A Matter Of Concrete Colombia Don Hector Diaz – A Pink Bourbon from Huila, AND it is natural processed. A dynamic combination I know more than a few of us will be excited about. Hector Diaz is the operator of La Armenia, a farm in the town of Pitalito, Huila. The farm is located at 1,800 MASL, with not many varietals grown other than Pink Bourbon. This is partly due to the small plot size of 1.5 hectares. The smaller land size forces Diaz to be much more intentional about the quality of the trees grown here. Diaz is one of the founding members of the El Bombo cooperative, which helps ensure education on coffee growing practices, and educates future Huila coffee farmers on the traditions that have ensured its well-deserved fame. After harvesting, the cherries are sorted and floated to detect any defects. The whole cherry is then dried on raised beds, and monitored throughout to ensure consistency. The cherries are turned regularly to regulate the moisture content of each cherry. I taste pineapple, mango, and ginger candy. I brewed this with a 16.2:1 ratio, and ground it one click finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:20 for a 3:20 final brew time.

A Matter Of Concrete Indonesia Rukun Saudara – Finally a coffee from Sumatra! It has been far too long. This one is from Kerinci, Sumatra, a volcanic region close to the coast. Rukun Saudara cooperative is operated by Abdul Aziz Thohari, a coffee farmer in the region since 2015. After starting the co-op, Thohari focused on giving local smallholding farmers more autonomy and power in the process. In 2017, the drying area at the Co-op was 50 sq meters and is now 800 sq meters. The washing station sits on the slopes of Mount Kerinci, with coffees grown between 1400 and 1700 MASL. The soil here is lush, made up of fertile, volcanic minerals. The varieties in this lot are Andungsari and Sigarautang… $20 to anyone that has ever heard of these. They are local varietals tied to traditional Indonesian coffee growing. Now to the processing – the ripe cherries are pulped, but not totally stripped of mucilage, making this a honey process. The cherries are then sealed in low-oxygen tanks for anaerobic fermentation, then dried with the mucilage still attached. I smelled an intense dark chocolate aroma on my first, slightly over-extracted brew. I sped it up and then tasted way more acidity and candied apricot. There is a lot of flavor to unpack in here. Crazy cup! I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds following by 35 second bloom. I finished my last pour at 2:15 for a 3:00 drop time. Pour wide circles to get this to slow down. Going finer will make it TOO sour.

Vivid Mexico Leodegario Lopez Santiago – Leodegario is a 28 old year old coffee producer in Mixteca, Oaxaca. He operates the farm, La Cascada, located at 2,000 MASL. For my fellow Mexican coffee connoisseurs, that is pretty insane elevation for Oaxacan coffee. The surrounding area of La Cascada is famous for sweeping hills, where crops have grown under larger shade trees for centuries, with traditional farming techniques still used for the fancy coffees that Leodegario is growing. The only varietals grown here are Typica and Bourbon, which is what this lot is a blend of. The farm is super small, so all the Typica and Bourbon cherries are harvested and processed in the same fashion – washed. The seeds are rinsed and washed after the fermentation until the water runs clear. They use drying mats called Petates, which are woven mats for drying. The seeds are dried for about five days. Vivid has been crushing hard on this coffee, and I can see why, it weirdly has a strong heavy cream flavor that I found sort of unusual but also really cool. I also taste roasted walnuts. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds after a 45 second bloom, finishing my last pour at 2:15 for a 3:10 final brew time.

Vivid Ethiopia Habtamu Fikadu – This coffee comes from a larger farm in Guji, operated by Aaga Dinsa, a third generation coffee farmer that inherited this farm from their grandfather. This plot of land spans 105 hectares, and acts as a washing station for an additional 144 coffee farmers in the region. Habtamu Fikadu is the name of the washing station that all of these coffees are processed through. The company reinvests 12 cents for every pound of exported green coffee plus an additional 5% of profits in a local development fund that works to stabilize food, clothing, schools, and other infrastructures in the local economy. The factory exports directly now, avoiding any larger exporting giant. The coffees here undergo a 48-72 wet fermentation, then washed, and soaked for 12 hours before drying on raised beds for 10-12 days. This coffee has a bit of harshness to it, like biting into a rosemary sprig or other strong herb’s leaf. It is not a delicate little flower of a washed Ethiopia. I definitely recommend letting it cool down quite a bit, as that brings out a nice raspberry galette note. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio, and ground it seven clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my last pulses at 1:50 for a 2:45 final brew time.

