica
- Province: Alajuela
- Region: Naranjo
- Nearest City: Lourdes de Naranjo
- Farm: Finca Kattia
- Mill: Herbazú
- Varietal: Villa Sarchí
- Processing: Honey Process
- Altitude: 1,500 - 1,600 m.a.s.l.
- Owner: Hermanos Barrantes Zuñiga
Sunday Jul 05, 2015
Sunday Jul 05, 2015
This coffee is in its 5th year with us and we continue to develop this amazing relationship with yet again a new development. We have split the farm up into Tablon's, and you can really taste the differences, we did this a couple of years ago. But the problem with this, is sometimes you just want a great coffee and a quantity of it.
Last year they had a massive leaf rust issue, so we were only able to have this "estate" grade, but it's great to report the farm has bounced back, and although still not perfect, the farm is on the road to recovery. But it was such a success we have done this again this year.
This lot comes from all the tablons, anything that scored over 86 on the cupping table and under 89 made its way into this. Anything over 89 got separated and anything under got sold as commodity coffee. We have decided to call it the estate version of this coffee, although it's like any other coffee that doesn't have this level of traceability.
The first time we came across this farm, it came as a very well presented sample that just landed on my doorstep. It came from someone who had visited the farm and offered to try to help find a buyer for them in the UK. We get lots of these and normally give them a try on the cupping table, but find they are just not good enough for us to stock. This one was quite different: the quality was amazing. So initially we stocked it, although we knew very little about it. Since that day, I've been to see Alejandro five times in El Salvador, the last two times stopping at his house with his family and enjoying a day at the beach. Alejandro has also been to see us in Stafford twice. We have worked with him on projects (some successful, others we will brush over); we have also told him what we would like to see from the farm (some he took on board, others he didn't he's the farmer after all).
Most importantly, he has become a very very good friend, and someone whose coffee I love and company I enjoy. Alejandro took over running the farm from his father a few years ago, having returned to El Salvador after travelling around the world as an investment banker. A very intelligent guy and a very good business man, he understood the farm needed to step up in work if it was to flourish: lots of work has gone into making this cup the quality one it has become. Part of this work last year was to separate the farm into tablons (the Spanish word for plot). It was separated into 8 plots, with 7 of them growing coffee.
The coffee is 100% Bourbon, as 70% of plant stock in El Salvador is. This heirloom varietal is one of the reasons why coffee from this country is right up amongst some of the best in the world. They have the perfect climate and conditions for this low yielding, high maintenance strain.
The farm is based in the Apaneca-Ilamtepec mountain range near to the town of Turin in the Ahuachapan dept. During the non-picking season 16 people work on the farm, maintaining and tending to the plants. During the picking period this goes up to 50 people. The altitude of the farm is 1350m. The coffee is a washed process coffee, and is sun dried on patios.
This is a world exclusive for us, and one I think you will enjoy. In the cup expect lots of mouthfeel, thinkmelted chocolate, smooth and balanced, with a hazelnut like finish. A perfect example of an amazing El Salvador.
- Country: El Salvador
- Farm: Finca Argentina
- Varietal: Bourbon
- Processing: Fully washed and Sun Dried
- Workers: 16 full time rising to 50 during the picking season
- Altitude: 1,300 m.a.s.l.
- Owner: Alejandro Martinez
- City: Near Turin, Ahuachapan
- Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain ranges El Salvador
Monday Jun 29, 2015
Monday Jun 29, 2015
Sunday Jun 21, 2015
Sunday Jun 21, 2015
Oh hello there! My name's Steve and I really like the colour red, it's my favourite, you might have guessed by all the red everywhere ;) However this is a rare occasion where I want to talk to you about a different colour, an amazing yellow that I've really fallen in love with. In the past we only had red Pacamaras, if you know me then you know I love red and I love Pacamaras so it was a match made in heaven! However a little while ago I came across a yellow Pacamara and wow, wow wow wow.
It was 4 years ago and I was in Nicaragua visiting Finca Limoncillo, I was introduced to this not-red Pacamara and after tasting a small sample I begged Erwin to sell us some but he told me they were using all the crop to create more seedling to plant more coffee, but that it would soon be available. Gone were the days of me being a red only kinda guy.
Fast forward 2 years and it was available in the Los Favoritos Fincas Mierisch auction where some very special lots were up for grabs to the highest bidder. After tasting what I tasted in Nicaragua I knew I had to have it, through the bidding process the entire production of yellow Pacamara from that year was split between us and another amazing roastery in Japan, and so the journey began. Because we stepped up then we are now at the front of the line to get the new crop as it grows into more and more commercial sizes. This also allows us to sell this coffee at half the original price, which is very exciting.
As I said this is a Pacamara varietal coffee. Pacamaras are a little crazy on the cupping table. Pacamaras are exciting. I like Pacamaras! Could ramble on about Pacamaras for a while, oh wait a minute, I did! If you'd like to know more about this fantastic varietal make sure to have a look at the article I wrote...
So why is this varietal so rare? Well it's a freak natural mutation from red fruit to yellow and was spotted by a security guard on the farm. They isolated it, harvested the seeds for more seedlings, and then just kept going and going.
