Sey Ethiopia Banko Gotiti – Banko Gotiti is a famous washing station in the Gedeo region of the Kochere department. This washing station pools lots from around 2,000 smallholding farmers, each with an average of 2.5 acres of coffee gardening space. These lots are grown at around 2100-2200 MASL and are typical heirloom varietals grown from wild coffee cultivation. The cherries are harvested and brought to Banko Gotiti for processing. This lot was depulped and washed, and wet fermented for 24-38 hours. The resulting coffee gives an intoxicating fragrance coming from the ground coffee like wildflowers and honey. The cup tasted like dry riesling, almond, wild strawberries, and green apple. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 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 2:50 final brew time.

Sey Kenya Muhito – This is a cool coffee. It is part of a program that SEY started called Retro 1984, a project shared with SEY and prominent Kenyan farmers. The goal is varietal separation at co-ops and more intensive quality checks on the cherries when harvested. The reason behind Retro 1984, is that 1984 is the year that Ruiru 11 was introduced to Kenya to combat disease. I don’t know if I totally am down with eradicating Ruiru 11 quite yet, but I do appreciate that SEY is working on returning to pure SL varieties that Kenya became famous for. I think we can probably get behind the idea that a pure SL28 or SL34 tends to be higher quality but I believe that has to do more with lot separation and a more intense focus on the sorting and processing than just a pure binary yes/no on Ruiru 11 addition. This lot is an SL28 and SL34, harvested and floated, then double soaked with a 24 hour fermentation. A classic Kenya process that allows for the natural flavors to shine on their own in a clean washed profile. Muhito washing station is located in Nyeri at 1,760 MASL. The cup tastes like Grapefruit, blackberry, and bubblegum. Super clean and juicy, just like we all want it to. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 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 2:00 for a 2:55 final brew time.

Manhattan Brazil Gisele – “Gisele” is a Yellow Catuai from Gisele Almeida’s farm in Mata de Minas in southeast Brazil. Gisele has worked in coffee from a young age, picking cherries on her parent’s farm. She has continuously worked to maintain different plantations, and then move up in the community to a point where she was able to buy some land and plant around 8,000 coffee trees. This is yet another super low elevation Brazilian coffee, marked at 600 MASL. This is a typical pulped natural process that we see from Brazil, and a Yellow Catuai which is super common in Brazil specialty coffee. I would say over half of the good Brazilian coffees I have had are Yellow Catuai – It must grow well at low elevations? I don’t understand how Manhattan keeps sourcing these Brazilian coffees that taste like a 90+ Colombia! This is a super sweet cup. I tasted sweet corn, whole wheat roll, and orange rind. I brewed this with a 16.2:1 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 3:15 final brew time.

Manhattan Colombia Rainbow – Rainbow comes from the El Vergel estate (1500 MASL) in Tolima, a farm that has been popping up on offer lists of the nicest roasters in the world. El Vergel has always been a farm, but was previously much more diverse in the harvest than just coffee. In the early 2000s, fruit prices and avocado prices dropped and the family behind El Vergel decided to open up to more coffee. At first, the two main brothers behind the farm went after certifications like organic and rainforest alliance. As most of us know, these certifications are mainly checkboxes and don’t correlate to quality at all. The brothers were introduced to Miguel Jimenez in 2017 and were influenced to plant much more intensely specialty varietals like Gesha, Java, and so on. With the more specialty trees growing, the brothers went on to focus on processing. Stainless steel anaerobic tanks, dryers, yeast strains, and different processes were introduced. Now we get to where we are now, this coffee. A Pink Bourbon, washed, and fermented in anaerobic tanks. I had been giddy on my toes waiting for this shipment to show up. I swear I could smell it through the box, even with the Gisele alongside it. I don’t even know what to say. Every possible tropical fruit. Cantaloupes, papayas, mangos, whichever one you choose. What a ridiculous cup of coffee, makes you wonder how this can even exist. I brewed it with a 15.5:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:00. My final brew time was 2:45.

