by Isabella Vitaliano
Welcome to our Specialty Green Coffee Cupping Series on Thursday where we highlight recent arrivals. We select several coffees to cup at The Crown and provide more in-depth tasting notes, coffee background, and usage recommendations.
28681 Costa Rica Santa Maria De Dota AA EP
Straightforward and unfussy this Costa Rican coffee is the ideal mild-washed coffee that is suited perfectly for a medium roast. Chocolate and graham crackers make up the body while notes like dried orange zest, berries, and lemongrass are sprinkled throughout the profile. This coffee would be easy to add into a blend and in an espresso blend in moderate amounts.
Coming from nearly 900 producers from Costa Rica and the Cooperative De Caficutltores de Dota R.L (CoopeDota). CoopeDota is a tried and true cooperative established in 1960. Throughout the year they remain diligent about synchronizing farm management and quality control. This extends to when producers deliver their cherry to the CoopeDota mill where extensive quality control and traceability remain at an extremely high caliber. Coopedota remains dedicated to the environment and to its community by managing trash pickup for the entire community of Santa Maria De Dota.
30767 Papua New Guinea Nebilyer Valley A 16+
Straight forward and gentle the balanced profile of this coffee is subtle and likely pleasant at any roast level. From green mango, lemon tea, kiwi, orange zest, and a hint of vanilla the soft structure could be good for a variety of options from batch brew to espresso. With a touch of leafiness in the cup we recommend buying and roasting immediately!
This lot from the Nebiyler Vallery within Tambul-Nebilyer District in Papa New Guinea is fully washed and the cherries are sun-dried at the Kuta mill, which has been in operation for over 40 years. Kuta mill is located between the Ulga and Kolga tribes and has been a place of common ground for producers who have been traditionally in conflict due to tribal differences. Bian Leahy, the owner makes a bonus payment after harvest to farmers who consistently deliver quality cherries.
31659 Sulawesi Toraja Sapan Minanga Grade 1
Pepper on the aroma to start it off, and in the cup, it presents flavors like honeycomb, black pepper, red fruit, and caramel this Sulawesi would be delicious as a dark roast. On the cupping table, this coffee has a ton of character, and a darker roast would complement it perfectly. Throw it on batch brew and you have a classic Italian-style “spro”.
Located in the central mountain region of the South Sulawesi province the Trajan tribe, continue to maintain a traditional village lifestyle. Coffee in this region is grown in a highly complex geographical wonderland at elevations that are some of the highest growing elevations in all of Indonesia. Giling Basah in the Indonesian language is translated to wet-hulled and it is the process this lot goes through.
30504 Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 2 Washed FT-FLO/USA Organic Oromia
A blend of herbal notes like mint leaf, rosemary, and thyme, along with soft citrus, oolong, lemon tea, and cacao nibs, this G2 would be delicious as a batch brew. Keep it on the lighter side to preserve those soft citrus notes. The cup is softer but with enough character to energize any seasonal or organic blend.
This lot comes from the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU), an umbrella organization established in 1999 by 34 individual cooperatives interested in centralizing resources and gaining leverage in the export market. As of 2020, OCFCU supports more than 400 individual cooperatives, comprising over 400,000 households. It is by far the largest unionization of farmers in the country. OCFCU has established a central cupping lab to support quality control and is a founding shareholder in its members’ bank, the Cooperative Bank of Oromia, providing pre-harvest financing and crop insurance. OCFCU has been Fairtrade and Organic certified since 2002 and is one of the world’s largest suppliers of Fairtrade coffee.
30505 Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 2 Washed FT-FLO/USA Organic Oromia
Slight jam and pear on the aroma; this cup offers up blackberry, dark chocolate, malt, dried mango, and pear. It is pretty chocolaty for an Ethiopian, providing a good base for the body of this coffee and would be tasty on all roast levels. A good offering for espresso or a batch brew for those who enjoy classic chocolate coffee notes with a slight twist. If you are looking to source something directly for a cold brew line, this offers a bit more fruit and can stand up to the quality of a pour-over offering.
This lot comes from the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU), an umbrella organization established in 1999 by 34 individual cooperatives interested in centralizing resources and gaining leverage in the export market. As of 2020, OCFCU supports more than 400 individual cooperatives, comprising more than 400,000 households. It is by far the largest unionization of farmers in the country. OCFCU has established a central cupping lab to support quality control and is a founding shareholder in its members’ bank, the Cooperative Bank of Oromia, providing pre-harvest financing and crop insurance. OCFCU has been Fairtrade and Organic certified since 2002 and is one of the world’s largest suppliers of Fairtrade coffee.
