Coffee of The Month Archives

Be sure to scroll down the page to view all of Wood-Fire Roasted Coffee Company’s Coffee of the Month Club Archives!

October: Burundi Dry Process Gahahe

Gahahe Station is a coffee cherry collection site located in Kayanza, Burundi’s northern province, which borders neighboring Rwanda. Farmers grow mostly older bourbon types, the original coffee cultivar introduced to the area in the 1930s. Gahehe sits at just over 1800 MASL and is a collection site for roughly 600 local farmers.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Orange zest with clove spice.
Wet Grounds: Berry, clove, pastry.
In the Cup: Orange zest, berry, clove, pastry.
Mouthfeel: Round, full, creamy.
Finish: Full and lingering.
Varietals: Bourbon.

September: India Pearl Mountain Estate Peaberry

The plantation Ratnagiri (translates to Pearl Mountain) was originally planted in 1920. The coffee is grown between 1200 and 1500 MASL in a zone of the Western Ghat mountains that gets consistent heavy rainfall. The coffee is grown under shade trees amidst pepper and cardamom groves.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet, spice, cocoa and stone fruit.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, cocoa, nutty.
In the Cup: Sweet, chocolate and nuts, Stone fruit, earth.
Mouthfeel: Delicate, creamy, smooth.
Finish: Sweetly lingering, smooth.
Varietals: Kent, S-795.

August: Tanzania Mbozi Lukululu Peaberry

This lot is from Lukulu a coffee cooperative located in the Mbozi district of Tanzania, near Lukulu village. The cooperative members receive assistance like agronomical support and are part of the governing body. This is a growing operation producing fully washed coffees. Coffee is grown on farms that cover an altitude range of 1500 to 1700 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Malt, spice, floral.
Wet Grounds: Stone fruit, citrus zest, spice, herbal.
In the Cup: Stone fruit, citrus, tea, raw sugar.
Mouthfeel: Round and smooth.
Finish: Gently lingering, sweet.
Varietals: Bourbon.

July: Timor Leste Honey Process Daurfusu

This lot is from the Daurfusu Wet Mill located in Dukurai village, Letefoho District. Traditional processing in Timor is wet-hulled where the farmers do the wet process at home and deliver parchment to the mill for further processing. The entire cherry was delivered to the mill for processing with this lot. Growing altitudes are between 1400 and 1600 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Floral, fruity, sweet, creamy.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, date, florall.
In the Cup: Candied fruit, tea, earth.
Mouthfeel: Soft, round, and creamy.
Finish: Lingering with soft fruit tones.
Varietals: Typica and Timor Hybrids.

June: Ethiopia Dry Process Sidama Bombe

Bombe is a privately owned farm and processing site near Shantawene Village, tucked away in the Bombe mountains of Ethiopia’s Sidama growing region. Ethiopian heirloom types are the main seeds cultivated and altitude ranges from just under 2000 meters to 2100 meters above sea level.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Tropical fruit, earth, caramel.
Wet Grounds: Cream, spice, herb, caramel.
In the Cup: Mango fruitiness, Earl Grey.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean.
Finish: Clean with soft cardamom tones.
Varietals: Heirloom Culitivars.

May: Guatemala Chimaltenango Tecpán

Tecpán, in the Chimaltenango Municipality, is in a very high altitude zone and is known for a cold climate. The region has a median altitude of 2000 MASL causing slow cherry maturation resulting in very dense coffee beans. Small farmers, most with much less than 10 Hectares of land, come together to produce this coffee.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cocoa, caramel, stone fruit, and nuts.
Wet Grounds: Sweet creamy cocoa and almond tones.
In the Cup: Caramel, cocoa, apple, and grape.
Mouthfeel: Delicate and round.
Finish: Gently lingering, creamy and smooth.
Varietals: Bourbon and Caturra.

April: Colombia Geraldo Domingo

This coffee is a classic Colombian style with delicate notes of cocoa, sweet brown sugar, and gentle fruit. El Sause Farm is situated in the Nariño District in Colombia. The elevation is 1800 MASL and climate and soil conditions are well suited to coffee cultivation. The cherry is processed for defects and de-pulped and dried on site, then parchment is transported to a nearby dry mill for completion.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Caramel and candied nuts.
Wet Grounds: Stone fruit and brown sugar.
In the Cup: Sweet brown sugar, cocoa, caramel and apple.
Mouthfeel: Sweet, round, and full.
Finish: Gently lingering, creamy and smooth.
Varietals: Veridad Colombia.

March: Congo Kabare Katana

The Katana station is one of a handful of Congo coffee processing sites under a privately run coffee project called Virunga Coffee. Their primary goals have been to help increase production and the overall quality of the coffee through investment in infrastructure like wet mills and raised drying beds, farmer outreach, and access to the global market. The Katana site is located in South Kivu and serves several hundred farmers in the region. Katana sits at 1700 meters above sea level and the farmed area spans a range of 1450 to 1750 meters.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cherry, berry, spice.
Wet Grounds: Cherry, apple, berry, cinnamon.
In the Cup: Fruit, spice, green tea, zest.
Mouthfeel: Like walking on a sandy beach.
Finish: Moderately lingering with gentle tannic notes.
Varietals: Blue Mountain

February: Mexico Nayarit Anaerobic

Anaerobic fermentation is an experimental approach to processing that ferments the cherries in an oxygen-free environment, it can impart distinct characteristics to coffee that make it popular among the growing cohort of specialty coffee consumers.

The highlands of Tepic, Nayarit’s capital city, lie in the foothills of an extinct volcano. The anaerobic process used on this coffee imparts fruity, floral, and brandy tones.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Candied cherry, brandy, cocoa, nuts.
Wet Grounds: Brandy, raw sugar, cocoa, nuts.
In the Cup: Sweet, stone fruit, gentle brandy.
Mouthfeel: Satin, full, round.
Finish: Lingering with residual sweetness.
Varietals: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuia.

January: Brazil: Nazareth Dias Pereira Honey Process

This is the first honey-processed coffee from Brazil that I have ever roasted. Actually, it is the first I have seen through my sources. This lot was selected from Fazenda do Sertao, the farm of Nazareth Dias Pereira. It is in the Carmo de Minas within the Martenique Mountain area. The farm is situated at 1250 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Raw cane sugar, creamy cocoa, fruity, floral.
Wet Grounds: Herbal, cocoa, floral.
In the Cup: Cocoa, stone fruit.
Mouthfeel: Soft and round.
Finish: Sweet, soft, moderately lingering.
Varietals: Yellow Bourbon.

December: Rwanda Nayamasheke Kanzu Lot #29y

Kanzu washing station is in the Nyamasheke district of Rwanda’s Western Province. Situated at 1900 MASL with Lake Kivu (which sits between Rwanda and The Democratic Republic of the Congo) in sight from the ridges above the washing station.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Raw cane sugar, floral, caramel, cherry.
Wet Grounds: Herbal, floral, spice.
In the Cup: Tangerine, raw sugar, spice.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean.
Finish: Sweet, gentle, soft.

November: Java Sunda Pasir Ciparay

This lot was collected from smallholder farmers near Pasir Ciparay, a mountain peak just west of the capital city of Bandung. These farms sit at elevations between 1300 and 1500 MASL. The coffee is processed with the Wet-Hulled method.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Earthy, cinnamon, black tea.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, loamy earth, fruit tones.
In the Cup: Earthy with black tea, citrus, and cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Rich, soft, and round.
Finish: Lingering with raw sugar and spice tones.
Varietals: Ateng, Typica.

October: Timor Leste Dry Process Laclo

This lot is from Laclo village, in Aileu. Timor. Farmers from Laclo deliver their coffee cherries to a central processing station where it is graded and processed. Laclo farms are at an elevation of 1600-1800 MASL. This dry processed coffee is a flavorful fruit explosion.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Berry fruitiness, cocoa, and earth.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, cocoa, and berry.
In the Cup: Lush berry tones, tea, citrus acidity.
Mouthfeel: Soft and round.
Finish: Lingering gently.
Varietals: Typica and Timor Hybrids.

September: Bolivia Caranavi Bioara Co-op

I have been looking for a coffee from Bolivia for a while now. I was very pleased to see this one come to my attention. This is a small-producer blend from the Calama and Nogalani villages in the Caranavi region. The average farm size in this co-op is less than 10 hectares with coffee growing between 1250 and 1850 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Nutty, caramel, spice.
Wet Grounds: Gentle stone fruit, cocoa, nuts, and cinnamon.
In the Cup: Caramel, cocoa, cinnamon gentle fruit tines.
Mouthfeel: Silky, round, viscous.
Finish: Soft and clean.
Varietals: Caturra, catuai, Castillo, Mondonovo, Typica.

August: Yemen Mokha Peaberry

This dry-processed blend was pulled from lots of Bani Haraz, Hiwari, Hajjah, and Matari. The smaller-sized peaberry was screened from these four lots. Peaberry coffees occur naturally and are part of every harvest. One of the two embryos fails to germinate, leaving the other seed to take on a round shape.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Plum, floral, cinnamon.
Wet Grounds: Plum jam, cinnamon, pastry.
In the Cup: Black tea, plum, citrus.
Mouthfeel: Clean, soft, round.
Finish: Gently lingering, sweet.
Varietals: Heirloom Varietals.

July: Costa Rica San Diego Natural Tarrazu

This natural processed coffee was cultivated by growers in Costa Rica’s Tarrazú region. The smallholders delivered cherry to the San Diego mill and to its satellite receiving stations. Once at the mill, the cherries were sorted, holding back only ripe red cherries for this micro-lot. The cherries were then laid out with the fruit intact and turned regularly to promote even drying and air circulation. After hulling, the coffee was cupped by the quality control team at San Diego and finally sorted to prepare this wild, bold, fruit-forward coffee.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Fruity cherry, chocolate, spice.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa, roasted almond, cinnamon.
In the Cup: Chocolate Cherry. clove and cinnamon, and cane sugar.
Mouthfeel: Silky, sweet, round, viscous.
Finish: Lingering with panela notes.
Varietals: Caturra, Catuai.

June: Kenya AB Ngomano Farmer’s Co-op

The Ngomano Coffee Factory is located in Machakos, a county with a rich heritage, fertile agricultural land, and the first capital city of Kenya before the capital was moved to Nairobi in 1899. At around 1,700-1,800 MASL, the red volcanic soil here supplies nutrition to mango, avocado, and maize crops, in addition to coffee.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Floral, citrus, raw honey.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa, roasted almond, cinnamon.
In the Cup: Mango, lime, raw honey, soft stone fruit, roasted almond, cocoa, dark sugar.
Mouthfeel: Silky, round, viscous.
Finish: Gently lingering with sweet notes.
Varietals: Bourbon Types.

May: Brazil Ipanema Yellow Bourbon (Natural)

This lot hails from the Fazenda Rio Verde in the Minas Gerais. The Ipanema region is set in the lush green foothills of the Serra da Mantiqueira’s, with the coffees planted above 1100 MASL. It took a bit more time in the roaster to find the perfect mark for this coffee. Try this as an espresso..

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cocoa, nuts, butter.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa, roasted almond, cinnamon.
In the Cup: Soft stone fruit, roasted almond, cocoa, dark sugar.
Mouthfeel: Silky, round, viscous.
Finish: Gently lingering with pleasant cocoa notes.
Varietals: Yellow Bourbon.

April: El Salvador Santa Ana Pacas

Pacas is a dwarf variety with tiny, compact seeds. This made for interesting profiling, but the results are amazing. 25 producers between Santa ana and Chalatenango contributed to the production of the 80-bag lot.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet, spice, floral, cream.
Wet Grounds: Crisp apple, caramel, hazelnut.
In the Cup: Lush raw sugar, roasted hazelnut, apple, and cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Silky smooth, soft, and round.
Finish: Soft, gently lingering.
Varietals: Pacas.

March: Ethiopia Kayon Mountain Taaroo

Kayon Mountain farm is operated by Ismael Hassan and his family. It is in the southern Guji zone of Shikaso. This lot is pulled from small holder farmers around Taaroo town. Like most of the country, the farm is planted in distinct local strains that have spread from the wild forest plants of western Ethiopia.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Floral, honey, herb.
Wet Grounds: Floral, sweet, earth.
In the Cup: Honey, lemon, jasmine, tropical fruit.
Mouthfeel: Silky smooth, soft, and round.
Finish: Soft, gently lingering.
Varietals: Heirloom cultivars.