Duck-rabbit Colombia Dona Maria Rosa – Maria Rosa is a long-time producer at her farm Los Nogales in the Tolima department. The farm is located at the top of a large hill, starting at the store that Rosa’s family operates. The farm at the top of the hill is not accessible by car and requires a one hour hike to the farm. Each day, Rosa does the hike at 5am to organize the cherry pickers and day laborers and to check on mill operations. This lot is located at 2,000 MASL, very high for Colombia. This is a field blend of Caturra, Tabi, and Typica. The farm is covered with shade trees and looks less like an organized row of coffee trees and more like a coffee jungle. I tasted dried apricot, raisin, and tobacco. 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 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:20 for a 3:00 total brew time.

Duck-rabbit Burundi Kibingo Station – Kibingo Station is a new one for me. This is a washing station in the northern part of Kayanza, serving thousands of smallholding farmers in the region. The area is comprised of 18 hills at elevations ranging from 1900 MASL to undisclosed higher elevations. These coffees are all Bourbon, from trees that were likely planted in the 1930s by Catholic Monks that visited the area. This lot is a classic washed Burundi lot, undergoing pulping after harvest and then a short wet fermentation followed by drying on raised beds. I don’t have a ton of information other than this but the cup speaks for itself and is likely my favorite coffee of the month. I tasted Lemon-lime and fig, and this is a super delicate cup. I brewed this with a 16.2:1 ratio and ground it three 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 total brew time.

The Barn Rwanda Gatare – This coffee comes from the Nyamasheke region in southwest Rwanda. This is a washed Red Bourbon, a super common type of coffee that we see come out of Rwanda. Gatare is a washing station that is one of the oldest specialty mills in the country, processing specialty coffee from local smallholding farmers since 2003. Most coffees from here are grown between 1700-1900 MASL. The region is known for excellent growing conditions because of the notable soil quality, the mild temperatures, and the decent elevation. Gatare has participated in the Rwandan Cup Of Excellence many times since its inception and always scores high. The cup is super caramelly, with notes of brown sugar pastry and orange. I brewed this with a 15.6:1 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 2:10 for a 2:55 final brew time.

The Barn El Salvador Himalaya – This is an intense expression of central american Pacamara processed so well. Himalaya is an annual banger from the barn, located in Apaneca, El Salvador by the experienced Mauricio Salavarria. The coffees from here always have such an intense profile. The location of this farm in the Apaneca mountains creates a low humidity, warm climate that is perfect for growing coffee and then processing it in funky ways that keep the cherry dry during natural processing. For as experimental as the processing can get here, it is crazy how natural they let the naturals get! They just set the cherries out and turn them once per day during a set time until they feel it is complete. At the front of this cup I taste clementine, and then Pinot Noir and red apple. I brewed this with a 16.7:1 ratio and ground it three clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds following a 35 second bloom. I finished my fourth pour at 2:30 for a 3:15 total brew time.

Kaffa Rwanda Fugi – This absolute fruit bomb comes from a small plot in southern Rwanda near the Burundi border and the Nyungwe National Park. Fugi is a washing station operated in the BAHO network, a company that operates several washing stations in the region. Fugi is one of the first mills in the network, and is considered an innovation hub of the network. Over half of the green coffee from last years harvest was processed using alternative methods, with anaerobic being the hot girl of the season (as with everywhere else). BAHO exported 900 sacks of green coffee last year, a sign of growing demand for delicious specialty coffee from Rwanda. This coffee is a classic full natural Red Bourbon, the majority varietal produced in Rwanda. In the specialty market, that is. This cup smells like straight up blueberry pancakes. I used a 15.6:1 ratio, and ground this two clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:10 for a 3:00 brew time.

Kaffa Honduras Sandra Trochez – Sandra Trochez is yet another wonderful small producer in the Santa Barbara region of Honduras that Kaffa works with. They have had excellent luck in the region since I have been buying from them and the consistency from year to year continues to impress. The farm this is sourced from is Don Amado, a coffee we have had from Kaffa before. Amado passed away in 2019, and his wife Sandra Trochez operates the farm along with their four children continuing the legacy that the original Don Amado, father-in-law of Sandra has built. This coffee is a honey-processed catuai. The cherries are dry-fermented for 15 hours before depulping and wet processing. The cup is sweet, spiced, and crispy. I tasted spiced apple, maple sugar, with dry minerality. 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 2:20 for a 3:10 total brew time.

