Tasting Notes: July 2021 Coffees
As much today as in 2011, when it was a simple coffee cart stationed at markets around the busy city of London, NOMAD's values and goals remain the same: proximity, respect for the producer and careful attention to detail throughout the production chain.
NOMAD later moved to Barcelona to open its first shop and help cultivate a taste for speciality coffee in the Catalan capital. Soon after, they opened their own open roastery and, still guided by the premise of bringing coffee closer to the public, they began to distribute their product and create a collaborative network of cafés, helping the project to grow on an international scale. NOMAD are certainly one of Europe's most acclaimed speciality coffee roasters, and even more certainly, one of our personal favourites for whom we know very well.
NOMAD Coffees | Spain
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| FES Honey, El Salvador | Long ago, the Ruffattis moved to El Salvador from Torino, Italy and started planting coffee soon after. Finca El Salvador has now been in the family for 5 generations. Located at the top of Cerro El Aguila, on the north face of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, the coffee is planted currently up to 1640 meters. Above this area used to be too cold to plant Bourbon, but with global climate change, we are now able to go higher. The coffee is processed by their team in Juayua, making the bulk of production honey process with a smaller volume of naturals. | Blueberries, chocolate and hazelnuts Altitude: 1350 - 1600 masl+, Process: honey |
Single, Selected Mix |
| San Luis, Colombia | Coming soon | Cocoa nibs, peach and chocolate with milk Process: red honey |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| La Mandarina, Peru | This micro lot has been produced by Faustino and his wife Sara. Both of them originally come from Cutervo Province, located in the North of Peru, but 11 years ago they moved with their children to El Diamante in San Ignacio, where their family has been living for more than 30 years. The reason for this was that Faustino wanted to increase his farmland and his family told him that there was more space there and the coffee production was better than in Cutervo. So in San Ignacio Faustino had more land and space and therefore started to become more serious with coffee production. It was his son David that started to plant varieties like Caturra and Bourbon on a parcel in 2013, excited about the potential of producing specialty coffee. David tried to convince Faustino to do the same. He was a bit sceptical at first, but his son convinced him to plant Gesha, Bourbon and Yellow Caturra, just to try. The moment that he took a ripe Gesha berry in his mouth and chewed on it, he knew this was something different! And when he sent his first sample to be cupped, his coffee scored 90 points. That was the moment he decided to only work with specialty coffee. And David not only convinced him, but also the rest of the family. Even in the entire community and direct surroundings all the farmers are starting to share experiences and ask for each other’ s opinion. They visit each other to analyse plants, and are learning together in their journey to improve quality. Faustino hasn’t stopped working since then to increase his coffee quality and implement new practices. He has for example installed a solar dryer to improve drying of his beans. This system prevents the cherries from getting wet from the rain and improves the drying process, concentrating heat and drying the coffee with constant and natural ventilation. |
Blood orange, caramel sauce and rosemay flower Altitude: 1710 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| Chambaku Natural, Colombia | Finca Chambaku is the new Restrepo family project, a 12 hectares farm inside Hacienda el Jardín, in Villamaría, Caldas. This farm has always been dedicated to the traditional coffee-growing, but it started to focus on growing new coffees, thanks to the exceptional terroir conditions. Juan Felipe Restrepo is the person in charge of the protocols and processes done on the farm, using organic compost and taking care of the processes they do after the harvest. They also built 3 layers greenhouse in order to improve their drying processes. In order to get this coffee, the Restrepo family did a batch selection process, prioritising the coffee plant location in the farm, to make sure the plants meet the temperature and humidity requirements needed for the proper development of the sugars present in coffee. After picking the cherries, a floating process is made to remove the unripe cherries. Then, the coffee goes through 16 hours of aerobic fermentation in tanks filled with inoculum made with fermentations from past crops. The coffee is then moved to a greenhouse and dried in bed for 4 days, to remove most of the water and allow the last juices to exchange. After this phase is done, the coffee is dried for two days. |
