Cafiza espresso machine cleaner for backflushing groupheads and soaking both baskets and handles.
A clean machine makes delicious coffee.
Roasted for Espresso & Filter | Dark Chocolate, Maple, Raisin
A7 information cards which you can use on retail shelves, at POS, on grinders and to display alongside brewed coffee. Please add to your cart the amount you wish to receive with your order.
Article is the name of our house coffee, a high performing, consistent blend offering reliability and a satisfying, classic flavour profile. Components are seasonally refreshed and roasted to accentuate deeper caramels and chocolate tones.
With each iteration we aim to compose a coffee that has great balance, packed with classic coffee characteristics whilst retaining a sweet, clean finish.
Current Composition:
50% Washed Caturra, Castillo & V. Colombia from Pitalito in Colombia.
50% Semi washed Mundo Novo & Catuaí from Chapada Diamantina in Brazil.
Component Information:
Chapada Diamantina, Brazil
This season we cupped lots of samples from Brazil to ensure we found the right coffee to use across our house blends. Our preference has always been for coffees that are clean and sweet that taste fresh and vibrant. The same goes when we source our Brazil coffees, where we seek out lots that have a creamy body, fresh but mellow acidity and bags of brown sugar and milk chocolate sweetness. This season we have sourced a field blend of Mundo Novo & Catuaí cultivars, produced by a community of smallhold farmers in Chapada Diamantina. Typically, we have bought from large landowners with sprawling estates, but through Ofi sourcing we have been able to collate the work of several farmers who tend to coffee on around 20 hectares, whilst supporting a tree planting program in the community to promote biodiversity, increase shade coverage on the farms and facilitate carbon capture.
The Producers & Their Approach:
Around 30 families are ultimately responsible for growing the coffee cherries that have made their way into this community lot, named ‘Saravá’ which loosely translates to “Respect” or “Blessing”. The cultivars are Mundo Novo and Catuaí. The farms span from 900 to 1,300 metres above sea level. Joel Marques de Oliveira is one producer, whose farm Rio Brilhante is in the locale of Ibicoara. He has been motivated to pursue specialty coffee production having won awards for cup quality in 2019. Another producer is Nilson Aguiar Ferreira, who grows coffee on Fazenda Encanto up to 1,100 metres. He learnt the ropes of coffee production from his parents and has been working here since 1997.
We predominantly buy washed coffees, as we love their clarity, vibrancy and clean taste. In Brazil it is highly unusual to see any fully washed lots, with ‘pulped natural’ or honey processing more the norm and ‘natural’ or dry process also common. With our Saravá blend the harvested cherries are initially depulped and put through a demucilaginator or ‘mechanical washer’ which removes the fruit mucilage, bypassing the need for fermentation and decreasing the water requirements. The parchment is then slowly dried with a minor amount of residual mucilage present.
The Cultivars:
Mundo Novo represents a natural cross between Typica and Bourbon that was initially noted in Brazil in the 1940s. Over the subsequent decades, breeding programs in Brazil have made refinements and selections to this tall tree, which offers a good yield and cup quality but is susceptible to leaf rust and coffee berry disease. Mundo Novo has since been cross-bred with Caturra, which itself is a dwarf mutation of Bourbon, to create Catuaí. It’s compact nature allows a denser planting, and the tree itself is quite productive. Catuaí has been far more popular in terms of spreading to other producing countries, Costa Rica in particular.
Offering a clean, soft cup with tonnes of sweetness and a creamy body we have been enjoying sample roasts and initial tests of this lot drunk as a single origin, which tastes round and warming. The cup profile is quite versatile and so it lends itself well to blending with other coffees that offer a little more in the way of top notes, acidity and aromatics.
Piltalito, Colombia:
We have worked in Huila for over a decade, and in our experience the cup profiles of top lots from this region really chime with our preferences.
The Producers
We are currently featuring coffee from 5 farmers who contribute to the La Magdalena community marque. The majority of this high quality community lot has been produced by Alexander Hernandez at Finca La Esmeralda and Willyan Zambrano at Finca La Montañita, with small contributions from Luis Anacona, Horacio Bolaños and Yobani Joven. The contributing members all grow their coffee in the municipality of Pitalito in Huila, which is one of our all-time favourite regions of Colombia. Dotted on their various coffee farms are shade trees including Cachingo, Guamo (Ice-cream Bean), Carbonero and various citrus and avocado trees. The farms range from just 1 up to 5 hectares in size, and are planted out with a combination of Caturra, Castillo and Variedad Colombia, spanning from around 1,700 all the way up to 2,100 metres above sea level. Alexander Toledo and Willyan Zambrano also have a diverse portfolio including Geshas, Bourbon Ají and other exotic varieties that are typically separated into microlots.
Fertile soils with volcanic ash deposits coupled with the high altitudes, quality varieties and agronomical training and support from Caravela all lead to a group of coffee growers who are reliably producing clean, sweet lots that we feel make for very juicy, complex espresso. Each farmer may practice variations on fermentation, size of batches and for different periods, so we can’t be hugely specific with any fermentation details here. Some of them then use raised beds in a polytunnel to dry their coffee, whilst others use their rooftop patios which can be shaded from the sun or sheltered from the rain by sliding a corrugated iron cover over the drying coffee.
The Exporter
Typically, Caravela operate an 80/20 model, working with a vast majority of smallholders and a minority of farmers with large coffee estates. In their latest impact report 87% of their producing partners had farms of less than 5 hectares in size. More than half of the producers they worked with were visited by their PECA team, and in Colombia alone they are working with 1,746 producers across 52 communities.
As regards their PECA program, they have said the below:
“Coffee growers are the heart of our business model, without them we could not maintain and sustain this value chain. They are responsible for producing the best coffees that delight us every day. The Coffee Growers Education Program (PECA) has developed a symbiotic relationship between coffee growers and Caravela since we’re always learning from each other. For many years, we have accumulated experiences throughout experimentation and work that provides tools to empower and educates coffee growers, resulting in consistent high-quality coffees.”
Roasted for Espresso & Filter | Candied Orange, Sultana, Almonds
A7 information cards which you can use on retail shelves, at POS, on grinders and to display alongside brewed coffee. Please add to your cart the amount you wish to receive with your order.
Expect a creamy, balanced espresso with sweet fruit notes of currants & prunes. The finish is like dark chocolate & roasted almonds.
This year we have finally been able to select our own bespoke lot for decaffeination. Paying close attention to all the coffees we buy means we have always treated our decaf purchases with the same care and rigour as all lots we buy, but we have finally reached the volumes whereby we can purchase an entire lot to be decaffeinated in Colombia (the plant in Manizales processes 70 sacks to create 58 bags of decaffeinated green coffee).
The Producers
This lot from La Plata in Colombia’s Huila region has been created by combining high quality outturns from 7 farmers in and around the small parish of San Sebastian. Producers such as Gina Samara Jalvin, Gloria Isabel Garcia, Ivonne Andrea Oviedo and Laura Ramirez are amongst the larger contributors. The coffee varieties being tended to are typical for the region, comprising Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia. These are planted amongst Cambulo and Guamo trees, which are nitrogen fixing, as well as Cedro and other native trees which provide shade and increase biodiversity on the farms. During harvest the cherries are selected by hand when ripe, traditionally depulped and fermented before being fully washed and dried either on covered patios or raised beds in polytunnels. Once cupped, assessed and collated the lots are sent for decaffeination.