Little Wolf Kenya Karinga – Karinga is a washing station and co-op in the Kiambu region just north of Nairobi. This lot is a blend of all the typical Kenya varietals: SL28, SL34, Ruiru-11, and Batian. The coffees are grown at 1840 MASL. It seems a little suspicious that they are saying exactly 1840 considering this is a co-op… but any information on this place is rare, to say the least. At least 650 smallholding farmers deliver coffee to Karinga, where the coffee is depulped and then wet fermented for 12-24 hours, washed 4 times, and then dried on raised bed for 8-13 days until moisture levels are reached. Lemon drop, Dark grade Maple Syrup, dark fruit. I brewed this with a 16.2:1 ratio and ground it four clicks coarser than my typical starting point I poured two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds, finishing my second pour at 1:50 for a 2:50 final brew time. These are wide circle pulses to try and stretch the brew time out.

Little Wolf Costa Rica Chilamate – This is a fancy one! Finca Chilamate, produced by Las Lajas, is famous for their Alma Negra and Perla Negra processing. This is a farm I have been familiar with for over a decade now and they are always famous for super high quality funky beans. This is a Parainema, processed in the Alma Negra style. The farm is located in Sabanilla de Alajuela, Costa Rica at 1400-1600 MASL. If you are familiar with Las Lajas, you know you excited. For the Alma Negra, the cherries must be classified as fully ripe by testing their Brix content. The cherries are then dried on raised beds for around 5 days, with constant rotation to avoid any mold or deterioration. Then the cherries are moved indoors to a greenhouse to complete drying. It is an intensely hands on process. I taste Fermented cherry, almond, strawberry milk. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio, and ground it one click finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:20 for a 3:05 final brew time.

The Barn Guatemala La Colina – La Colina is a farm in Chimaltenango that I have seen around on specifically the Barn’s offering list over the years. La Colina is operated by Antonio Medina, and is the 3rd generation operator of the land in his family. He turned it into a coffee farm in 1991 after a growing interest in the process. The farm is located at 1700 MASL and this lot is 100% Caturra. Coffee only occupies about a quarter of the land, while most of it is rainforest that is certified by the National Institution of Protection of Forests. This coffee is a full natural – so the whole cherries are dried under the sun for 15 days. Moisture is monitored over the 15 days, and once completed, the seeds are pulped and washed off. The profile is not necessarily clean, and is for sure a very obvious natural profile with a good balance of fermented flavors and classic Guatemala cherry notes. I tasted Tart Cherry, brownies, with a lactic body. A good balance of fermented flavors and classic Guatemala cherry notes. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio and ground it right at my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds with wide circles to slow this down (the finer grind was giving some bad flavors). I finished my last pour at 2:25 for a 3:10 final brew time.

The Barn Ethiopia Kayon Mountain – Kayon Mountain is a delightful washing station in Guji, a region famous for explosive coffees and impactful community farming practices. The Kayon Mountain farm is about 500 hectares and is owned and operated by Ismael Hassan Aredo. Aredo employs about 25 employees year-round, and during harvesting time, an additional 300 seasonal workers. Aredo must provide transportation for all of these seasonal workers, and invests in the community via financial benefits for school building and administrative buildings along with other big coffee players in the Giju region. This farm is located at 2145 MASL and is a mixed native heirloom varietal. This lot is fully washed in typical Ethiopian style, with the seeds pulped and then wet fermented before being dried on raised beds. In the cup, I taste Lemon and overall just a tart profile. I brewed this with a 15.6:1 ratio and ground it seven clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured a quick 30 second bloom, followed by two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds. I finished my second pour at 1:40 for a 2:40 final brew time.

