Guatemala Chimaltenango FINCA CANALAJ DE MEDINA

• Delicate cup
• Light spices
• Butter sandwich with brown sugar

Producer: Tony Medina

Variety: Bourbon, Caturra

Altitude: 1700 masl

Average rainfall: 1400 ml

Shade Trees: Cedar, Chalino

Importer: Primavera Coffee Importers

Rob says: Some years you just want to continue with your best scoring coffees, but as coffee is a natural product, so with variances in crop quality, and with a lot of competing coffee roasteries – most people aim for the same coffees of course – it is not always so easy to repeat.

Luckily we do find new Finca’s every year and one of the most surprising coffees in our cupping/testing so far in 2022 is this coffee produced by Antionio Medina, who planted his first trees at FINCA CANALAJ DE MEDINA in 1991. Slowly but steady, Tony increased the number of trees and the production. After 25 years, Tony concludes that his dream has come true. It taught him that his perseverance has paid off.

SPS: PILE UP – Ethiopia Guji DIMTU

In our Special Processing Series we are on the lookout for coffee processing techniques which are a bit different from the more traditional methods, resulting in surprising smell and taste experiences. 

• Nice lactic acidity
• Grapefruit (IPA), berry and peachy notes
• Rice pops

Washing station: Sakicha

Station manager: Gosaye Tilahun

Owner & Export manager: Asnake Kasa

Processing: Pile up

Price paid to producer: ETB 50 / KG cherry

FOB: USD 12.21 /kg

Importer: Nordic Approach

Rob says: We are excited to bring you this experimentally processed coffee from Guji. In this case, the cherries are are placed on plastic sheets on top of the raised beds in piles, up to 15-20 cm thick, the cherries are then rolled up in the plastic and they are left to ferment in this way. After fermentation the cherries are dried on beds as is normally done for natural coffees.

Oh boy what do we love this coffee. Very experimental, but once you get past this crazy lactic start, still accessible enough to attract a wide group of coffee lovers. Cheers!

WE HOPE THIS COFFEE IS HERE SOMEWHERE IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER 2022

SPS: SPICY WASHED – Ethiopia HAMBELA Cardamom

In our Special Processing Series we are on the lookout for coffee processing techniques which are a bit different from the more traditional methods, resulting in surprising smell and taste experiences.

• Distinctive Cardamom flavors
• Funky and complex
• Long and spicy after taste

Region: Ethiopia Guji

Processing: Spicy washed

Variety: Kurume, Wolisho

Price paid to producer: ETB 50 / KG cherry

FOB (export price): USD 12.21 / kg

Importer: Nordic Approach

Rob says: Time for another newby at Caffenation. I have always been intrigued how they keep on experimenting in Ethiopia and how they keep on bringing crazy coffees that we can’t refuse.

The cardamom which is added is pretty cool, grown in the west of Ethiopia and nothing like the cardamom you buy in the supermarket. It has huge pods with lots of seeds that grow on a vein and which are ground into a powder. This powder is put in the tank during fermentation. After this fermentation the process can be further handled as a washed or a natural coffee. In this case we choose a spicy washed coffee, meaning the remaining pulp was washed away after fermentation. 

This will be something you would never expect to taste in a cup of coffee. It’s like eating a cardamom bun and drinking your cup of Joe all at once. A bit funky maybe, with a lot going on, but very fresh and spicy with a long and smooth aftertaste. (Something to get that weekend brunch going… )

NOT YET SURE WHEN THIS COFFEE HITS THE SEABRIDGE WAREHOUSE AND OUR ROASTER – BUT SOMEWHERE THIS SUMMER WE HOPE TO SERVE YOU SOME OF THIS GOOD STUFF

Honduras Marcala BOMBA DE FRUTA Natural

• Leathery aroma
• Black tea and Shiraz grape notes
• Big body

Producers: Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera

Variety: Catuai

Processing: Natural

Lot: Microlot #7

FOB (export price): USD 8.80 / kg

Importer: Nordic Approach

Rob says: For our third ‘Bomba de Fruta’ natural we are moving from Colombia to Honduras. Different origin, different taste. While the last ‘bomba’ from Huila was more ‘balsamic and funky’, this one is more structured and ‘espresso oriented’.

Drying Natural coffees is very difficult in Marcala because of the humid climate and the rain experienced during the drying period. Moises has worked hard over the years to perfect the process, and in doing so has also showed Fabio, his father-in-law, the same techniques. Where they are processing the coffees as Naturals, they are picking ripe cherry and drying on covered raised beds. Initially the layer of cherry must be thin and as the coffee dries you can increase the thickness of the drying cherry.

El Salvador Ilamatepec FINCA LA ILLUSION

• Clean cup with long aftertaste
• Buttery mouthfeel
• Milk chocolate notes

Producer: Jose Antonio Salaverria

Region: Mountains nearby Santa Ana

Processing: Honey Processing

Variety: Bourbon & Catuai

Altitude: Around 1540 masl

FOB: USD 8.25 / kg

Importer: Nordic Approach

Rob says: One of the best honey processing origins in the world is El Salvador, and in this region in particular they nailed this procesS into perfection.

But how did they do this microlot at FINCA LA ILLUSION exactly? Their standard procedure is to take the parchment from the pulpers directly to the patio for drying, but in this case they decided to soak most of our purchased coffees over night for 10 hours after pulping which probably will make the coffee even more elegant. The cup is brighter and cleaner, seems like shelf life can be increased and the acidity profile more distinct. The cups tend to be more closed in the beginning, but they normally opens up a lot after some months after picking. After soaking the beans are then dried on clay patio or on drying beds up to 15 days.

THIS COFFEE IS NORMALLY LANDING JULY 2023