The Decaffeination Process
Having tasted various options in their regular and subsequent decaffeinated state we have been able to secure a coffee that has a sweet, clean cup profile and has best maintained its character and integrity after the decaffeination process.
For the last eight years we’ve solely purchased decaffeinated coffees that have undergone the Sugar Cane Ethyl Acetate process. Not only does this method provide a secondary income to the producing country, but the green coffee only needs to be transported once rather than twice. Obviously more eco-friendly and less costly, it has a huge impact on cup quality too. The conditions in which coffee is transported are rarely conducive to preserving quality, and so avoiding this process from happening twice is always beneficial for the cup. The coffee, having been shipped only once unlike most decaf options that arrive into the UK via Mexico, Canada or Germany, tastes all the fresher for it.
The actual solvent doing the work of decaffeinating the green coffee at Descafecol is derived from fermenting and making an alcohol from sugar cane. This is combined with spring water and is used to wash the caffeine out of the steamed green coffee until less than 0.1% of the original caffeine content remains.
The Exporter
Typically, Caravela operate an 80/20 model, working with a vast majority of smallholders and a minority of farmers with large coffee estates. In their latest impact report 87% of their producing partners had farms of less than 5 hectares in size. More than half of the producers they worked with were visited by their PECA team, and in Colombia alone they are working with 1,746 producers across 52 communities.
As regards their PECA program, they have said the below:
“Coffee growers are the heart of our business model, without them we could not maintain and sustain this value chain. They are responsible for producing the best coffees that delight us every day. The Coffee Growers Education Program (PECA) has developed a symbiotic relationship between coffee growers and Caravela since we’re always learning from each other. For many years, we have accumulated experiences throughout experimentation and work that provides tools to empower and educates coffee growers, resulting in consistent high-quality coffees.”
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PRODUCER
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7 farmers in La Plata |
|
HARVEST
|
February 2024 |
|
PROCESS |
Hand-harvested, traditionally depulped & dry fermented, fully washed & E. A. sugar cane decaffeinated. |
|
VARIETIES |
Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia |
|
REGION |
San Sebastian, La Plata, Huila |
|
COUNTRY |
Colombia |
|
ALTITUDE |
1,750 to 2,000 metres
|
|
ARRIVAL |
May, 2024 |
We've always done everything we can to ensure our coffee is as fresh as possible when it arrives with you. From nitrogen-flushing our bags before they're sealed, to the inclusion of a zip zeal and opaque packaging to keep air and UV light out respectively.
However, the moment a bag of our coffee is opened, the beans inside are exposed to oxygen, which means they begin to stale faster. As the days and weeks pass, the more delicate and nuanced aromas and flavours we enjoy in our coffees begin to fade.
Thankfully, there's a solution.
MiiR's Coffee Canister enlists an accordion-style seal, finished with an easy grip, simple twist bezel, that banishes oxygen from the container in order to lock in freshness and flavour for longer. Designed to hold up to 340g of coffee, and with an elegant silhouette, MiiR's Coffee Canister comes in 2 colours mindfully applied to ensure it can sit unintrusively on any kitchen counter.
Features:
- Accordian-style seal.
- 18/8 medical grade stainless steel that doesn't transfer flavour and leaves no metal aftertaste.
- Hardshell™ powder coat.
- Easy to clean.
- BPA free.
- Lifetime warranty.
Capacity
Up to 340g (12oz) of coffee.
Size
6.75" x 4.5" (17.15cm x 11.43cm)
Weight
340g
Care Instructions:
Do not submerge or rinse the accordian-style seal in water, or put it in the dishwasher. To clean it, wipe with a damp cloth.
All of our orders are shipped using Royal Mail up to 2kg and FedEx for orders 2kg+. Whilst most deliveries should arrive in two to three working days for UK orders, and five to ten working days for Europe and the Rest of the World, Royal Mail and FedEx require us to allow up to 28 days for delivery. For more information, consult our shipping section
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A sweet, vibrant cup with a silky body, with tasting notes of caramelised sugars, marzipan and berries. Caturra, Castillo & Colombia cultivars are tended to by a handful of growers on family-run farms of around 1-2 hectares located around El Nevado del Huila, Colombia. During harvest the coffee cherries are selected by hand, traditionally depulped and dry fermented. The seeds are then fully washed and dried via polytunnel or rooftop patios. We have roasted this lot to accentuate the natural sweetness and fruitiness we love in coffees from this community, from whom we have been buying for 7 years. |
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Cold brew coffee that can be served over ice or used as a base for a range of cold coffee drinks. Enjoy! |
|
A sweet, vibrant cup with a silky body, with tasting notes of caramelised sugars, marzipan and berries. Caturra, Castillo & Colombia cultivars are tended to by a handful of growers on family-run farms of around 1-2 hectares located around El Nevado del Huila, Colombia. During harvest the coffee cherries are selected by hand, traditionally depulped and dry fermented. The seeds are then fully washed and dried via polytunnel or rooftop patios. We have roasted this lot to accentuate the natural sweetness and fruitiness we love in coffees from this community, from whom we have been buying for 7 years. |
|
Cold brew coffee that can be served over ice or used as a base for a range of cold coffee drinks. Sold in a case of 24 x 250ml nitro infused cans. Enjoy! |
Roasted for Filter | Honey, lemon zest, violets
Sweet, gentle and perfumed. Look for honey and violets, with complex fruit flavours like guava and lemon zest.
The latest harvest from Ethiopia is with us! We’re beginning the season with the release of an old staff favourite, this incredibly floral and potent coffee from Danche in Chelbesa.
The Farmers
Around 600 smallholder coffee farmers in the Chelbesa kebele have contributed towards this lot. The cultivars are Wolisho, Dega & Kurume, which are tended to completely organically in a semi-forest system. Each farmer has between 0.5 and 2 hectares planted with coffee, amidst bananas and natural shade trees, with 1,500 to 2,400 coffee trees per hectare. Each tree only produces around 3kg of coffee fruit per season, which is delivered on foot or by mule to the Danche washing station.
The Washing Station & Their Approach
Situated at 2,160 metres the Danche wet mill was established in 2019 and is managed by Girum Assefa. It is one of two sites that Snap Coffees are operating in the Chelbesa kebele, the other being Worka washing station. After depulping the received coffee cherries using an Agaarde disc pulper the coffee is fermented under cool water in ceramic tiled tanks for 72 hours, before washing and grading in long channels. The seeds are effectively graded by density in these channels and will be graded again once fully dried when the quality is refined at the dry mill using vibrating density sorting tables. It makes for a reliable product for us to roast, as the seeds are small and compact yet very dense, allowing an efficient transfer of heat through each seed and the entire batch.
