Tasting Notes: November 2024 Coffees
No one needs coffee. Coffee is enjoyment and not a vital food. Coffee has to create social and ecological value and shouldn’t harm people or nature. Otherwise coffee would be a luxury and therefore superfluous. Coffee is Nano Kaffee's' passion and that is why they curate green coffee of the highest quality only - carefully grown, harvested and processed. Always transparently and responsibly produced, traded and roasted with perfect craftsmanship.
In addition to the employees, the production and purchasing of products is the most important area in the company, which is subject to constant optimisation and compliance with their principles. Nano kaffee does not see itself as a 'refiner' or 'gilder' of a raw material or product, but rather, as one of many equivalent links in the value chain. They have set themselves the goal of radical transparency, it's a long way and they invite their community to join them.
Nano Kaffee Coffees | Germany
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dukunde, Rwanda | The sweet aromas of raspberry jam and the juiciness of blood orange make this coffee really enjoyable. Dukunde Kawa means "love coffee" and reflects the dedication and quality standards of the coffee farmers. The cooperative also runs intensive environmental and social programs - 80% of its members are women. A coffee full of joy and responsibility in every cup.
Most farmers in the Northern Province of Rwanda only have small plots of land - coffee trees are often grown with other food crops in the family gardens. To maximize the value of the coffee, the Dukunde Kawa Musasa Cooperative provides four washing stations. These give the smallholders the opportunity to pool their harvests and increase the price per kilogram through high-quality processing methods. The cooperative is an important employer and an integral part of the daily life of the communities. It also offers basket weaving projects, access to grain mills, loans for school fees or medical care, a milk pasteurization plant and agricultural training. This shows the essential role of the cooperative for the farmers. Its actions and decisions are guided by a democratically elected president, a board of directors, a management team and a general assembly. In Kinyarwanda, the local language, Dukunde Kawa means "love coffee". The cooperative now has more than 2000 members, 80% of whom are. |
Orange, raspberry jam and creamy Altitude: 2000 masl, Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Gayo, Indonesia | Traditional cultivation under protective shade trees preserves the coffee plants and makes a sustainable contribution to maintaining soil moisture and biodiversity. Cultivation altitude, variety and processing also play an important role. In the end, it is the unique interplay of these parameters that leads to a rich and complex taste experience. A pleasure reminiscent of tropical fruit.
Fifty years ago, farmers in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra learned not to grow coffee as a monoculture. They planted mixed crops and shade trees on the plots around their small houses. This laid the foundation for successful organic certification around 50 years ago - and also for a unique coffee region that is unparalleled in the world today. Unfortunately, many coffee farmers in the region had to leave their farms for decades due to a civil war. On top of this, the country fell victim to the great tsunami in 2004, which caused terrible devastation. In 2005, a peace agreement was finally reached between the Indonesian government and the "Free Aceh" movement. This was a new start for the region and in 2006 the Permata Gayo Cooperative was founded by 50 founding members. Since then, coffee cultivation in the region has been growing and is increasingly gaining worldwide recognition. More than 2000 members are now involved in the cooperative, mostly small family farms that grow, nurture and care for coffee together with their neighbors. The farmers are proud of their work and look forward to inspiring the coffee industry around the world with their product. |
Star fruit, kiwi and fruit candy Altitude: 1400 masl, Process: semi-washed |
Single / Light, Selected Mix |
| Capucas, Honduras | This organic coffee comes from a committed cooperative of smallholder families in western Honduras. In the middle of the tropical rainforest, the coffee cherries ripen into a lovely, soft coffee. With notes of brown sugar, dulce de leche and toffee. Taste and community united: investments in infrastructure and education promote the common good and local independence.