Vivid Ethiopia Bogalech Dukkale – The first single-farm Ethiopia from Vivid! This is from Sidamo, and comes from Shaakiso, Guji. The craziest thing about this coffee for me is the elevation, and being a natural process. At 2180 MASL, this is much higher than a lot of Ethiopians we are used to. Typically the highest elevation Ethiopians at around this level are ALWAYS washed. At least in my experience. This being natural, the flavors are so so clean and clarified but still has the ripe fruit notes that natural Ethiopians are known for. Bogalech is a mother of six, and is a coffee producer owning a four hectare plot in Guji. Her parents were coffee farmers on this plot and they have carried down the wisdom of excellent coffee production. This cup has washed Ethiopian flavors like lemon and lavender combined with natural Ethiopia flavors like blackberry. and sweet sugars. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 ratio and ground it 8 clicks coarser than my typical starging point. After a 50 second bloom, I poured two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds, finishing my second pour at 2:05 for a 3:05 brew time.

Vivid Colombia Blanca Marina – Blanca Marina is the name of the producer Vivid has been working with consistently for some years now. She recently passed away, but had been producing coffee for decades, and now we look to her daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters for help on the farm – called “El Aguacate”. While a simple Narino Castillo, the harvesting and processing methods are advanced and meticulous. The flavor yield is an exciting cup with balanced, bright fruits and a great example on why standard washed Colombians continue to be the most exciting coffees. The fermentation was a standard 24 hours in tanks, then dried for two weeks on raised beds. This means the extra fruit flavor in this coffee comes directly from the cherry ripening longer than typical. The flavors in the cup are vibrant. Brown Sugar, Dark Plum, and hibiscus. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. After a long 50-60 second bloom, I poured three wide pulses spaced out by 35 seconds. I finished my last pour at 2:35 for a 3:15 final brew time.

Little Wolf Ethiopia Goraa Bees – I chose this honey-process Ethiopia here over a natural to shake up the lineup a bit. Goraa Bees comes from the Suke farming co-op in Guji, and is narrowed down to two distinct Ethiopia Heirloom varietals: 74110 and 74112. The Suke co-op is renowned for the strict quality standards for cherry selection and processing. Most coffees are grown at 2100 MASL, and as a honey-process done in Ethiopia, this coffee was stripped of most fruit but not fully depulped. Then dry fermented before washing and drying. In the cup I taste Honeydew, cinnamon sugar, and red plum. I brewed it with a 15.8:1 ratio and ground it five clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured two pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, finishing my second pour at 1:55 for a 2:55 final brew time.

Little Wolf Colombia Asoastus – Asoastus is a “Bourbon Aji” varietal, a landrace variety discovered 20 years ago known for a distinct spicy/peppery profile. Aji has been making its way to the specialty market slowly, as crops are just beginning to come to fruition. Asoastus is a farming cooperative made of around 70 families, each focusing on how to create the best quality that each varietal offers. All of the farmers are located in Pitalito, Huila. The majority of the plots include shade trees and/or forest cover. Bourbon Aji produces a bright red cherry, making the ripest cherry picking an essential must to production. After harvest, the cherries are set out for an open air 24 hour oxidizing fermentation, followed by an 18 hour anaerobic fermentation. The cherries are then dried for 30 days on parabolic sun dryers. This cup is bursting with ripe fruit. Papaya, sour mango, I brewed this with a 16.6:1 ratio and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:35 for a 3:10 final brew time.

Clever Kenya Kabingara – The Kabingara washing station comes from Kirinyaga, Kenya and has all the Kenyan varietals mixed in: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, and Batian. As I am sure people have noticed, good Kenyan coffee has decreased dramatically from where it used to be. Most of this is due to climate change, I have read studies that over 90% of Kenyan coffee farmers have experienced loss of trees and lower yield in the past years due to climate change, and of course the cherries that have remained have occasionally been of lower quality due to harsher conditions. This is a classic Kenya double wash, where the seeds are washed and soaked after pulping with clean water and then soaked for a fermentation. In Kenya, the additional fermentation is believed to increase fruit and acidity in the coffee, which Kenyan coffees are of course famous for. This is a stunning example of a classic Kenya done well. I tasted lime, fresh figs, and celery (in the best way it could be). I ground this one four clicks coarser than my typical starting point and brewed it with a 15.6:1 ratio. I poured two pulses spaced apart by 45 seconds, finishing my second pour at 2:00 for a 2:50 final brew time.