The Exporter
Snap Coffee was established in 2008 by Negusse Debela Weldyes and the group are responsible for the running and operation of several coffee washing stations which feature in our coffee range each year. Snap oversee the processing facilities but also take on the task of dispensing agricultural knowledge to their contributing farmers. Steps such as tiling fermentation tanks to enable better cleaning, as well as implementing strict drying protocols, have gone long ways to improving the clarity, cleanliness and longevity of the coffees’ characteristics. They are committed to recycling waste by-products from coffee processing at each of their stations where they have also built schools and provided them with computing equipment from the other arm of their business which is in electronics. They have improved the roads to streamline access to the washing stations and have built health clinics to provide access to better healthcare for their contributing farmers as well. The lots of dried parchment are dry milled at Snap’s own processing and warehousing facility. This affords the group even more control and traceability over the final exportable product that we get to work with, leading to improved consistency and uniformity.
We have visited Snap’s cupping lab and dry mill in Addis Ababa and connected with Negusse and his son Amanuel, who has taken on an operational role at Snap Coffee. Last year Amanuel came to visit us in our roastery and we were able to show him all of the processes we undertake to ensure we handle Snap’s, and other producers’, coffees with respect and care.
Origin: Chelbesa, Gedeo, SNNPR, Ethiopia
Producer: 600 smallholders in Chelbesa
Processing: Organically grown, hand harvested, traditionally depulped and wet fermented 72hrs, fully washed & dried on raised beds.
Cultivar: Wolisho, Dega & Kurume
Altitude: 1,925 to 2,210 metres
Harvest: January, 2025
Arrival: June, 2025
Roasted for Filter | Honey, lemon zest, violets
Sweet, gentle and perfumed. Look for honey and violets, with complex fruit flavours like guava and lemon zest.
The latest harvest from Ethiopia is with us! We’re beginning the season with the release of an old staff favourite, this incredibly floral and potent coffee from Danche in Chelbesa.
The Farmers
Around 600 smallholder coffee farmers in the Chelbesa kebele have contributed towards this lot. The cultivars are Wolisho, Dega & Kurume, which are tended to completely organically in a semi-forest system. Each farmer has between 0.5 and 2 hectares planted with coffee, amidst bananas and natural shade trees, with 1,500 to 2,400 coffee trees per hectare. Each tree only produces around 3kg of coffee fruit per season, which is delivered on foot or by mule to the Danche washing station.
The Washing Station & Their Approach
Situated at 2,160 metres the Danche wet mill was established in 2019 and is managed by Girum Assefa. It is one of two sites that Snap Coffees are operating in the Chelbesa kebele, the other being Worka washing station. After depulping the received coffee cherries using an Agaarde disc pulper the coffee is fermented under cool water in ceramic tiled tanks for 72 hours, before washing and grading in long channels. The seeds are effectively graded by density in these channels and will be graded again once fully dried when the quality is refined at the dry mill using vibrating density sorting tables. It makes for a reliable product for us to roast, as the seeds are small and compact yet very dense, allowing an efficient transfer of heat through each seed and the entire batch.
The Exporter
Snap Coffee was established in 2008 by Negusse Debela Weldyes and the group are responsible for the running and operation of several coffee washing stations which feature in our coffee range each year. Snap oversee the processing facilities but also take on the task of dispensing agricultural knowledge to their contributing farmers. Steps such as tiling fermentation tanks to enable better cleaning, as well as implementing strict drying protocols, have gone long ways to improving the clarity, cleanliness and longevity of the coffees’ characteristics. They are committed to recycling waste by-products from coffee processing at each of their stations where they have also built schools and provided them with computing equipment from the other arm of their business which is in electronics. They have improved the roads to streamline access to the washing stations and have built health clinics to provide access to better healthcare for their contributing farmers as well. The lots of dried parchment are dry milled at Snap’s own processing and warehousing facility. This affords the group even more control and traceability over the final exportable product that we get to work with, leading to improved consistency and uniformity.
We have visited Snap’s cupping lab and dry mill in Addis Ababa and connected with Negusse and his son Amanuel, who has taken on an operational role at Snap Coffee. Last year Amanuel came to visit us in our roastery and we were able to show him all of the processes we undertake to ensure we handle Snap’s, and other producers’, coffees with respect and care.
Origin: Chelbesa, Gedeo, SNNPR, Ethiopia
Producer: 600 smallholders in Chelbesa
Processing: Organically grown, hand harvested, traditionally depulped and wet fermented 72hrs, fully washed & dried on raised beds.
Cultivar: Wolisho, Dega & Kurume
Altitude: 1,925 to 2,210 metres
Harvest: January, 2025
Arrival: June, 2025
Roasted for Filter | Honey, lemon zest, violets
A7 information cards which you can use on retail shelves, at POS, on grinders and to display alongside brewed coffee. Please add to your cart the amount you wish to receive with your order.
Sweet, gentle and perfumed. Look for honey and violets, with complex fruit flavours like guava and lemon zest.
The latest harvest from Ethiopia is with us! We’re beginning the season with the release of an old staff favourite, this incredibly floral and potent coffee from Danche in Chelbesa.
The Farmers
Around 600 smallholder coffee farmers in the Chelbesa kebele have contributed towards this lot. The cultivars are Wolisho, Dega & Kurume, which are tended to completely organically in a semi-forest system. Each farmer has between 0.5 and 2 hectares planted with coffee, amidst bananas and natural shade trees, with 1,500 to 2,400 coffee trees per hectare. Each tree only produces around 3kg of coffee fruit per season, which is delivered on foot or by mule to the Danche washing station.
The Washing Station & Their Approach
Situated at 2,160 metres the Danche wet mill was established in 2019 and is managed by Girum Assefa. It is one of two sites that Snap Coffees are operating in the Chelbesa kebele, the other being Worka washing station. After depulping the received coffee cherries using an Agaarde disc pulper the coffee is fermented under cool water in ceramic tiled tanks for 72 hours, before washing and grading in long channels. The seeds are effectively graded by density in these channels and will be graded again once fully dried when the quality is refined at the dry mill using vibrating density sorting tables. It makes for a reliable product for us to roast, as the seeds are small and compact yet very dense, allowing an efficient transfer of heat through each seed and the entire batch.
The Exporter
Snap Coffee was established in 2008 by Negusse Debela Weldyes and the group are responsible for the running and operation of several coffee washing stations which feature in our coffee range each year. Snap oversee the processing facilities but also take on the task of dispensing agricultural knowledge to their contributing farmers. Steps such as tiling fermentation tanks to enable better cleaning, as well as implementing strict drying protocols, have gone long ways to improving the clarity, cleanliness and longevity of the coffees’ characteristics. They are committed to recycling waste by-products from coffee processing at each of their stations where they have also built schools and provided them with computing equipment from the other arm of their business which is in electronics. They have improved the roads to streamline access to the washing stations and have built health clinics to provide access to better healthcare for their contributing farmers as well. The lots of dried parchment are dry milled at Snap’s own processing and warehousing facility. This affords the group even more control and traceability over the final exportable product that we get to work with, leading to improved consistency and uniformity.
We have visited Snap’s cupping lab and dry mill in Addis Ababa and connected with Negusse and his son Amanuel, who has taken on an operational role at Snap Coffee. Last year Amanuel came to visit us in our roastery and we were able to show him all of the processes we undertake to ensure we handle Snap’s, and other producers’, coffees with respect and care.