In the cup this is a super rare super special coffee. At the beginning you're going to get a taste of lovely cloudy lemonade, this then turns into a viscous and sweet banana milkshake that’s thick and gloopy. The delicious aftertaste just goes on and on and on.
- Country: Nicaragua
- Municipality: Yasica Norte
- Region: Matagalpa
- Farm Name: Limoncillo
- Farmer: Dr. Erwin Mierisch
- Farm Size: 171 Hectares
- Coffee growing area: 109 Hectares
- Harvest Months: December - February
- Diurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 28°C, Low 20°C
- Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
- Varietal: YELLOW Pacamara
- Processing System: Pulped Natural
Sunday Jun 14, 2015
Sunday Jun 14, 2015
This coffee is from the Cafex washing station located in the north of Burundi, in the province of Kirundo. The washing station is on the Mutura hills at an altitude of 1,450 metres above sea level. The coffee processed at the station is from hills between 1,450 and 1,750 m.a.s.l.
The washing station is a private, family-run business. The owner is passionate about coffee; he wanted make his European and Burundian cultural background benefit the Burundian coffee farming community, and so offer great Burundian coffees to the world. The washing station is managed by qualified and trained staff to maximise the quality of the coffee throughout the processing chain.
We've searched for a long time to find great Burundian coffee. Every year the samples would arrive, and we were just not happy with the quality. I knew great Burundi coffees – like this one – existed, because I had tasted them from other roasters. But we just couldn't find the coffee for us.
This coffee comes from the varietals Bourbon and Jackson (which is a Bourbon cultivation found primarily in Rwanda and Burundi), and it's the first time I have found anyone doing naturally processed lots from this area. I'm still not sure how we managed to get this tiny lot out of Burundi but we have, and we hope you enjoy it.
In the cup this is so different to what I expected. It has leather notes with a blackcurrant syrup andcassis, and a dark chocolate aftertaste. A huge body.
- Country: Burundi
- Region: Northern
- City: Kirundo
- Farm: Cafex
- Farmer: Cooperative
- Altitude: 1,450 – 1,750 m.a.s.l.
- Washing station altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
- Processing method: Natural
Sunday Jun 07, 2015
Sunday Jun 07, 2015
OK so yes this coffee has a big long name but it's all important information, allow me explain...
Costa Rica (I'm guessing you worked this out!) is the country it's from. Don Mayo is the name of the micro mill where the coffee is milled and processed. Finca Bella Vista is the farm that the coffee was grown on. Washed is the processing method (if you want to learn a little more about processing be sure to check out our processing videos) and Caturra is the varietal of coffee bean (more information about Caturra available in our varietal archive) See I told you it was all important stuff!
Finca Bella Vista is located at an altitude of 1,900 metres above sea level in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica. I first came across this coffee on my visit to the country in February 2011, and I knew it was a coffee for people like me. I've since been back in January 2013, too. The farm is very close to the Don Mayo mill and is owned by Hector Bonilla and his family.
This coffee is a coffee with a pedigree, winning the 2009 Costa Rica Cup of Excellence competition, and is one of the most highly regarded coffees in the Tarrazú region. There was a time when coffees from the Tarrazú region would fetch a high price on just the name alone. It's a super interesting coffee, but the quality over the past ten years or so has seen the coffee plummet whilst other regions (I'm thinking Naranjo and Central as ones that stand out) have raised their game. This particular coffee from Tarrazú is of a small minority that seems to be bucking the general trend and working hard to make the coffee as good as it can be. This coffee gives me huge hope for the future of Tarrazú.
The farm is an amazing example of how professional a farm and mill should be. Everything at the mill is impeccably clean, tidy and organised to the point of obsession. I think when it comes to running a good farm and mill it's okay to be obsessive about what you're doing. It's little things like hats for the staff working in the mill, labels on the lots that are clear and readable; they're all very small and tiny things, yet things that make the difference in quality.
This is the fourth year that we've had this coffee after I originally found it while cupping around 250 blind samples in three days from a whole heap of farms. Some were just different days' pickings, some were different varietals and processes.
What happens when you put all the words in the big long name together? In the cup you're going to find a delicious sweetness that'll make you think of a spoonful of honey; not just in taste, but in its amazing mouthfeel too. Alongside that honey loveliness there are tinned peaches and dried apricots, which add a super elegant edge. The finish is smooth, long and really rather lovely.
- Country: Costa Rica
- Region: Tarrazú
- City: Llano Bonito de León Cortes
- Farm: Finca Bella Vista
- Micro Mill: Don Mayo
- Farmer: Hector Bonilla
- Altitude: 1,900 m.a.s.l.
- Varietal: Caturra
- Processing System: Washed and sun dried
Sunday May 31, 2015
Sunday May 31, 2015
We first bought coffee from this amazing farm back in 2007 as part of a buying group in the Cup of Excellence. The very first time I cupped a coffee from Finca Limoncillo I absolutely loved it and knew it was a farm I had to get involved with. It was only after the auction closed that I found out it was owned by the father of two brothers in Nicaragua who are probably the only people I know from the country, and are good friends of mine.