Molasses, raw cocoa and watermelon liqueur Altitude: 1400 - 1800 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Quintas De Guimaraes, Brazil | In the region of Cerrado Mineiro, you will find families that have grown big through coffee production, but the story is different. Based in Patrocínio and Serra do Salitre, Quintas de Guimarães is a family-owned company that grew by specializing in other high-quality crops such as corn, cotton, wheat and soybean, since the end of the 19th century. Their involvement in the region’s development is noticeable. The family has several farms within Cerrado Mineiro, including in Guimarânia, a city that was founded by them. Francisco Guimarães, also known as Chico, told us that their family is well known for cereals, but their coffee production was still unknown. The family planted their first coffee plants in 2010. Their experience and eye for innovative technology, have helped them to take big leaps towards producing high-quality speciality coffee. Quintas de Guimarães aims to produce more pulped natural than natural lots using extended fermentation times. All lots have traceability, keeping lots well separated during the post-harvest. They have several varieties on their farm, such as IAC 125 RN (IBC 12), Topázio, Catuaí 62 and Catuaí 144, Paraíso MG2, Guará, Arara (like this one), IPR 103, Catiguá MG2. The coffee from this Fazenda is been the winner of multiple local contests within the region, such as the “Cerrado Mineiro”, the “Emater” or the “Expocaccer” contests, placing 1st two years in a row. “I want everyone to be able to consume quality coffee, not only to understand the quality itself but also how it is done. We seek to produce quality coffees and find customers who value not only our story but also our product”. – Chico. At Quintas de Guimarães they are conscious about the importance of environmental preservation since it has a remarkable impact on our future. They regularly conduct research studies into the flora and fauna within the region, so to maintain the ecosystem as preserved as possible. “We know that if we don’t protect our water springs, we can damage our future”. – Chico |
Cocoa powder, orange and plum Altitude: 980 masl, Process: natural |
Single, Selected Mix |
| Manacaraco, Peru | Felino Sánchez Bustamante moved with his family to Finca Manacaraco from northern Perú in the early 2000s. Since they arrived at the farm, they noticed a bird whose song made them fall in love, and they decided to call their farm after that bird, Manacaraco, so they could share the story with the people who are curious about the name they chose for their farm. The Bustamante family works hard to improve the quality of their coffee, cultivating fruit trees in addition to coffee on their farm, and diversifying their processing methods. The cherries from this lot have been handpicked and then pulped in the farm’s pulper drum pulper. The coffee is then anaerobically fermented in sealed containers for 42 hours and then washed with clean water. Parchment then dries in thin layers on raised drying beds for 15 to 20 days, being raked frequently to achieve an even drying. |
Blueberries, lavender and raspberry jam Altitude: 1300 masl, Process: washed, anaerobic fermentation |
Selected Mix |
| Bombe, Ethiopia | We are happy to say that the Ethiopian coffee season is here and this washed batch from the Bombe station is one of our favourites. The Bombe washing station, also known as Abore, is named after Bombe mountains in the Sidama region, located south from the washing station. Sidama is located in the south of the country and coffee there grows between 1920 and 2020 meters above sea level. It translates into a slow ripening of the cherries, which develop flavours and aromas more complex and interesting acidities. Lots of fruits and floral hints are found in these coffees. Bombe producers are part of a member organisation consisting of 667 producers. After harvesting their cherries, they deliver their coffee to the Bombe washing station for it to be processed. This lot was wet fermented between 36 and 72 hours and then dried on African beds covered with clean plastic meth and sheet between 9 and 12 days to around 10% moisture. During the sun, beds are covered to avoid an over-drying of the coffee. |
Honey, orange blossom and saturn peach Altitude: 1920 - 2020 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
Casino Mocca is now considered to be the leading new-wave coffee roastery of Hungary, and their coffees are now known across Europe. They believe that there is a growing demand for a quality coffee experience in Hungary, which they can satisfy locally, as much as their international interest. In effort of contributing greatly to this 'speciality experience' with the approach they reach for coffee, Casino Mocca are committed to roasting from what was a humble hobby to now an award-winning roastery.