Clever Indonesia Frinsa Funk – The Frinsa Estate is operated by local legend Wildan Mostofa. In a country dominated by Robusta and a dark history of colonialism, Mostofa is working toward setting a standard of quality and dedicated processing. This coffee is a unique hybrid of Arabica and Liberica from West Java. The varietal was developed for high disease resistance and excellent for strength during climate change swings. This was processed as a “lactic anaerobic natural”, meaning the cherries were sealed in fermenters and lactic bacteria was introduced to convert sugars in to lactic acid. Introducing lactobicillis into the tanks creates a great temperature challenge, as changes in temperature can increase or decrease the bacteria activity and could ruin the batch. This cup is truly a freaky lil guy. I taste rye bread up front, with ginger, banana, and cardamom. Once it cools it turns into more of a dark fruit cup with blackberry tones. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I let my bloom ride for a full minute, and then I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:40 for a 3:15 final brew time.

Lykke Snovatten – It has been a year since I have had one of my favorite “breakfast-style” coffees. It is so mild, tea-like, and delicate but still with a simple red fruit profile. This is my favorite of the four year-round single origin coffees that Lykke always has in stock/from their own coffee farms! The farm is Agua de Neives in central Peru grown at 1800-2000 MASL, and is a Caturra/Bourbon/Typica blend. The name Snovatten means Snow water, because of the high slopes in the region where snow melts off the caps and on to the farm. I tasted red berry, cream, and a mild body as always. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 ratio and ground it right at 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 El Salvador Ustiberta Alvarez de Hernandez – The crushing of the sacred can. I have waited almost six months checking Lykke’s website for single-origin options that were not the year-round coffees like Snovatten. This coffee is a honey-processed Pacamara from the producer Ustiberta Alvarez de Hernadez in Chalaltenango, El Salvador. Ustiberta’s farm is located at 1500 MASL and is a neighbor to Lykke’s farm El Pital in the same town. Being a pacamara, these are definitely some funky beans but were clearly processed so well. Plus, sourcing directly from a neighboring farmer cuts out a lot of middlemen! This cup starts out with soft mango, and low acidity stone fruit. As it sits, it turns more sweet and caramelly. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 ratio, and ground it three clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my fourth pour at 2:30 for a 3:10 final brew time.

Junto Rwanda Inzovu – So this “Inzovu” company has been a little difficult to find information on. From what I can find, Inzovu is a subsidiary of the Rwandan Trading Company (RTC). Small washing stations deemed to be high quality by Inzovu, are pooled together to keep specific regions and separated varietals intact to produce and export high quality green coffee from areas around Lake Kivu in the Nyamasheke district. Since this coffee is a peaberry, I am sure it is a little easier to keep it isolated from the dominant Red Bourbon that grows all over Rwanda. The RTC provides funding for washing stations and invests in education for the smallholding farmers and provides agronomy training. This tastes like a classic central African profile; raisin, figs, and orange zest. It is a delightful, super bright cup. I brewed this with a 15.8:1 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 2:00 for a 2:50 final brew time.

Junto Colombia El Diviso – Another Nestor Lasso produced coffee! Finca El Diviso is a collaborative farming project between Nestor Lasso and a neighboring farm owned by Jhoan Vergara, with the goal of championing quality and sustainability. The farm is at 1600 MASL, and focuses on farming expertises and advancements as well as experimental processing. This is a washed double anaerobic lot, meaning after harvest the cherries were fermented in anaerobic tanks for 20 hours, then separated into smaller batches for a further 16 hours of anaerobic fermentation. The seeds were then washed of all mucilage and then mechanically dried. At first I struggled with an excellent cup, which was frustrating. The knowledge of what went in to this bag of coffee made me keep at it and I brewed this almost four times in a row. Finally, a cup blooming with florals, red fruit, and sugars. I tasted pear, pomegranate, and hazelnut. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio, and ground it right at my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my fourth pour at 2:50 for a 3:35 final brew time.