Origin: Chelbesa, Gedeo, SNNPR, Ethiopia
Producer: 600 smallholders in Chelbesa
Processing: Organically grown, hand harvested, traditionally depulped and wet fermented 72hrs, fully washed & dried on raised beds.
Cultivar: Wolisho, Dega & Kurume
Altitude: 1,925 to 2,210 metres
Harvest: January, 2025
Arrival: June, 2025
300 x Decaffeinated Brew Bags
Creamy and balanced with fruity notes of candied orange and sultanas. The finish is like milk chocolate and sugared almonds.
This year we have finally been able to select our own bespoke lot for decaffeination. Paying close attention to all the coffees we buy means we have always treated our decaf purchases with the same care and rigour as all lots we buy, but we have finally reached the volumes whereby we can purchase an entire lot to be decaffeinated in Colombia (the plant in Manizales processes 70 sacks to create 58 bags of decaffeinated green coffee).
The Producers
This lot from La Plata in Colombia’s Huila region has been created by combining high quality outturns from 7 farmers in and around the small parish of San Sebastian. Producers such as Gina Samara Jalvin, Gloria Isabel Garcia, Ivonne Andrea Oviedo and Laura Ramirez are amongst the larger contributors. The coffee varieties being tended to are typical for the region, comprising Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia. These are planted amongst Cambulo and Guamo trees, which are nitrogen fixing, as well as Cedro and other native trees which provide shade and increase biodiversity on the farms. During harvest the cherries are selected by hand when ripe, traditionally depulped and fermented before being fully washed and dried either on covered patios or raised beds in polytunnels. Once cupped, assessed and collated the lots are sent for decaffeination.
The Decaffeination Process:
Having tasted various options in their regular and subsequent decaffeinated state we have been able to secure a coffee that has a sweet, clean cup profile and has best maintained its character and integrity after the decaffeination process.
For the last eight years we’ve solely purchased decaffeinated coffees that have undergone the Sugar Cane Ethyl Acetate process. Not only does this method provide a secondary income to the producing country, but the green coffee only needs to be transported once rather than twice. Obviously more eco-friendly and less costly, it has a huge impact on cup quality too. The conditions in which coffee is transported are rarely conducive to preserving quality, and so avoiding this process from happening twice is always beneficial for the cup. The coffee, having been shipped only once unlike most decaf options that arrive into the UK via Mexico, Canada or Germany, tastes all the fresher for it.
The actual solvent doing the work of decaffeinating the green coffee at Descafecol is derived from fermenting and making an alcohol from sugar cane. This is combined with spring water and is used to wash the caffeine out of the steamed green coffee until less than 0.1% of the original caffeine content remains.
The Exporter:
Typically, Caravela operate an 80/20 model, working with a vast majority of smallholders and a minority of farmers with large coffee estates. In their latest impact report 87% of their producing partners had farms of less than 5 hectares in size. More than half of the producers they worked with were visited by their PECA team, and in Colombia alone they are working with 1,746 producers across 52 communities.
As regards their PECA program, they have said the below:
“Coffee growers are the heart of our business model, without them we could not maintain and sustain this value chain. They are responsible for producing the best coffees that delight us every day. The Coffee Growers Education Program (PECA) has developed a symbiotic relationship between coffee growers and Caravela since we’re always learning from each other. For many years, we have accumulated experiences throughout experimentation and work that provides tools to empower and educates coffee growers, resulting in consistent high-quality coffees.”
Roasted for Espresso & Filter | Marzipan, Warm Berries, Caramel
A sweet, vibrant cup with a silky body carries flavours of caramelised sugars, marzipan and warm berries.
We are funding a tree planting program called 'Shading Farms', where forest and fruit trees are donated to and planted on coffee farms in Huila. The aim is to increase biodiversity, provide secondary income and to capture CO2.
The Region
We have worked in Huila for over a decade, and in our experience the cup profiles of top lots from this region really chime with our preferences. El Nevado del Huila is Colombia’s highest volcano, named for its snowy top, and we are referencing the notion of the pinnacle of quality in our Colombian offerings through using its name for our espresso.
The Producers
We are currently featuring coffee from 24 producers, based primarily in the La Plata municipality of Huila, who contribute their lots to Caravela's buying hub for quality assessment and sale. A few growers are based in Agrado, La Argentina and Nataga, but despite slight geographic differences we are still finding the flavour profile to chime with what we expect and enjoy from the region, delivering brown sugar sweetness, hints of red berries and a clean, lingering finish. The vast majority of these contributing growers receive agronomical assistance and support from Caravela. The primary contribution to this most recent outturn was from Artemo Quebrada Collo, whose farm La Chorrera has achieved 'Legend' status on the PECA program.
The Exporter
Typically, Caravela operate an 80/20 model, working with a vast majority of smallholders and a minority of farmers with large coffee estates. In their latest impact report 87% of their producing partners had farms of less than 5 hectares in size. More than half of the producers they worked with were visited by their PECA team, and in Colombia alone they are working with 1,746 producers across 52 communities.
As regards their PECA program, they have said the below:
“Coffee growers are the heart of our business model, without them we could not maintain and sustain this value chain. They are responsible for producing the best coffees that delight us every day. The Coffee Growers Education Program (PECA) has developed a symbiotic relationship between coffee growers and Caravela since we’re always learning from each other. For many years, we have accumulated experiences throughout experimentation and work that provides tools to empower and educates coffee growers, resulting in consistent high-quality coffees.”
|
PRODUCER
|
Multiple small-scale producers with farms of around 1 hectare in size |
|
PROCESS |
Traditionally depulped, fermented & washed, dried via polytunnel or rooftop patio. |
|
VARIETY |
Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia |
|
REGION |
Various municipalities within Huila |
|
COUNTRY |
Colombia |
|
ALTITUDE |
1,650 to 2,150 metres |
|
|
Roasted for Espresso & Filter | Marzipan, Warm Berries, Caramel
A sweet, vibrant cup with a silky body carries flavours of caramelised sugars, marzipan and warm berries.
We are funding a tree planting program called 'Shading Farms', where forest and fruit trees are donated to and planted on coffee farms in Huila. The aim is to increase biodiversity, provide secondary income and to capture CO2.
The Region
We have worked in Huila for over a decade, and in our experience the cup profiles of top lots from this region really chime with our preferences. El Nevado del Huila is Colombia’s highest volcano, named for its snowy top, and we are referencing the notion of the pinnacle of quality in our Colombian offerings through using its name for our espresso.
The Producers
We are currently featuring coffee from 24 producers, based primarily in the La Plata municipality of Huila, who contribute their lots to Caravela's buying hub for quality assessment and sale. A few growers are based in Agrado, La Argentina and Nataga, but despite slight geographic differences we are still finding the flavour profile to chime with what we expect and enjoy from the region, delivering brown sugar sweetness, hints of red berries and a clean, lingering finish. The vast majority of these contributing growers receive agronomical assistance and support from Caravela. The primary contribution to this most recent outturn was from Artemo Quebrada Collo, whose farm La Chorrera has achieved 'Legend' status on the PECA program.