February: Nicaragua Los Altiplanos Java Cultivar

We had the Cameroon Java Cultivar in November and I wanted to see how this compares as it is from a completely different part of the world than both Java and Cameroon. The Altiplanos Farm is located near Jinotega close to the mountain reserve of Datanli el Diablo. Altitudes reach upwards of 1300 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cocoa, floral, spice.
Wet Grounds: Earthy, cocoa, cherry, and spice.
In the Cup: Creamy cocoa, raw sugar cardamom, earth.
Mouthfeel: Silky smooth, soft, and round.
Finish: Soft, gently lingering.
Varietals: Java cultivar.

January: India Bettadakhan Selection 9 Variety

The estate is located on the northern slopes of the Baba Budan Giri Hills. This is the region where coffee was first planted in India in the 1670s. The region is named after Baba Budan who, according to legend, smuggled seven coffee seeds out of Yemen and planted them in India. Jacob Mammen manages the estate. His family has grown coffee here for three generations. Selection 9 is a descendant of the Ethiopia Tafarikela bean.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet, spice, green tea.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, loamy, cocoa, herb.
In the Cup: Sweet, candied citrus, floral, butterscotch.
Mouthfeel: Delicate, creamy, smooth.
Finish: Sweetly lingering, smooth.
Varietals: Selection 9.

December: Costa Rica Finca Bernina Red Honey Geisha

Located on the foothills of Chirripo, the highest mountain peak in Costa Rica, Finca Bernina is owned and operated by the Homberger family, a third-generation coffee farming family.

The Gesha varietal was first identified in the forests of Ethiopia in the 1930s and was brought to Central America in 1953. Gesha is considered an intensely flavorful and very complex coffee varietal.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Floral. Fruity, cinnamon, caramel.
Wet Grounds: Tropical fruit, caramel.
In the Cup: Black tea, citrus, tropical fruit, caramel.
Mouthfeel: Soft and clean.
Finish: Soft, gently lingering.
Varietals: Geisha.

November: Cameroon Caplami Java Cultivar

New to me region. I’d never roasted a coffee from Cameroon before this. As you know I’m always looking for new and unusual coffees. Mostly known for its Robusta production, some areas in the highlands, over 5,000 feet, offer excellent conditions for quality Arabica coffees. The Caplami Cooperative has over 2500 members.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cocoa, umami, herbal.
Wet Grounds: Earthy, sweet, cocoa, plum, and spice.
In the Cup: Creamy cocoa, plum, rose petal.
Mouthfeel: Silky smooth, soft, and round.
Finish: Soft, gently lingering.
Varietals: Java (Longberry) cultivar.

October: Papua New Guinea Lahamenegu Natural PSC/X

Volcafe PNG (my source for this coffee) is the only exporter to own a wet mill in Papua New Guinea. The Lahamenegu wet mill in the Eastern Highlands is equipped with brand new machinery to take coffee cherry processing to a new level of quality control. While most smallholders wash and process the coffee themselves and bring the parchment to market, Volcafe PNG has the capability to buy the coffee cherry and control processing consistency. The wet mill also allows for experimentation of other processing methods such as this natural processed coffee.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet and fruity; cherry pastry.
Wet Grounds: Dark chocolate, cherry, cinnamon.
In the Cup: Dark chocolate, cherry pastry, and spice.
Mouthfeel: Full, round, gently tannic.
Finish: Moderately lingering.
Varietals: Typica, Bourbon, Arusha.

September: Finca Los Alpes Natural Carbonic Fermentation

Finca Los Alpes takes coffee transparency seriously. Producer Juan David Cardona is proud of the effort he put into this microlot, and his thorough procedure for his highly controlled natural carbonic fermentation process.

Roughly 36,000 kilograms of cherry were harvested in Finca Los Alpes, Juan David’s 10-hectare farm in Antioquia situated at 2,000masl. The area is predominantly mountainous, and temperatures range from 12-28°C. After transferring the cherries to the Beneficio processing station, they pass through a floatation test to remove any defective coffee.

The sorted cherries are then pre-fermented for 16 hours before entering the lactic fermentation phase, where they stay for 72 hours in hermetic baskets that are connected to a network of hoses. Carbon dioxide flows through the hoses, displacing any oxygen inside the baskets to develop an environment conducive to lactic acid development.

During the 72-hour fermentation, Juan David monitors specific variables that include Brix degrees, pH, ppm, electrical conductivity, and temperature to maintain control over the oxygen-free environment. After fermentation is complete, he takes the cherries to the dehydration station to lower the moisture content from 56% to 9.5-11.5%. The coffee rests in a controlled atmosphere cellar with 15% humidity for 68 days.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet and fruity.
Wet Grounds: Sweet cocoa, cherry, pomegranate, and spice.
In the Cup: Sweet fruit, cherry, chocolate, and spice.
Mouthfeel: Soft, round, velvety.
Finish: Moderately lingering.
Varietals: Caturra.

August: Nicaragua La Bastilla Coffee Estates RFA Honey

La Bastilla Coffee Estate, located in the north-east region of Jinotega, NIcaragua, is renowned for its coffee. Surrounded by the natural reserve Cerro Datanli El Diablo, just a few kilometers from Lago de Apanas, Finca La Bastilla is a tropical paradise for the fauna and flora founded on deep, favorable volcanic soils. Since 2003, the farm has been certified by the Rainforest Alliance.

Finca La Bastilla creates opportunities for sustainable lifestyle and income through activities including education at the La Bastilla Agricultural Boarding School, providing on-the-job training for students and hosting an ecolodge for visitors who become part of the farm’s activities. The environment is conserved by maintaining efficient use of river water. To prevent pollution, contaminated water is treated in bio-digesters, producing methane gas. this gas is channeled to the kitchen to be used for cooking.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet with red grape, caramel, and citrus notes.
Wet Grounds: Sweet dark honey, red grape, caramel and floral.
In the Cup: Sweet dark honey, red grape, and floral.
Mouthfeel: Soft, round, velvety.
Finish: moderately lingering; treacle.
Varietals: Caturra, red and yellow Catuai, Parainema, Java, SL28, Geisha.

July: Guatemala Huehuetenango Los Huipiles SHB

Huehuetenango is the highest and driest of Guatemala’s non-volcanic growing regions. Hot winds from Mexico’s Tehuantepec plains. These additional heat layers protect the coffee from frost which allows the coffee shrubs to grow at higher elevations (2000 MASL).

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet, red plum, floral, cocoa.
Wet Grounds: Brown sugar, spice, nutty, cocoa.
In the Cup: Sweet, creamy, floral, stone fruit.
Mouthfeel: Full, round, viscous, gentle.
Finish: Moderately lingering with sweet cocoa.
Varietals: Bourbon, Arabigo, Caturra.

June: Tanzania Mbeya Mwangoka Natural

When something we haven’t tried becomes available, especially if it is from a favored producing origin, I jump at the opportunity to give it a try. GD Mwangoka Farm in the Songwe, Mlowo region is one of the few native-owned, medium-sized farms in the region.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Caramel, floral, peach.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa, floral, nuts and peach tones.
In the Cup: Sweet peach, floral, cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Round, full, and robust.
Finish: Gently lingering with cinnamon notes.
Varietals: Bourbon.

May: Peru San Jose De Lourdes

This coffee is a small producer blend from a coffee cooperative working in the district of San Jose de Lourdes, Cajamarca. Coffee cultivars typical to the area include Caturra, Bourbon, and Typica, and most of the farms span an altitude range of 1650 to 2120 meters above sea level. The cooperative work with farmers to help provide agronomical assistance at the farm level, including post-harvest processing.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Apple, caramel, fresh almond pastry.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, cocoa, and baked pastry.
In the Cup: Creamy caramel, almond pastry, apple.
Mouthfeel: Balanced and gently viscous.
Finish: Softly lingering, round.
Varietals: Caturra, Bourbon, Typica.

April: Rwanda Kivu Kayego

The washing station Kayego is located in the highlands surrounding the southwestern shores of Lake Kivu in the Ngororero district. The wet mill has struggled through some tough financial times and was recently purchased. The new owners left the cooperative structure intact while maintaining the same commitment to excellence.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Vanilla, almond, caramel, cocoa.
Wet Grounds: Dried fruit, sweet, nutty.
In the Cup: Citrus zest, cocoa, almonds, dried fruit, and cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Soft, full, and round.
Finish: Moderately lingering, sweet, and round.
Varietals: Bourbon.

March: Java Wet Hulled Tambak Ruyung

This coffee from Tambak Ruyung is held separate from larger lots allowing for greater quality control and helps to maintain the integrity of the local micro-region. The coffee is brought either in whole cherry form or partially processed from the farmers where Pak Gunawan finishes the processing using the wet-hulled processing method.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cinnamon. orange zest, earth, and cocoa.
Wet Grounds: dried fruit, pastry, spice.
In the Cup: Citrus zest, cocoa, dried fruit, and spice.
Mouthfeel: Pointed tapering into soft and creamy.
Finish: Moderately lingering and round.
Varietals: Ateng, Typica.

February: Brazil Matas de Minas Natural

Matas de Minas occupies over 275,000 Hectares of coffee producing land in southeastern Minas Garias, As the largest coffee growing state in Brazil. With the drought and freeze experienced in Brazil last year over 20% of the expected production was lost. Brazil produced, typically, over 30% of the world’s coffee.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Floral, creamy, cocoa.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa, roasted nuts, dried fruit.
In the Cup: Nutty with dried fruit, raw sugar and cocoa tones.
Mouthfeel: Round, viscous and soft.
Finish: Moderately lingering with sweet cocoa.
Varietals: Catuai., Mundo Novo, Acaua, Araras, IPR100, IBC12.

January: Costa Rica Cordillera de Fuega Termico Natural

Don Luis Campos, Owner of the Cordillera de Fuego coffee farm has been doing some wonderful experimentation with processing coffee (removing the fruit from the seed.) With this naturally processed coffee from the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica, the fruit was briefly subjected to heat prior to drying. This gently caramelized the sugars. Enjoy the result.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Bold cascara, with floral, and spice tones.
Wet Grounds: Fruit tones dominate the wet grounds.
In the Cup: Lots of cascara fruit, raw sugar, and cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, round, and fruity.
Finish: Round, lush, and sweet.
Varietals: Caturra and Catuai.

December: Kenya Nyeri Ichamama AB

This coffee is from the Ichamama Factory, a washing station near Karima Hill in Nyeri. The station is named after the Ichamama river which is the water source for the washing station. The station sits at 1750 MASL with the coffee being grown in the higher altitudes surrounding it..

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Malt and cocoa with caramelized sugar notes.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa, soft dried fruit, cinnamon, floral.
In the Cup: Raw cane sugar, citrus, ginger, dark berry.
Mouthfeel: Clean and lively.
Finish: Gently lingering and sweet.
Varietals: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru-11.

November: Honduras Fredy Vasquez

Fredy Vasquez’ farm is located in the Lempira sub-region of western Honduras near the Quebrada Honda. The coffee is planted between 1400 and 1600 MASL and is predominantly Catuai cultivar a cross between Caturra and Mundo Novo cultivars.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet and sugary with notes of cinnamon, caramel and almonds.
Wet Grounds: Caramel and nuts with soft floral tones.
In the Cup: Sweet caramel, floral, stone fruit, with a hint of cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Sweet, full and round.
Finish: Moderately lingering, syrupy.
Varietals: Catuai.

October: Zambia Kateshi Estate

Zambia is relatively new to the coffee-growing world; it having been introduced in the 1950s and only in the last few decades becoming a major contributor in the county’s agri-business sector. Kateshi is one of a cluster of coffee estates near the town of Kasama in Zambia’s Northern Province.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Floral with notes of baking spices.
Wet Grounds: Citrus zest, clove, and honey.
In the Cup: Key lime, honey sweetness, cream, and floral.
Mouthfeel: Soft, round and viscous.
Finish: Gently lingering with soft chocolate tones.
Varietals: Modern Hybrids, Catimor.

September: Mexico Finca Vista Hermosa

From the Altos, Chiapas region of Mexico. The owner Mario Santiz Lopez is a second-generation coffee farmer. The farm is situated between 1600 and 1750 MASL. Hit with leaf rust in 2012 the farm’s production fell from 60 to ten bags of coffee. Now after partnering with an exporter the farm’s production has increased to 120 bags per year. Enjoy the fruits of Mario’s labor.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Peanut and herbs.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, peanuts, caramel, and cocoa.
In the Cup: Syrupy, nutty, stone fruit, and lime.
Mouthfeel: Full, round, and gentle.
Finish:Sweet and lingering.
Varietals: Bourbon, Typica, Catuai, and Mundo Novo.