SEY Colombia Jose Martinez – I believe I had this exact coffee when I was buying coffee for Purple Llama. Jose Martinez is an incredible producer in Palastina, Huila. Jose produces a ton of Pink Bourbon, which at this point everyone should know I am a big fan of. The cherries are harvested meticulously, with only the ripest cherries harvested. The same day, the cherries are de-pulped and the fermentation begins. The seeds are dry fermented for 30 hours before washing and drying. The farm, El Casino, is located at 1,750 MASL. This cup contains classically bright Pink Bourbon acidity. Raspberry Tart, orange, and a gluhwein vibe from a clove pierced orange. I brewed this with a 15.7:1 ratio, and ground it one click coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:20 for a 3:20 final brew time.

SEY Burundi Bukeye – This is a nice field blend produced by the Burundi Long Miles project. Bukeye is a washing station in the Musumba Hill region of Burundi. Bukeye is known to produce classic Burundi varietals like Red Bourbon and Mibirizi but also likely some SL34. The exact components of this field blend are unknown though. This is a separated lot from a group of farmers that use banana trees as shading for the coffee trees. This is grown at 1800-1900 MASL and is double fermented. The first fermentation is done dry for 12 hours and then wet fermented fully submerged for 24 hours before drying on raised beds for 16-20 days until a precise 10.5% moisture content. Delicate cup, rose, lemon; would not have guessed this was a Burundi. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio and ground it three clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three fast pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:15 for a 3:20 final brew time.

Have Fun Ethiopia Chelbesa one – This bright lil thing comes from the famous and well-known Chelbesa washing station located in Gedeo, Ethiopia. All of the producers that contributed to this lot live near the Chelbesa washing station, and around 1000 smallholding farmers have contributed to it growing their trees at 2000-2200 MASL. The washing station is owned by Snap Coffee Exporters, who handle processing and exporting the raw coffee. This is a classic washed Ethiopia process, with varietals Wolisho and Korume. The cherries are first floated to sort out the unripe cherries. The cherries are then pulped and fermented in a ceramic tank for 2-3 days and then dried on raised beds for 7-10 days. I taste lemon frosting, sugar cookie, turmeric. I brewed this with a 16.3:1 ratio and ground it seven clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three fast pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:00 for a 2:40 total brew time.

Have Fun Colombia Esnaider Ortega Gomez – The first affordable Sidra varietal I have been able to include in the subscription. This is a very exciting coffee from San Agustin, Huila. Esnaider is a 4th generation coffee producer and the owner of the exporting company, Monkaaba, the exporter of this lot. Esnaider is a super cool producer, putting an extreme amount of care in to each lot. The farm is located at 1,750 MASL. The farm grows many varietals like the typical Huila types of Typica, Colombia, Castillo, and Tabi but also Sidra. There is so much information on Have Fun’s site about the farm, I highly recommend reading the whole thing. Have Fun is clearly way more stoked about this lot than I ever could be, probably because they have physically visited and are now buying direct. Here is the link. This cup is nearly inspiring. I tasted cherry, kiwi, and oolong tea on the finish and when it gets cold. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 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 2:35 for a 3:30 total brew time.

Manhattan El Salvador Rudolfo Ruffati Batlle – The Batlle family in Santa Ana, El Salvador have a long and glorified history of coffee production. Rudolfo comes from generations of coffee farmers, and the Red Bourbon trees this coffee was picked from have been on the farm for almost 60 years. This lot is a clean, washed Red Bourbon grown at 1650 MASL. The cherries underwent a 48 hour fermentation, then washed and pulped before drying. The light touch of the process allows the flavors of these old trees to showcase the terroir of the farm. In the cup I taste Marshmallow, Cherry, and Graham Cracker. It is extremely sessionable. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my average starting grind setting. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:30 for a 3:05 final brew time.