Native Lumen – Both Lumen and Golden Hour come from the El Paraiso farm operated by Diego Bermudez. At this point, I think we all know the El Paraiso farm by now and treat the products from here like a delicate prize. Mostly all of the coffee grown here is Castillo, a varietal that is great for imparting the experimental processing to the coffees that the farm is so famous for. Lumen is in a line of coffees from Native Coffee Company that are not purely anaerobic fermentations. This is 80% Washed, and 20% of the classic Bermudez “thermal-shock double anaerobic”; read below on Golden Hour for a more extensive description of what that means. The washed portion of this blend is done in typical Colombia fashion with wet fermentation for 24-48 hours and then pulped before drying on raised beds. This cup is as clean as a fresh glass of ice water. I taste Herbal tea, Toffee, and cinnamon sugar. This is a truly classic Colombia. Delicious, everyday drinking sweet coffee. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio and ground it one click finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:00 for a 3:05 final brew time.

Native Golden Hour – This one is a true Diego Bermudez special. Diego studied chemistry in school and used this to extract specific yeast strains from the coffee plants that would then create a chemical reaction when the cherries are fermented under anaerobic conditions. This is not an anaerobic infusion or “coferment”, but using intentional strains to create a reaction during the fermentation that can bring out unusual flavors after the coffee is roasted. That is why the coffees from El Paraiso are always so dynamic and out of this world, rather than a boring coferment that has the predictable flavor of whatever was tossed in the tank. Then there is the thermal shock. I have discussed this before, about how I don’t know if I totally believe in the science behind it. What do I know though! The idea is the hot water in the fermentation after the first stage opens up the pores, so when the second anaerobic stage happens (Double Anaerobic thermal shock), the seeds pores are more open to the acids active in the tank. This coffee is, of course, fantastic. I taste tons of tropical fruit, mango, and jasmine. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio and ground it one click finer than my typical starting point and poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds. I poured a quick bloom, with my final pour ending at 2:10 for a 3:10 final brew time.

Have Fun Guatemala Jaime Sanchez – A natural processed Guatemala! How exciting. I think these are becoming more common, but several years ago I remember hearing that only 2-5% of coffee in Guatemala was natural processed. Jaime Sanchez is a local legend in the Santa Rosa region, at his farm Las Flores. Jaime’s father has grown coffee his entire life and Jaime knew he was interested in joining the trade. He went to school for agricultural engineering and returned with knowledge of bio-diversity, soil use, which pesticides to use, and shade trees. Las Flores is a high elevation farm at 1885 MASL, and is a Marsellesa varietal. Marsellesa is a hybrid varietal that stems from Villa Sarchi and Timor, to create a disease-resistant varietal with good resistance to intense climates. This is a super fruit-forward cup. I tasted cherry, cola, and plum. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:25 for a 3:00 final brew time.

Have Fun Honduras Jesus Galeas – Jesus Galeas comes from a family of multi-generational coffee producers in Honduras. Jesus’ grandfather was one of the first producers in the Intibuca region. Jesus and his family are extremely involved in the community, regularly getting together with fellow producers and newer producers to assist with quality, production, and the heavy task of getting their coffee to the market. This is a natural Gesha, grown at 1700 MASL. The fermentation on this gesha begins with a 36 hour Anaerobic fermentation, and then dried on raised beds for an additional 36 days until peak moisture content is reached. In the cup I taste coconut, lime, and molasses. Not a gesha profile really at all in my opinion. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 ratio and ground it four clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:15 for a 2:55 final brew time.

Clever Uganda Mount Elgon – This coffee is produced in conjunction with the Mountain Harvest project, a new program helping to uplift communities through coffee production. The Mount Elgon region has great potential for specialty coffee with the high elevations and fertile, volcanic soil. The Mountain Harvest project works with the local farmers, usually holding smaller lot sizes, to educate while promoting quality and sustainable practices to produce higher quality coffee – of which, there are financial benefits for said quality. The project incentivizes farmers to also grow other crops that can generate income outside of the short coffee season. The elevations are between 1400 and 2200 MASL, and the farmers grow SL-14, SL-28, and Nyasaland. This is a super Ethiopia reminiscent mouthfeel with a lovely central African profile. I taste black tea, orange marmalade, and lime. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 ratio and ground it four clicks coarser than my typical starting point. After a 35 second bloom, I poured two pulses spaced apart by 45 seconds, finishing my second pour at 1:50 for a 2:50 final brew time.