August: Timor Leste Dry Process Kailitau

Kailitlau is a mountain in East Timor. It is home to the four farmer groups that make up this coffee blend. With altitudes between 1400 and 1900 MASL, there were 73 farmers whose coffees went into this dry processed lot (about 3100 pounds.) This gives an idea of the size of the farms. In my opinion, this is the finest lot I’ve roasted from Indonesia.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Berry fruitiness, cocoa, and gentle spice.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, floral and fruity.
In the Cup: Lush berry tones with a hint of cocoa, earth, and spice.
Mouthfeel: Full and round.
Finish: Lingering and gently tannic.
Varietals: Typica and Timor Hybrids.

July: Kenya Nyeri Kiandu AB

As I am particularly fond of Kenyan Coffees, I selected this gem for our 20th Anniversary Celebration Coffee. The Kiandu Factory is located near the town of Nyeri. The “factory” is the processing plant where local farmers bring their coffee cherry harvest for sorting, processing, grading, and distribution.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Stone fruit, cinnamon, floral, sweet.
Wet Grounds: Citrus zest, floral, sweet.
In the Cup: Stone fruit, cinnamon, vanilla, honey.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean.
Finish: Softly tannic, clean.
Varietals: Bourbon types, Ruiru-11.

June: Tanzania Iyenga-Mwalyego-Kimuli AB

We have had several Tanzanian coffees over the years; however, they have all been peaberry coffees. This AB screened coffee looked intriguing so we are giving it a go. This coffee hails from the Iyenga Cooperative (172 smallholder members,) the Mwalyego Cooperative (164 farmers,) and the Kimuli Cooperative.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Stone fruit, floral, sweet.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa and sweet raw sugar.
In the Cup: Nectarine, raw sugar, almond and cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Round and smooth.
Finish: Lingering, sweet and gently tannic.
Varietals: Bourbon, Kent, KP423, Nyasa.

May: Ecuador Pichincha, Jaime Ponce

I have been looking for an Ecuadoran coffee for some time now. Jaime’s farm is planted with Caturra and Typica and this lot is 100% Caturra. It is this that intrigued me the most about the coffee because I’ve never encountered a 100% Carurra coffee. The farm is situated at 1450 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Creamy, cocoa, mint, and citrus zest.
Wet Grounds: Apple and stone fruit with a hint of fresh mint.
In the Cup: Soft malic acidity with flavors of apple, plum, and a hint of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Round and soft.
Finish: Gently lingering sweetness.
Varietals: Caturra.

April: Rwanda Nyamasheke Macuba

Macuba washing station, located in the Nayamesheke district of Rwanda services more than 400 farms from the region. These farms reach elevations of 2100 MASL. The cherries are sorted, by hand, at the gate to remove and over or under ripe cherries before processing, channel grading, and drying.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Rich baking spice, cocoa, vanilla.
Wet Grounds: Spiced rum, dark brown sugar, toffee.
In the Cup: Warm spiced notes with gentle citrus and umami.
Mouthfeel: Weighted and balanced, viscous.
Finish: Gently tannic and moderately lingering.
Varietals: Bourbon Types.

March: Honduras Finca La Lesquinada Natural

Since discovering them, I have been a big fan of coffees from Honduras. The subtle cedar tone that I associate with the coffee from there is a delightful elemental character. We have tasted several coffees from Honduras over the years, but never a naturally processed coffee. I find that innate cedar tone coupled with gentle cocoa, fruit, and floral notes.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Fruity with floral notes.
Wet Grounds: Sweet and floral, spicy cocoa.
In the Cup: Cane sugar sweetness, plum, cedar, floral.
Mouthfeel: Creamy and soft.
Finish: Gently lingering with dark chocolate, cedar, and fruit.
Varietals: Paraiema, Icatu.

February: DR Congo North Kivu Gorilla Blend

The Virunga National Park est. 1925 is one of the last refuges for the mountain gorilla and is also home to highly endangered lowland gorillas. The park is working with local communities through the Virunga Alliance which promote economic regeneration. The park is also working to boost the livelihood of small shareholder farmers to the mutual benefit of these farmers and the park.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Creamy cocoa, floral, citrus.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, spice, cocoa, citrus.
In the Cup: Raw sugar sweetness, lemon flower, cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Mostly clean with just a hint of earth tones.
Finish: Moderately lingering with hints of cocoa, earth, and cedar.
Varietals: Blue Mountain, Rumangaboo, Heirloom Varietals.

January: GuatemalaU Finca La Pila SHB EP Honey

After years of living and working in the U.S., Rodolfo Garcia decided to return to his native Guatemala and join his brother who was farming coffee. Rodolfo bought a piece of land located in Aldea Santa Ana, La Montaña, Nueva Santa Rosa. With high hopes of finding prosperity, he adopted his brother’s best practices and applied them to his farm, Finca La Pila.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Creamy, nutty, chocolate.
Wet Grounds: Raw sugar sweetness, cocoa, citrusy.
In the Cup: Sweet and creamy with fruit and almond tones.
Mouthfeel: Full, round, viscous.
Finish: Gentle, sweet, creamy notes.
Varietals: Bourbon, Catuai, Catisic.

December: Yemen Mokha Matari

Trying new coffees is what the Coffee of the Month Club is all about. This Yemen Mokha is just that. We have never roasted coffee from Yemen before and were pleased to find this gem. Matari is one of the few coffees kept separated from the growing region Sana’a. Traditionally, the coffees from this region are mixed together to form “Sana’ani coffee.” Fatoum Muslot took over operations of the family coffee business started by her father in the 1950s. Under her management, the commitment to improved standards of production such as hand sorting and Ecotact liners has benefited cup quality.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Raw sugar sweetness, cocoa, earth tones and fruit.
Wet Grounds: Floral notes with earthiness, sweet, cocoa.
In the Cup: Sweet and creamy with fruit and floral tones, earthy.
Mouthfeel: Full, round, viscous.
Finish: Gentle sweet lingering notes.
Varietals: Heirloom.

November: El Salvador Comasagua San Antonio

Comasagua is tucked away in the El Balsamo mountain range in El Salvador’s La Libertad Department. With altitudes ranging from 100 to 1500 MASL. The San Antonio coffee co-operative was established more than 40 years ago that focuses on sustainable agronomical practices.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Raw sugar sweetness, cocoa, herbs, and butter.
Wet Grounds: Chocolate, almond, and toffee.
In the Cup: Sweet with apple fruit tones, cream, cocoa, and almond.
Mouthfeel: Clean and lively.
Finish: Gently lingering with sweet notes.
Varietals: Bourbon, Pacas, Sarchimor, Marsallesa, and Catimor.

October: Mexico Chiapas Finca San Carlos

Many producers of Heirloom Varietals are struggling in Mexico. That is what makes this lot so special. Finca San Carlos is located on the western slope of Volcán Tacaná. It is situated between 110 and 1350 MASL. The farm has over 10 varieties; those selected for this lot are JadeCentennial and an unknown “Jade” variety. Look for a complex and sweet cup that will hit its peak 5-7 days off the roast.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet cocoa, spice, and stone fruit.
Wet Grounds: Chocolate cream and graham cracker.
In the Cup: Sweet with notes of tamarind zest, black cherry, and creamy cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Weighted with sweet treacle characters.
Finish: Lingering with residual sweetness.
Varietals: JadeCentennial and an unknown “Jade” variety.

September: Peru San Francisco David Garcia

David Garcia Diaz has a little less than a hectare of coffee in the San Francisco village of San Jose del Alto, Jaen. This 1800 meter farm is one of two plots David manages and is planted in Bourbon and Caturra.” (From Sweet Maria’s).

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cocoa, nuts, and spice.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, cocoa, nuts and spice.
In the Cup: Sweet raw sugar, cocoa, walnuts and clove.
Mouthfeel: Sweet, round, and full.
Finish: Lingering with tannic notes and residual sweetness.
Varietals: Bourbon, Caturra.

August: Colombia Ibague Rio Combeima

“Rio Combiema runs north from Imbague, the canyon it’s carved out splits the mountain in two.” (From Coffee Shrub) The contributing coffee communities for this coffee – Machin and China Alta – are situated on the east and west sides of the river.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Caramel and candied nuts.
Wet Grounds: Stone fruit and brown sugar.
In the Cup: Sweet brown sugar, cocoa, caramel and cream.
Mouthfeel: Sweet, round, and full.
Finish: Gently lingering, creamy and smooth.
Varietals: Caturra, Veridad Colombia, Typica.

July: Costa Rica Cordillera de Fuego Anaerobic

About Cordillera del Fuego Our Anaerobic process coffee comes from Tarrazú producer Luis Eduardo Campos of Finca Cordillera del Fuego. Don Luis is constantly pursuing new and innovative ways to improve his coffee production. Don Luis is also progressive in his farming practices. In 2017 he joined NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions) whose objective is to dramatically reduce emissions of greenhouse gases within the coffee sector.

About the Anaerobic Process: The Anaerobic process starts with the selection of handpicked, mature coffee cherries that have a Brix degree (a measurement of sugar content) near 26. The coffee is depulped and put in stainless steel with all its mucilage, which, in the absence of CO2, purposely creates an anaerobic fermentation process. The coffee develops in a unique series of acids such as lactic and malic which will translate to a very complex flavor. Once ready the coffee is 100% sun dried.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Red apple, cinnamon, cocoa, and raw sugar.
Wet Grounds: Red Apple, plum, and spice.
In the Cup: Red plum, cinnamon, raw sugar, and wine-like.
Mouthfeel: Sweet, round, and full.
Finish: Gently lingering with sweet fermented fruit tones.
Varietals: Caturra.

June: Sulawesi Red Honey Tana Luwu

From a newly started mill in the small town of Tulajuk found within the Luwu District. The town is situated on the eastern slopes of Mount Latimojong, the highest peak in Sulawesi. Red honey refers to the color hue from the residual fruit left on the seed after drying. Most of the fruit is mechanically removed before drying, on raised beds, for about two weeks.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cream, cocoa, herbal notes, and raw sugar.
Wet Grounds: Crisp apple, nutmeg, and rustic sweetness.
In the Cup: Lively, with crisp apple tones, cherry fruitiness, baking bread.
Mouthfeel: Sweet, round, and weighted.
Finish: Lingering with notes of cocoa and spice.
Varietals: Typica types, Jember and hybrid types.

May: Kenya Kiambu Evans Farm AA

Evans farm is a single, 10 acre farm, run by Evanson Kibuu Nganga. It is situated at about 1850 MASL. We started cupping this coffee at a city roast level. The cup was very sweet and intriguing but was underdeveloped and didn’t hold up as the cup cooled. The second sample batch we added 2° F temperature increase. This too, was a nice cup, but it was a bit flabby and lacked much of the life that we found in the first sample. I then backed off ½° F to find what I consider to be one of the finest Kenyans I’ve had in a long time.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Citrus zest, cardamom, raw sugar.
Wet Grounds: Light brown sugar, spice, orange zest.
In the Cup: Lively citrus tone with gentle spice, and Earl Grey Tea.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and sweet.
Finish: Clean and crisp.
Varietals: Bourbon types.

April: Papua New Guinea Baroida Estate

The Baroida Plantation is located in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea and was founded by Ben Colbran in the 1960s. Ben was one of the first to plant coffee in the Eastern Highlands. The farm is now being run by Ben’s son and grandson. The farm is situated at 1700 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Tarragon and spice, cocoa.
Wet Grounds: Woodsy with sweet cocoa, and herbs.
In the Cup: Earthy with herb, honey, and soft fruit tones.
Mouthfeel: Full and round round.
Finish: Softly lingering with sweet date, and cocoa.
Varietals: Bourbon and Typica types.

March: Honduras Comayagua Angel Vasquez

Angel Vasquez has two farms in the Comayagua area of Honduras. The disease-resistant cultivars tend to be very herbal, however, there are wonderful fruit tones and well-balanced acidity. The farms reach as much as 1500 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet herbal aromas, raw sugar and cocoa.
Wet Grounds:</strong Cocoa, brown sugar, and herbs.
In the Cup:</strong Umami notes with basil, stone fruit, and rustic sweetness.
Mouthfeel:</strong Gentle bodied and round.
Finish:</strong Softly lingering with raw sugar, gentle earth, and cocoa.
Varietals:</strong Modern Hybrids and Catimor.

February: Bali Wet Hulled Bangli Kintamani

Again, a new region for us. We have never roasted coffee From Bali before. This coffee hails from the Bangli region of Kintamani. Bali is nestled in the South Pacific just west of Java. In this coffee, you will see classic Indonesian characteristics of earth tones, raw sugar, and spice.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Plum, cocoa and spice notes.
Wet Grounds: Dark brown sugar, nuts, and cocoa.
In the Cup: Molasses, spice, malic acidity.
Mouthfeel: Round, full, lush.
Finish: Moderately lingering, sweet, smooth.
Varietals: Typica types.