Manhattan Nicaragua La Escondida – This funky lil coffee is a masterpiece. It comes from La Escondida farm in the Jinotega region of Nicaragua, grown at 950-1250 MASL. Inside of La Escondia is a smaller coffee garden where experimental varietals are planted. This varietal is an Ethiosar. Ethiosar does not occur in nature, and is a hybrid between the Ethiopian varietal Sudan Rume and Sarchimor. Sarchimor being a hybrid between Villa Sarchi and Timor. So while technically being a single varietal coffee, its genetics are… complex. This coffee is honey-processed to add a little extra funk to the profile. I taste Belgian Beer yeast and fermented raspberry. Those two flavor notes contain dozens of other natural occurring flavors as well but that is what jumped out at me. I brewed this with a 16:0 ratio and ground it three clicks finer than my typical starting grind setting. I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:10 for a 2:55 final brew time.

Manhattan Colombia Hector Hernandez – This is the coffee of the month it seems. After I decided on buying this from Manhattan, two more roasters advertised they had it. GOOD roasters too. Hector Hernandez is the operator of the modest Finca La Cumbre located in Huila, Colombia. La Cumbre is located at 1850 MASL and contains Caturra, Castillo, and Gesha trees. Hector is a first generation coffee farmer, and was formerly a cattle farmer. In 2011, Hector bought the farm and started planting specialty coffee. The first gesha trees weren’t planted until 2021, and this is likely the first harvest from the farm. La Cumbre has become well known for thoughtful micro-lots being auctioned to some of the best specialty roasters in the world. This is a cup of absolute peach. Fresh peach AND candy peach rings. The cup then lends to classic Gesha flavors like jasmine and lavender. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 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 2:15 for a 3:20 final brew time.

A Matter Of Concrete Colombia Julian Calderon – Julian Calderon comes from the Los Citres farm in the town of Palestina in Huila, Colombia. This is a standard washed process, grown at 1800 MASL. However, this IS a Pink Bourbon (Rosado). I don’t have much information on Calderon unfortunately other than that they are a newer producer. This is an interesting profile. There is much less fruit in it than I had expected or hoped for. There is like a chicory or hazelnut flavor along with some pomegranate. It is very sessionable though. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my last pour at 2:30 for a 3:20 final brew time.

A Matter Of Concrete Indonesia Reza Nurullah Liberica – I ordered this coffee in December as part of my samples, as I have been growing more excited about the insurgence of Liberica/Robusta coffees coming from Asian countries. This is the first one I’ve tried that I have enjoyed. It comes from the state of Java, from Reza Nurullah’s farm where Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica are grown. This is a super experimental process. The cherries are sealed in plastic tanks and left to ferment, and then lightly pulped to leave some mucilage on making this a honey process. The honeyed cherries are brought into sealed tanks with a special yeast variety that Reza has developed at the farm to ferment anaerobically. This process applied to the Liberica profile has created the first non-Arabica coffee I have enjoyed. This coffee is crazy. It is funky, but in a dignified way. The profile is like a passionfruit custard/cab franc vibe. Aromas be intoxicating. I brewed this with a 17:0 ratio and ground it three clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my fourth pour at 2:40 for a 3:40 brew time. This works really well in a larger format setting as well, so get those 25 gram brews going for your friends!

The Barn Honduras Caballero – I love the Caballero farm so much, which is why it’s interesting that this is the first non-washed coffee I have had from there. The farm is operated by Marysabel Caballero in La Paz, Honduras. Most cherries are grown at 1600 MASL,and until very recently most coffee was fully washed. From what I understand, naturals had started being produced only four years ago. The name of this coffee, Confite #8, refers to the name of the process they have given to extended full cherry fermentation (natural). This means this is the 8th lot of this process that has been applied at Caballero. Apparently processing naturals in Honduras can be challenging due to high humidity levels, which makes sense as a lot of Honduran naturals I try have another level of funk to them. The layer of cherries set out to dry ferment must be very thin as to not create mold or fungus. This coffee is crazy funky. The dry grounds smell like pineapple, but I have not made a brew yet that interprets this into the cup. This could be due to how fresh this is, which at this point today is only 7 days off roast. I taste black walnut, overripe raspberry, and maybe some oakyness like you would find in a dark cabernet. I brewed this with a 16.7:1 ratio, and ground it four clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, ending my last pour at 2:50 for a 3:25 final brew time. I have struggled big time with this brew, and honestly I suggest brewing it any other way than drip/filter. I have tried it in a tricolate, and this helped it shine. Other methods similar like an aeropress or immersion might help this as well.