The farm is a whopping 171 hectares in size and is located in Matagalpa towards the north west of Nicaragua, it's an amazing location that has not 1, not 2 but 9 waterfalls on the farm! It's owned by the Mieresch family, whom as I have already said are good friends, and are also well respected producers in Nicaragua known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee.
The fact that the family are friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them, and continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee.
The employers:
- Pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage
- Provide free housing for 60 families on their farms
- Provide free electricity and running water for their homes
- Provide free food for all workers
- Have free day care facilities for families to use
- Provide free health care facilities on the farms
- Employee on-site teachers who educate their staff and teach other skills such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills, the teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities.
So what's this Ethiosar varietal I hear you ask? Well it's from the hard work of the Mierisch family and their cousin Ricardo who owns a farm near to Limoncillo but at a much lower altitude of 800 m.a.s.l. Ricardo noticed that his yield and his plants were suffering and seemed to be becoming more susceptible to disease, he puts this down to growing issues in Nicaragua, a change in climate, increased rains and his low altitude. But from experiments he was running on the farm he noticed that this newly spliced varietal he had put together was thriving, it was fruiting much more than the other plants, and was not suffering.
The varietal, Ethiosar, is a stable hybrid plant. It is a cross of an Ethiopian variety (Rume Sudan) with a Sarchimore (a cross of a Villa Sarchi with a Timor variety). The offspring of this plant is then crossed once again with a Villa Sarchi (an improved Caturra / Bourbon from Costa Rica).
The Timor variety is the robusta variety used to produce all the Catimores, in short it only has a very small percentage of Catimores in it, thus making it very resistant to rust in most parts of the world. The Rume Sudan is a very old variety of Typica from Ethiopia. Both Rume Sudan and Villa Sarchi are known for their great cup characteristics.
What Ethiosar does is increase production by up to 40% whilst only needing 2,800 plants per manzana, whereas with Caturra you would need 4,000 plants. This may not seem important until you begin to think that each plant needs fertiliser, so not only are you getting more yield but it's cheaper to grow because you need less fertiliser, less plants (plants have to be grown or bought), and it's also quicker to pick. On top of all of this, it's super tasty.
In the cup expect plenty of fresh lime zest, with a bright and zingy acidity that's super clean and refreshing. In the aftertaste you'll find a taste of delicious craft beer hops.
Country: NicaraguaMunicipality: Yasica Norte Region: Matagalpa Farm Name: LimoncilloFarmer: Dr Erwin MierischFarm Size: 171 Manzanas HectaresCoffee growing area: 109 Hectares Harvest Months: December - FebruaryDiurnal Temperature Cycle: Avg High 28C, Low 20CAltitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l. Varietal: Ethiosar (Ricardo) Processing System: Washed
Monday May 25, 2015
Monday May 25, 2015
So an old favourite returns in this Costa Rican Licho: a coffee that we first bought from a Cup of Excellence auction many many years ago in 2007, where it finished 4th. This is now it's seventh year with us and I'm super proud to offer it.
It is also a coffee that shows our development as a roaster. First we bought this coffee in the Cup of Excellence program (a great way to meet a grower). Then we bought it from an import broker; because we are a small coffee buyer, they helped us bring in this coffee. Then we bought directly from them. Then 2 years ago, I went out to the farm and did the deal on the farm with the brothers. I love the fact that last year I walked onto the farm after cupping a particular lot in the exporter's office, asked how much they wanted, and there was a short conference. They came back and told me, then we shook hands. Then we got back into the 4x4 and drove away. This year we agreed an European exclusive deal with them for this coffee, continueing the close work we have with them.
We also agreed a price going forwards that is higher than last years, and agreed to take an amount more than ever before, to prove how wedded we are to this coffee.
Grown in the region of Naranjo, in the volcanic Northern Cordiles corridor of the Western Valley by the Aguilera brothers, this coffee is cultivated at an altitude of 1500 metres above sea level. The varietal is carefully selected Villa Sarchi with some Caturra (around 30%).
This coffee is honey processed, which is like the pulped natural method, so the fruit is removed from the seed of the coffee bush and left to dry. The main difference is that when the cherry is removed there is no water involved, so mucilage sticks to the bean. This can be dangerous, but it's necessary in these parts of Costa Rica where water is limited: in this area of Naranjo water is a precious commodity so this method suits the location very well.
Whilst drying, the coffee ends up clustering because there is so much mucilage. So the coffee either needs to be turned regularly to stop this happening, or it has to be broken up. Over-fermentation can happen at this stage and you can end up with a not so good cup. But the Aguilera brothers are well versed in this method and are some of the most skilled in Costa Rica.
In the cup this coffee is delicious and has become one of our staple coffees. All the things that has made this coffee great over the past four years are still there; the front end sweet honey, the delicious mid-palate of raspberry, and the distinctive melted chocolate aftertaste that's smooth and balanced. Also the amazing clean tastes stay super clean. This is one coffee I'm very proud to offer.
- Country: Costa Rica
- Farm: Finca de Licho
- Farmer: Aguilera Family
- City: Naranjo
- Region: Alajuela
- Farm Size: 28.00 Hectares
- Coffee growing area: 9.10 Hectares
- Altitude: 1,500 m.a.s.l.