Clever Colombia “Sneaky Cinnamon” – Yes, I hate the name of this too. Clever is a Danish roaster, and they are a very silly people. Oh well! We love them anyways. This is technically a blend of a few coffees from smallholding producers in Huila; it blends together varietals like Geisha, Red Bourbon, Tabi, and Caturra. The producers that have come together on this coffee are not big enough to export their own coffee and rely on community effort to get their coffees around the world. The coffees are grown at elevations of 1600-2000 MASL, and when brought together, the cherries are fermented with various experimental techniques before washing. I tasted maple syrup and melon. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds following a 40 second bloom. I finished my third pour at 2:10 for a 3:10 brew time.

Duck-Rabbit Rwanda Gitwe – I know at least a few of you that are going to be pissed at me about this one. We have had some tough natural Rwandas recently. Working with Duck-Rabbit, I was convinced I needed to give this one a chance even after I expressed my concerns over some recent disappointments. I am out here VETTING for us. Gitwe is a washing station in the Nyamasheke district, located in south Rwanda alongside Lake Kivu. This area near the southern forest has incredible biodiversity from plants to wildlife. The coffee-growing region of Nyamasheke is known for high altitudes and volcanic soil. Gitwe processes coffee from around 800 smallholding farmers ranging from 1800-2000 MASL. This lot is 100% Bourbon. The flavor is like a light Pinot Noir, with blackberry and spices. I brewed this with a 16.2:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:15 for a 3:00 brew time.

Duck-Rabbit Peru Finca Quillabamba – This complex and sweet Peru comes from producer Juan Quilla Laura, from Puno, Peru. This region is called Sandia, and the town or Puno is right against the Titicaca lake. This is all the way in the south of Peru near the Bolivian and Chilean border. Juan has been cultivating coffee on the land that makes up Finca Quillabamba for 18 years, after starting in the coffee business in 1984 as a day laborer. Finca Quillabamba is located at 1800 MASL and is in a unique region with difficult to access areas in the Peruvian Andes. Most of the coffee grown here is Bourbon. This cup is straight up Peanut Butter Marshmallows, a nuanced dessert coffee through and through. I brewed this with a 16.5 ratio, and ground it one click coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, and finished my third pour at 2:20 for a 3:20 final brew time.

Lykke Peru Agua De Nieve (Snovatten) – Such an icon at this point. The bag is familiar, but I can’t say the flavor profile is. Snovatten is Lykke’s year-round single origin from their high elevation farm near the Andes mountains at the edge of the Amazon rainforest. This coffee is made up of Caturra and Typica, different from last year when there was also Bourbon mixed in. The focus of these year-round single origin coffees is sustainability in the specialty coffee supply-chain. With so many micro-lots that give producers temporary joy and then drought for the remainder of the year, we will need coffees like this to maintain the future of specialty coffee supply. I tasted Cherry, Wildflower Honey, and slightly more body than past renditions of Snovatten. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio and ground it one click finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:20 for a 3:15 final brew time.

Lykke Peru Tito Cachay – A special Geisha can from Lykke! I could not turn this one down – this comes from Tito Cachay. Tito’s farm is deep in the forests; it is free from pesticides and other synthetic fertilizers. The coffee trees are grown under shade trees amongst Kataleya Orchids, for which this coffee is named. A lot of Geisha coffee is grown here at an elevation of 1800 MASL, also in the Agua De Nieve region. This is a classic Geisha profile, which is insane! Typically the Geishas that I am able to include in this subscription are priced much lower, and while usually high quality coffees, are not 10/10 Panama-tasting crazy Geisha. I am tasting jasmine, cane sugar. I brewed this with a 15.6:1 ratio and ground it right at my typical starting point. After a 35 second bloom, I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:10 for a 3:10 final brew time.

Vivid Honduras Kevin Fernandez – This is the second lot we brought in to the sub from Kevin Fernandez, a young producer and nephew of local legend Nahun Fernandez. Kevin’s plot of land is located on his family’s ancestral land and is adjacent to his relatives that are producing some of the best coffee in Honduras. The farm is located in Santa Barbara at an elevation around 1550 MASL. This is a big time Funky natural Pacas! One of the fruitiest and funkiest naturals I have tasted in a minute. I can confidently say the quality has gone up since two years ago when we tried this last, and the brew is holding water better this time, as I remember the beans were super low density last time around. I taste Dark Cherry, deep red wine, Plum, and Dark Chocolate. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 ratio, and ground it three clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:35 for a 3:20 final brew time. **Wide circles on this one to slow it down!