The Barn Rwanda Huye Christmas Coffee) – The Huye Mountain Estate is an iconic farm The Barn works with regularly. I have probably had this same washed Red Bourbon 4 or 5 times now and it is always lovely. Huye Mountain is operated by David Rubanzangabo. The land is known to have rolling hills for miles with great terroir; the nutrient rich soil, high elevation and heavy rainfall during tree production leads to high quality cherries. This is a washed Red Bourbon coffee, grown at elevations from 1700 to 2200 MASL. All processing takes place at Huye Mountain, with this being a typical African washed process. Cherries are pulped, fermented, and then fully washed. The seeds are then dried on raised beds under shade to slowly dry to a proper moisture content. Perfect holiday coffee right here. It has the iconic central African profile of dried figs, and even a slight hint of lemon/lime. It is a beautifully sweet coffee. I brewed this coffee with a 15.5:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks coarser than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds. I finished my third pour at 2:20 for a 3:20 final brew time.

The Barn Costa Rica Volcan Azul – This is another heater from the world famous Volcan Azul coffee farm. The owner, Alejo Castrok is known across the globe for his experimental processing techniques and genetic testing. Only at Volcan Azul do you see varietals like H1 or H3. The coffee from here can always be expected to be crazy. This lot being an H3, is a hybrid of Ethiopian varietals and Caturra to produce the interesting Ethiopia Heirloom flavors but adding resiliency to leaf rust and disease. This is being referred to as a “Warm Anaerobic”. Cherries are measured while still on the tree for the sugar content, and then picked once they reach appropriate levels. A truly technical way of deciding how to pick the ripest cherries. The whole cherries are then placed in the sealed anaerobic tanks at a temperature 4c higher than what is standard for four days. Sugar content and pH is monitored at all times during fermentation. The cherries are then dried for an additional five days on raised beds before pulping and drying. Finally, a coffee that advertises blueberry and actually tastes of blueberry. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio, and ground it three clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured three pulses spaced out by 40 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:25 for a 3:00 final brew time.

Vivid Colombia Rafael Aya – Rafael Aya is a new producer for me, and has been growing specialty coffee since only 2017. Before that, Aya had grown more commodity coffee for nearly 20 years, and studied coffee production at the national agricultural institute. Being located in Huila, one of the most famous specialty coffee growing regions in Colombia and even in the world, the climate and terroir is simply too good for commodity coffee! This is a Pink Bourbon grown at 1750 MASL and is classified as fully washed. This is, however, the funkiest fully washed Colombia I have tasted so I suspect some alternative processing techniques are at play with this one that were not published. I checked other roasters with Rafael Aya’s coffee, some being Pink Bourbon or Caturra and I saw notes like washed Anaerobic or 150 hour wet fermentation. Those technically are washed still but certainly would deserve an asterisk. I taste sour lemon, pomegranate, and cloves. I brewed this one with a 15.5:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks finer than my typical starting point. I poured four pulses spaced out by 30 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:20 for a 3:05 final brew time.

Vivid Kenya Gakuyu-ini – Another washed Kenya SL28/SL34 from Kirinyaga! (Last months Kenya Kiri was also from Kirinyaya). Gakuyu-ini is a famous washing station at the foothills of Mt. Kenya. I personally relate Gakuyu-ini with more blackberry and delicate acidity flavors. Gakuyu-ini is the sole processing station for the Thirikwa farmers co-op, made up of around 1600 farmers that own about a half plot of land. The farmers bring their ripe cherries to Gakuyu-ini for processing, where quality graders check the cherries for ripeness by hand-sorting and floating. After the classic Kenya double-soak washing process, the seeds are dried on raised beds for two weeks. This has an iconic Kenya profile. I would know this was a Kenya on a cupping table right away. Grapefruit, bitter molasses, graham cracker dominate the cup. I brewed this with a 16:1 ratio and ground it three clicks coarser than my typical starting point. After a 45 second bloom, I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:05 for a 2:45 final brew time. I tried doing a faster brew that usually helps with Kenya acidity but it was NOT it. Slow this one down.