The Exporter
Typically, Caravela operate an 80/20 model, working with a vast majority of smallholders and a minority of farmers with large coffee estates. In their latest impact report 87% of their producing partners had farms of less than 5 hectares in size. More than half of the producers they worked with were visited by their PECA team, and in Colombia alone they are working with 1,746 producers across 52 communities.
As regards their PECA program, they have said the below:
“Coffee growers are the heart of our business model, without them we could not maintain and sustain this value chain. They are responsible for producing the best coffees that delight us every day. The Coffee Growers Education Program (PECA) has developed a symbiotic relationship between coffee growers and Caravela since we’re always learning from each other. For many years, we have accumulated experiences throughout experimentation and work that provides tools to empower and educates coffee growers, resulting in consistent high-quality coffees.”
|
PRODUCER
|
Multiple small-scale producers with farms of around 1 hectare in size |
|
PROCESS |
Traditionally depulped, fermented & washed, dried via polytunnel or rooftop patio. |
|
VARIETY |
Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia |
|
REGION |
Various municipalities within Huila |
|
COUNTRY |
Colombia |
|
ALTITUDE |
1,650 to 2,150 metres |
|
|
|
PRODUCER
|
Multiple small-scale producers with farms of around 1 hectare in size |
|
PROCESS |
Traditionally depulped, fermented & washed, dried via polytunnel or rooftop patio. |
|
VARIETY |
Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia |
|
REGION |
Various municipalities within Huila |
|
COUNTRY |
Colombia |
|
ALTITUDE |
1,650 to 2,150 metres |
|
|
|
A sweet, vibrant cup with a silky body carries flavours of caramelised sugars, marzipan and warm berries.
Roasted for Espresso & Filter | Marzipan, Warm Berries, Caramel
A7 information cards which you can use on retail shelves, at POS, on grinders and to display alongside brewed coffee. Please add to your cart the amount you wish to receive with your order.
A sweet, vibrant cup with a silky body carries flavours of caramelised sugars, marzipan and warm berries.
We are funding a tree planting program called 'Shading Farms', where forest and fruit trees are donated to and planted on coffee farms in Huila. The aim is to increase biodiversity, provide secondary income and to capture CO2.
The Region
We have worked in Huila for over a decade, and in our experience the cup profiles of top lots from this region really chime with our preferences. El Nevado del Huila is Colombia’s highest volcano, named for its snowy top, and we are referencing the notion of the pinnacle of quality in our Colombian offerings through using its name for our espresso.
The Producers
We are currently featuring coffee from 24 producers, based primarily in the La Plata municipality of Huila, who contribute their lots to Caravela's buying hub for quality assessment and sale. A few growers are based in Agrado, La Argentina and Nataga, but despite slight geographic differences we are still finding the flavour profile to chime with what we expect and enjoy from the region, delivering brown sugar sweetness, hints of red berries and a clean, lingering finish. The vast majority of these contributing growers receive agronomical assistance and support from Caravela. The primary contribution to this most recent outturn was from Artemo Quebrada Collo, whose farm La Chorrera has achieved 'Legend' status on the PECA program.
The Exporter
Typically, Caravela operate an 80/20 model, working with a vast majority of smallholders and a minority of farmers with large coffee estates. In their latest impact report 87% of their producing partners had farms of less than 5 hectares in size. More than half of the producers they worked with were visited by their PECA team, and in Colombia alone they are working with 1,746 producers across 52 communities.
As regards their PECA program, they have said the below:
“Coffee growers are the heart of our business model, without them we could not maintain and sustain this value chain. They are responsible for producing the best coffees that delight us every day. The Coffee Growers Education Program (PECA) has developed a symbiotic relationship between coffee growers and Caravela since we’re always learning from each other. For many years, we have accumulated experiences throughout experimentation and work that provides tools to empower and educates coffee growers, resulting in consistent high-quality coffees.”
|
PRODUCER
|
Multiple small-scale producers with farms of around 1 hectare in size |
|
PROCESS |
Traditionally depulped, fermented & washed, dried via polytunnel or rooftop patio. |
|
VARIETY |
Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia |
|
REGION |
Various municipalities within Huila |
|
COUNTRY |
Colombia |
|
ALTITUDE |
1,650 to 2,150 metres |
|
|
A packet of 100 paper filters for use in MoccaMasters, Clever Drippers and most other auto-brewers.
Made in Netherlands.
Roasted for Espresso | Marmalade, honey cake, dates
A warming espresso with notes of dates and marmalade. Look for brown sugar and cardamom in the finish.
Please join us in thanking Aime Gahizis and the smallholder coffee producers of Karongi as we mark twelve years of working with delicious coffee from Gitesi washing station.
The Producer
Aime is always hospitable and positive when we visit Rwanda. We stay in close contact throughout the year to hear how things are going at the washing station. As well as buying and processing coffee cherries grown by the smallholder farmers in the surrounding hillsides, the Gahizi family also tend to their own small farm. They have a wormery which they use to make an organic fertiliser spray, which also helps to limit the spread of leaf rust. Every year they are buying more land and planting more coffee, with over 20,000 trees now producing on their own farm. Their mature trees produce an average of 5kg fruit per year but can produce upwards of 20kg.
Cows kept at the station provide milk and fertiliser for their own trees, and through Aime’s social work they donate dozens of cows each year to farmers in the local area, as well as spray pumps for fertiliser. They also donate seedlings from their nursery of over 10,000 plants to neighbouring farmers and run workshops to teach them about tending to other food crops as well as coffee.
The Washing Station
The water used for producing washed coffees comes from a natural spring. After being used for processing the coffee it becomes full of particulates and enzymes, needing to be filtered before being reintroduced into the local water table. At Gitesi they collect water from the washing channels as well as run off from the mounds of coffee pulp (which breaks down to provide more compost for their trees) and first hold it in a tank. The mucilage settles and is separated off to be added to organic fertiliser whilst the water passes through lime and EM (effective microorganisms). Subsequent stages use molasses, holding tanks, charcoal and fine gravel to filter the water before it finally passes through a bed of vetiver reeds, re-oxygenating it. This filtration system is highly advanced and is held up as an exemplary model for other washing stations to work towards.
A couple of years ago they built new washing and grading channels at the station as part of their renovations. Typically they will process around 80% of their coffee volumes as washed coffee, with 20% naturals being done on a case by case basis for certain clients.
Their Approach
Aime sees the work at Gitesi as much more than simple crop husbandry and coffee production, doing amazing work within the neighbouring community. We asked him for a message that we could pass along to the people drinking coffee from Gitesi and he replied with the following, that we haven’t the heart to shorten:
“The Gitesi Sector is the land of our grandfathers, it’s where even my father was born. But as you know, because of Rwandan history we grew up outside our country, and we came back in 1994 after the genocide and liberation war. Upon our return we have found in our land no one among our family members, all of them were killed in the genocide. We are now living and working with those who killed (or their children) our relatives. What motivates us is the reconciliation between the survivors of genocide of those who participated in genocide in our sector, now we are working together at the washing station, sharing everything in peace. Our plan is to continue changing the lives of our people at Gitesi both socially and economically.”