Vivid Mexico Eber Olivera Baltazar – This Mexican Geisha (WOW) comes from producer Eber Olivera Baltazar, owner of the farm Villa Talea De Castro in the Sierra Norte mountains of Oaxaca. The farm is located four hours away from Oaxaca City, in an area considered one of the bio-diverse areas in the country. The Sierra Norte mountains are consumed by rainforests, allowing a ton of rainfall during the 8-month long rainy “season”. The farm is located at 1600 MASL, where Eber experiments with new farming techniques on the modest plot of land, and this lot represents the first time Eber’s coffee has left Mexico. Apparently is quite the legend in the country’s coffee scene? Big deal! These Geisha cherries are picked at the ripest point, and then dry-fermented for 24 hours before washing and wet-fermentation for 36 hours. This results in a red-fruit filled cup with notes of Amaretto and Pistachio, Very complex profile. Too many tasting notes to even try and list a couple. THIS is what the Geisha varietal is all about. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:20 for a 3:05 final brew time.

Manhattan Colombia Maria Belen Diaz – Maria Belen Diaz is the operator and owner of the Resinas farm in Acevedo, Huila. She has been deeply connected to the coffee trade her whole life, coming from generations of coffee farmers. Previously, she was one of the coffee quality analysts for the Cauca department and is on the Huila Condor project, a coalition of 96 female coffee growers in Huila. On the Resinas farm, Maria, her husband, and three children grow Bourbon, Caturra, Castillo, PInk Bourbon, and Gesha. This is a “semi-washed” Pink Bourbon – a combination that can still get me excited about this industry after (so) many years. The cherry pickers start by picking only the ripest cherries. The cherries start with a pre-fermentation in the cherry, and then sealed in bags for 36 hours for the anaerobic fermentation. The cherries are then washed, then dried on raised beds for 15 days. I tasted cantaloupe, ginger, and geranium. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio, and ground it right at my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:10 for a 3:15 final brew time.

Manhattan Colombia El Paseo – I must admit, the Maria Belen Diaz was my first choice for this month based on the varietal and process (See above for that madness). However, Manhattan ran out of the Maria Belen Diaz and was only able to fulfill half my order. I was already interested in this coffee so I just supplemented it with this and then when actually I started tasting it I realized this was the true winner. This coffee comes from El Paseo, a farm located at 1800 MASL in Narino. This is an anaerobic washed Caturra, a dangerous combination of processing and varietal in Narino. I should have known this coffee would be fantastic based on this. El Paseo is operated by Huver Castillo, a 3rd generation coffee farmer. Huver was a math teacher up until several years ago and then joined the family business after learning the coffee trade from his father. Huver picked only the ripest cherries and then did a 36-hour fermentation in the cherry. After this, the cherries are floated in a sea salt bath to separate defects and also to disinfect cherries. The coffee seeds are then sealed in stainless steel tanks for 6 days, while specific enzymes are added to the fermenter and pH is monitored. This cup is straight up Bergamont in a cup. Super sweet, and I would believe it is a co-ferment (but it’s not). I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio and ground it one click finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:20 for a 3:00 brew time.

Manhattan Tanzania Edelweiss SL28 – We have had coffee roasted by Manhattan, grown in Arusha, Tanzania at the Edelweiss farm located at 1800 MASL. Edelweiss is operated by Neel Vohora, an extremely excited producer in the region, and is located on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater. Vohora is pushing the boundaries of specialty in Tanzania by using different varietals and a more focused approach on processing. This is a 100% SL28, the Kenyan varietal. It isn’t CRAZY to transplant SL28 to Tanzania, but in a world where the country is dominated by Bourbon, Kent, and various peaberries, it is exciting to see this. I tasted Caramel apple and dry riesling. Dry like a vermouth, but great acidity. I brewed this with a 15.6:1 ratio, and ground it one click coarser than my typical starting point. I poured two pulses spaced out by 50 seconds after my 45 second bloom. I finished my last pour at 2:10 for a 2:50 drop time.