30512 Guatemala RFA Antigua Finca Medina SHB EP
Hand-selected as a part of our Royal Gem line, and what a rare gem it is! Flan, caramel, dark chocolate, spices, orange peel, and brown sugar – this coffee has an assortment of delicious notes. With the versatility to go from light to dark roast range, it would make for a great single-origin espresso and a crowd-pleasing drip offering. Clean and sweet, but with a slightly hefty body, you can also take it dark and throw it on espresso or add it to a blend as a solid structural support. Packed in 50lb boxes for ease of use or full-sized bags if you need it, the options are endless for this coffee.
Cultivated and picked on small family-owned farms in the Antigua region, this lot is then transported to the Finca Medina wet-mill for post-harvest processing. Finca Medina is a well-known name that works directly with a select group of farmers who share their commitment to the environment. They help producers gain access to technical support, RFA certification, and cupping feedback. The co-op also provides a centralized location for farmers to easily deliver cherries so that wet processing can take place and then the cherries ready for export. This collaborative effort between farmers and a vertically integrated exporter produces a traceable community blend with a vibrant and clean regional profile.
30698 Ethiopia Sidama 3 Natural FT-FLO/USA Organic Hache
Apple, clean, dried strawberry, and mild fruit can all be found in this natural Ethiopian. A solid G3 option with a classic nutty finish, this is not ideal for picky light roasters but will handle medium to medium-plus roasts with grace. Pop it in a blender to add some fruit to your profile and develop a little more sweetness in the roast, which may elevate the chocolate-fruit experience this coffee has to offer.
This lot comes from the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU), an umbrella organization established in 1999 by 34 individual cooperatives interested in centralizing resources and gaining leverage in the export market. As of 2020, OCFCU supports more than 400 individual cooperatives, comprising more than 400,000 households, making it by far the largest unionization of farmers in the country. OCFCU has established a central cupping lab to support quality control and is a founding shareholder in its members’ bank, the Cooperative Bank of Oromia, providing pre-harvest financing and crop insurance. OCFCU has been Fairtrade and Organic certified since 2002 and is one of the world’s largest suppliers of Fairtrade coffee.
31242 Guatemala Huehuetenango Txol Witz
A plethora of flavor offerings from this Huehuetenango lot: the team got notes of apple juice, coconut sugar, lemon warhead, Meyer lemon, peach, raisin, and mild florals. Great for a light to medium roast, we recommend putting this on espresso to liven up the profile even more. As it cools, you might notice a touch of dryness present, which on espresso will be a non-starter due to using espresso shots before they die. Also, a great option for pour-over; this coffee may be a touch subtle but nonetheless charming and delicious.
Bella Vista, a wet/dry mill based in Antigua, works with targeted smallholder groups in other departments throughout Guatemala, often overseeing processing and lot building from cherry to export. In this case, the Bella Vista team has been advising a select farmer group in San Pedro Necta for the past 8 years, transporting their finished parchment to Antigua, and then carefully building highly traceable lots for buyers.
30920 Guatemala San Juan Sacatepéquez Finca Concepcion Pixcaya SHB EP
On the first pass, you’ll notice that this coffee is bright, clean, and creamy. Although a little simple when hot, this coffee cools beautifully and has some great acidity with light orange notes, along with milk chocolate, orange rind, salted peanut, citrus, and caramel. A darker roast on this coffee may become a little imbalanced, so we recommend keeping it a light to medium roast. This could be a very classic batch brew for a year-round staple or even a single-origin pour-over option. The profile might be a little timid at first, but let it open up to some of the complexity and nuances it has to offer.
The Concepcion Pixacya Farm is located in the municipality of San Juan Sacatepequez in the Department of Guatemala, Guatemala. Maria Cristina Miron de Zaghi owns the coffee farm, and her son, Manuel Zaghi Miron, supervises the operations, ensuring they produce high-quality coffee. In 2012, the farm produced a coffee lot that won 10th place in the Cup of Excellence. They are well-known for their diversity, including macadamia and avocado cultivation, as well as a pine and cypress forest. In 2003, the farm was nominated by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations for its efforts in reforestation.