Casino Mocca Coffees | Hungary
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decaf de Cana, Colombia | This coffee is grown in the Huila Department of Colombia. It consists of Caturra, Castillo and Colombia varietals decaffeinated locally using naturally occurring compounds. This method avoids excessive heat or pressure, which can radically disrupt a green bean´s cellular structure, also it does not result in a radical change of the coffee flavours. If you’d like to have coffee in the evenings, this is for you. In Colombia, where sugar cane is readily available, it makes great economic sense to use this plentiful resource to complement the coffee industry. When the coffee is received it is first submitted to a condition of water and steam. This elevates the moisture contained and swells the bean in order to facilitate the extraction of caffeine. It is at this point, that the bean experiences an E.A. wash, which dissolves the caffeine. The beans are then cleaned with water, followed by steam, to clean the inner most portions of the bean. Finally, the beans are dried until reaching the moisture similar to which they had prior to the process. |
Orange peel, toffee and cashew Process: decaf, washed |
Decaf |
| Kianyaga, Kenya | The Kianyaga washing station, owned by the Baragwi Farmers’ Co-operative Society, is located south of Mount Kenya, in the western part of Kirinyaga Province. Our coffee is the result of more than 1400 smallholders’ shared crop and is processed using the wet method. The Kianyaga washing station is owned by the Baragwi Farmers’ Co-operative Society since 1966 and is located south of Mount Kenya, in the western part of Kirinyaga Province. Kirinyaga lies in central Kenya, south of Mount Kenya, and along with the neighbouring Nyeri Province, it is the source of Kenya’s most complex coffees. Over 70% of the region’s coffee is produced by smallholders working on a few hectares, growing only around 250 coffee shrubs each. The coffee is usually grown in the shades of Gravelia and Muringa trees, which results in a higher concentration of sugar in the coffee beans, which gives the coffee a richer flavour profile after roasting it. |
Blackcurrant, tangerine and sweet lemonade Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| El Refugio, Colombia | The plantation of Orlando Alba is located near the municipality of San Agustín in the Department of Huila, at an altitude of 1800 metres above sea level. Orlando farms on the 50-hectare Finca El Refugio which has been passed over in his family over generations. Our featured lot is a mix of Caturra and Castillo varietals dried under the sun for 15 days. Specialty coffee production helped Orlando preserve the picturesque farm where he grew up. With the help of InConexus, a private organization focused on the creation of sustainable alternatives, he halted and reversed deforestation and preserved the remaining tree cover, turning to shade-grown coffee production as a way to increase coffee quality and increase his income. InConexus also helped him diversify coffee varieties and separate lots by variety to add value. |
Tamarind, blue grape and cocoa nibs Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Duromina, Ethiopia | Introducing the 4th instalment of our Ethiopian series. Duromina is a small farmers’ cooperative located in the Jimma zone of southwestern Ethiopia, 25 kilometres from the town of Agaro. Our coffee consists of wet-processed varieties indigenous to that region. Duromina is a true success story: The farmers’ cooperative, which consists of 329 workers, was established in 2010 and won the African Taste of Harvest award in 2012 with a batch of wet-processed coffee very similar to this one. Their new processing station was built with the aid of the non-profit organization TechnoServe on a 4-year loan. They managed to pay the loan back in full only a year after starting their operation, and their momentum has been unwavering ever since. The processing water, obtained from the nearby river, is cleaned and recycled after use. The pulp of the cherries is also recycled as organic fertilizer. The members of the cooperative are smallholders, farming on a land of 1800 acres (730 ha) without using any chemicals. It is not a coincidence that in the local Oromo language, the phrase Duromina refers to improved quality of life. |
Peach, lemon zest and black tea Process: washed |
Rest of World |
Founded in 2011, Cafe Mokxa can be found in Strasbourg and Lyon, working in France and internationally with coffeeshops, restaurants and hotels. All of their attention is focused on the entire chain, from the coffee producers to the cup. With a careful selection of their green coffees on farms and/or by importers, their roasting methods, offered training and support for perfect coffee extraction, Cafe Mokxa has a commitment to offering you a diverse range of quality coffees.
Cafe Mokxa make particular demands on their selection of coffee, with all 100% Arabica and coming only from sustainable or organic farming. The roasters also only work with current harvests and offer those with a tasting score higher than 85/100.