- Variety: Villa Sarchí 70% and Caturra 30%
- Processing System: Yellow Honey Coffee (Pulped Natural)
Sunday May 17, 2015
Sunday May 17, 2015
The name of this coffee producer may sound familiar. Beto is the son of the legend that is Teodocio Mamani who owns Finca Canton Uyunense, a farm we have worked with since 2012.
18 de mayo is a municipality of Caranavi (and part of Canton Uyunense), and lots of farms can be called a variation on these names as the land tends not to have a name. This is a super small lot and is a mixture of Catuai and caturra varietals.
This year is the first year that Beto has grown his own coffee, under his own guardianship (Dad letting go) and the results are amazing, although Dad has helped with the processing. They used a depulper that removes the cherry, then left the cherry to go through a dry fermentation process (aerobic) for 16 hours, and then ran it through the scrubber section of the pulper to remove the final remains of the mucilage. He then transferred the coffee to raised African beds where it dried in around 7-9 days.
Like on Canton Uyunense the picking methods used is called Ayne. With this method selective picking happens (not stripping the tree like their neighbours), demanding much more labour and incurs much more costs. But because of this Beto gets more coffee he can sell as specialty, and the cup profile improves.
In the cup you can expect baker's chocolate, sweetness and a lovely body. Although there is a gentlepear acidity, this coffee is all about the body and sweetness.
- Country: Bolivia
- Region: North Yungas
- City: Caranavi
- Farm: 18 de mayo Beto Mamani
- Owner: Beto Mamani
- Varietal: Caturra / Catuai
- Altitude: 1,250 – 1,650 m.a.s.l.
- Processing: Washed (dry fermentation)
- Rainfall period: Nov–February
- Average temperature: 8°C ≤ 19°≥ 30°C
- Soil type: clay and shale
- Other crops grown: citrus fruits (orange, tangerine), avocado
Sunday May 10, 2015
Sunday May 10, 2015
The Vieira Ferreira family has specialised in coffee production for three generations and is now headed by Adolfo Vieira Ferreira, whose attention to detail and commitment to producing top class specialty coffee is second to none.
In order to guarantee quality, the farm employs a high number of skilled workers to carry out most of the production process by hand, from soil preparation for planting to hand-picking the ripe cherries. In return, the farm looks after its workers. Permanent workers and their families live on-site and are provided with schooling for their children, professional training and environmental education.
The farm also takes environmental sustainability seriously and abides by all Brazilian environmental protection laws. Its native forests are set aside as protected reserves and are often visited by tourists, school children and ecologists. The farm also regularly plants new trees, particularly around its water sources, in order to maintain the local ecosystem.
Passeio’s coffee is picked by hand only when the cherries reach an advanced stage of ripeness, to avoid processing green beans.
The farm cultivates several different varietals: this Rubi lot, a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Catuaí. This single varietal lot was harvested and processed separately from other lots, to maintain its own distinct characteristics.
In the cup expect dark chocolate tones with a buttery mouthfeel, and a hint of black cherry with asuper bass-note finish. The strange thing is that you struggle to guess it's a Natural.
- Country: Brazil
- Region: Minas Gerais
- City: Alfenas
- Farm: Fazenda Passeio
- Owner: Adolfo Henrique Vieira Ferreira
- Coffee: BSCA Fazenda Passeio 100% Rubi Natural
- Varietal: 100% Rubi
- Processing: Pulped Natural and sun-dried on patios
- Altitude: 1,100–1,200 metres above sea level
Sunday May 03, 2015
Sunday May 03, 2015
We first bought this coffee back in 2007 in a buying group. I loved it from the first time I cupped it, and it was one I had to get. It was only after the auction closed that I found out it was owned by a family in Nicaragua who are probably the only people I know from the country, and are good friends.
The following year I visited the farm with our importers and spent the whole trip begging them to bring it in for us. Eventually they caved in and kindly did this for us. This has worked well for a couple of years. But we received a notice a couple of years ago that the importers were not going to be buying the coffee any more for reasons other than the cup quality. This led to some frantic phone calls and some thorough searching of the back of the sofa for the loose change to fund buying 12 months' worth of coffee in one go.
Many obstacles were in the way of doing this deal, but we were lucky that we were able to pull all the strings together with so little time.
So the upside of all of this is that now Limoncillo is part of our direct buying program and I see it as a symbol of how Has Bean's buying has developed, and how we are developing as a roastery. This coffee has come from Cup of Excellence, to long term relationship, to a direct trade relationship.
The farm is located in Matagalpa and is a huge 171 hectares. It's an amazing location with 9 waterfalls within the farm. It's owned by the Mieresch family; as I have already said they are good friends, but they're also well respected producers in Nicaragua. They're known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee.
The fact that the family are friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them, and continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee.
The employers:
- Pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage
- Provide free housing for 60 families on their farms
- Provide free electricity and running water for their homes
- Provide free food for all workers Have free day care facilities for families to use
- Provide free health care facilities on the farms
- Employ on-site teachers who educate their staff and teach other skills such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills. The teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities.