Kaffa Ethiopia Nensebo Refisa – The name from this one comes from the Refisa washing station located in Nensebo Woreda in West Arsi, Ethiopia. Refisa is comprised of 588 smallholding coffee growers that live and tend to their coffee gardens in Refisa and neighboring towns. The average plot sizes are around 2 hectares at an elevation of 2070 MASL. As with most of Ethiopia, various native varietals are grown. However, Kaffa claims this is exclusively 74110. This is a washed coffee, where the seeds are washed, then wet-fermented for 72 hours. The seeds are then soaked for an additional 5 hours, then dried until they reach a moisture content of 10.5%. This is a super sweet Ethiopia, with much more of a sugar content than tea-like characteristics. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio, and ground it seven clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured two pulses spaced out by 40 seconds following a 30 second bloom, finishing my last pour at 1:40 for a 2:40 final brew time.

Kaffa Honduras La Orquidea – The Easter coffee! I swear we have had La Orquidea before, but my archives tell me otherwise. La Orquidea is a super cool farm that is the brain-child of the Morenos and Benjamin Paz. The heavy-hitters of the Santa Barbara region of course. Kaffa has worked with the Moreno family, specifically their farm “El Filo” for as long as I have bought their coffee. These are consistently so solid and I can always trust that these are going to be great coffees. When Miguel Moreno and Ben Paz bought La Orquidea in 2014, they planted around 7000 Pacas and 2000 Catuai trees. This lot is a Pacas, grown at 1520-1600 MASL, located down the road from the El Filo farm that the Morenos own. This is a clean, washed coffee, with flavors that are super indicative of this region. I love a natural terroir flavored coffee like this. I taste flavors like marzipan, plum, and maple syrup. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio, and ground it one click coarser than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:45 for a 3:30 final brew time.

A Matter Of Concrete Ethiopia Arsosala – It has become this roaster’s goal to have a delicious washed Ethiopia on the menu consistently, as it tends to be most coffee people’s favorite profile and just a classic coffee to always offer. This one stems from the Single Farmer Project, a program that allows roasters to connect with single farmers in Ethiopia, rather than buying from mega co-ops and washing stations. There are pros and cons to each in my opinion, but that is a story for a different day! This coffee comes from Mr. Ocholo Bedecho, a farmer in the Guji region. The coffees are grown at 1800-2000 MASL, which is considered relatively low for this region. Bedecho’s farm is about 8 hectares, and mixed heirloom varietals are grown. I taste herbs, lime, clove, and some bergamot on the finish. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio and ground it seven clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds, finishing my second pour at 2:00 for a 2:45 final brew time.

A Matter Of Concrete Colombia Daisy Acevedo – Not to be confused with the famous Acevedo region, which this is not in! This washed Gesha comes from Daisy Acevedo’s farm, El Encanto. The farm is located in Quindio, a department just west of Bogota. The region is famous for tourism and it’s mountainous terrain. The farm is located at 1900 MASL, and is described as a breathtaking landscape located on the edge of a nature reserve. Coffee trees are grown under native shade trees on the farm, and the Acevedo family has invested in newer processing equipment that allows much more precise control over the fermentation stages. The cherries were harvested at a slightly overripe stage and rested for 24 hours. After depulping, the seeds are fully washed, and then dry-fermented for 48 hours. This one is even brighter than the washed Ethiopia that was shipped along with it! I taste lemon balm, jasmine, sweet corn, just elegant. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio, and ground it one click coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:30 for a 3:15 final brew time.

Little Wolf Peru Rogel Segovia – This coffee comes from the Aromas del Valle co-op in Cajamarca, Peru. This is a 100% washed Typica variety grown at 1750 MASL. The team at Aromas del Valle partnered with the Progreso Foundation to bring a better model of local farming support to the operation. The Progreso Foundation helps with not just coffee farming but other trees and vegetable crop as well to help the farmers create better livelihoods. Organic coffee farming has always been huge in Peru, and the foundation assists the farmers with organic practices to keep chemical pesticides and other fertilizers away from the coffee production. I tasted Black Walnut, Orange, and Cane sugar. Sweet and delicious, exactly how I love a washed Peru. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio, and ground it one click finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:45 for a 3:40 final brew time.

