Not sure which roaster to geek out over more this month. This month Junto came through so hard with their offerings that I was able to choose three distinct coffees; a couple of you might even have more than three different Junto coffees depending on if you partook in the special add-on coffees from Colombia. But also I got coffee from Sonja Bjork Grant and Njall Bjorgvinsson, the owners of Kaffibrugghusid located in Iceland; they are two champions of furthering specialty coffee across the globe and also World Barista champions themselves. Anyone that has been to Iceland would agree that it is possibly the coolest lil blob of land in the world. They drink more coffee than anyone, and they drink the good shit. I was able to meet Njall approximately 2 seconds before Covid took over the world and the knowledge was just so deep, I felt like a coffee child again. The coffees are also roasted wonderfully. They put an emphasis on balanced sweetness, however in the background there is wild acidity that makes these coffees stand up against any other roaster in the world. I have already shared my love to Junto in my May feature post, so if you want to know more about them please find that post farther back in the Stimmy archives.
Junto Rwanda Ngoma Cyeshero Hill – This coffee is technically in Junto\’s \”Black Label\” series of coffee meaning it is going to be more experimental and usually much more expensive. Lucky us, it was barely below the maximum price threshold to be included in the subscription. This is a 1500-1800 MASL Red Bourbon from a farm owned by Baho Coffee exporters. The Cyeshero Hill area is a new project taken on to practice separating lots in to many smaller separate lots in an effort to support producers and increase traceability. Cyeshero Hill also has an emphasis on experimental processing. This coffee specifically is what the owner Emmanuel Rusatira describes as \”Intango Natural\”. The Intango comes from an ancient Rwandan tradition where fruit is packed in to clay jars to ferment (Intango means a clay vessel to ferment in). These vessels are sealed after packing the coffee cherries in, and as the bag says; it ferments for 100 hours. The result is a bright and interesting coffee that takes on flavors from the porous clay during the fermentation. I tasted orange cream soda and persimmon right up front, and lime with a sparkling body. This coffee had excellent brightness. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio using a grind setting I would typically use for a Central American (finer than expected for an African Coffee.) I slowly poured two pulses for this one. My first pour went from 40 seconds to 70 seconds, then waited 15 more seconds and poured my second pulse from 85 seconds to 115 seconds. My drop time was 2:40.
Junto Colombia Karen Montero – I love a classic, delicious washed Colombia. That is exactly what this one is. This is a Castillo/Caturra/V. Colombia mix from the Cauca region. This mix is quite common for Cauca, a key coffee producing region in Colombia know for both specialty and commodity. I typically enjoy most coffees from here, meaning I will drink them but nothing to write home about. However if I find one like this with a lil acidity, lil fruit, mmm. I could not find a ton of information online about Karen Montero, but know she has had coffees in the Cup of Excellence a few times. She also is part of Coffee for Peace, an alliance of coffee producers, marketers, and other various coffee trades in Colombia to increase traceability in dangerous areas of Colombia. The cup has a sticky sweet bourbon marmalade note, and a delicate yet sweet body, and a long sweet caramel finish. On the v60 I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio with a pretty standard normal Colombia grind setting, because this is a super normal Colombian coffee. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds. The drop time was 2:45. However on the Wilfa Auto-dripper, I ground it pretty fine and used an 18.2:1 ratio to brew a super delicate and delicious cup. I look forward to experimenting with this one more as I love the delicate sweetness.
Junto Nicaragua Finca Lo Prometido & Finca La Bendicion Java – This complicated yet down to earth bean comes from producer Luis Alberto Balladarez. Balladarez owns both Lo Prometido and La Bendicion listed on the bag. He grew the Java varietal on both farms and upon tasting each harvest decided to blend them to create this lot. Java is an interesting varietal that still confused me. I know it is really hard to grow which is why all of the lots are so small, and it can be really tricky to brew. Once you figure out the brew the finished product is always so so sweet and exotic tasting. This version is natural processed and grown at 1300-1650 MASL. Upon first sipping it, I thought I was tasting a note I sometimes find in Nicaragua coffees that I can\’t stand. Something like peanut or almond. However it was more sweet and turned in to a sugary pastry flavor. I tasted pistachio ice cream, cola, and English style ale in the cup. Each sip leaves a long lingering maple finish. This would be an amazing espresso if you have that capability. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio and ground it a couple clicks finer than a typical Colombian coffee. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds with a drop time of 3:05.
Kaffibrugghusid Congo Bahavu – This is a washed Bourbon/Catimore mix grown at elevations between 1450 and 2000 MASL. The coffee is grown from various small holders on the island called Idjwi in the middle of Lake Kivu, bordering Rwanda to the east. Idjwi Island has about 250,000 people on it (70% of the total population of Iceland lol) and 2,500 of them are coffee farmers. All of the coffee on the island is considered “shade-grown” which just means taller trees are surrounding the coffee trees to avoid sun scorching. Also, all of the mills are hydro-powered and the island is powered by solar panels. In this coffee I tasted geranium and Sprite up front with a super flavorful finish of licorice, strawberry, and herbs. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio and slightly finer than I would grind a typical Congo, closer to a Colombia grind setting. I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds after a 30 second bloom, finishing my last pour at 170 seconds. The total brew time was 2:55.
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| “African Beds” at Bahavu |
Kaffibrugghusid Colombia Los Deseos – This washed Huila is 100% Caturra and is far from a basic washed Colombia… Los Deseos is a farm at 1750 MASL owned by a group of farmers from the Andes mountains that have lost their land due to violence and conflict in the region. They pool together their resources and knowledge to create excellent farming conditions for coffee to grow. I love the idea of this project because growing and learning together will always be the best way to strengthen skills and become better at whatever you do. In the cup I tasted honey, rose, pear, nougat, with a creamy mouthfeel. This coffee was delightful. A super bright and sweet Huila that is un-hateable. I went a little different with the brewing on this one. I used a 16.8:1 ratio and ground it a couple clicks coarser than usual. I poured five pulses spaced out by 30 seconds with a drop time of 3:25.
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| The gorgeous Los Deseos farm in San Augustin Mountains |
That is a wrap for this month. I loved all five of the coffees this month so much and hope everyone enjoys what they got. As always let me know if there was anything you especially liked or disliked so I can get everyone their favorites! If you need help brewing either of the special add-on coffees shoot me a message and I\’ll let you know how I brewed them.
Thank you for reading,
– Dylan Connell
Stimulus Coffee Club 