January: Zambia Honey Process Kasama Estate

We have never roasted coffee from Zambia before this. This coffee sounded fun and unique. The “Kasama Estate” refers to the Kateshi estate which lies just north of Kasama town in the Norther Province. Altitudes in this region range from 1300 to 1500 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Spicy with carob and citrus notes.
Wet Grounds: Sweet cocoa/carob, baked apple and citrus zest.
In the Cup: Raw sugar, carob and orange zest.
Mouthfeel: Treacle syrupy, round.
Finish: Moderately lingering, sweet, smooth.
Varietals: Catimor Hybrid Types.

December: India Kalledevarpura Chandragiri

Kalledevarapura is located in the Baba Budan Giri Hills, the region where coffee was first planted in India back in the 1670s. The region is named after Baba Budan who, according to legend, smuggled seven coffee seeds out of Yemen and planted them in India.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Spicy with cocoa and caramel notes.
Wet Grounds: Lush, sweet cocoa and citrus zest.
In the Cup: Brown sugar, cocoa, and orange zest.
Mouthfeel: Lush and round.
Finish: Moderately lingering, sweet and gently tannic.
Varietals: Chandragiri (a Villa Sarchi derivative).

November: Ethiopia Dry Process Guji Shakiso Hambela Dabaye

Our Bronze Medal winner for filter brewed coffee in the 2019 Golden Bean North America international competition.

This coffee hails from the Kayon Mountain in the Shakiso district in the Guji zone of southwestern Ethiopia. The Hambela processing station sits at 1816 MASL and brings in coffee from surrounding farms growing coffees as high as 2100 MASL. The region’s volcanic soil is bursting with nutrients.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Blueberry muffin.
Wet Grounds: Juicy berry fruitiness, hint of clove.
In the Cup: Black tea, mixed berry and honey.
Mouthfeel: Lush and round.
Finish: Moderately lingering fruity and sweet.
Varietals: Heirloom varietals.

October: Burundi Kayanza Nemba Station

Kayanza is Burundi’s Northern Province, located on the border with Rwanda. Nemba Station serves as a cherry collection and processing station for farms on 15 surrounding hilltops. The whole cherry is brought to the station where it is wet-processed and dried.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Caramel, raw sugar and spice.
Wet Grounds: Honey, fruit, and spice.
In the Cup: Raw sugar, caramel, gentle citrus, and spice.
Mouthfeel: Lush and lively.
Finish: Softly tannic, citrus zest, moderately lingering.
Varietals: Bourbon.

September: El Salvador Finca El Naranjo Honey Process

Finca El Naranjo is situated in Northwest El Salvador near Apaneca on the slopes of Cerro Ahuachapan. The farm ranges from 1200 to 1350 MASL. The cherries are then brought to the Beneficio San Miguel mill for sorting and processing. The honey process used is very unique as once most of the fruit is removed they bag up the parchment in jute bags over night to begin a dry fermentation process, it is then dried on raised African drying beds.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Creamy, notes of spice and nuts.
Wet Grounds: Honey, fruit, and spice.
In the Cup: Honey sweetness with tart fruit tones, pomegranate, and cranberry.
Mouthfeel: Round and complex.
Finish: Lingering honey sweetness with a hint of tannic dryness.
Varietals: Bourbon, Pacas, Sanpacho, Marsallesa.

August: Peru Huabal Perlamayo

This micro-lot coffee comes from the Las Pirias District of Huabal. With an elevation range of 1800 to 1900 MASL. Product from several smallholder farms is joined to comprise this lot. It is wet-processed by the farmers then delivered in dry parchment (the green bean with a thin parchment layer intact.) for sorting and grading.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Creamy, with tropical notes.
Wet Grounds: Sweet with cocoa and caramel.
In the Cup: Nutty with chocolate notes, crisp green apple, peach, and black tea.
Mouthfeel: Weighted with raw sugar and stone fruit.
Finish: Gently lingering with crisp malic acidity and reminiscent sweetness.
Varietals: Caturra types, Bourbon types and Typica types.

July: Kenya Kigaa AA

This microlot coffee comes from the Kagaari South Farmer’s Co-Operative Society in Kenya’s Embu County. This co-op represents nearly 500 farmers. The farmers deliver the cherries to the mill on the same day they are picked and sorting is carried out at the mill prior to pulping

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Floral with citrus notes.
Wet Grounds: Sweet with tropical fruit and spice.
In the Cup: Soft lemon and lime citrus notes with papaya, pear, and currants; herb notes.
Mouthfeel: Bright and weighty.
Finish: Lingering with soft spice tones and raw sugar.
Varietals: SL 28, SL 34’ Ruiru 11.

June: Guatemala Acatenango Gesha

The Gesha variety originally hails from Ethiopia’s Gori Gesha forest, as Gesha seedlings were originally collected from Ethiopia in the 1930s by the British Consul Richard Whalley.Cupping

In truth, Gesha is so loved because its cup quality is so high, regularly scoring 90 points and above on the SCA’s 100-point scale used to assess coffee quality. “It has an unbelievable aroma—it’s like a precious perfume, with rose, jasmine, and bergamot notes,” Willem Boot (Barista Magazine Online 2/17/18)

Acatenango is a stratovolcano in Guatemala, close to the city of Antigua. The volcano has two peaks, Pico Mayor and Yepocapa which is also known as Tres Hermanas. Acatenango is joined with Volcán de Fuego and collectively the volcano complex is known as La Horqueta. (Wikipedia)

This is a very special coffee that we are pleased to offer for June’s Coffee of the Month Club.

*Very limited availability*

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Floral, sweet and complex.
Wet Grounds: Sweet and tropical with hints of jasmine and honey.
In the Cup: Soft citrus notes with tropical fruit tones and floral aromas.
Mouthfeel: Bright, light and round.
Finish: Crisp and sweet.
Varietals: Gesha.

May: Ethiopia Gugi Shakiso Natural

This coffee hails from the Kayon Mountain Coffee Farm in the Shakiso district in the Gugi zone of southwestern Ethiopia. The farm lives in the shadows of evergreens that provide a multi-canopy structure. The region’s volcanic soil is bursting with nutrients.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Blueberry muffin.
Wet Grounds: Juicy berry fruitiness, hint of clove.
In the Cup: Soft lemony notes with juicy berry fruitiness.
Mouthfeel: Lush and round.
Finish: Moderately lingering fruity and sweet.
Varietals: Ethiopian heirlooms.

April: Colombia Narino

This incredibly high altitude coffee from Narino, a small growing region bordering Equador and the Pacific Ocean is just 1 degree north of the equator allows for coffee to be cultivated at altitudes up to 2300 MASL. Small farms, many less than a hectare, dominate the region.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Creamy, caramel, stone fruit.
Wet Grounds: Praline, cocoa, and plum with just a hint of clove.
In the Cup: Soft orange citrus notes with cocoa nib, creamy cocoa. and nuts.
Mouthfeel: Lush and round.
Finish: Moderately lingering with raw sugar and dark chocolate.
Varietals: Castillo, Caturra.

March: Congo Umoja Wetu

Finding fun and new origins to roast is what inspired the Coffee of the Month Club. Finding this gem from Congo, finding its best individual roast profile and enjoying the unique character has been a lot of fun. “Umoja Wetu,” local for “Our Unity.” Congo is an up-and-coming origin with most of the coffee being heirloom bourbon types.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Butterscotch, spice, and cocoa.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa, brown sugar and spice; nutmeg and clove.
In the Cup: Creamy cocoa, dried stone fruit, crisp apple and lots of spice.
Mouthfeel: Gentle bodied and round.
Finish: Softly lingering with raw sugar and cocoa.
Varietals: Bourbon types.

February: Flores Poco Ranaka

Poko Ranaka is a small lot of coffee blended from different farms located around the village of Tangkul, East Manggarai District. These farms vary in altitude from around 1400 MASL and above. Our source is working, through an intermediary, to identify, separate and evaluate coffees from farms in the higher elevation coffee zones.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Toffee, Cocoa, hint of orange zest.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa, brown sugar and spice; nutmeg and clove.
In the Cup: Light brown sugar sweetness, orange zest, cocoa and spice.
Mouthfeel: Gentle, creamy and round.
Finish: Lingers with baking cocoa and cream notes.
Varietals: S795, Typica, Yellow Caturra.

January: Papua New Guinea Kuta Waghi Peaberry

The coffees processed at the Kuta coffee mill in the Waghi district of Papau New Guinea is from smaller coffee plantations situated about 1600 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet toffee and caramel.
Wet Grounds: Creamy and sweet with notes of cocoa and nuts.
In the Cup: Lots of baking spice, cardamom and clove with dried stone fruit tones.
Mouthfeel: Full and round.
Finish: Creamy cocoa lingering.
Varietals: Arusha, Bourbon, Typica.

December: Ethiopia Dry Process Shakiso Kayon

Kayon Mountain farm is located in the southern Guji zone of Shakiso. It is family owned and operated, which allows them to sell their coffee “direct”. Kayon Mountain farm have built out their own wet and dry milling facilities, handling all post-harvest milling themselves, overseeing quality management, and preparation for export. Like most of the country, the farm is planted in regional, distinct local strains of coffees that have spread from the wild forest plants of western Ethiopia, to Harar in the East and to the southern districts like Guji.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Bright and fruity.
Wet Grounds: Creamy, sweet and fruity.
In the Cup: Very berry fruitiness with hints of honeysuckle and cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean.
Finish: Mildly lingering with notes of honey and fruit.
Varietals: Heirloom.

November: Costa Rica Beneficio San Diego Honey

Beneficio San Diego is the most modern mill in Costa Rica. It was established in 1888 and has been innovating ever since. Today Beneficio San Diego specializes in coffees from the Tarrazú and Tres Ríos regions. The mill takes pride in striving for ever increasing efficiency and quality standards. At the same time it has taken a leading role in working with producers to ensure good community relations and sustainable production. About the Coffee This Tarrazú coffee was hand-picked, depulped and moved to patios – African beds – where it was dried for a week until it reached the desired humidity.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Creamy and nutty.
Wet Grounds: Creamy, sweet and fruity.
In the Cup: Cane sugar, crisp apple and gentle citrus.
Mouthfeel: Bright and lively.
Finish: Crisp and clean, mildly lingering.
Varietals: Caturra and Catuai.

October: El Salvador Finca Miravalle Bourbon

Finca Miravalle is located in Apaneca, Ahuachapan not far from the Santa Ana volcano. The owner, Luis Duarte, keeps this farm planted with only Pacamara. Miravalle is about 1500 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Creamy and nutty.
Wet Grounds: Creamy, cocoa and nuts.
In the Cup: Sweet raw, gentle lime citrus and roasted peanut.
Mouthfeel: Round and smooth.
Finish: Crisp and clean.
Varietals: Pacamara.
Processing: Wet Processed.

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September: Rwanda Kivu Kageyo

The Kageyo washing station lies in the highlands surrounding the south eastern shores of Lake Kivu. The washing station draws cherries from a small farmer cooperative. The farms are located around the mill situated between 1800 and 2000 MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Butterscotch, clove and lime zest.
Wet Grounds: Raw cane sugar, cloves, citrus.
In the Cup: Sweet raw cane sugar, key lime and clove.
Mouthfeel: Round and creamy.
Finish: Moderately lingering with a syrupy texture.
Varietals: Bourbon types.
Processing: Wet Processed.

August: Kenya Lenana AB

The coffee was grown by smallholders, generally with average 200 trees each, who delivered their freshly picked ripe cherries to cooperative wet mills. The AB Lenana was disc pulped, fully fermented and washed, sun-dried on elevated drying tables. Consolidated parchment volumes were then delivered to dry mills where the parchment was hulled, graded according to size and density, and warehoused and warranted for sale.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Roasted nuts, sweet caramel.
Wet Grounds: Raw sugar, cloves, vanilla.
In the Cup: Sweet raw honey, vanilla, blood orange and clove.
Mouthfeel: Round and creamy; gently effervescent.
Finish: Softly tannic structure, moderately lingering.

July: Guatemala Xinabajul Peaberry

This lot comes from many small holder farms in the Huehuetenango Highlands. It is part of the supplier’s Proyecto Xinabajul (pronounced She-nah-bah-hool) program.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Rich, dark chocolate, roasted hazelnut and caramel.
Wet Grounds: Roasted nuts, cocoa and molasses.
In the Cup: Softly sweet with creamy cocoa and bright apple.
Mouthfeel: Creamy and round.
Finish: Sweet and nutty, gently lingering.
Varietals: Caturra and Typica.
Roast: City+.
Processing: Wet Processed.