Duck-Rabbit El Salvador Finca Miravalles – A Tabi varietal from El Salvador… I must always go for the unique combinations. This is not a super typical varietal grown in El Salvador; Tabi is a hybrid between Bourbon, Typica, and Timor developed in Colombia to increase plant hardiness. The Timor part of this hybrid was even developed with Robusta in it for slight edge on plant hardiness. That makes this technically not 100% Arabica, a designation to be scoffed at for a long time until recently. Miravalles is owned by the Duarte family, located on the western side of El Salvador near the Santa Ana volcano. This Tabi is grown at 1500 MASL and is a fully washed lot. The Duarte family process coffees in all different ways like honey and naturals, however I think due to this being a Tabi, they wanted to keep it washed to see what the true flavors in the bean could be. This is closer to what I would call a subdued sweetness type of brew, but so clean and sweet for what that category typically means. At first, this means notes like tootsie rolls, brown sugar, and pecan. Once the cup cools, mild stone fruits or watery fruits appear like dragon fruit. I brewed this with a 16.5:1 ratio and ground it one click finer than my typical starting point. After a 50 second bloom, I poured three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds, finishing my third pour at 2:25 for a 3:10 total brew time.

Duck-Rabbit Kenya Kiri – The best Kenya of the year so far is here. Kiri is located in Kirinyaga, Kenya, known for being a region surrounding the southern rim of Mt. Kenya. This is a SL28 and SL34 mix, and Kiri utilizes the natural waters and river flow from the slopes of Mt. Kenya for processing, like many other co-ops in the region. The Kiri co-op is made of many farmers that harvest wild coffee trees that grow on their property in a much less organized fashion than we see in some of the western world coffee farms. Kiri ensures that farmers can’t bring in less ripe or diseased cherries. They hire coffee clerks that observe the floating of cherries and discard any that are too low of quality to be processed. This is a typical Kenya double wash process where the coffee seeds are soaked for a second time after final pulping. While being bright and clean, this coffee also contains an herbaceous/vegetal quality. The mixture of flavors seem strange but the notes kind of come in waves. It starts out with a cotton candy vibe, and then moves to a sweet yellow apple, then thyme’d green beans. The finish is super clean, as is the entire brew. I brewed this with a 15.5:1 ratio, and ground it two clicks coarser than my typical starting point. After a 30 second bloom, I poured two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds, finishing my second pour at 1:50 for a 2:45 final brew time.

Kaffa Ethiopia Danche – This stunning babe comes from the Danche region of Yirgacheffe, processed at the Chelbessa washing station. This field blend was processed in a classic washed Ethiopia fashion with a wet fermentation followed by drying on raised beds. The washing station is overseen by Negussie Debela, former I.T. guy in Addis Ababa turned coffee producer. As with many Yirgacheffe lots, this is a pooled lot from many smallholding farmers grown at 2000-2300 MASL and is various landrace varietals. This is a bright, sparkling joy of a washed Ethiopia to cap off the end of fresh washed Ethiopian season. In the cup I taste Meyer lemon and bergamot. This is for the acidity lovers. I brewed this with a 16:1 water to coffee ratio, and ground it six clicks coarser than my typical starting point. After a 45 second bloom, I poured two pulses spaced out by 45 seconds, finishing my second pour at 2:05 for a 2:45 final brew time.

Kaffa Guatemala Ixban- The early christmas coffee comes from San Pedro Necta, an area inside the Huehuetenango department. Ixban is a group of eight farmers in San Pedro Necta that have formed a cooperative producing company. Their lots are all grown at 1700-1800 MASL and consist of Caturra and Bourbon. These eight farmers rely on coffee crop alone for income, and have produced coffee their whole lives. The slightly higher elevation at these smaller lots means that harvest happens a little bit later than what is standard for Huehuetenango coffees. While most farmers have finished up processing, The Ixban group begins the harvest. All of their coffee is taken to a local mill after the farmers personally pulp, ferment, and dry the coffee seeds themselves. For the overall vibe of this coffee, I am going to call it a classic breakfast cup with some first taste flair. I tasted coconut cream, oregano, and super chocolatey as it cools. I brewed this with a 16.7:1 ratio, and ground it right at my typical starting point. I poured a 55 second bloom, followed by three pulses spaced out by 35 seconds. I finished my third pour at 2:25 for a 3:20 final brew time.