The small farmers' cooperative "Cooperativa Capucas Limitada" is located in the west of Honduras, nestled in the tropical rainforest. Several families from twelve communities grow coffee there according to Fairtrade standards. Many are continuing the work (and knowledge) of their families, with the aim of making cultivation ever more innovative and sustainable. Due to the small size of the different members, they often specialize in certain varieties, which makes them experts in their own plants. "Being small producers is our guarantee of good agricultural practices and the best quality for our customers," says Omar Rodríguez Romero, Managing Director of the cooperative. |
Brown sugar, dulce de leche, toffee Altitude: 1500 masl, Process: washed |
Single / Light, Selected Mix, Plus 87 |
| Sao Barto, Brazil | A fantastic coffee from Brazil with flavours of cocoa bean, honeydew melon and a hint of Snickers. This truly exquisite coffee comes from the traditional da Silva family, whose passion for coffee growing goes back generations. Today, Paulo Nelci da Silva and his sons Marcelo Edmar da Silva and Fábio Junho da Silva, supported by their wives, carry on this tradition with dedication. Their pride and joy, Sitio São Bartolomeu, lies at an altitude of 1100 to 1300 meters and extends over 37 hectares, of which 17 hectares are planted with red and yellow Catuai.
The da Silva family attaches great importance to sustainability and environmentally friendly cultivation methods. Every step of the coffee production process, from harvesting to drying, is carried out with the utmost care and attention to detail. Only the ripest fruits are harvested and then carefully dried on cement terraces and in rotating dryers. This particular lot consists of the Red Catuai variety, which was developed by crossing the Mundo Novo and Caturra varieties at the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) in Campinas, Brazil. Red Catuai is appreciated throughout Brazil and is known for its outstanding quality. Enjoy a coffee that not only impresses with its flavour, but also with the dedication and tradition that goes into every bean. Ideal as an espresso or filter coffee. |
Cacao nibs, cantaloupe-melon and Snicker bar Altitude: 1200 masl, Process: natural |
Selected Mix |
| Pleasure Blend, Peru, Brazil | Simply a pleasure. We recommend preparing this coffee as an espresso, but it is also suitable for any other preparation method. This espresso blend consists of two types of coffee, which together conjure up a harmonious pleasure in the cup. By roasting them a little further, we emphasize the sweetness and body without destroying the fine and intense aromas of the two components. NANO PLEASURE is easy to prepare, perfect for at home, in the office or for serving in your café. Like all coffees, this transparently traded blend meets our high ethical quality standards - a chocolatey and creamy delight.
Fazenda Pinheiro, a family business in the hills of Mococa, São Paulo, produces very high quality coffee. Since 2003 it has been under the management of Maria Silva and Marco A. Guardabaxo, who acquired and expanded the farm. On 9.5 hectares, 10 different types of coffee are grown and carefully processed. The farm relies on sustainable practices such as drip irrigation and hand-picking. The fazenda is strongly committed to the local environment, uses bioenergy and organic fertilizer and supports the Mata Atlantica project. Experience the unique flavors of Pinheiro coffee and support sustainable agriculture.. |
Nougat, cocoa and sweet Altitude: various masl, Process: washed and natural |
Blend / Darker, PERCENT |
Milkshed coffee roaster's building was once a dairy serving Brighton’s Royal Pavilion way back in the 1800’s. Fast forward a couple of hundred years and King George’s old dairy is now a centre of coffee roasting excellence with some of the city’s finest coffee experts gathered under one roof.
Milkshed source direct and roast with passion and respect. Though, as much as Milkshed love to roast coffee, they also don’t want to harm the planet while they do it and are therefore part of the 1% For The Planet programme. Globally, only 3% of philanthropic giving goes to environmental causes and that’s why 1% for the planet was established. Aiming to encourage businesses like Milkshed to donate a minimum of 1% of their gross sales to help environmental non-profits, this, as well as being committed to fair trade, direct relationships with producers and environmentally sound packaging, are all Milkshed's way of doing their bit for the planet. A sentiment we're proud to echo, '...by using carefully selected coffee growers we can guarantee that 100% of profits go to those producers and not into the pockets of some faceless corporation,' Milkshed.