June: Malawi Sable Farms Peaberry

We have never done a coffee from Malawi so this sounded intriguing. This lot comes from Malawi Sable Farms located in the Mangochi District just to the south of Lake Malawi. The elevation is much lower than neighboring Tanzania so the more disease resistant cultivar “Catimor” is found in this lot.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Notes.
Wet Grounds: Roasted nuts, cocoa and dried currants.
In the Cup: Softly sweet with herbal tones, raw honey and crisp apple.
Mouthfeel: Lively and bright.
Finish: Sweet and nutty gently lingering.
Varietals: Catimor, Caturra and Catuai.
Roast: City-City+.
Processing: Wet Processed.

May: Brazil, Santa Luzia Peaberry Lot 1

Fazenda Santa Lucia is located in the growing-region of Campos Altos. Much of the coffee is still manually picked, as part of the farm is situated on a slope, a grade that does not allow for mechanical harvesting. This particular coffee is naturally processed, meaning the whole cherry is picked from the tree and then laid out to dry for roughly 30 days, after which the dried cherry and parchment layer are mechanically removed. This type of processing tends to impart some fruited flavor on the seed, as well as mute acidity, and produce big body.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Nutty with unrefined sugar notes.
Wet Grounds: Roasted nuts, cocoa and dried currants.
In the Cup: Subtle fruit with hazelnut and macadamia.
Mouthfeel: Softly tannic, creamy and full.
Finish: Lingering and sweet and creamy.
Varietals: Bourbon.
Roast: City+.
Processing: Dry Processed.

April: Sumatra Gayo Lues Cike

This Gayo Lues lot is a blend of small producer’s coffees from a highland area within Kerinci, Jambi District. Average altitude in the region ranges from 1300-1500 masl. More of an impact on the coffee’s typical earth-toned Sumatra profile is the process “Giling Basah,” where the farmer pulps off the fruit skin and stores the seeds in barrels where the remaining fruit is fermented to further break it down before moving on to the processing plants to be finished, bagged and stored until export.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Fruity berry earth and spice.
Wet Grounds: Earth tones, raw sugar sweetness, plum and spice.
In the Cup: Plum and berry with herb and spice notes. Earthy.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full, round and balanced.
Finish: Lingering and sweet and creamy.
Varietals: Ateng Bergendal Djember.
Roast: City++.
Processing: Wet Hulled.

March: Uganda Kapchorwa

Kapchorwa is Located on the slopes of Mt. Elgon; an extinct volcano situated in eastern Uganda on the Kenyan border. The Kapchorwa washing station was built in 2010 and today serves 907 farmers who are organized into 35 Producer Organizations. 45 smallholder farmers at Kyagalanyi, Kapchorwa washing station contributed to this lot.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Nutty, creamy caramel and spice.
Wet Grounds: Earthy, raw sugar sweetness, plum and spice.
In the Cup: Sweet caramel, plum, white grape cardamom and orange zest.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, soft and balanced.
Finish: Moderately lingering and sweet.
Varietals: Bourbon varietals SL24 and SL28, Bugisu Local.
Roast: City to City+.
Processing: Wet Processed and sun dried.

February: Rwanda Nyamasheke Cyato Lot 5884

The Cyato washing station is located in the Nyamasheke region of Rwanda’s Western Province. The washing station is situated at 1850 MASL and the area farmers have planted well above 1900MASL.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Raw cane sugar, floral.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, mandarin orange, spice.
In the Cup: Mandarin orange, zest and clove.
Mouthfeel: Soft and round.
Finish: Gently lingering, soft and creamy.
Varietals: Bourbon.
Roast: City to City+.
Processing: Wet Processed.

January: Guatemala Pasqual Family

Finca las Anonas is owned by Don Pascual Teletor, who is part of the Volcafe Way group of producers and one of the most collaborative in the group. Don Pascual used to live and work in the United States, but he always dreamed of returning to Cubulco, buying a plot of land and becoming a coffee producer — a dream he made come true! His farm in the village of Chimacho, in Cubulco, is 8.4 hectares (20.7 acres), of which 1.45 hectares (3.5 acres) are planted with coffee. On the remaining land, he grows crops such as beans and corn, some of which he keeps for his own consumption. He named his farm Las Anonas after the fruit — also known as sugar apples, or cherimoya — which are common to the region and were plentiful on the farm when he bought it.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cocoa, butter, caramel.
Wet Grounds: Sweet, tropical fruit tones, cocoa.
In the Cup: Green grape and apple fruit, cocoa nib, caramel.
Mouthfeel: Crisp green apple, fresh.
Finish: Crisp and sweet with just a touch of lingering cocoa.
Varietals: Catuai, Caturra, Sarchimor.
Roast: City to City+.
Processing: Wet Processed. Sun Dried.

December: Papua New Guinea Wahgi Valley Kimel Peaberry

The Kimel plantation is situated at an elevation of 1580 masl along the Kimel river in Papua New Guinea. Care for the workforce is as important to the coffee as the care to its cultivation and processing. 432 permanent workers are housed with schooling for the children, medical facilities, as well as, clean running water. The Kimel river provides plenty of clean water for processing and the farm implements ecology friendly practices such as recycling pulp to be used as fertilizer and recycling the water used in processing.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Pepper, clove, cardamom and orange zest.
Wet Grounds: Cardamom, orange zest and cocoa.
In the Cup: Gentle spice: cardamom and clove with bergamot tones. Raw cane sugar sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Intriguing sharpness that smooths into a creamy, round feel.
Finish: Moderately long finish with sweet softness.
Varietals: Mundo Nuvo, Blue Mountain, Typica, Arusha, Caturra, Catimor.
Roast: City++.
Processing: Wet Processed.

November: Burundi Rutovo Kinogono Lot 2

This lot is from a private washing station located in Colline Rutovu. Colline is French for hill and what the different highland areas in Burundi are referred to as. The station is a collection site for over 3000 small-holder farmers in the hillsides. Many of these farms are less than a hectare of cultivated land adjacent to their homes.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet with notes of nutmeg and clove. Hints of pepper.
Wet Grounds: Sweet aromatics with black tea and dried fruit tones.
In the Cup: Crisp green apple, brown sugar raisin and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Clean, round and sweet.
Finish: Lingers gently with a soft creaminess.
Varietals: Bourbon.
Roast: City to City+.
Processing: Wet Processed.

October: El Salvador Honey Process San Pablo

Finca San Pablo is situated at 1250 MASL in the town of Conception de Ataco. This select lot is honey processes (only part of the fruit is removed using very little water) then dried on raised beds.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Brown sugar sweetness with gentle nutty tones.
Wet Grounds: Sweet aromatics with black tea notes.
In the Cup: Crisp apple and black tea, nutty and clean.
Mouthfeel: Clean, crisp and refreshing.
Finish: Soft treacle, sweet.
Varietals: Bourbon and Pacas.
Roast: City+.
Processing: Pulp Natural.

September: Kenya – Nyeri Gathaithi AB

The Gathaithi factory (washing station) is in the Nyeri district located just to the west of Mount Kenya. Gathaithi is also the name of the local farmer’s cooperative. The coffee grows at 1400+ masl.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Bright orange and grapefruit citrus with hints of clove, cinnamon and berry fruitiness.
Wet Grounds: Praline, cocoa, orange zest and raw sugar.
In the Cup: Lemon, black tea, toasted almond and orange zest.
Mouthfeel: Clean, crisp and refreshing.
Finish: Leaves in a hurry with just a slight reminiscence.
Varietals: SL28, 34, Ruiru11.
Roast: City-City+.
Processing: Washed.

August: Sumatra Boru Batak

Boru Batak comes from the Lintong growing region near Lake Toba, the largest volcanic crater lake in the world. This lot is part of a joint venture between a Costa Rican grower and an Indonesian coffee exporter. Particular attention is paid to the coffee as they are carefully separated by quality then triple hand picked during the milling process.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Cinnamon, brown sugar, butter.
Wet Grounds: Cocoa, banana and spice.
In the Cup: Resonant and lush with sweet raw sugar notes, cream and butter, muted acidity, cocoa nib and dried dates.
Mouthfeel: Round and robust and somewhat viscous.
Finish: Lingering with buttery creaminess.
Varietals: Ateng, Djember, Typica.
Roast: City+ approaching full-city.

July: Burundi Rutovu Kinogono

Colline Rutovu is a private washing station which collects coffee cherry from more than 3000 small holder farms. The coffee cherry is hand-picked, delivered to the washing station, then fully washed, fermented then dries on raised beds.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Butter, clove, black tea. Very complex.
Wet Grounds: Spicy clove, cocoa, floral.
In the Cup: Raw sugar sweetness, roasted hazelnut, gentle lime-like acidity, soft creamy butter tones.
Mouthfeel: Round and soft with gentle tannic notes.
Finish: Crisp with a soft, creamy texture and lingering spice notes.
Varietal: Bourbon.
Roast: City/City+.

June: Ethiopia ~ Guji Zone Akrabi

There are a lot of fabulous coffees coming out of Ethiopia right now. This is a lot from the Sidama region of Ethiopia through the Ethiopia Commodities Exchange. “Basically all farmers that are not part of a cooperative submit their coffees to the exchange where it is first graded, and then sold in tiers based off that graded category.” (Coffee Shrub) What caught my eye on this coffee was the descriptors offered by the supplier; lots of layered character.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet cocoa, clove, raw dark honey.
Wet Grounds: Jasmine floral and citrus zest.
In the Cup: Almond, stone fruit, molasses and bittersweet cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Round and soft with gentle tannic notes.
Finish: Gently weighted with moderately lingering earth tones.
Varietal: Heirloom.
Roast: City to City+.

May: Brazil ~ Dry Process Mirante Peaberry

Fazenda Mirante Is located in the Campos Altos growing region of Brazil. This coffee is a peaberry selection of their Yellow Catuai cultivar. The coffee is dry processed, layed out to dry in the fruit for about 30 days. After drying the dried cherry and parchment are mechanically removed. As you can imagine, this method of processing tends to enhance fruit characters, mute acidity for a big bodied cup.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Butter, almond and toffee.
Wet Grounds: Dried peach, dark sugar tones.
In the Cup: Almond, stone fruit, molasses and bittersweet cocoa.
Mouthfeel: Weighted and gently round.
Finish: Lingers soft and sweet with a hint of crispness.
Varietal: Catuai.
Roast: City+.

April: Rwanda Kivu Kanzu lot 1

Kanzu is from the southwest area of Lake Kivu in the Nyamasheke district in Rwanda. The physical processing of Kanzu remains fairly consistent.Coffee cherry is brought down to this station from hundreds of small farmers situated above the valley floor, or they bring the fruit to collection points Kanzu has set up in a nearby radius.

Cupping Notes:

>Dry Grounds:

Wet Grounds: Blackberry syrup, toasted almond and spice.
In the Cup: Almond, berry syrup and lemon flower.
Mouthfeel: Gently viscous and treacle characters.
Finish: Lingers soft and sweet with a hint of crispness.
Varietal: Bourbon.
Roast: City – City+.

March: Nicaragua Finca Buenos Aires Hacienda

Finca Buenos Aires Estates is a fairly large farm of about 215 hectares in the Jinotega growing region. It is all Caturra, which is a cultivated mutation of Bourbon that occurred in Brazil in the mid ’30s, but was planted in South and Central America mostly in the 1950s. Buenos Aires is a rather low farm compared to other origins we buy, with this lot coming from about 1200 meters. I found it very balanced, clean, moderately bright and very sweet, perhaps showing how relative farm altitude can be in relation to cup quality.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet brown sugar and butter.
Wet Grounds: Sweet notes with a hint of peppery spice and butterscotch.
In the Cup: Molasses and caramel are balanced with a clean lime-like acidity.
Mouthfeel: Soft and round turning crisp as the cup cools.
Finish: Gently lingering with soft sweet tones.
Varietal: Caturra.
Roast: City/City+.

February: Ethiopia Yirga Cheffe Buufata Konga

Smallholder farmers deliver their coffees to a privately owned washing station where the coffees are hand sorted on the drying tables. The farms set at an altitude between 1900 and 2100 meters elevation. The heirloom varietals are delivered then sun dried, rested then hulled.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Treacle sweet berry syrup tones, baked bread, cinnamon.
Wet Grounds: Ripe red berry with cinnamon, soft earthiness and jam.
In the Cup: Berry jam, cinnamon spice, tropical fruit, molasses note.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy and round.
Finish: Sweet and softly lingering.
Varietal: Heirloom.
Roast: City/City+.