Cafe Mokxa Coffees | France
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bomba de Fruta, Honduras | New owners of family plantations Marysabel Caballero and her husband Moises Herrera cultivate nearly 200 hectares of coffee trees in the village of Mar cala. Concerned about environmental sustainability, they actively seek to improve their soils through the use of organic and mineral fertilizers, in order to ensure a healthy ecosystem for their land. In addition to being environmentally conscious, the producers emphasize quality and have received numerous awards. | Fruity, muscat and candied black berries Altitude: 1600 masl, Process: natural |
Selected Mix |
| Rio Blanco, Colombia | Rio Blanco is the name given to the source of water in the Tolima region, a real boon for agricultural crops. It is in the Valle Del Cauca, that since 1945, the many plantations of the family production Café Granja La Esperanza have been located. Developing a strong interest in preserving their environment without reducing the quality of the grain, it was at the end of the 90s that the family decided to take a new direction with the conversion of crops to organic. | Cocoa, almonds and maple syrup. Balanced Altitude: 1500 - 1900 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Decaf Bio, Peru | Conventional methods of decaffeination use chemical solvents. This coffee is decaffeinated by a natural extraction method , using just water. The green beans are immersed in a hot bath to extract the caffeine and soluble aromatic components. The water is filtered, the caffeine eliminated. A new spit is mixed with this concentrated aroma water and the “principle of osmosis” balances the caffeine content. The process is repeated until the caffeine is reduced to between 0.01% and 0.02%. | Caramel, vanilla and oats Altitude: 1200 - 1800 masl. Process: decaffinated with water |
Decaf |
| Seasonal Espresso Blend | 60% Brazil Sitio da Torre Nature, 40% Colombia Rio Blanco. For more freshness, we select our coffees according to the harvest periods. The seasonal espresso is renewed twice a year. This blend, composed of a Brazilian base and a Colombia with more complex aromas, reveals balance and fine acidity. When the batch of an origin ends, we replace it with a coffee with a similar cup profile, to keep the taste the same. | Cocoa, hazelnut and rapadura Altitude: 1250 - 2000 masl, Process: natural and washed |
Dark, Blends |
| Sitio Colinas Natural, Brazil | The Sitio Colinas farm is a family heritage that has been passed down from generation to generation, from the great-grandfather of Luiz, who is now a producer. Luiz focuses on social responsibility, the environment, his employees and the quality of his coffee. The farm is located in Minas Gerais, in the region of Mantiqueira de Minas which has 69,500 hectares of plantations with 7,800 producers, 89% of whom are smallholders. | Cocoa, marzipan and macadamia nuts Altitude: 900 - 1150 masl, Process: natural |
Selected Mix |
| Danche, Ethiopia | This coffee comes from plantations in semi-forest plots, the result of the work of nearly 400 coffee growers. After harvesting and manual sorting, the cherries are washed at the Chelbesa Danche station, managed by Girum Assefa. In organic certification, this station is attached to the company SNAP COFFEE which supports social development projects (construction of schools and supply of computers) and offers producers regular training, in order to ensure them more stability. | Apricot, yellow peach and mirabelle plum Altitude: 1950 - 2200 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| Kiamabara, Kenya | The Mugaga cooperative brings together five production sites, including the Kiamabara farm in the heights of Nyeri. Aware of the need to preserve the environment and the well-being of employees, the association's coordinators are developing various projects such as wastewater recovery or assistance with school fees. This coffee, enjoying the Kenyan terroir with fertile soil and volcanic soils, expresses a beautiful aromatic complexity. | Blueberries and dried figs. Creamy Altitude: 1600 masl, Process: washed |
Rest of World |
Over the last 15 years, Origin have been exploring coffee, seeking new flavours, collaborators and lessons in the pursuit of an exceptional cup. What they do has changed over the years but their approach remains the same. Ultimately, it’s about respect – for the people, the process, the coffee, the brewing. Origin simply focus on making the coffee the best it can be, and they will continue to do this for the next 15 years too.
Origin's approach to coffee sourcing is through direct trade, a philosophy and ethical practice true to speciality coffee. Powered by the perfect blend of passion, precision, curiosity and caffeine, the Origin roastery is where knowledge and instinct unite. Origin's Head of Coffee, Freda Yuan, is a 3 times UK Cup Tasters Champion.