Origin: Karongi, Western Province, Rwanda
Produced by: Aime Gahizis
Processing: Floated & eco-pulped, dry fermented, fully washed and soaked, dried on raised beds.
Variety: Red Bourbon & RAB C15
Altitude: 1,750 to 2,000 metres
Harvest: June, 2024
Arrival: December, 2024
Roasted for Espresso | Marmalade, honey cake, dates
A warming espresso with notes of dates and marmalade. Look for brown sugar and cardamom in the finish.
Please join us in thanking Aime Gahizis and the smallholder coffee producers of Karongi as we mark twelve years of working with delicious coffee from Gitesi washing station.
The Producer
Aime is always hospitable and positive when we visit Rwanda. We stay in close contact throughout the year to hear how things are going at the washing station. As well as buying and processing coffee cherries grown by the smallholder farmers in the surrounding hillsides, the Gahizi family also tend to their own small farm. They have a wormery which they use to make an organic fertiliser spray, which also helps to limit the spread of leaf rust. Every year they are buying more land and planting more coffee, with over 20,000 trees now producing on their own farm. Their mature trees produce an average of 5kg fruit per year but can produce upwards of 20kg.
Cows kept at the station provide milk and fertiliser for their own trees, and through Aime’s social work they donate dozens of cows each year to farmers in the local area, as well as spray pumps for fertiliser. They also donate seedlings from their nursery of over 10,000 plants to neighbouring farmers and run workshops to teach them about tending to other food crops as well as coffee.
The Washing Station
The water used for producing washed coffees comes from a natural spring. After being used for processing the coffee it becomes full of particulates and enzymes, needing to be filtered before being reintroduced into the local water table. At Gitesi they collect water from the washing channels as well as run off from the mounds of coffee pulp (which breaks down to provide more compost for their trees) and first hold it in a tank. The mucilage settles and is separated off to be added to organic fertiliser whilst the water passes through lime and EM (effective microorganisms). Subsequent stages use molasses, holding tanks, charcoal and fine gravel to filter the water before it finally passes through a bed of vetiver reeds, re-oxygenating it. This filtration system is highly advanced and is held up as an exemplary model for other washing stations to work towards.
A couple of years ago they built new washing and grading channels at the station as part of their renovations. Typically they will process around 80% of their coffee volumes as washed coffee, with 20% naturals being done on a case by case basis for certain clients.
Their Approach
Aime sees the work at Gitesi as much more than simple crop husbandry and coffee production, doing amazing work within the neighbouring community. We asked him for a message that we could pass along to the people drinking coffee from Gitesi and he replied with the following, that we haven’t the heart to shorten:
“The Gitesi Sector is the land of our grandfathers, it’s where even my father was born. But as you know, because of Rwandan history we grew up outside our country, and we came back in 1994 after the genocide and liberation war. Upon our return we have found in our land no one among our family members, all of them were killed in the genocide. We are now living and working with those who killed (or their children) our relatives. What motivates us is the reconciliation between the survivors of genocide of those who participated in genocide in our sector, now we are working together at the washing station, sharing everything in peace. Our plan is to continue changing the lives of our people at Gitesi both socially and economically.”
Origin: Karongi, Western Province, Rwanda
Produced by: Aime Gahizis
Processing: Floated & eco-pulped, dry fermented, fully washed and soaked, dried on raised beds.
Variety: Red Bourbon & RAB C15
Altitude: 1,750 to 2,000 metres
Harvest: June, 2024
Arrival: December, 2024
Roasted for Espresso | Marmalade, honey cake, dates
A7 information cards for use on retail shelves, at POS, on grinders and to display alongside brewed coffee. Please add to your cart the amount you wish to receive with your order.
A warming espresso with notes of dates and marmalade. Look for brown sugar and cardamom in the finish.
Please join us in thanking Aime Gahizis and the smallholder coffee producers of Karongi as we mark twelve years of working with delicious coffee from Gitesi washing station.
The Producer
Aime is always hospitable and positive when we visit Rwanda. We stay in close contact throughout the year to hear how things are going at the washing station. As well as buying and processing coffee cherries grown by the smallholder farmers in the surrounding hillsides, the Gahizi family also tend to their own small farm. They have a wormery which they use to make an organic fertiliser spray, which also helps to limit the spread of leaf rust. Every year they are buying more land and planting more coffee, with over 20,000 trees now producing on their own farm. Their mature trees produce an average of 5kg fruit per year but can produce upwards of 20kg.
Cows kept at the station provide milk and fertiliser for their own trees, and through Aime’s social work they donate dozens of cows each year to farmers in the local area, as well as spray pumps for fertiliser. They also donate seedlings from their nursery of over 10,000 plants to neighbouring farmers and run workshops to teach them about tending to other food crops as well as coffee.
The Washing Station
The water used for producing washed coffees comes from a natural spring. After being used for processing the coffee it becomes full of particulates and enzymes, needing to be filtered before being reintroduced into the local water table. At Gitesi they collect water from the washing channels as well as run off from the mounds of coffee pulp (which breaks down to provide more compost for their trees) and first hold it in a tank. The mucilage settles and is separated off to be added to organic fertiliser whilst the water passes through lime and EM (effective microorganisms). Subsequent stages use molasses, holding tanks, charcoal and fine gravel to filter the water before it finally passes through a bed of vetiver reeds, re-oxygenating it. This filtration system is highly advanced and is held up as an exemplary model for other washing stations to work towards.
A couple of years ago they built new washing and grading channels at the station as part of their renovations. Typically they will process around 80% of their coffee volumes as washed coffee, with 20% naturals being done on a case by case basis for certain clients.
Their Approach
Aime sees the work at Gitesi as much more than simple crop husbandry and coffee production, doing amazing work within the neighbouring community. We asked him for a message that we could pass along to the people drinking coffee from Gitesi and he replied with the following, that we haven’t the heart to shorten:
“The Gitesi Sector is the land of our grandfathers, it’s where even my father was born. But as you know, because of Rwandan history we grew up outside our country, and we came back in 1994 after the genocide and liberation war. Upon our return we have found in our land no one among our family members, all of them were killed in the genocide. We are now living and working with those who killed (or their children) our relatives. What motivates us is the reconciliation between the survivors of genocide of those who participated in genocide in our sector, now we are working together at the washing station, sharing everything in peace. Our plan is to continue changing the lives of our people at Gitesi both socially and economically.”
Origin: Karongi, Western Province, Rwanda
Produced by: Aime Gahizis
Processing: Floated & eco-pulped, dry fermented, fully washed and soaked, dried on raised beds.
Variety: Red Bourbon & RAB C15
Altitude: 1,750 to 2,000 metres
Harvest: June, 2024
Arrival: December, 2024
Grindz cleaning tablets for use on coffee grinders.
A clean grinder makes delicious coffee.
A pack of 100 bleached white paper filters, to fit the 1-cup sized Hario V60 dripper.
Roasted for Filter | Raspberry, cranberry, tonka
One of our favourite Kenyan coffees, we’re thrilled to reintroduce a juicy AA lot from the Karimikui factory into our filter coffee line-up.