Milkshed Coffees | United Kingdom
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Guerreras, Mexico | A sister lot of coffee to Las Mazatecas, this is a community lot built from the fight and hard work of 20 indigenous me’phaa female coffee producers in Montaña Alta. Prior to visiting Guerrero in April, it remained an area we knew very little about, save for the work of friends at Dark Arts Coffee. Despite neighbouring coffee-famous Oaxaca, and sharing the same mountain range, altitudes, varietals and climate, Guerrero remains largely unheard of in the Global North. The state’s tragic history with both narco and human trafficking, and the historical dominance of one coffee buying intermediary has made life here hard, particularly for women.
This project, an initiative of Ensambles director and agronomist Miguel Guevara, and Guerrero field coordinator and indigenous me’phaa women, Rebeca Oropeza, gives real market access to female coffee producers in the region. With a cup profile of sweet strawberry shortcake and caramelised nuts, there’s no bad time of day to be drinking this! Celebrate Las Guerreras! |
Strawberry, caramel and almond Altitude: 1500-1800 masl, Process: natural |
Bloom, Single / Light, Plus 87 |
| Las Mazatecas, Mexico | We’re beyond thrilled to have Las Mazatecas back in the range for a second year! A community blend made up of microlot-sized harvests bought from indigenous female producers in the north of Oaxaca. This coffee showcases both the excellence of the coffees from the region, and the skill and resilience of the region's female coffee producers.
Coffee yields in Mexico are extremely low due to myriad complex reasons, and it takes many purchases of small lots to build this offering. Ensambles’ Oaxaca field coordinator, and indigenous Mazateca woman, Osiris Martínez, bought coffees from 335 producers this year to consolidate this lot, with each component undergoing rigorous quality testing by QC lead Concepcíon Ortíz and her team at the warehouse and lab in Huautla. Our coffee buyer, Siala, was lucky enough to see the team in action, having gone out with Ensambles buying coffee in this region back in April. You can read more about this on our website. Super clean, silky, full of fig and molasses flavours, this is a team and customer favourite alike. |
Cherry, fig and treacle Altitude: 1500 - 1900 masl, Process: washed |
Bloom, Selected Mix |
| Santaurio, Colombia | Asocafé Tatama Santuario is an association located in the north-west of Risaralda in the municipality of Santuario. This association has 200 members and has been collectively working towards the commercialisation of specialty coffee, with the goal of paying better prices to its members. The farms which make up the association stretch across altitudes between 1300 - 1900 MASL. Each farm produces its own levels of volume and types of varieties, and the main varieties grown are Castillo, Caturra, and Supremo. Most of the members of the association process their coffees using traditional washed processing practices; 16 hours fermentation followed by sun-drying for 15 days. The most notable feature of this area is Tatama National Park, which connects the central Andean valley of Colombia with the Pacific Coast. This landscape provides a unique microclimate to the coffee grown in the area and gives Santuario its unique complexity and vibrant cup profile. | Dark chocolate, toasted nuts and vanilla Altitude: 1800 masl, Process: washed |
Blend / Darker, Bloom, PERCENT |
| Caldas, Colombia | This coffee comes from the municipality of Argelia which is situated in the south west of the department of Cauca. Cauca is the 4th largest producer of specialty coffee in Colombia with around 90,000 small holder farmers all producing coffee on approximately 1ha of land. Often these farmers are part of small associations who have very limited access to market as well as limited resources to find channels to sell their coffees at the premiums they could achieve.
The Argelia municipality is located in an area that has been plagued by the civil unrest and illegal drug trade for many years. This is still a pertinent problem for the families living here and many of them are looking to make a living though legal channels where they can support their families and communities. Siruma Coffee a small specialty female led exporter have launched a project in this past season that started in 2020 in Argelia for an initial 15 months period until early 2022. The funding has come from USAID to support 5 small Associations incorporating about 220 families who grow coffee for their livelihood. Siruma have been providing technical assistance of the ground with their agronomist helping provided educational sessions on pre and post harvest techniques for the families that wish to join. Baseline data was established from the producers who each annually produce approximately 17 bags of green exportable coffee. The producers are also being trained in sensory analysis of the coffees and how their own coffees taste and the impact of processing on quality. Siruma are also helping to provide commercial specialty channels for the coffees though the partnership with Falcon Coffees who are buying all the coffee sourced from this project. |
Nutty, sugar and candied peel Altitude: various masl, Process: sugar cane decaf |
Decaf |
Hooked on normal coffee? Do you want out? There is a solution: People Possession. Welcome to the home of radically sourced coffees.