January: Costa Rica: Jardin-Lote Papaya

Jardin de Aromas (Garden of Aromas) The farm is, of course, heavily populated with coffee shrubs. However, it is divided into several plots with names coinciding with the surrounding flora: in this case there are several papaya trees on the grounds.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet brown sugar tones with gentle floral and caramel.
Wet Grounds: Still sweet with cocoa, clove and rose.
In the Cup: Caramelized sugar sweetness with cocoa nibs and an underlying floral touch.
Mouthfeel: Softly tannic, round and viscous.
Finish: Sweet lingering.
Varietal: Catuai and Caturra.
Roast: City++.

December: Rwanda Kivu Kanzu

This coffee comes from the southwest Lake Kivu area of the Nyamasheke district of Rwanda. The cherry comes from hundreds of small farmers in the surrounding mountains for processing in Kunzu. The coffee is fermented for 24 hours and soaked for 12 hours before being laid out on raised beds for are and sun drying.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Apple, pineapple fruit with a light brown sugar sweetness.
Wet Grounds: Almond and honey with caramel and baking spice notes.
In the Cup: Plum and dark red grape fruit tones with a hint of cardamom and refined sugar sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Gently lingering with a soft treacle sweetness.
Finish: Sweet and complex.
Processing: Wet Processed.
Varietal: Bourbon.
Roast: City+.

November: El Salvador Finca Santa Julia

Finca Santa Julia, located on the slopes of Santa Ana Volcano in one of the oldest coffee producing regions in El Salvador is planted exclusively with heirloom Bourbon varietal types. It is situated at an elevation of 1450-1550 meters above sea level. This farm has been in the family since the late 1800s.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Roasted nut, green apple and gentle caramel tones.
Wet Grounds: Sweet raw sugar, vanilla and walnut.
In the Cup: Roasted nut tones meld with malic dried apple and raw sugar sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Clean and crisp, gently rounded.
Finish: Crisp and sweet.
Processing: Wet Process.
Varietal: Bourbon.
Roast: City +.

October: Sumatra Lintong Opung James Lot 4

Opung James (grandmother of James) is a coffee collector in the Lintong Nihota area. Collectors are an integral part of the coffee trade in Indonesia. And Opung James works to ensure top quality in the coffees she gathers.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet raw sugar and herbal notes.
Wet Grounds: Herbal notes carry over with dark brown sugar sweetness.
In the Cup: Bittersweet characters of raw sugar and molasses blend with baker’s chocolate notes.
Mouthfeel: Full and round.
Finish: Long and lingering with notes of dark chocolate.
Processing: Wet-hulled.
Varietal: Ateng Bergendal TimTim.
Roast: Full City.

September: Guatemala Acetenango Finca San Diego Buena Vista

Acetenango is an underappreciated region in Guatemala. Quite frequently the coffees are sold as neighboring Antigua mill-marked lots. This coffee comes from the San Diego Buena Vista farm and is milled on site.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet raw sugar, cocoa and spice.
Wet Grounds: Caramelized sugar, cardamom spice and orange zest.
In the Cup: Gently sweet, with roasted almond, cinnamon and soft citrus tones
Mouthfeel: Full and round.
Finish: Gently lingering with notes of dark chocolate.
Processing: Wet-process.
Varietal: Bourbon.
Roast: City+.

August: Ethiopia Zonegediyo Gedeb

Gedeb district is located in the southern part of Yirga Cheffe in the Gedeo Zone (Zonegediyo). It is also the name of the site where the coffee is collected and dried on elevated beds. There are about 700 local farmers who bring coffee here for wet processing, drying and hand sorting. The farms are little more than small gardens adjacent to homes growing heirloom varietals native to the region.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Fragrant floral notes with citrus and honey.
Wet Grounds: Caramelized raw sugar, citrus and rose.
In the Cup: Honeyed sweetness, gentle lime citrus and lemon zest, and black tea tones.
Mouthfeel: Clean and crisp.
Finish: Crisp, brief and clean.
Processing: Wet-process.
Varietal: Heirloom.
Roast: City – City+.

July: Brazil Dry-Process Pedra Branca

From the Mantiqueira micro region of Pedralva, an area that boasts over 2000 smaller farms. Pedra Branca is a processing facility that was erected as a quality-focused initiative that provides these smaller farms state of the art processing infrastructure.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Dried apricot, dark sugar, spice and nuts.
Wet Grounds: Ripe banana, raw sugar, dries cherry and almond.
In the Cup: Fruitiness dominates in the cup with gentle raw sugar sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full and round.
Finish: Gently lingering with fruit tones and cinnamon.
Processing: Dry-process.
Varietal: Bourbon.
Roast: City+.

June: Burundi Mutambu Station

From a private washing station located in the Mutambu area of Bujumbura Province. This station is a collection site for 3000+ small hold farmers located in the surrounding hillsides. The elevation runs from 1400 to 1900 meters above sea level.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Spice and dried fruit and gentle floral notes.
Wet Grounds: Vanilla, caramelized sugar and cream.
In the Cup: Tangerine fruitiness and cane juice with vanilla undertones.
Mouthfeel: Clean and lush, mild viscosity.
Finish: Crisp and clean with a gentle tannic note.
Processing: Wet.
Varietal: Bourbon.
Roast: City to City+.

May: Ethiopia Sidamo

Located just to the north of the Yrgacheffe coffee region in Ethiopia Sidamo is one of the three major coffee producing districts. This washed Arabica, heirloom varietal coffee shows many similarities to its neighbor to the south. We selected this coffee to see if there is a potential for a regular placement in our African coffee selection.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Gentle clove and floral tones combine with rich buttery aromas.
Wet Grounds: Crisp citrus, spice and lemon flower.
In the Cup: Gentle earthiness combine with crisp lemon and lemon flower notes.
Mouthfeel: Creamy texture combine with gentle crispness for a round yet tangy feel.
Finish: Crisp and clean.
Processing: Wet.
Varietal: Heirloom.
Roast: City.

April: Kenya Nyeri Gatomboya AB

Gatomboya is a washing station (factory) in the Nyeri region of Kenya famously known for its production of Bourbon and bourbon type varietals.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: Sweet molasses, citrus and berry notes.
Wet Grounds: Sweet caramelized peach.
In the Cup: Layers of flavor ranging from sweet raw sugar, tart citrus, berry fruitiness to crisp green apple.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and clean.
Finish: Sweetly lingering with gentle fruity crispness.
Processing: Wet Processed.
Varietal: SL-28.
Roast: City +.

March: Costa Rica La Union Yellow Honey

This lot comes from the La Union farm in the Central Valley. The coffee is run through a demucilage machine with only a small trickle of water to remove the fruit. The color (yellow) refers to the amount of fruit left intact. In this case less than 20%. This “honey” process tends to show more fruitiness in the cup.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds: There is a sweet toffee character with notes of peach and apricot.
Wet Grounds: Gentle mint tones mingle with caramelized sugar and stone fruit aromas.
In the Cup: Rich sweet caramelized sugar dominate the flavor profile with stone fruit, peach and apricot, round off the cup. Toffee, roasted nuts, butter and caramel, add layers of flavor to this full round coffee.
Mouthfeel: Round and creamy.
Finish: Sweetly lingering with gentle fruity crispness.
Processing: Pulp Natural (honey).
Varietal: Catuai Caturra.
Roast: Full-City.

February: Rwanda Rusizi Gashonga Coop

The Gashonga Cooperative is situated in the Rusizi district. There are over 100 farmers as members in the highland areas. Quality is a major concern as well as maintaining the processing facility. They meticulously clean and maintain everything from the processing machinery to the drying beds and canopies.

Cupping Notes:

We determined the development of the coffee fell at its best at a city + level. The bright orange-like acidity balances wonderfully with the gentle butterscotch tones and cinnamon-clove spiciness. This is a gentle cup with a round and balanced character.

Dry Grounds: Butterscotch, clove, raw sugar and dried fruit.
Wet Grounds: The Butterscotch tones carry through with a rustic sweet note. The orange/citrus acidity shows here as well with a subtle white grape aroma as well.
In the Cup: Butterscotch, you may have noticed a theme here, black tea and dried stone fruit. Cocoa tones finish off the profile.
Mouthfeel: Soft, satiny and gently tartaric.
Finish: Moderately lingering with gentle dark chocolate and raw sugar.

January: Honduras Ocotepeque – Lentago Farm

Victor Vasques owns and operates the Lentago Farm in Belen, Ocotepeque which is situated in the southwest corner of Honduras. At 1700 meters, this mountain region borders Guatemala and El Salvador and has a rich coffee growing history.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds Aroma: Sweet apple and ripe peach notes with a hint of cinnamon.
Wet Grounds Aroma: Cane sugar notes with crisp apple aromas and, of course, cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Crisp malic tones mingle nicely with gentle creaminess.
Flavor: Sweet cane sugar, crisp green apple, and baking spice and ripe peach.
Finish: Crisp and clean with a hint of orange-like acidity.
Varietal: Bourbon, Caturra, Catua.
Processing: Wet Process.

December: Guatemala Xinabajul – Mirador y Recinos

This is a lot that blends coffees from two producers. The coffees were blended because one of the producers provided less than five bags of milled coffees. The similarities, in the cup, of these selected coffees for this blend. The farms, one in San Isidro and the other nearby in San Pedro Necta are in sub-regions of Huehuetenango.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds Aroma: Praline and toffee notes with baking spice.
Wet Grounds Aroma: Lush and complex sugar aromas with sweet floral tones.
Mouthfeel: Full round and creamy texture.
Flavor: Sweet unrefined sugar characters blend with apple and vanilla meld with deep baking spice notes.
Finish: Mildly lingering; smooth and satiny.
Varietal: Bourbon Caturra Typica.
Processing: Wet Process.

November: Burundi Kibande Ruyaga

This coffee is from a relatively new washing station in Muyinga province. Kibande and Ruyaga are names of two of the three hillside villages that delivered this coffee. The region has a tradition of small holder farms and deliver the coffee cherry to the washing station in bags carried on bicycles or by foot.

Cupping Notes:

Dry Grounds Aroma: Butter and light brown sugar mixed with rich floral aromas.
Wet Grounds Aroma: Malty tones blend with sweet floral and spice tones.
Mouthfeel: Bright, lively characters combine with gentle butter tones for a round and slightly crisp texture.
Flavor: Orange zest, cinnamon stick, clove and butterscotch.
Finish: Mildly lingering; smooth and satiny.
Varietal: Bourbon.
Processing: Wet Process.

October: Colombia Inza-Rio Paez

Inza, located in Southwestern Colombia in the Department of Cauca. This lot is from farms located at altitudes of 1700-2000 meters (5200 – 6200 Ft.) The coffees are wet-processed after harvest, many times fermenting and washing in the same tank, then many use hand crank pulpers. Drying in done on raised and covered beds. This is key to facilitating even and gentle drying of the parchment helping to keep it intact.

Dry Grounds Aroma: Yummy (an official term) Fruity, Peachy.
Wet Grounds Aroma: Delicate stone fruit and caramel sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Balanced with gentle green apple acidity and creaminess.
Flavor: Velvety cream and peach with gentle caramel tones.
Finish: Mildly lingering with soft tannic notes.

September: El Salvador Matalapa Tablon Cidra

A classic “Estate” coffee. All aspects of handling of this coffee is done on the estate from the growing through the wet-processing, drying and bagging. This bourbon varietal is grown at elevations from 1200 m to 1350 m. It is a 4th generation farm dating back into the late 1800’s.

We selected a medium roast to best show off the regional characters of this coffee.

Dry Grounds: Creamy and buttery with sweet brown sugar tones.
Wet Grounds: Malty, Nutty and creamy caramel.
Mouthfeel: Round, full and creamy.
In the Cup: Creamery butter meld with brown sugar, and hazelnut characters with a crisp green apple notes that brighten up the cup.
Finish: Gently and sweetly lingering in the short middle range.
Roast: City+
Processing: Wet Processed.
Varietals: Bourbon.

August: Guatemala, Huehuetenango Asociacion Civil Guaya’B

Asociacion Civil Guaya’B is a coffee cooperative that was founded in 1998. It began selling to the Fair Trade market in 2000. Guaya’B farmers have increased their own earnings and reinvest a portion of their profits into the community. As a result, the region’s economy is more stable and the rate of migration has decreased.

We selected a medium roast to best show off the regional characters of this coffee.

Dry Grounds: Gentle creamy butter, caramel and cinnamon.
Wet Grounds: Floral with cream and caramel notes.
Mouthfeel: Soft, gentle acidity for a creamy texture.
In the Cup: A very delicate round profile with cinnamon notes, mild acidity, cocoa and creamy caramel.
Finish: Short, softly tapering finish.
Processing: Washed.
Varietals: Bourbon, Caturra, Caturi.

July: Ethiopia Yirga Cheffe Baraka Buna

Baraka Buna means, “first coffee” in the Amharic language. With the African coffees only just making their way into US ports; first coffee is appropriate for this early arrival. It come from the Kochore area with the mill being located in the town of Chele’lektu.