Origin Coffees | UK
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Elena Natural, El Salvador | Fernando Lima is the 7th generation of coffee producers. He studied engineering before taking over family business. His family has been big in coffee and politic. Fernando’s great grandfather was the president of El Salvador. Santa Elena’s challenge is consistency of the quality of coffee. One part of the farm was attacked by the resident volcano, which turned the soil to ash. Luckily, he found a way to turn the ash to good nutritious soil for the coffee trees. Once the coffee cherries are picked, they're immediately moved to raised beds to dry for 22 days. As the cherries dry, they are raked or turned by hand to ensure even drying. This process heightens the tropical qualities of the cup, with defined notes of pineapple and strawberry alongside a sweet chocolate like finish. |
Pineapple, wild strawberry and milk chocolate Altitude: 1450 - 1800 masl, Process: natural |
Light, Single, Selected Mix |
| San Fermin, Colombia | San Fermin is a lot built from dozens of small producers in south Tolima. Etched out of the mountains, situated in some of the most remote locations each farm is only a few hectares. Farmers must cross rivers and trek through jungles before they can load dirt bikes and carts pulled by donkeys, to get the coffee to our partners at the local warehouse. The producers of San Fermin are a key part of who we are, and we have two ongoing projects that celebrate that relationship. Our yearly producer competition recognises these truly exceptional lots. Additionally, we have committed to purchasing a drier with our local partners, Caravela. This will save the producers having to return the coffee all the way back to their farms if it still needs some further drying, saving them extra time and effort. |
Orange sherbet, caramel and berries Altitude: 1600 - 2000 masl, Process: washed |
Single, Selected Mix |
| Stronghold | Stronghold is our celebration of the incredible coffees that we source from Brazil and the long-standing direct trade partners that we work with there. Our roast profile for Stronghold creates a darker, more traditional roast than our other blends. To build this blend we drew on three of our trusted long-term partners. Ricardo Barbosa is our go-to when we want to add bass toned richness. For dark sugar sweetness and chocolate notes we then look to Virgulino Muniz's crops. Sao Joao ‚ courtesy of Osvaldo Bachiao, completes the blend with an added layer of complexity. This coffee is clean and sweet with flavours of dark sugar and chocolate. Stronghold is built to please those that want a simple, easy and intense cup. A coffee that is sweet but with no acidity. |
Dark Chocolate, fudge and dark sugar Altitude: 1120 - 1600 masl, Process: pupled natural |
Dark |
| Resolute | Resolute signifies a no nonsense, classic idea of coffee. It’s a consistent and comforting, full-bodied cup, with prominent notes of dark chocolate and nuts. It comes together like a barrelling wave, to form the perfect basis for a flat white or standalone espresso. Three producers were responsible for this blend: The Huabal Smallholders work across two neighbouring mountains in Peru with differing climates and soil conditions; some areas are wet and humid, whilst others are dry and hot. This diversity contributes to Resolute’s complex flavour. Manoel Barbosa Junqueira’s coffee, Mariano provides the chocolatey caramel flavour to balance the blend. With 18°C average temperature, the land has presented excellent conditions for four generations of farmers. São João, courtesy of Osvaldo Bachião Filho completes the blend with an added layer of complexity and a sweet, chocolatey finish. |
Milk chocolate, stewed plum and caramel Altitude: 980 - 2000 masl, Process: pupled natural, washed |
Blends |
| Cerro Azul Decaf | Cerro Azul is steeped in coffee history. It has always been a coffee farm, but it was only after the Mierisch family purchased it in 2011, that its development and quality rapidly improved. They saw the great potential of Honduran coffee and wanted to share the knowledge that they had learned from their homeland Nicaragua, with another country. This coffee was decaffeinated using the chemical- free C02 process. This process involves submerging the unroasted green coffee in warm pressurised water to open up the bean. Carbon molecules are then added to the water which attract and bind with the caffeine. The great thing about this is that it doesn’t draw out any of the carbohydrates and proteins which are what give the coffee its flavour. The water and carbon dioxide are then removed and the coffee dried. The by-products of this process are completely recycled, with the water filtered and reused while the filtered content is extracted and turned into cow feed. |
Plum, mandarin and brown sugar Altitude: 1600 masl, Process: washed, CO2 decaffeinated |
Decaf |
| House Expresso | This coffee was produced using a high-end range of 100% plastic-free and eco-friendly Nespresso compatible capsules with direct-trade coffee. They're the first in the world to feature an oxygen barrier to preserve freshness and reduce packaging. The capsules are produced by Terracaps®, who are certified as a climate-neutral product by ClimatePartner. Climate-neutral means they have calculated all unavoidable carbon emissions created during production and offset them. This coffee is clean and sweet with flavours of dark sugar and chocolate. It's built to please those that want a simple, easy, and intense cup. A coffee that is sweet with a low acidity. |
Chocolate, nuts and caramel Altitude: 1120 - 1600 masl, Process: pupled natural |
Capsules |
Sourcing the best quality green coffee in the most sustainable, social and environmental way, Caravan coffee roasters have grown over the years to become a leading multi-cafe roastery in London. Outgrowing their 'micro roasters' status, this is not something to think of as unauthentic, but a reward for their continued popularity and success in speciality coffee.