People Possession Coffees | France
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon Aji, Colombia | Origin: Bruselas, Huila, Colombia | Blackcurrant, cherry, lemon and apple Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Las Lajas, Costa Rica | Origin: Sabanilla de Abajuela, Central Valley, Costa Rica | Lemon, apple, coconut and Tequila Process: natural |
Premium |
Exceptional coffee roasted with passion in Paris, the soul of Kawa is found in their renown workshop. This space, unique in Paris, is where really pioneering coffees are tried and tested - their magic. Purists to speciality coffee, Kawa are big advocates against coffee capsules, '...if it's practicality was unquestionably a factor in its success, we believe that the era of the capsule is over. Too expensive, polluting, very little recycled and above all, we know seldom what we drink.'
Since their opening, Kawa coffee roasters decided to focus entirely on roasting, with ever owning their own cafes subsidiary to this. Their motto is to offer the best roast with the greatest consistency, but, what is a good roast for Kawa? It is the one that will awaken your taste buds and sublimate the terroir of origin. Each coffee has its own story, and they feel they have the heavy responsibility of sublimating the work of their coffee-growing partners and making it easier for you to extract it, all for your enjoyment.
Kawa Coffees | France
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duwancho, Ethiopia | Unavailable | Tropical fruits, blueberry and bergamot Process: natural |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Chelbesa, Ethiopia | The kebele (community) of Worka Chelbesa is located in Gedeb, which is the southernmost part of the Gedeo region. Over the past decade, the Worka Chelbesa area has become increasingly known for the production of specialty coffees, and that is why this area was one of the first places that coffee producer Neguesse Debela wanted to invest in when he started in the coffee business some years ago. In 2017, Neguesse began operating its first site in Worka Chelbesa, but quickly expanded in 2019 by purchasing another wash station a few kilometres away in a small sub-area of Worka Chelbesa called Danche. Both sites, run by Negusse and his team, run impeccably washed and naturally processed coffees, but also create unique experimental batches with the aim of always improving their quality. Worka Chelbesa's coffees are unique in that they combine a big juicy body, with the lighter citrus tones and florality you normally find in Ethiopian coffees with little body. | Jasmine, bergamot, green tea and delicate Altitude: 2200 masl, Process: washed, dry fermentation |
Plus 87 |
| Santa Teresa, Costa Rica | Roger Ureña Hidalgo is a third-generation coffee farmer from Costa Rica who has been in the business for decades. Roger spent his childhood exploring the vast, coffee-covered mountain slopes of the Tarrazú growing region and absorbing his father and grandfather’s knowledge of coffee production. Together with his son Alex, he now owns and operates a handful of small farms, including El Vapor and a micro-mill, Beneficio Santa Teresa 2000, where all of his coffees are processed.
Roger and Alex have opened a specialty coffee shop in the small town of Guayabal, located in the valley below their farms and mill. Although specialty coffee shops are becoming more common in producing countries, they are still few and far between, especially in rural areas. Their shop will allow locals and tourists to sample the region’s excellent coffee, much of which is exported. |
Toffee, hazelnut and plum Altitude: 1900 - 2000 masl, Process: honey |
Plus 87, rest of World, Selected Mix |
| Banko Gotiti, Ethiopia | Banko Gotiti washing station is located in Yirgacheffe Administrative District, Ethiopia, in Gedeo Zone. Owned by Testi Coffee, a family business founded by Mr. Faysel A. Yonis, the car wash is part of a network of 26 sites managed by the company. Built in 2021 at an altitude of 2,100 meters, the car wash was designed as a “premium” facility due to its ideal natural conditions: high altitude, cool climate, and access to pure and abundant water.