I'm pleased to say that in the cup it's very similar to previous years and remains as amazing as it's ever been, one of the most consistent cups we buy. The best way I could describe this coffee is that it's like eating a toffee apple. At the front you get the sweetness of caramel with a big sticky mouthfeel, then it turns into the juiciness of green apple acidity that cleans the mouth and refreshes the palate. Then the finish: you get the two flavours mixing together to give you a balanced and complex coffee.
- Farm: El Limoncillo
- Farmer: Dr Erwin Mierisch
- Region: Matagalpa
- Farm Size: 171.00 hectares
- Coffee growing area: 109.00 hectares
- Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.
- Varietal: Caturra
- Processing System: Washed and sun dried
- Coordinates N13 2.9569 W85 49.9756
Sunday Apr 26, 2015
Sunday Apr 26, 2015
I don’t know how good your memory is but we had a coffee a couple of years ago called Colombia Huila Pitalito Oporapa. It was from a mix of eleven producers; eleven producers who had been picked out, on a cupping table, as people doing amazing things with coffee. Since then we have gone on to develop and create relationships with two of these eleven, and Edier is the third.
Edier Perdomo owns a farm called Buena Vista in Pitalito, which is in the Huila department of Colombia. Edier is 34 years old and has worked with coffee his whole life, but he has only been focusing on quality for the last two years. He grows the Caturra varietal on the farm, which is at an altitude of 1,700 metres above sea level.
Edier is a little different, though. He is from a family of coffee growers, but he's one of the new generation trying different things and experimenting. His family own the farm next door to his, and they take a more traditional approach. They are planting rust-resistant varietals like Colombia and Sarchimor, for instance, while Edier perseveres with the vulnerable Caturra because he knows it has a superior cup profile with his set of growing circumstances.
He also does something different at the processing stage. For his fermentation process, Edier fills big blue tanks with 50% wet parchment (just out of the depulper) and then shuts them. He waits for 24 hours before opening the tank again, and then he proceeds with washing the coffee normally. This is an interesting way of fermenting, and it seems to be working really well for him.
So we have been running an experiment with him to cup and score each of his day's lots. First he has to deliver the lots at the right moisture content to the warehouse. It's not uncommon for lots to be rejected, but Edier rarely gets anything turned away and is the best at this in the Pitalito warehouse. We approve anything scoring over 86; anything below 86 is rejected, put into a bulk lot (a Pitalito blend) and sold on. So far we have seen that almost all his coffee has been approved with high scores: so much so that we created an 86-89 lot, which is here. There were a couple of special micro lots that scored over 89, which we will be selling for a little more (because we paid more for them), but this is the most versatile of them all.
In the cup expect a lovely green-apple acidity mixed with a powerful caramel that gives it amazing balance and mouthfeel. A great espresso.
To see photos of Buena Vista take a look here.
- Country: Colombia
- Department: Huila
- Town: Pitalito
- Producer: Edier Perdomo
- Farm: Finca Buena Vista
- Altitude: 1,700 m.a.s.l.
- Processing: Fully Washed using anaerobic style dry fermentation
- Varietal: Caturra
Sunday Apr 19, 2015
Sunday Apr 19, 2015
We have had this coffee before but last time the lot was produced by various smallholder farmers from the small town of Copacabana, which lies about 180km from La Paz in the heart of the Caranavi coffee producing region. This time it comes from one individual, called Vincent Paye who has been working hard to produce great coffee, and in fact is a beacon of hope in this tough growing region.
This is a lush and fertile region, whose steep slopes and valleys provide excellent conditions for growing specialty coffee, as well as supporting a diverse range of native flora and fauna, with rich volcanic soils and regular rainfall.
The colony of Copacabana has a collection of small farms that are around 5 hectares each (Vincent has 10), and range over an altitude of 1,300 to 1,600 metres, benefiting from an average annual temperature of between 15 and 26°C. This lot comes from a farm matching these criteria but is around 1,550 m.a.s.l. These traditional farms use no chemicals or pesticides and are certified organic although we do not hold an organic certification.
The main harvest runs from May to September, peaking in June and July. The cherries are hand-picked only when fully ripe and delivered to the central mill called Buena Vista where they are then fully. This lot was picked on the 29th of August and is part of our second container of coffees we bought from Bolivia this year. They are then dried, this time because of the wet weather mechanically over a 9 day period.
In the cup, this is yellow. Now I know 'yellow' is a strange description, but think yellow; think peachesand oranges (not strictly yellow), mangoes. 'Sunshine in a cup' may be one description too far, but you get the idea. A delicious brewed coffee.
- Country: Bolivia
- Region: Caranavi
- Town: Copacabana
- Farm: Vincent Paye
- Altitude: 1,550 m.a.s.l.
- Owner: Vincent Paye
- Varietal: Caturra
- Processing: Full washed and mechanically dried
Sunday Apr 12, 2015
Sunday Apr 12, 2015
This is our third year of working with this farm, but the first year's lot was so tiny it never made it to the website and was sold as an exclusive to one of our wholesale partners. Luckily, this year we focused a little bit more on the farm: we cupped a lot more pickings and found a little more coffee.