Caravan Coffees | UK
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Carmen Sugarcane, Colombia | Decaffeinated in-country in Colombia using coffee from the El Carmen Association, with whom Caravan have enjoyed a long-standing relationship. Using a byproduct of sugarcane fermentation to selectively dissolve and remove caffeine from the green coffee, this decaf lot is clean, sweet, and delightfully tasty. Beginning life as a washed process lot of Caturra and Castillo varietals, grown by over 300 smallholder farmers in the Huila region of Colombia, this coffee is a superlative example of our mission to redefine the standards of decaf. Caravan and the El Carmen cooperative are disrupting the traditional ideas that decaf drinkers do not deserve better, overturning the tyranny of lower-grade, past crop and dark roasted coffees without pleasant taste qualities. Often described as the ‘natural process’ decaf, sugarcane decaf uses ethyl-acetate as a selective solvent to remove caffeine from the green coffee. Ethyl-acetate is naturally occurring organic compound produced by the fermentation of fruits, most often found in ripe bananas. |
Treacle, maple syrup and brownie Altitude: 1600 - 1800 m masl, Process: sugarcane decaf |
Decaf |
| Maria Ramirez, Guatemala | This is our third year purchasing from Mrs. Ramirez and her farm, T'Zun Witz, located near the town of Concepcion Huista in northern Guatemala. This year, despite the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions and disruptions, we received Maria's coffee faster than ever - with that freshness translating to juicy acidity and beautiful clarity in the cup. Maria Ramirez owns Finca T’zun Witz, in the renowned northern region of Huehuetenango. She is a member of Cooperative El Sendero, a group who consistently produce exceptional coffees well above the already high bar set by the region’s natural potential. This is our third year in a row buying coffee from Mrs. Ramirez, who is the first generation of her family to farm coffee. This year, good weather and rains produced ideal conditions for coffee growing, meaning Maria and her family harvested approximately 15% more than previous harvests. On top of that, this year is the highest cup score of the three years we’ve been purchasing from T’Zun Witz – a testament to Mrs. Ramirez’ hard work. At T’zun Witz, Mrs. Ramirez grows the varieties Catuai, Caturra and Bourbon under Inga and Gravilea shade trees. She and her workers selective pick the ripest cherries with three passes over the fields during harvest. Following picking, she immediately de-pulps the coffee before leaving it in water to ferment for 36 hours. Following this long fermentation, the coffee is then cleaned with fresh water before patio drying. This period of comparatively long wet fermentation is necessitated by the cold nights of Huehuetenango, imparting a distinct fruity, berry-like tone to the coffee whilst keeping the bright and clean acidity of the washed process. |
Black cherry, strawberry and soft caramel Altitude: 1650 masl, Process: washed |
Selected Mix, Single |
| Estela Domingo, Guatemala | They say good things come in threes, and this summer that maxim surely applies to our latest single origin espresso, from producer Estela Domingo. This is our third year in a row buying from Mrs. Domingo, whose farm Finca Yulimox (translated in the local Popti language as “Inside the Mountain”) sits in the volcanic region of Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Huehuetenango is perhaps the most famous coffee growing region in all of Guatemala, known for producing bright and lively acidities, stunning complexity and balanced sweetness. The cold nights in Huehue temper the speed of fermentation, allowing a rich complexity of flavour to arise whilst keeping a clean cup profile. This year, despite Covid restrictions and the subsequent impact on labour shortages, Mrs. Domingo’s maintained her farm’s productivity and quality: no small feat for any producer. Estela and all of our Guatemalan coffees come to us via our partnership with Primavera Coffee Importers, a women-owned, Guatemalan-based company who we’ve been working with for nine years. By picking only ripe cherries and using intentioned practices during processing and drying, Mrs. Domingo ensures that the inherent qualities of the Huehue terroir and her hard work in maintaining the farm are fully expressed in her coffee. |
Vanilla, Apple pie and lemon custard Altitude: 1700 masl, Process: washed |
Plus 87 |
| Gilcimar Spavier, Brazil | Gilcimar Spavier is a third-generation coffee farmer in the region of Espírito Santo, Brazil. This unique coastal region in the southeast is home to some of Brazil’s highest mountains. The combination of cool, moist ocean air, hilly topography, and smallholder farming produces truly exceptional cups, defying traditional expectations of what Brazilian coffee can be. We visited Espírito Santo in 2019, in one of our last origin trips before the COVID19 pandemic turned the world on its head, and visited Gilcimar at his farm, Sítio Bateia. Gilcimar manages two plots of coffee on the 13ha farm, with 20,000 Catuaí trees in total. He is currently cultivating a second plot with 10,000 Obata trees, a Brazilian varietal. The farm itself spans an altitude of 850-1000 meters above sea-level, relatively low for high-quality arabica coffee production. Gilcimar’s location helps overcome the low altitude, with high humidity and cold ocean air delaying the maturation of the coffee cherries, forcing the tree to expend energy concentrating sugars and organic acids in the seed. |