The station employs five permanent employees and between 150 and 200 seasonal workers. During the harvest period, around 500 independent producers from neighbouring villages, such as Banko Gotiti, Chelba, Chelchele and Chelbessai, deliver their coffee cherries daily. Each batch is processed separately to ensure full traceability. The coffee in this batch comes specifically from the Banko Gotiti kebele, from which it takes its name. The majority of the producer families contributing to this batch farm ethically on small plots of less than one hectare. Coffee, their main source of income, is grown in the shade of native trees such as Birbira, Wanza and Acacia, alongside food crops such as corn and cereals. The farms in the region are located at a high altitude, between 2,000 and 2,200 metres, which, combined with the cool temperatures, allows for a slow maturation of the cherries, resulting in denser beans and a smoother, more complex cup. Thanks to these optimal conditions, the coffee produced is distinguished by its exceptional quality.. |
Jasmine, peach and spice Altitude: 2100 masl, Process: natural |
Selected Mix, Single / Light |
| Hamesho, Ethiopia | Unavailable | Jasmine, rose and candy Process: natural |
Plus 87 | El Placer, Colombia | El Placer is a unique coffee farm located in one of Colombia's most prized coffee growing regions – Quindío. Located in the heart of the “Eje Cafetero” or “Coffee Axis,” El Placer is run by Sebastián Ramirez, a fourth-generation coffee producer. Thanks to the farm’s unique location, crossed by the Andes and located more than 1,200 meters above sea level, Sebastián produces an exotic range that includes varieties such as Sidra, Catura, Gesha, Bourbon Rose, Yellow and Red, SL-28 and Wush Wush. For this coffee, the beans undergo a fruit infusion in the decaffeinated honey process. The coffee first undergoes a 120-hour fermentation with CO2 injection into the tank. At this stage, wine yeasts are added. During the secondary fermentation, red fruits and glucose are added, as well as a secondary carbonic maceration. | Chocolate, caramel and strawberry Altitude: 1800 masl, Process: red fruit infused, sugar cane decaf |
Decaf |
| Nestor Lasso (Ombligon), Colombia | Nestor Lasso, 22, represents El Diviso, a family farm in southwestern Colombia run by himself, his brother Adrian and his father Jose. While Adrian and Jose manage the farm's day-to-day practices, Nestor's main focus is the tasting laboratory, where he samples roasts and cups and explores new possibilities for fermentation processes and profiles. El Diviso's philosophy is to be progressive, discovering new methods to improve cup quality while respecting traditions. The farm rigorously experiments with treatments, fermentation and the different micro-organisms in coffee to create what they hope will be unique, world-renowned cup profiles. | Strawberry jam, raspberry and peach Altitude: 1800 masl, Process: anaerobic natural |
Premium |
Honest, uncompromising, remarkable coffee. MOK Coffee was founded in 2012 by two times Belgian Cup Tasters Champion Jens Crabbé and were also recently honoured as being awarded '2nd Best Specialty Coffee Roaster in Europe and Middle East'. A fantastic micro coffee roastery with cafes in Brussels and Leuven, MOK Coffee have come a long way in a short space of time, always aiming for the very best roasting and brewing to bring you the finest coffee experience.
All about integrity and quality, MOK work with the same producers year after year to create long lasting relationships, focusing on growers who understand that quality comes from hard work and sustainable practices, and are never driven by price. Plus, they're cool, very cool, and are another of GUSTATORY's personal favourites (are we allowed favourites?).