Carlos sent us every day's pickings to cup. We bought everything that scored over 86 points on the cupping table; anything below 86 was sold for commodity. This meant we had to pay a premium for the coffee, but I think it's worth it. It also meant we had some coffees that scored over 90, which will become the "reserve" from this lot.
The farm is located near to the city of Pitalito, in the south of the Huila department. It's in the valley of the Rio Grande de la Magdalena, known as "The Valley of Laboyos", which is 180 KM from Nieva – the capital of Huila. Pitalito is also the second largest city of the department of Huila, at approximately 125,000 inhabitants, and is considered one of the largest coffee producers in Colombia.
This farm is located on top of a mountain at 1,735 metres above sea level. The farm contains 70% Caturra (25,000 plants; this lot comes from them), 20% Colombia F6 (7000 plants) and 10% Castillo (2000 plants). The farm consists of eight hectares, six of which are planted with coffee. The other two hectares house the mill and inaccessible mountainous areas. The family house, which is also used for drying, is at the bottom of the hill at around 1,400 metres above sea level.
I took some amazing pictures on my trip in 2013 so take a look here, and I took some more on my trip in 2014 – find them here!
The farm is owned and run by the Claros family: Pedro, his wife Nelcy and their six children (Alberio, Edilson, Sandra, Hermes, Diana, and Monica). It's a real family business with everyone pitching in to the farm to make it work.
The drying patio was one of the most amazing things I’ve seen, with a greenhouse built on top of the house so that the coffee could be kept turning regularly but also to make sure no one steals it. The latter is not so much of a problem this year with market prices being low, but it was a real problem over the last three years. Of course, Pedro doesn't have to worry about market prices; he always get a premium because he consistently gives quality, but black market coffee goes to the highest market bidder.
In the cup expect a lovely creamy mouthfeel followed by a super-balanced green apple acidity. Also expect black tea and floral notes, along with an aftertaste that's sweet and just goes on and on.
- Country: Colombia
- Department: Huila
- Nearest town: Pitalito
- Farm: Finca La Chorrera
- Owners: Claros family
- Altitude: 1,735 m.a.s.l.
- Farm size: 8 hectares (6 of coffee)
- Varietal: Caturra
- Processing: Washed
Sunday Apr 05, 2015
Sunday Apr 05, 2015
Monday Mar 30, 2015
Monday Mar 30, 2015
Grown in the Viphya North Hills on the grassland plateau overlooking Lake Malawi, this micro lot is a mix of Nyika (which is a dwarf hybrid of Catimor 129 developed in Malawi) and the much prized Geisha vareital. Geisha is an ancient and very rare coffee variety that has gianed a lot of favour of late, but is very low yielding and vulnerable to disease and pests. The Nyika is the opposite, high yielding, hardy and strong, but catimor is less desirable to the coffee buyer who doesn’t taste.
Luckily for this coffee it was part of a competition where the lots are all cupped blindly called the Taste of Harvest (ToH) competition. A competition that is held in a few african countries, and this one won outright coming first this year for Malawi.
Located on the Viphya plateau which is in the eastern part of Mzimba district, Northern Malawi. Approx 85km south of Mzimba town, and 165km south of Mzuzu (the regional capital).
After pulping, coffee is fermented underwater (using clean water from local rivers) for between 12-36 hours, in order to remove remaining mucilage. Post-fermentation, coffee is washed and graded in sorting channels. Processing water is redistributed into seepage pits.
Parchment is then placed on pre-drying beds for 2-3 hours, until any surface water has evaporated, before being transferred to African raised beds, in layers of 3-5cm. In order to prevent parchment cracking, it is turned regularly, and covered at midday heat, to ensure uniform drying. When moisture levels reach 10.5-11%, it is removed from drying tables and placed in conditioning bins, in the parchment shed.
In the cup expect a lovely clean lemon citrus, and huge floral hit. But then this coffee surprises you as it takes a left turn into toffee sweetness and a mouthfeel and taste that only reminds me of my childhood and Nesquik chocolate milkshake.
Country: Malawi
Region: Northern
City: Mzimba
Farm: Msese
Farmer: Cooperative
Altitude: 1,600 – 1,900 m.a.s.l.
Varietal: Nyika and Geisha
Tuesday Mar 24, 2015
Tuesday Mar 24, 2015
This coffee is a staple, a big favourite and a stunning example of what a very fine coffee from Brazil should be. Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira Yellow Bourbon Pulped Natural from the Minas Gerais area is one of my all-time great cups. This coffee has always been fantastic, and it has such amazing memories for me.
This farm and its coffee sparked a massive change in what I thought I knew about coffee. I remember the first time I ever cupped this coffee: time stood still as the cup opened my mind to what great coffee is and can be. Gabriel, the farmer, continues to produce great coffee year on year. We have access to the best of the crop this year – and have had for the last three years – on a European exclusive. This is due to the special relationship we, and our importers, enjoy with Gabriel.
Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama has been in the Carvalho Dias family since 1890 and recently celebrated its 109th crop. It is located in São Paolo state, just three miles from the border with Minas Gerais state. It enjoys the typical characteristics of the mountainous Mogiana and Sul de Minas regions, and it's located at an altitude of 1,100–1,250 metres above sea level
Gabriel de Carvalho Dias is one of Brazil’s leading agronomists. His family owns several farms, and they border each other in this area. With a total area of 417 hectares, Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama has a coffee plantation area of 165 hectares. Everything is done manually on this farm since its topography does not allow any kind of mechanisation. The mill is located close to the spa town of Poços de Caldas, which is 45 minutes from the farm.