The Farmers
Several hundred smallhold farmers in the villages of Kiamugumo, Githure and Gituba deliver their coffee cherries to the Karimikui factory, some by foot, some on motorbike and some by ox-drawn carts. The farmers attend agricultural seminars held by the Rungeto Farmers’ Co-operative Society (FCS) year-round, and are provided access to fertilisers with the aim of helping them to sustain and improve their coffee production.
The Washing Station
The coffee cherries are first sorted through by hand for under- or over-ripe cherries, and then floated to sort by density before depulping. After depulping, they are fermented for up to 24 hours. The washing stage is then done by periodically introducing clean water from the nearby Nyamindi river into the tanks and stirring the coffee, before sluicing away the dissolving fruit mucilage layers. Once squeaky clean the coffee is moved to a soaking tank to sit in fresh water for another 24 hours before it goes out to dry on raised beds. This can take between 12 and 20 days, depending on the weather conditions. The water used in processing is treated in two large soak pits before it makes its way back into the local water table, to break down the sugars, acids and particulates that accumulate during coffee processing.
The Farmers’ Co-operative society
The Karimikui Coffee Washing Station (CWS) is run by the Rungeto FCS. They also oversee Kii CWS and Kiangoi CWS, from whom we’ve cupped many delicious coffees over the years. The region, Ngariama, was previously home to one of the largest FCS in Kenya, called Ngiriama FCS. It was liquidated in 1996 which allowed smaller FCS to snap up their assets, like Rungeto taking over Karimikui, Kii and Kiangoi. As well as processing coffee cherries the FCS has created job opportunities and improved the local community’s infrastructure by opening a fuel station and a dairy cooling facility. Some of the smallholder coffee farmers who deliver coffee cherries also have cattle, and so can sell their milk to the dairy.
Impeccable processing and drying conditions, coupled with predominantly SL28 & SL34 varieties grown in volcanic soils in a cool climate makes for an excellent expression of Kenya’s Kirinyaga country, with lots of tart red fruits and sweetness in the cup.
Origin: Ngariama, Kirinyaga, Kenya
Produced by: Rungeto Farmers’ Co-op Society
Processing: Traditionally depulped, 24hrs dry fermented, multiple washing stages, soaked & dried on raised beds.
Cultivars: Predominantly SL28 & SL34, some Ruiru 11
Altitude: 1,650 to 1,900 metres
Harvest: January, 2025
Arrival: June, 2025
Roasted for Filter | Raspberry, cranberry, tonka
One of our favourite Kenyan coffees, we’re thrilled to reintroduce a juicy AA lot from the Karimikui factory into our filter coffee line-up.
The Farmers
Several hundred smallhold farmers in the villages of Kiamugumo, Githure and Gituba deliver their coffee cherries to the Karimikui factory, some by foot, some on motorbike and some by ox-drawn carts. The farmers attend agricultural seminars held by the Rungeto Farmers’ Co-operative Society (FCS) year-round, and are provided access to fertilisers with the aim of helping them to sustain and improve their coffee production.
The Washing Station
The coffee cherries are first sorted through by hand for under- or over-ripe cherries, and then floated to sort by density before depulping. After depulping, they are fermented for up to 24 hours. The washing stage is then done by periodically introducing clean water from the nearby Nyamindi river into the tanks and stirring the coffee, before sluicing away the dissolving fruit mucilage layers. Once squeaky clean the coffee is moved to a soaking tank to sit in fresh water for another 24 hours before it goes out to dry on raised beds. This can take between 12 and 20 days, depending on the weather conditions. The water used in processing is treated in two large soak pits before it makes its way back into the local water table, to break down the sugars, acids and particulates that accumulate during coffee processing.
The Farmers’ Co-operative society
The Karimikui Coffee Washing Station (CWS) is run by the Rungeto FCS. They also oversee Kii CWS and Kiangoi CWS, from whom we’ve cupped many delicious coffees over the years. The region, Ngariama, was previously home to one of the largest FCS in Kenya, called Ngiriama FCS. It was liquidated in 1996 which allowed smaller FCS to snap up their assets, like Rungeto taking over Karimikui, Kii and Kiangoi. As well as processing coffee cherries the FCS has created job opportunities and improved the local community’s infrastructure by opening a fuel station and a dairy cooling facility. Some of the smallholder coffee farmers who deliver coffee cherries also have cattle, and so can sell their milk to the dairy.
Impeccable processing and drying conditions, coupled with predominantly SL28 & SL34 varieties grown in volcanic soils in a cool climate makes for an excellent expression of Kenya’s Kirinyaga country, with lots of tart red fruits and sweetness in the cup.
Origin: Ngariama, Kirinyaga, Kenya
Produced by: Rungeto Farmers’ Co-op Society
Processing: Traditionally depulped, 24hrs dry fermented, multiple washing stages, soaked & dried on raised beds.
Cultivars: Predominantly SL28 & SL34, some Ruiru 11
Altitude: 1,650 to 1,900 metres
Harvest: January, 2025
Arrival: June, 2025
Roasted for Filter | Raspberry, cranberry, tonka
A7 information cards which you can use on retail shelves, at POS, on grinders and to display alongside brewed coffee. Please add to your cart the amount you wish to receive with your order.
One of our favourite Kenyan coffees, we’re thrilled to reintroduce a juicy AA lot from the Karimikui factory into our filter coffee line-up.
The Farmers
Several hundred smallhold farmers in the villages of Kiamugumo, Githure and Gituba deliver their coffee cherries to the Karimikui factory, some by foot, some on motorbike and some by ox-drawn carts. The farmers attend agricultural seminars held by the Rungeto Farmers’ Co-operative Society (FCS) year-round, and are provided access to fertilisers with the aim of helping them to sustain and improve their coffee production.
The Washing Station
The coffee cherries are first sorted through by hand for under- or over-ripe cherries, and then floated to sort by density before depulping. After depulping, they are fermented for up to 24 hours. The washing stage is then done by periodically introducing clean water from the nearby Nyamindi river into the tanks and stirring the coffee, before sluicing away the dissolving fruit mucilage layers. Once squeaky clean the coffee is moved to a soaking tank to sit in fresh water for another 24 hours before it goes out to dry on raised beds. This can take between 12 and 20 days, depending on the weather conditions. The water used in processing is treated in two large soak pits before it makes its way back into the local water table, to break down the sugars, acids and particulates that accumulate during coffee processing.
The Farmers’ Co-operative society
The Karimikui Coffee Washing Station (CWS) is run by the Rungeto FCS. They also oversee Kii CWS and Kiangoi CWS, from whom we’ve cupped many delicious coffees over the years. The region, Ngariama, was previously home to one of the largest FCS in Kenya, called Ngiriama FCS. It was liquidated in 1996 which allowed smaller FCS to snap up their assets, like Rungeto taking over Karimikui, Kii and Kiangoi. As well as processing coffee cherries the FCS has created job opportunities and improved the local community’s infrastructure by opening a fuel station and a dairy cooling facility. Some of the smallholder coffee farmers who deliver coffee cherries also have cattle, and so can sell their milk to the dairy.