MOK Coffees | Belgium
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tibebu Roba, Ethiopia | MOK's first Ethiopia of the season is an absolute delight and we're beyond happy we can finally share it. It's our first time working with Mister Tibebu Roba but we had definitely heard from him before. In 2019 he scored a prize in the Ethiopian Competition Cup with his 91-scoring natural. To achieve this level of quality, Mister Robu and his wife nourish the plants with self-made compost and dedicate themselves to sustainable farming methods. Which is quite an undertaking, because the farm spans no less than 8298 hectares. The farm lies at an altitude of 1985 to 2000 masl and all coffee is cultivated and processed on this height, on rich red loam soil. Harvest season takes place from November through January, when cherries are picked and then carefully dried on raised beds. All these parameters (altitude, soil, drying, manure...) create the distinct character and flavours of this natural coffee.
We are always looking forward to cupping coffee harvested in prime coffee land in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. Typical of this region is the way in which the plantations are managed. The plantation is mostly left alone in its natural semi-wild state. The shade provided by the wild trees in combination with the very fertile soil provide the perfect ecosystem to create a very balanced cup with a lot of fruity, floral notes. |
Peach, yoghurt, rosehip and floral Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Kiangoi AA, Kenya | Kiangoi Factory is part of a Cooperative called "Rung'eto Farmer Cooperative Society". No less than 1838 farmers deliver their cherries to this station, twice a year. These farmers are all smallholders and most of them own but a hectare of land, yet all grow the same varieties: SL28, SL34 and Ruiru 11. The SL varieties were originally developed by Scott Laboratories and are now the common coffee trees in Kenya, because they cultivate so well here. Ruiru 11 is a rather young variety - at least in comparison to the the SL varieties - and this one is more disease resistant. All smallholders receive agricultural and technical support from Sucafina, who work closely together with the Factory. It is through our contacts with them that we were able to buy this coffee. Hopefully, continuous support will enable the farmers and the cooperative to create equally qualitative lots in the future. | Blackberry, pepper and rhubarb Process: natural |
Single / Light, Plus 87 |
| Tessema Edima, Ethiopia | For the 7th consecutive year we are releasing this washed lot from Mr Tessema Edima. Our collaboration started when Tessema participated in the Operation Cherry Red auction, an auction/competition where our importer Trabocca searched for the 32 best lots of Ethiopia. Tessema’s coffee was our absolute favourite lot and we bought just a small lot. Now, 7 years later, we offer it (almost) year-round! Year after year we are looking forward to cupping this coffee, 100 % Kurume, harvested in prime coffee land in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. Typical of this region is the way in which the plantations are man- aged. The plantation is mostly left alone in its natural semi-wild state. The shade provided by the wild trees in combination with the very fertile soil pro- vide the perfect ecosystem to create a very balanced cup with a lot of fruity, floral notes. There’s no coffee that screams MOK any more than this one. | Tea, apricot and vanilla Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| Tz'ikin, Guatemala | Central America or Colombia, the best of both worlds, higher acidity than the Brazil (B), with fuller body than the African (A). The cherries are handpicked, pulped and washed on their respective farms. Parchment is then laid to dry on stacked raised beds. Tz’ikin collects the parchment in Huehuetenango city where it is milled and prepared for export. Huehuetenango has a distinct microclimate (+1500 masl, hot Mexican plain air and cool mountain air) that enables coffee cultivation at high altitude and is nowadays renowned for its exceptionally fruity flavour profile. Before purchase, Tz’ikin evaluates the parchment, to ensure that the quality match- es the expectations of this microclimate. They verify whether all coffee is grown at a height of +1300 masl, which is necessary to earn the SHB grade, i.e. Strictly Hard Bean, and they check if all beans are larger than 6mm in screen size. For every sold bag of green coffee, Tz’ikin funds an initiative that schools children on farms where their parents work as seasonal harvesters. | Chocolate, almond and fruity Process: washed |