The Carvalho Dias family consider social and environmental sustainability to be very important. The farm has a programme of planting native species of trees to maintain a better ecological balance. There is also a school, a club and an official-size soccer field for the employees and workers. There are 47 houses, all with modern facilities. The waste water is treated in order to avoid polluting the stream that runs across the farm. The farm has a small hydroelectric plant and only buys energy during the peak harvest. Some of the original Bourbon varietal trees are as much as 108 years old.
The beans are harvested on a sheet and prepared by the ‘pulped natural’ process, which separates the greens. The beans receive the maximum possible attention after harvest so they don't lose any of the body and cup qualities for which this region is famed.
This comes from the rare Canario varietal. It's a Bourbon mutation that originated in Brazil. You can find out more about it here, but what you will notice in the cup is that it adds complexity and acidity compared to Bourbon coffees.
In the cup expect outstanding sweetness joined by an apricot acidity and a lovely peach aftertaste. Sure there's the normal Brazilian chocolate, caramel and toffee, but this cup offers a little more.
Country: Brazil
Region: Mogiana (São Paolo)
City: São Sebastião da Grama
Farm: Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama
Owner: Lidolpho de Carvalho Dias and family
Altitude: 1,100 – 1,250 m.a.s.l.
Processing: Pulped Natural
Varietal: Canario
Sunday Mar 15, 2015
Sunday Mar 15, 2015
This coffee is a staple, a big favourite and a stunning example of what a very fine coffee from Brazil should be. Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira de Grama Canario Natural from the Minas Gerais area is one of my all-time great cups. This coffee has always been fantastic, and it has such amazing memories for me.
This farm and its coffee sparked a massive change in what I thought I knew about coffee. I remember the first time I ever cupped this coffee: time stood still as the cup opened my mind to what great coffee is and can be. Gabriel, the farmer, continues to produce great coffee year on year. We have access to the best of the crop this year – and have had for the last three years – on a European exclusive. This is due to the special relationship we, and our importers, enjoy with Gabriel.
Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama has been in the Carvalho Dias family since 1890 and recently celebrated its 109th crop. It is located in São Paolo state, just three miles from the border with Minas Gerais state. It enjoys the typical characteristics of the mountainous Mogiana and Sul de Minas regions, and it's located at an altitude of 1,100–1,250 metres above sea level.
Gabriel de Carvalho Dias is one of Brazil’s leading agronomists. His family owns several farms, and they border each other in this area. With a total area of 417 hectares, Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama has a coffee plantation area of 165 hectares. Everything is done manually on this farm since its topography does not allow any kind of mechanisation. The mill is located close to the spa town of Poços de Caldas, which is 45 minutes from the farm.
The Carvalho Dias family consider social and environmental sustainability to be very important. The farm has a programme of planting native species of trees to maintain a better ecological balance. There is also a school, a club and an official-size soccer field for the employees and workers. There are 47 houses, all with modern facilities. The waste water is treated in order to avoid polluting the stream that runs across the farm. The farm has a small hydroelectric plant and only buys energy during the peak harvest. Some of the original Bourbon varietal trees are as much as 108 years old.
The beans are harvested on a sheet and prepared by the ‘natural’ process, where cherries are taken and dried in the sun (see here for a more full explanation).
This comes from the rare Canario varietal. It's a bourbon mutation that originated in Brazil. You can find out more about it here, but what you will notice in the cup is that it adds complexity and acidity compared to Bourbon coffees.
In the cup there's dark chocolate sweetness with a wafer biscuit base; this is finished with dried-raisin acidity. A delicious, full-bodied cup with a huge mouthfeel.
- Country: Brazil
- Region: Mogiana (São Paolo)
- City: São Sebastião da Grama
- Farm: Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama
- Owner: Lidolpho de Carvalho Dias and family
- Altitude: 1,100 – 1,250 m.a.s.l.
- Varietal: Canario
- Processing: Natural
Sunday Mar 08, 2015
Sunday Mar 08, 2015
We had coffee three years ago from Anastacio but it was called Ilimanni Bolinda mixed with Bolinda from a neighbouring canton. Two years ago Felix from Bolinda didn't send any of his coffee to the mill, and in fact has since abandoned the farm.
This gave us the opportunity to try Ilimani from Anastacio all on its own for the first time, and it was delicious! We're really happy to welcome it back for a second year.
Anastacio Cadena is 49 and bought his farm in 1993, but he had worked on his neighbour's farms since he was 16 years old. His farm is located in the Illimani colony, near the town of Caranavi. Anastacio has 2 hectares of coffee with approximately 6,000 coffee plants of Criolla and Caturra varietals, which are at an altitude between 1,350 and 1,800 metres above sea level. The farm is completely inaccessible from the road so Anastacio has to move the crop by hand for a quarter of a mile, at which point he can use trucks to move the coffee. All of this effort is truly worth it when you taste the coffee.