White chocolate, hazelnut butter and poached pear Altitude: 850 - 1000 masl, Process: pulped natural |
Dark, Single |
| Risaralda, Colombia | Harvested and processed on farms in three small towns within the department of Risaralda – Santuario, El Aguila, and Belen de Umbria - this coffee was selected at origin by a team of expert tasters and especially crafted for Caravan with the purpose of tasting great at darker roast levels. The department of Risaralda is one of three departments (alongside Caldas and Quindio) which comprise the famous Colombian Coffee Triangle – an area with a long historical relationship to coffee production and where its cultivation remains central to the local culture, called caficultor in Spanish. In Risaralda, Raw Material works primarily with farmers in three towns – Santuario, El Aguila, and Belen de Umbria, where producers are organized into small associations. Working with trained personnel to select coffees throughout the harvest, Raw Material blends together coffees from several producers into a regional blend which is specifically crafted for Caravan. This coffee is available year-round due to the unique terroir of the area – with two harvests throughout the year, a fresh supply is possible before the previous one ever starts showing signs of aging. |
Bakers chocolate, pecan pie, allspice Altitude: 1300 - 1900 masl, Process: washed |
Selected Mix, Single |
| The Daily Blend | Sourced and roasted with sweetness and accessibility in mind, the Daily Blend is our reimagining of the traditional classic coffee. Thick bodied with a low acidity and clean finish, this is the blend that you will find us brewing at home and enjoying in Caravan's restaurants after dinner. Our latest version of the Daily Blend introduces a new producer relationship for Caravan: Mujeres de San Antonio, a group of eight female producers all located near the town of San Antonio Huista, in the department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala. This coffee's story started over a year ago, through conversations between our Andrea Otte, our Head of Coffee and Nadine Rasch, the founder of Primavera, our Guatemalan import partner. Andrea and Nadine wanted to find a way to further support female coffee producers through larger coffee purchases, not only through our single origin offerings. The foundation of the Daily Blend hails from Brazil, via a blend of farms in the Mantiqueira de Minas region. This region has some of the highest altitudes in southern Brazil, making for exceptionally sweet and clean coffees. Supporting flavours of nougat and spice come from the Sumatra Blue Toba, grown on the slopes of Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world. |
Dark chocolate, peanut brittle, baking spice Altitude: various, Process: washed, pulped natural |
Dark, Blends |
| Special BRU | Selecting coffees for Special Bru has always been about the relationships we build as coffee buyers. This summer's blend is composed of two parts: a fresh harvest coffee from Pedro Zacarias, a producer in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, whom we featured in 2018 and 2019. The other half comes from Edwin Burgos García’s farm Los Pozitos, based in the Jinotega department of north-central Nicaragua, where he grows Caturra, Catuaí and Java varieties. The first half of this summer's blend is from Pedro Zacarias, a producer in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, whom we featured in 2018 and 2019. Pedro has been a coffee farmer for 28 years and tends Finca El Limar alongside his wife Elisabeth. We bought coffee produced on El Limar for two years in a row, after which the lot was heavily pruned - a process often referred to as ‘stumping’ - to promote healthy and vigorous tree growth. Completing the blend, we’ve opened our hearts to the Nicaraguan coffees sourced by Caravela, a long time importing partner of CCR. Our first selection from this new venture is perfectly suited for Special Bru, and comes from Edwin Burgos García’s Finca Los Pozitos. Based in the Jinotega department in the northwest of Nicaragua, and growing 28ha of Caturra, Catuai and Java varieties under Avocado and Guava shade trees. Edwin’s process involves depulping, soaking the coffee for 12-18 hours before washing with fresh water, and drying on shaded raised beds – ensuring a squeaky clean cup. |
sweet citrus, frangipane, darjeeling tea Altitude: 1600 - 1900 masl, Process: fully washed |
Dark, Blends |
GUSTATORY (adjective): curating excellence in taste.