Plus 87, Rest of World |
| D'Barbosa, Brazil | For generations, the Barbosa family has upheld a rich tradition of coffee cultivation since the early 1900s. The farm was originally acquired by Elias Barbosa, the great-grandfather of the current owner, Danilo Barbosa. Over the years, this cherished legacy has been passed down through three generations, and today, Danilo and his family remain just as devoted to the craft as before. Expect a fuller bodied chocolatey coffee with notes of roasted hazelnuts and Amareno cherry. Filter B stands for 100% Brazil, no more blends, all credits to the producers. | Chocolate, hazelnut and cherry Process: natural |
Selected Mix, Blend / Darker |
| Yambamine, Ecuador | Yambamine, literally “land of gold”, is a farm in Ecuador close to the Peruvian border. The farm is run by Diana Velez and her son Renee, who does all the processing himself, together with their microbiologist Marco. The farm is famed for its lab, its innovative ways and its fully organic practices. We’re happy to release this Sidra from Yambamine for the second consecutive year already, not in the least because our former colleague Billy recently visited them during this season’s harvest! This Sidra is an anaerobic or ‘red’ washed coffee. First, the cherries are placed inside tanks to oxidise for 5 days. Then, they’re depulped and partially washed, with some mucilage (‘red’) still attached to the beans. The coffee then goes into sealed tanks for another 5 days, and CO2 is added to them. The coffee is then laid to dry on African beds until the desired humidity is reached. | Creamy, yoghurt, coconut, strawberry, raspberry and pepper Process: anaerobic washed |
Premium |
| La Margarita, Peru | Unavailable | Hazelnut, chocolate, cranberry and bergamot Process: washed |
Premium |
| Tumbaga, Colombia | Unavailable | Chocolate, caramel and blackcurrant Process: sugar cane decaf |
Decaf |
Steampunk was founded in 2012, when they began roasting coffee in their garage and serving it at events from our vintage campervan Mavis. They quickly outgrew this setup and moved into an old warehouse building in the centre of North Berwick where they continue to roast and serve their coffees to this day. Roasting coffee well is a skill but an equally important part of the process is sourcing great coffee to begin with.
So, if you visit Steampunk you might see them roasting batches of beans on their shiny Diedrich roaster, but that’s just a fraction of what they do. And the sourcing, cupping and roasting is, in turn, just a fraction of the full story of the coffee that eventually gets poured into your cup. The truth is, as roasters, they can’t make coffee better than it is when it comes through their door. What they do is respect the work that has already gone into it by roasting it carefully and consistently.
Steampunk Coffees | United Kingdom
| Coffee | Story | Notes & Essentials | Packages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookissa, Ethiopia | An excellent Ethiopian lot is a must-have for any specialty coffee lineup. Simple and satisfying, this coffee has the trademark jammy acidity of a natural processed coffee from the Guji region. Longtime Steampunk drinkers will be reminded of the natural Bale Mountain we roasted for you several seasons a few years ago. This is a coffee for a relaxing weekend when you have time to savour it. This coffee was grown by smallholder farmers in the Bookkisa municipality in southern Ethiopia. It’s what’s known as “garden coffee”, grown by people who also cultivate other food crops for sale or personal consumption on small plots near their homes. Although there are larger plantations in Ethiopia and coffee also grows wild in forests there, the bulk of Ethiopian coffee is grown like this one, by smallholders.