Dry Grounds: Saturated honey scents, floral and citrus.
Wet Grounds: Carrying over form the dry grounds floral notes, honey and citrus.
Mouthfeel: Clean, crisp acidity with a gentle bergamot character.
In the Cup: Crisp bright citrus tones and rich honey sweetness combine with hints of tree fruit notes.
Finish: Crisp and clean with gently lingering lemon rind.
Roast: City.
Processing: Wet Processed.
Varietal: Heirloom varietals.

June: Tanzania Mbozi – Kanji Lalji Farm

Complex layers of tropical fruit, cinnamon, cloves and white grapes dominate the flavor profile.

Kanji Lalji is a larger family estate. This position allows the family to employ an experienced agronomist who oversees their unique grafting method to bind the N39a Bourbon varietal to drought-resistant Mbozi Compact roots. Methodology beyond the abilities of small hold farmers.

Dry Grounds: Sweet with white grape aromas and a gentle hint of clove and black pepper.
Wet Grounds: Fruit driven aromas of ripe pineapple, white grape and fresh papaya.
Mouthfeel: Clean, crisp malic acidity gives this a light feel.
In the Cup: Crisp bright fruit tones with a hint of clove and cinnamon.
Finish: Crisp with a gentle touch of tannin.
Roast: City +.
Processing: Wet Processed.
Varietal: Bourbon Varietal N39a.

May: El Salvador Finca Matalapa Mirador

I have been looking for a coffee from El Salvador to feature as the Coffee of the Month Club coffee for over two years. Nothing worthwhile has been available, so I was very happy to find this coffee. Finca Matalapa estate is located in the Libertad area outside of San Salvador and is a fourth generation estate.

I selected a city+ roast level for this coffee in order to show off the complex layers of flavor and aroma.

Dry Grounds: Raisin, honeyed oats and dried fruit tones
Wet Grounds: Raw honey, with creamy hazelnut
Mouthfeel: Weighted and lush with full, round body
In the Cup: Creamy, rich cocoa with gentle honey sweetness and slight malic acidity
Finish: Gently lingering with a syrupy viscosity
Roast: City +.
Processing: Wet Milled.
Varietal: Predominantly Bourbon.

April: Brazil Pereira Yellow Bourbon

This yellow bourbon varietal comes from the Fazenda Santa Lucia in Carmo de Minas. The elevation of the farm is in a range from 1000-1250 meters. The fruit is harvested manually, a rarity in Brazil, then washed using recycled water. This water is again recycled to other farm use.

Dry Grounds: Buttery, sweet brown sugar and spice aromas.
Wet Grounds: Floral with hints of orange zest and spice.
Mouthfeel: Round, rich and creamy.
In the Cup: Full with gentle lactic acidity, butterscotch sweetness with a hint of roasted nuts.
Finish: Gently lingering with a creamy texture.

March: Java Sunda Gunung Patuha

From the high peaks of Gunung Patuha in west Java, The coffee is wet processed, unusual for Indonesian coffees which are generally wet-hulled. This different processing provides for a much cleaner and fresher profile reminiscent of Central American coffees while maintaining those unique Java flavors.

Dry Grounds: Dark, rich raw sugar and plum aromas with a hint of cinnamon and clove mingling with a slight malty aroma.
Wet Grounds: Sweet fruit aromas with caramel and cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, rich and creamy with gentle tannin and a light green apple crispness.
In the Cup: Up front raw sugar sweetness with dried tropical fruit tones, dark chocolate, baking spices, and crisp green apple acidity.
Finish: Lingering with dark cocoa notes.
Roast: Full-City.
Processing: Wet.
Varietal: Ateng, Djember, Typica.

February: Rwanda Kivu Kibuye

This lot comes from the Gitesi washing station located near Kibuye, Rwanda on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu. The Gitesi station sits at an elevation of 1740 meters and serves nearly 2000 farmers. Some of these farmers have coffee planted over at 2000 meters.

Dry Grounds: Bright and spicy with sweet aromas. Gentle ginger tones with a hint of honeysuckle.
Wet Grounds: Raw honey tones with baking spice and caramel.
Mouthfeel: Round and full with creamy textures that become brighter as the cup cools.
In the Cup: Raw honey sweetness balances delicately with bright lemon/mandarin orange characters. Nearly hidden spices and vanilla finish off the profile.
Finish: Clean and almost short. It doesn’t just drop away but hangs around for only a brief moment.
Roast: City+.
Processing: Wet.
Varietal: Bourbon.

January: Guatemala Antigua – Zelaya Family Estate Peaberry

Peaberry happens when one of the seeds within a coffee cherry fails to form. The result is a small, round, dense seed. As these seeds are an exception to the rule they are less common. The seeds are separated from their counterparts. These seeds tend to be dense and differ in their flavor profile. The Zelaya family combined the peaberry production from all of their Antigua farms to create a larger lot.

Cupping notes:

As is characteristic of the Antigua region of Guatemala this is a very delicate coffee with gentle layered complexities from the dry grounds to the cooling cup. The lighter roast on this coffee accentuates the inherent characters in the coffee while minimizing the roast impact.

Dry Grounds: Buttery, brown sugar, baking spices and sweet red apple.
Wet Grounds: Creamy with grape and apple tones.
Mouthfeel: Light and soft with gentle crispness.
In the Cup: Very delicate profile layered with honeyed sweetness, subtle white grape characters and a hint of cardamom spice.
Finish: Crisp and dry.
Roast: City+.
Processing: Wet Processed.
Varietal: Bourbon, Caturra, Villa Sarchi.

December: Colombia Finca Lagunita – Diva Maria Pineda

You can’t drive to Diva Maria Pineda’s farm, La Lagunita. It is nestled on a near vertical slope at an elevation of 1750 meters. The road ends at 1400 meters and requires foot or mule travel from there. The mill is another 100 meters where the coffee cherries are pulped. Sacks of the wet mucilage are then carried below to their home for fermenting and drying.

Cupping notes:

Wow! The complexities and layers in this coffee are amazing. Thick and syrupy sweetness, Spices, apples, dried tropical flower aromas, and as it cools tea notes notes reminiscent of fine Earl Grey.

Dry Grounds: Cloves, gentle earth tones, cocoa and green apple.
Wet Grounds: Chocolate, earthiness, dried tropical flowers and a dominant, sweet dark honey fragrance.
Mouthfeel: Full, round and syrupy.
In the Cup: As I was cupping this coffee I was reminded of apple spice cake. Cloves, cinnamon, sweetness, and apples with just a hint of bread-like baked character.
Finish: Moderately lingering with a hint of dark chocolate tannin, treacle honey and roasted pecan.

November: Ethiopia Ennaria Limu

This lot comes from the Limu washing station in Ennaria which is located in western Ethiopia just to the north of Jimma. This particular lot had a total production of about 4500 pounds.

Dry Grounds: Sweet ripe plum, lemon zest, and vanilla.
Wet Grounds: Fruity and floral with black tea, raw honey and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, round, full.
In the Cup: Black tea and pomelo characters mingle with sweet, ripe plum notes, rustic sweet raw sugar, and earth tones.
Aroma: Black tea, lemon rind, gentle terrior, and cane juice.
Finish: Mildly lingering with a hint of fruit rind tannin.

October: Nicaragua Acopio Suyatal

This coffee comes from Finca Acopio Suyatal located in the Dipilto region of the Nueva Segovia Department. This lot comes from neighboring small holder farms which are situated at an elevation between 1200m and 1400m.

Dry Grounds: Caramelized peaches and light brown sugar sweetness with a browned butter tone.
Wet Grounds: The aroma remains sweet and fruity with a hint of raisin tones mingling with stone fruit.
Mouthfeel: Full, creamy and lingering.
In the Cup: An incredibly sweet cup with fruit tones; plum, raisin and apple. A gentle malic acidity presents as the coffee cools.
Finish: Gentle tartaric tones in the finish, mildly lingering.
Processing: Wet Process.
Roast: City+.
Varietal: Caturra.

September: Sumatra Lintong Aek Nauli

Aek Nauli translates to Village with 1000 ponds, in the Lake Toba region of Sumatra with a view of the Onan Highlands in the distance.

Dry Grounds: Caramel, Dried cocoanut, and berry fruitiness and gentle earthiness.
Wet Grounds: At the break look for butterscotch aromas, as well as raspberry and herbal notes.
Mouthfeel: Full, creamy and lingering.
In the Cup: Sweetness is upfront with light brown sugar notes, caramel. There are dried tropical fruit notes throughout the layered and complex cup.
Finish: Moderately lingering with full, round characters of chocolate and earth tones.
Processing: Wet-Hulled.
Roast: Full City.
Varietal: Various.

August: Kenya New Kiriti Kirimahiga AA

From the Kirimahiga Co-op part of the New Kiriti Farmers Cooperative Society in Murang’a County. The average growing altitude is about 1650 meters.

Dry Grounds: Dark plum and dried apricot with a hint of dark berry and hibiscus floral notes.
Wet Grounds: Bright and sweet characters dominate with a hint of dark berry jam, mild earth tones.
Mouthfeel: Bright, crisp malic acidity with a gentle crispness.
In the Cup: Crisp, clean citrus notes reminiscent of grapefruit mingle delightfully with a gentle baked fruit scone character. Look for layers upon layers of ever evolving flavors as the cup cools.
Finish: Crisp, clean and gentle.
Processing: Wet.
Roast: City +.
Varietal: SL-28 (a bourbon hybrid)

July: Guatemala Antigua Invernadero Peaberry

This peaberry selection comes from several Antigua estates that imported has dealings with. Peaberry is basically a deformed bean that occurs on every shrub. The peaberry occurs when one of the seeds does not develop leaving the remaining seed to develop into a rounder shape rather than the flat sided bean that is most common.

Dry Grounds: Browning sugar sweetness and creamy butter tones, baking spices, and grape fruitiness.
Wet Grounds: The grape fruitiness comes through in the wet grounds with gentle caramel, vanilla and spice.
Mouthfeel: Bright, crisp malic acidity with a gentle roundness.
In the Cup: As is characteristic for the Antigua region, this is a very delicate coffee with gentle tones. Grape fruitiness and cardamom spice play throughout the cup. There is an increase in the sweetness, light maple syrup, as the cup cools while the brightness lingers.
Finish: Crisp, clean and gentle.
Processing: Wet.
Roast: City +.
Varietal: Bourbon, Caturra.

June: Costa Rica Helsar – Manuel “Macho” Arce

From the farm of the Manuel “Macho” Arce family and milled at the Helsar de Zarcero micromill. The lot is separated from a single producer at the mill. The mill uses forced demucilage equipment to machine wash the coffee.

Dry Grounds: Sweetness is very forward in the dry grounds with light brown sugar, vanilla, and peach characters.
Wet Grounds: Buttercream frosting and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Bright, crisp green apple acidity with a hint of buttery creaminess.
In the Cup: Sweetness abounds with light brown sugar and crisp green apple, vanilla, and cane sugar tones.
Finish: Crisp and clean with a gentle hint of raw cocoa.
Processing: Wet.
Roast: City +.
Varietal: Caturra.

May: Burundi Kirimiro Taba

The Taba washing station located near Gitesi in central Burundi was set up to service local farmers, and is part of the Kirimiro Sogestal system. This system offers support to these local farmers in the way of financing, fertilizers, and moving coffee and assist with managing all aspects of coffee production within the system from ecology to quality.

Dry Grounds: Sweet honey and floral tones with gentle cream and cocoa.
Wet Grounds: Cinnamon bark, vanilla, and cocoa tones.
Mouthfeel: Crisp like a green apple.
In the Cup: Honey sweetness with floral tones, vanilla, and gentle cinnamon spice.
Finish: Crisp and lightly tannic.
Processing: Washed.
Roast: City +.
Varietal: Bourbon.

April: Ethiopia, Gugi Shakiso

This is a dry processed coffee with heirloom varietals from the Yirga Cheffe and Sidamo highlands.

Dry Grounds: Sweet with aromas reminiscent of baking blueberry muffins.
Wet Grounds: Very straight-forward in the fruit, Blueberry, dried apricot, and guava.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, soft and round.
In the Cup: Honeysuckle sweetness with gentle caramel and berry characters such as strawberry and blueberry.
Finish: Gently lingers in a cream and berries sort of way.
Roast: City +.
Processing: Dry.
Varietal: Heirloom

March: Brazil Minas Gerias Pedralva

Fazenda Furnas, an 80 hectare farm located in the Pedralva region of Carmo de Minas. The farm is situated in the highlands, topping out at 1300 meters and planted mainly in Yellow Bourbon and Catuai. This particular lot is natural processed coffee. The climate in the area is ideal for producing naturals and this lot exemplifies this producing a sweet, fruited, and ‘clean’ cup.