Unfortunately this is the last time were going to see this coffee. Anastacio has decided that he is not going to grow coffee and after the harvest cleared the land and is going to use it for grazing cattle. The last time to try one of my favourite cups
In the cup think pineapple cubes and pear drops. It's sweet with a clean, bright green-apple aciditythat finishes with milk chocolate. What makes this cup really great and interesting is its complexity.
- Country: Bolivia
- Region: North Yungas
- City: Caranavi
- Farm: Finca Illimani
- Farmer: Anastacio Cadena
- Altitude: 1,350–1,800 m.a.s.l.
- Varietals: Criolla, Caturra
- Coffee growing area: 2 hectares
- Type of soil: clay
- Type of shade: citrus
- Weeding: Twice per year
- Pruning: Sanitary pruning
- Processing system: On-site wet processing, solar drying.
Sunday Mar 01, 2015
Sunday Mar 01, 2015
Episode 328 on Monday the 2nd of March 2015 Colombia CENCOIC Cauca Washed
Sunday Feb 22, 2015
Sunday Feb 22, 2015
The Vieira Ferreira family has specialised in coffee production for three generations and is now headed by Adolfo Vieira Ferreira, whose attention to detail and commitment to producing top-class specialty coffee is second to none.
The farm employs a high number of skilled workers to carry out most of the production process by hand, in order to guarantee quality. They do everything, from soil preparation for planting to hand-picking the ripe cherries. In return, the farm looks after its workers. Permanent workers and their families live on-site and are provided with schooling for their children, professional training and environmental education.
The farm also takes environmental sustainability seriously and abides by all Brazilian environmental protection laws. Its native forests are set aside as protected reserves and are often visited by tourists, school children and ecologists. The farm also regularly plants new trees, particularly around its water sources, in order to maintain the local ecosystem.
Passeio’s coffee is picked by hand only when the cherries reach an advanced stage of ripeness, to avoid processing green beans. Pulped natural lots such as this one are pulped and then, rather than being soaked and washed, they are immediately transferred to the patios for drying with the bean’s sticky outer mucilage still attached. The coffee is then kept in wooden resting bins for a minimum of 60 days before the final dry milling, and is sorted immediately prior to export.
The farm cultivates several different varietals: this Rubi lot, a hybrid of Mundo Novo and Catuaí. This single-varietal lot was harvested and processed separately from other lots to maintain its own, distinct characteristics.
In the cup, it's just like its Natural brother. You get sweet milk chocolate and white sugar sweetness, with a honeydew-melon acidity, and a biscuit finish.
- Country: Brazil
- Region: Minas Gerais
- City: Alfenas
- Farm: Fazenda Passeio
- Owner: Adolfo Henrique Vieira Ferreira
- Varietal: 100% Rubi
- Processing: Pulped Natural, and sun-dried on patios
- Altitude: 1,100 – 1,200 m.a.s.l.
Monday Feb 16, 2015
Monday Feb 16, 2015
Back in 1870, Fabio Morán and Etifanio Silva decided to conquer this hostile territory, sowing coffee trees in one of the highest summits of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. They named the 28 hectares of land Siberia for its chaotic weather conditions along with its difficult accessibility: very apt really. One century later, Rafael Silva inherited the property. It is located at 1,450 metres above sea level.
It is shade-grown only coffee, of which we have two varieties; 75% Bourbon, and 25% Pacamara (this is a 100% Bourbon lot).
The name Rafael Silva might be a familiar one to lovers of El Salvadorian coffee. Rafael and Carmen are the owners of one of my favourite coffees: La Fany. I visited both La Fany and Siberia farms with Rafael and Carmen back in 2007; I stocked this coffee and loved it. But it fell off our radar a little. El Salvador is somewhere we have worked very hard, and we have some amazing friends and coffees, but somehow Siberia farm got lost.
Fast forward to 2012 and the Cup of Excellence. This sample hit our table and we were wowed, really wowed. So much so that we bought it at a crazy price, and this coffee retailed at £12 a bag. You snapped it up. We raved about it and thought it only right to follow up on it. In fact the Siberia farm has been highly decorated; it's been among the Cup of Excellence winners in the years 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012.
So on my visit to El Salvador, Rafael and Carmen very kindly gave me a day of their time and took me to see their lovely new mill. We cupped some coffees and talked about how we could make sure we had coffee from Siberia farm this year, and also in future.
Siberia farm is located in the Cerro El Aguila canton, between Santa Ana and Chalchuapa, in the region of Santa Ana and the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range. This estate is exactly at the other side of the mountain from the La Fany estate, which we love so much.
In the cup expect a gentle aniseed and liquorice, with a lovely lingering spicy aftertaste.
- Farm: La Siberia
- Farmer: Rafael and Carmen Silva Hoff
- City: Chalchuapa
- Region: Santa Ana
- Country: El Salvador
- Farm size: 27 hectares
- Coffee growing area: 27 hectares
- Annual production: 35,000 KG
- Workers: 120 during the peak harvest
- Average temperature: 18 degrees centigrade
- Average annual rainfall: 2,500mm
- Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
- Processing: Natural
- Variety: Bourbon