Impeccable processing and drying conditions, coupled with predominantly SL28 & SL34 varieties grown in volcanic soils in a cool climate makes for an excellent expression of Kenya’s Kirinyaga country, with lots of tart red fruits and sweetness in the cup.
Origin: Ngariama, Kirinyaga, Kenya
Produced by: Rungeto Farmers’ Co-op Society
Processing: Traditionally depulped, 24hrs dry fermented, multiple washing stages, soaked & dried on raised beds.
Cultivars: Predominantly SL28 & SL34, some Ruiru 11
Altitude: 1,650 to 1,900 metres
Harvest: January, 2025
Arrival: June, 2025
Roasted for Espresso & Filter | Candied Orange, Sultana, Almonds
Creamy and balanced with fruity notes of candied orange and sultanas. The finish is like milk chocolate and sugared almonds.
This year we have finally been able to select our own bespoke lot for decaffeination. Paying close attention to all the coffees we buy means we have always treated our decaf purchases with the same care and rigour as all lots we buy, but we have finally reached the volumes whereby we can purchase an entire lot to be decaffeinated in Colombia (the plant in Manizales processes 70 sacks to create 58 bags of decaffeinated green coffee).
The Producers
This lot from La Plata in Colombia’s Huila region has been created by combining high quality outturns from 7 farmers in and around the small parish of San Sebastian. Producers such as Gina Samara Jalvin, Gloria Isabel Garcia, Ivonne Andrea Oviedo and Laura Ramirez are amongst the larger contributors. The coffee varieties being tended to are typical for the region, comprising Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia. These are planted amongst Cambulo and Guamo trees, which are nitrogen fixing, as well as Cedro and other native trees which provide shade and increase biodiversity on the farms. During harvest the cherries are selected by hand when ripe, traditionally depulped and fermented before being fully washed and dried either on covered patios or raised beds in polytunnels. Once cupped, assessed and collated the lots are sent for decaffeination.
The Decaffeination Process:
Having tasted various options in their regular and subsequent decaffeinated state we have been able to secure a coffee that has a sweet, clean cup profile and has best maintained its character and integrity after the decaffeination process.
For the last eight years we’ve solely purchased decaffeinated coffees that have undergone the Sugar Cane Ethyl Acetate process. Not only does this method provide a secondary income to the producing country, but the green coffee only needs to be transported once rather than twice. Obviously more eco-friendly and less costly, it has a huge impact on cup quality too. The conditions in which coffee is transported are rarely conducive to preserving quality, and so avoiding this process from happening twice is always beneficial for the cup. The coffee, having been shipped only once unlike most decaf options that arrive into the UK via Mexico, Canada or Germany, tastes all the fresher for it.
The actual solvent doing the work of decaffeinating the green coffee at Descafecol is derived from fermenting and making an alcohol from sugar cane. This is combined with spring water and is used to wash the caffeine out of the steamed green coffee until less than 0.1% of the original caffeine content remains.
The Exporter:
Typically, Caravela operate an 80/20 model, working with a vast majority of smallholders and a minority of farmers with large coffee estates. In their latest impact report 87% of their producing partners had farms of less than 5 hectares in size. More than half of the producers they worked with were visited by their PECA team, and in Colombia alone they are working with 1,746 producers across 52 communities.
As regards their PECA program, they have said the below:
“Coffee growers are the heart of our business model, without them we could not maintain and sustain this value chain. They are responsible for producing the best coffees that delight us every day. The Coffee Growers Education Program (PECA) has developed a symbiotic relationship between coffee growers and Caravela since we’re always learning from each other. For many years, we have accumulated experiences throughout experimentation and work that provides tools to empower and educates coffee growers, resulting in consistent high-quality coffees.”
|
PRODUCER
|
7 farmers in La Plata |
|
HARVEST
|
February, 2024 |
|
PROCESS |
Hand-harvested, traditionally depulped & dry fermented, fully washed & E. A. sugar cane decaffeinated. |
|
VARIETIES |
Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia |
|
REGION |
San Sebastian, La Plata, Huila |
|
COUNTRY |
Colombia |
|
ALTITUDE |
1,750 to 2,000 metres
|
|
ARRIVAL |
June, 2024 |
Roasted for Espresso & Filter | Candied Orange, Sultana, Almonds
Creamy and balanced with fruity notes of candied orange and sultanas. The finish is like milk chocolate and sugared almonds.
This year we have finally been able to select our own bespoke lot for decaffeination. Paying close attention to all the coffees we buy means we have always treated our decaf purchases with the same care and rigour as all lots we buy, but we have finally reached the volumes whereby we can purchase an entire lot to be decaffeinated in Colombia (the plant in Manizales processes 70 sacks to create 58 bags of decaffeinated green coffee).
The Producers
This lot from La Plata in Colombia’s Huila region has been created by combining high quality outturns from 7 farmers in and around the small parish of San Sebastian. Producers such as Gina Samara Jalvin, Gloria Isabel Garcia, Ivonne Andrea Oviedo and Laura Ramirez are amongst the larger contributors. The coffee varieties being tended to are typical for the region, comprising Caturra, Castillo & Variedad Colombia. These are planted amongst Cambulo and Guamo trees, which are nitrogen fixing, as well as Cedro and other native trees which provide shade and increase biodiversity on the farms. During harvest the cherries are selected by hand when ripe, traditionally depulped and fermented before being fully washed and dried either on covered patios or raised beds in polytunnels. Once cupped, assessed and collated the lots are sent for decaffeination.
The Decaffeination Process:
Having tasted various options in their regular and subsequent decaffeinated state we have been able to secure a coffee that has a sweet, clean cup profile and has best maintained its character and integrity after the decaffeination process.
For the last eight years we’ve solely purchased decaffeinated coffees that have undergone the Sugar Cane Ethyl Acetate process. Not only does this method provide a secondary income to the producing country, but the green coffee only needs to be transported once rather than twice. Obviously more eco-friendly and less costly, it has a huge impact on cup quality too. The conditions in which coffee is transported are rarely conducive to preserving quality, and so avoiding this process from happening twice is always beneficial for the cup. The coffee, having been shipped only once unlike most decaf options that arrive into the UK via Mexico, Canada or Germany, tastes all the fresher for it.
The actual solvent doing the work of decaffeinating the green coffee at Descafecol is derived from fermenting and making an alcohol from sugar cane. This is combined with spring water and is used to wash the caffeine out of the steamed green coffee until less than 0.1% of the original caffeine content remains.
The Exporter:
Typically, Caravela operate an 80/20 model, working with a vast majority of smallholders and a minority of farmers with large coffee estates. In their latest impact report 87% of their producing partners had farms of less than 5 hectares in size. More than half of the producers they worked with were visited by their PECA team, and in Colombia alone they are working with 1,746 producers across 52 communities.
As regards their PECA program, they have said the below:
“Coffee growers are the heart of our business model, without them we could not maintain and sustain this value chain. They are responsible for producing the best coffees that delight us every day. The Coffee Growers Education Program (PECA) has developed a symbiotic relationship between coffee growers and Caravela since we’re always learning from each other. For many years, we have accumulated experiences throughout experimentation and work that provides tools to empower and educates coffee growers, resulting in consistent high-quality coffees.”