Dry Grounds: Dried stone fruit such as peach and apricot, honey, tropical floral.
Wet Grounds: Sweetness dominates with tropical flower (tuberose) and dried peach.
Mouthfeel: Sweet, full, round, and lively.
In the Cup: Sweet honeysuckle, huckleberry jam, plum and dried apricot with crisp lemon rising as the cup cools.
Finish: Gentle lingering cocoa.
Processing: Dry.
Roast: City +.
Varietal: Predominantly Yellow Bourbon and Catuai.

February: Colombia Cauca – Portilla-Camayo

This month’s coffee comes from the Department of Cauca in Colombia. Like much of the growing regions in Colombia there are very high altitude farms, many reaching over 6500 feet above sea level. This lot is a blend of coffees from two different growers in the region, Diego Portilla and Arturo Camayo.

Dry Grounds: Sweetness is very forward in the dry grounds with brown sugar and butterscotch characters mingling with gentle earth tones, cinnamon and praline.
Wet Grounds: Sweet and creamy with raisins and plum fruitiness.
Mouthfeel: Thick and syrupy with just enough acidity to offer a hint of bright crispness.
In the Cup: Sweetness abounds. Toffee and ripe (almost on the verge of overripe) plum with a hint of cinnamon and cardamom dominate.
Processing: Wet.
Roast: City +.
Varietal: Predominantly Bourbon with a bit of Caturra and Typica.

January: Rwanda Karongi Gitesi

The Gitesi site is located near Lake Kiva and is situated in a beautiful valley at about 1740 meters elevation. The coffee is grown on the surrounding ridges the reach elevations up to 2000 meters. There are over 1800 coffee farmers that supply Gitesi with cherries. This coffee is a composition put together by our supplier from the best lots of the middle harvest.

I selected a city+ roast lever for this coffee as it provides a layered flavor profile with excellent sugar development while maintaining the bright and lively acidity you would expect from a Rwandan coffee.

Dry Grounds: Light brown sugar characters with gentle creamery butter, orange zest, and spice tones.
Wet Grounds: Distinct floral aromas with a gentle sweetness and a hint of cardamom.
Mouthfeel: Very light and lively.
Flavor: a very lively orange fruitiness with a hint of cinnamon and cardamom. What is very intriguing in the gentle pumpkin nuance that make a brief appearance.
Finish: Crisp and clean.
Processing: Wet.
Varietal: Bourbon.

December: Kenya Josra AA+

The coffee is a blend of the varietals SL-28 and SL-34 with 60% of the crop from the Aberdare Mountains (Nyeri District) and 40% from Mount Kenya. Both of these districts are situated on the equator providing excellent sunshine and rain. The elevation of the farms range from 5000-6000 feet. I found a city+ roast complimented this coffee perfectly.

Dry Ground Aromas: Creamy butter tones with sweet dried tropical fruit.
Wet Ground Aromas: Gently sweet floral notes with a touch of spice.
In The Cup: Crisp green apple malic acidity brightens up an otherwise cream-filled cup. Dried apricot and passion fruit dominate the flavor profile.
Mouthfeel: Full and round.
Finish: Crisp and clean.
Region: 60% Nyeri District 40% Mount Kenya.
Varietals: SL-28 and SL-34.

November: Ethiopia Kochere – Teklu Dembel

This lot comes from the Teklu Dembel washing station in the Kochere Woreds of Yrgacheffe. The region has many of the old, heirloom cultivars. Kochere is home to many family farms and this coffee is a blend of lots from several hundred small regional farmers.

Dry Ground Aromas: Sweet tropical fruit notes and hints of dried wild flower with brown sugar sweetness.
Wet Ground Aromas: Sweet melon aromas dominate with a hint baking spice.
In The Cup: Honeyed sweetness blend with lemony citrus notes. Stone fruit characters of apricot, peach, and sweet cherries round out the flavor profile.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and lively, just as you would expect from an Ethiopian coffee from the Yirga Cheffe region.
Roast: City+
Processing: Wet
Varietals: Heirloom

October: Nicaragua, Palacaguina

About 100 kilometers north of Managua, the capitol of Nicaragua, is the town of Palacaguina from which this coffee comes. It coffee is a product of the Ucosemun Cooperative located in Esteli, Nicaragua. It is an organically grown coffee.

Dry Grounds: Lush creamy chocolate tones with gentle dried fruit notes dominate the dry grounds aroma.
Flavors: Creamy cocoa, with gentle, brown sugar sweetness and a hint of raisin.
Mouthfeel: A very gentle lime-like acidity brightens up an otherwise creamy, almost buttery, texture providing for a full, round and gently lingering finish.
Finish: Mild and pleasantly lingering
Roast: Medium, this coffee finishes just after the close of first crack.
Brewing: Very versatile and works well in a broad range of brewing styles. Definitely try this in a French Press.

September: Guatemala Huehuetenango Pena Roja

This micro-lot coffee is a blend from various producers that were selected based on cup quality. The mill is located in La Libertad.

Just as you would expect from Guatemala, this coffee has a delicate, gentle profile with layer upon layer of complex flavors that range from crisp green apple acidity, cinnamon and cocoa to roasted hazelnut and honeyed sweetness.

Dry Grounds: Crisp green apples and cinnamon dominate with a touch of sweet roasted nuts.
Wet Grounds: Butterscotch with a hint of lemon and baking spice.
Mouthfeel: Very balanced with a broad, full round feel and a moderately lingering finish.
In the Cup: Crisp and lively with flavors of roasted hazelnuts, honey and creamy cocoa finish.
Varietal: Bourbon and Caturra.
Processing: Wet Process.

August: Kenya Kirinyaga Karimikui AA

Try to say that 3 times fast. This lot comes from one of the Karimikui washing station which is a sub-coop wet mill of the Rugento Farmers Cooperative Society.

You can look for layered notes of citrus acidity in the moderately light roasted coffee. Lemon and orange tones offer a spark of liveliness with a hint of sugary sweetness, creamy butterscotch and tropical fruit.

Dry Grounds: Lemony notes with hints of honey and grapes.
Wet Grounds: Sweetness dominates the wet grounds aroma with buttery notes.
Mouthfeel: Balanced and creamy.
In the Cup: Buttery creaminess with flavors of fig and grape combine with the bright acidity for a lively and complexly layered flavor profile.
Varietal: SL-28.
Processing: Wet Process.

July: Ethiopia Yirga Cheffe Konga

This lot is from an area of Yirga Cheffe with an elevation range of 1900 to 2300 meters. The cherries are dry processed in raised beds. Smallholder farmers from around the area bring their heirloom varietals in to the station for processing.

Dry processing tends to maintain more of the fruity sweet characters in the coffee, but with a trade off, the coffees can be a bit rough and muddled on the palate. While these characteristics add to the overall appeal of this coffee it is the fruit that really stands out.

Dry Grounds: Very berry! Bright and lively tones of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry dominate the aromas.
Wet Grounds: The berry character definitely carries through into the break with some creamy tones rounding off the wet grounds aroma.
Mouthfeel: Gentle, and balanced.
In the Cup: Fruit and more fruit, the strength of the sweet fruitiness is evident in every aspect of the tasting process. The finish shows a “rustic” if not earthy note that lingers mildly on the palate.
Varietal: Heirloom Varietals
Processing: Dry Process

June: Sulawesi AA Tana Toraja

One of the fun aspects of the Coffee of the Month Club is discovering new coffees. The June offering comes from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. This coffee is “semi-washed” which means that the coffee was removed from the water bath while much of the fruit lingered. The coffee was then dried and hulled to remove any of the remaining fruit. This method enhances the fruity tones and acidity while diminishing the earthy tones more common to the region.

Dry Grounds: Butter and brown sugar dominate with underlying clove tones.
Wet Aroma: Very distinct hop flower aromas – this does not come through in the cup – and gentle black pepper.
Mouthfeel: Round, rich, and full with a gentle acidity that brings just a hint of liveliness to the cup.
Brewed Aroma: Clove and cinnamon stick along with raisin, brown sugar and butter.
Flavor: Dried fruit characters mingle with clove, cinnamon, and black pepper characters, gentle red wine-like acidity and dark brown sugar sweetness for a very complex coffee with layer upon layer of flavor.
Finish: Lingers pleasantly with raisin and dark chocolate tones.
Roast: City +
Processing: Dry hulled/semi-washed
Varietal: DJember

May: Honduras, Beneficio Santa Rosa

This cooperative was begun in Copan, Honduras in 2005 to help eliminate the abuses that Honduran coffee growers faced in the global marketplace. Beneficio Santa Rosa is dedicated to excellence in coffee and support for their producers.

This medium roasted coffee has aromas of buttery caramel and gentle nutmeg in the dry grounds. While in the cup, a gentle acidity offers a hint of brightness that compliments the rich milk chocolate character and gently spiced tones.

April: April: Peru, Sol Y Cafe, Cooperativa de Servicios, Multiples Sol y Café Ltda

(Coop Sol y Café) was established in March of 2008 to unite over 1,000 farmers, including rice and cacao producers. The co-op was formed to collectively make agronomic and economic decisions, to construct new, creative marketing tactics, to protect the environment, and to help the communities and the families develop and progress. The members of Coop Sol y Café continue to work towards sustainable development for the future.

Located in the northern mountains of Peru in the provinces of Jaen and San Ignacio within the state of Caramarca.

Dry Grounds: Distinct notes of cinnamon, grape, and caramel.
Aroma In the Cup: Light Brown sugar sweetness dominates with a gentle cinnamon spiciness and caramel tones.
In the Cup: The crisp start is not a precursor to the finish in this cup. There is a bright citrus and herbal character right away that moves into a gently round and creamy texture. The caramel carries over into the cup along with a hint of light brown sugar.
Mouth Feel: After the initial citrus character the coffee is silky and smooth which lingers gently into the after taste.
Altitude: 900-2,000 meters.
Processing: Wet Processed.
Varietals: Typica, Caturra, Pache, Mondo Novo, Bourbon, Catuai, and Catimor.

March: Bolivia, Buenavista Colonia Villa Rosario

The Buenavista processing station is located in northern Bolivia. This coffee is a blend of small hold farms in Villa Rosario.

Dry Grounds: Cream and Blackberry dominate with a touch of maple syrup sweetness.
Aroma In the Cup: Light Brown sugar sweetness dominates with a gentle cinnamon spiciness and caramel tones.
Flavor Feel: The Sweetness carries over into the cup with delicate grape-like fruitiness and a wine-like acidity.
Mouth Feel: There is a broad yet delicate feel to this coffee that finishes crisply and cleanly.

February: Rwanda, Nyamasheke

Located on the southwest portion of Lake Kivu, the Nyamasheke growing region is a top Bourbon varietal producer. Hundreds of growers bring their coffee cherries to the washing station for processing. I had last year’s crop as a Signature Series coffee and was very pleased to be able to bring it in for the February Coffee of the Month Club.

Dry Grounds: Clove, caramel, brown sugar, and orange zest are some of the dominant characters in the very complex aroma.

In the Cup: The gentle orange and caramel flavors blend nicely with a dark honey sweetness. There is a distinct effervescence that brings a wonderful party to the palate. Delicate umami flavors round out a full and intricate profile.

Roast: City+
Processing: Wet Process
Varietal: Bourbon
Growing Elevation: 1700 – 2000 meters

January: Ethiopia, Guji Shakiso

“Delicate.” That is all I can say about this coffee. The subtle depth of the flavors flowing through this brew and its distinct tea-like body make this like no other coffee I have ever roasted. It is exactly what the Coffee of the Month Club is all about: trying new coffees that are distinctive, unique and memorable.

There are many of the expected “Ethiopian” characteristics in the coffee; lemon, caramel, and floral tones. The overall balance is what stuck me. At this light city roast the delicate profile exudes complexity with a dry grounds aroma that reminded me of a baking fresh, wild huckleberry pie. In the cup, the honey sweetness balanced with a hint of lemony citrus, caramel and a distinct jasmine tea character.

Processing: Wet Processed
Varietal: Heirloom Varietal

December 2012: Java Sunda Pitoloka

From a project in the oldest coffee growing region in Java. I selected this coffee for the December Coffee of the Month Club because I had never roasted a Java coffee.

Dry Grounds: Pungent floral notes.
In The Cup: You can look forward to deep, lush and meaty characters with dominant notes of baker’s cocoa, cardamom spice with a dark brown sugar sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Round, deep and resonant.
Recommended Brewing: French Press.
Varietal: Ateng

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