After harvesting their coffee the growers who produced this lot delivered their cherry to Sookoo Coffee, a drying station owned by Ture Waji in the hillside town of Shakiso. Founded in 2018 by Ture and his brother Assefa, Sookoo gets deliveries of cherry from roughly 100 growers in the surrounding areas. They keep the lots from different areas separate to retain the unique characteristics of each one. At the Sookoo station the coffee dries in thin layers that are regularly turned for between 15 to 20 days to achieve the desired moisture content for stable storage and transport. The varieties that make up this lot, Gibirinna 74110 and Serto 74112, are probably not familiar names to most coffee consumers. Indeed, writing this was the first time Rachel, our roaster, had come across them. Historically, most of the coffee grown in Ethiopia has been bundled together under the label “Heirloom” variety. In a country where coffee grows wild, classification and controlled breeding can be challenging. The physical characteristics of a coffee plant don’t always lead to accurate taxonomy. But, since 1968 the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) has been working to isolate wild varieties, classify them and breed disease resistant cultivars for Ethiopian farmers. JARC has released 42 coffee varieties for different regions, including the two in this lot. They were developed from the Metu Bishari selections from the forest of the same name in the southwest of the country on the border with Sudan. JARC selected them in 1974 (hence the 74 at the start of their catalogue name) for their resistance to Coffee Berry Disease and today they are some of the most common varieties grown in Ethiopia. |
Fruit and florals Altitude: 2100 masl, Process: natural |
Bloom, Single / Light |
| Los Chelazos, El Salvador | This is a regional lot that comes from 25 farmers in Chalatenango, a northern district of El Salvador. It is a blend of coffees from two main cantons: Citalá and La Palma, both of which are part of the Montecristo Trifinio, a tri-border national park shared between El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Designated as a biosphere reserve in 2011, this is a protected area of incredibly rich biodiversity. Caravela, the importer who brought us this coffee, started developing relationships with producers in the area in 2012 and they opened a buying station and cupping lab in La Palma in December 2015. Over the last decade the number of farmers wanting to work with them has grown and today, Caravela says, the producers behind this community lot have become long-standing partners who, harvest after harvest, deliver highly consistent coffees.
The coffee growers who contribute to this lot own small to medium-sized farms that have the privilege of sharing very similar agro-climatic conditions that favour excellent plant development, in addition to the good fertility of the soils. Because it is an area with average elevations between 1,200 and 1,800 metres above sea level, traditional varieties adapt well so coffee farmers can obtain an outstanding cup complexity. The main varieties that make up this coffee are Pacas, Bourbon, and Catuai, but growers also grow other varieties such as Pacamara, Cuscatleco, Costa Rica 95, and Anacafe 14. The name Los Chelazos is a reference to both the location where this coffee was grown and the ethnicity of the farmers who grew it. Chalatenango is a lesser known coffee region than Santa Ana in the west, where our previous El Salvador lots came from. The name comes from the Nawat language and translates to words chal or shal meaning “sand”, at meaning “water”, and tenango meaning “valley”. So, Chalatenango means “valley of sandy waters”. In reference to the people of the region, Chelito means fair-skinned or white. Chelitos (or the feminine Chelitas) have lighter skin than other El Salvadorians and they also have green or blue eyes. In the 1700s, finding that there weren’t enough indigenous people left to exploit for labour, Spanish colonists recruited lighter-skinned Spanish labourers to work in the production of indigo. Today’s Chelitos inherited the lighter features of these Spanish labourers. |
Chocolate, apple, vanilla and Brazil nut Altitude: 1200 - 1800 masl, Process: natural |
Bloom, Blend / Darker, PERCENT |
| Serrania, Colombia | When Steampunk bought this coffee we had a little debate around the cupping table. Five of our seven recent lots of decaf have been Colombian - should we get one from a different origin this time? We tried lots from Mexico, Rwanda and Uganda but it turns out we keep buying Colombian decaf because it’s the most delicious!
Of course, not all Colombian coffees taste the same. This one is a regional lot from multiple growers along an isolated set of mountains within the central cordillera of the Andes. Its juicy papaya and melon notes set it apart from most decafs, which tend to be less vibrant and fruity. La Serranía is a regional lot produced by multiple growers along an isolated set of mountains within the central cordillera of the Andes that goes through Pitalito, Acevedo, Palestina, Timaná and Suaza. The coffee is carefully hand-sorted and processed at each individual farm, with special attention paid to the drying process to ensure consistency, uniformity and a clean cup profile. This coffee was decaffeinated at the Descafecol plant in Manizales, the only decaffeination plant in the Andean region of Colombia. Descafecol uses ethyl acetate derived from sugarcane production in Palmira, about 4 hours drive away. |
Tropical fruit and orange Altitude: 1500 - 1700 masl, Process: sugar cane decaf |
Decaf |
GUSTATORY (adjective): curating excellence in taste.