Little Wolf Colombia YCA – YCA is a program in Antioquia, Colombia that stands for “Young Producer Program”. YCA’s goal is to support the younger producers in the region who have chosen to grow specialty grade coffee and produce it with passion and drive. The program seeks to highlight the young producers with smaller lots by guaranteeing quality control and consistent, year-round availability of their crop. This lot in particular is a blend of many small holding producers who produced high quality lots of Caturra, Castillo, and Colombia. They were grown between 1800-2000 MASL. This extended fermentation means that instead of typical 24-48 hours of wet fermentation, it went on for much longer; I can guess maybe 100-200 hours as I’ve seen in the past, but this number is not published for this lot. This is an absolute fruity funk bomb. I tasted starfruit, papaya, and green apple. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, with as wide of circles as I could manage. I finished my last pour at 2:10 for a 3:00 final brew time.

Standout Ethiopia Atoma Station – It is not common for me to have a new Ethiopian producer, but nowadays roasters are seeking out smaller operations and not Mega Washing Stations. So, with this, we have a coffee from the Atoma Station, the product of Mike Mamo. This is Mike’s second washing station, and opened in 2022 in the Jimma region of western Ethiopia. The site is quite remote, only accessible by horse. This requires the farmers to sometimes take two trips to bring their full harvest to the washing station each evening during harvest. I am so obsessed with this coffee. The first brew I was like ~yeah this is a nice one~, but it did not brew up perfectly. The second brew, !holy shit!. For sure my favorite Ethiopian of the year. I tasted Meyer lemon, honeysuckle, and white tea with mild orange as it cools. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio, and ground it six clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds, finishing my second pour at 2:00 for a 2:50 final brew time.

Standout Kenya Gachatha AA – Gachatha, the famous washing station and farming co-op in Nyeri. Most farmers in the co-op grow coffee at around 1800-1900 MASL, and is a blend of SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru 11, and Batian. The coffees are taken to Gachatha and sorted to varying grades. This lot is AA, the largest size of beans. The individual farmers perform their own hand sorting to ensure they are getting paid high prices for the best cherries. The coffees are double soaked in classic Kenyan style, and covered to dry during daytime, and then left open at night to ensure even drying. Once dried to around 10-12%, the seeds are bagged up and ready to ship out. This is such a clean and delightful cup. I taste Orange creamsicle, Grapefruit, Lemongrass. I brewed this with a 16.4:1 ratio, and ground it four clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured two pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, finishing my second pour at 1:50 for a 2:50 final brew time.

Junto Tanzania AMCOS Peaberry – Tanzania, a less frequent and somewhat elusive origin lately in specialty coffee. “AMCOS” or Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies. This is a Kent varietal and a Peaberry, a quite common combo for Tanzanian coffee. AMCOS basically buys green coffee from many local smallholding farmers, and meticulously sorts it in to grades for quality. AMCOS has helped coffee production in Tanzania grow and gets producers coffee to international markets. When ground, it smells awesome. Spices explode from it. The brew has a bit or sourness, and a lot of sweetness. I tasted Green Apple, Black Walnut, Caramel. I brewed this with a 16.2:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:30 for a 3:10 final brew time.

Junto Colombia El Diviso – Buying a Nestor Lasso coffee is the true holiday gift that we needed after a November shortage. For those familiar with Nestor Lasso, or have at least tried some in the subscription in years past, you know this is a treat. For the newbies, Nestor Lasso is an expert in experimental processing in Huila, Colombia. Every coffee from his farm, El Diviso, is killer. Like most coffees here, this is a Caturra picked at peak ripeness. The cherries are extremely carefully sorted to ensure perfection. This is a washed Double Anaerobic coffee, meaning that the whole cherries are initially sealed in airtight tanks for 20 hours. The fermented cherries are then removed, and then put in oxidation tanks for 28 hours at a higher temperature. They are then moved back to airtight tanks for an additional 18 hours, but with the added microbial mossto that was removed from the cherries during the oxidation phase. Once complete, the cherries are washed and wet fermented to finish up processing, then dried under solar dryers until specific moisture level. In the cup I taste ripe Strawberry, Grenache, and mostly just Funky. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio, and ground it three clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, with a wider circle to attempt to slow this brew down. I finished my fourth pour at 2:35 for a 3:15 final brew time.