We'll start with the ol' reliable, comfy coffee-tasting coffee! Peru Pueblo Libre comes straight to you from the Andes Mountains, from a town called, you guessed it, Pueblo Libre! This is another small-holder type situation, where something like 2,250 different producers all bring their coffee cherries to a central washing/drying station to be processed and shipped out to various importers around the world! One thing I'm super stoked to see time and time again is that environmental sustainability is climbing to become the norm in most producers we find, because these things do really start at the source, and we can only hope these conditions improve and lead to better practices the world-over.
This coffee cupped nicely on a medium roast with notes of kettle corn, funnel cake, and piloncillo (raw, pure cane sugar). It has a lovely sweet, cozy, warm mouth feel that would pair great with a splash of cream, and we all know a regular who digs that sort of coffee. (It's me, I'm them) This coffee will be replacing the Colombia Darabiel and should reach your stores this week or next!
Now... onto some very exciting news! This next coffee is an entirely new addition to the Dapper & Wise line of coffees, has a fancy processing method you may have heard of, and is the second coffee of this country's origin we have ever offered! Can you guess it?
THAT'S RIGHT! It's another Rwandan offering, from the same producers as our Western Select Natural - Rwanda Anaerobic Natural Fugi!!!
This coffee is special for a number of reasons, Fugi is the crown jewel of the Baho Coffee Company line of washing stations, and the Anaerobic process itself is super neat! Essentially this coffee is quality all the way down the line. Starting at the farms, the people who cherry pick (ha!) are paid extra to only grab ripe cherries, which are then brought to the washing station where they undergo an extensive sorting process - starting with more sorting on raised beds, then floated in water to remove sneaky unripe cherries that have the appearance of ripeness, and then finally brought to clean plastic barrels for fermentation.
This fermentation period lasts for 72 hours, and is done without water or oxygen before moving to the drying process. Fugi takes pride in their natural drying process, where the fermented cherries are put under the open sun for 5 days straight to eliminate any chance of mold growth. Afterwards they are dried under shade and turned every 3 hours until the coffee reaches 17% humidity. We're not done yet! After this step, the coffee is removed from the shade (but still avoiding direct sun) and continues to dry until the coffee seeds hit 11.25% humidity. This process takes at least 40 days!!! Over a month to dry, y'all!
As you can tell, a metric ton of love and effort goes into making this coffee special, so we wanted to offer it separate to our usual Natural lineup with a new category we're calling Special Releases. These will be coffees that really knock our socks off in regards to quality and experimental processing methods, and as such their cost to us is a little steeper. We will offer these coffees at a similar price to our normal bags, but they will be in smaller 8oz bags to slow down how quickly we go through them!
Thank you all for tuning in again, can't wait to roast this coffee up for ya!
-Jer, Head Roaster
Starting with something familiar, let’s talk about Colombia Amigos del Huila, a community lot from Shared Source! Community lots are similar to smallholder farms from Africa, where a producer farm may not be able to fill an entire container for certain lots (think like the big cargo cars on trains), so they band together with other producers to make a blend of coffees. This results in a nuanced flavor that takes on a unique character with features from each lot! Here’s a list of the producers involved in this years harvest and the varietals they cultivate:
Darabiel Osorio- variedad Colombia
Samuel Osorio- variedad Colombia (2 lots!)
Alberto Osorio- variedad Colombia
Edilma Quinayas- caturra, variedad Colombia
Edwin Guarnizo- variedad Colombia
Raimundo Guarnizo- variedad Colombia
Raul Diaz- pink bourbon
As I mentioned before, each of those producers offer a unique take on how they handle their farms, and where they focus on improvements. It’s super exciting to hear each year how folks are making changes to how they work to be more environmentally sustainable, efficient and clean; so we’re super excited to offer this coffee year after year!
Next up we have another newcomer to the Dapper & Wise line up, a coffee from Rwanda - our new Natural-processed Western Select Blend! This coffee and its washed companion to follow (in a month or so) are from 3 different washing stations in the Rutsiro District of Rwanda: Akagera, Ngoma and Bugoyi.
On the bank of Lake Kivu, facing the DRC, sits one of these breezy, sunny washing stations at an average altitude of 1600 masl, great conditions for the washing and drying of coffee. These conditions make the stations super attractive to the 1500+ smallholder-type farms nearby, with cherries being brought in bags on foot or by bicycle.
Our natural lot here is actually two natural lots, largely the same coffees, but the difference is in how many days of processing (fermentation in barrels) there is before being washed. So while the coffee all comes from the same places, we will notice a slight difference in flavor as we work our way through the 6 bags we purchased; but this way we get to buy all of the bags produced by the folks at these three Baho-operated washing stations!
We couldn't be more thrilled to offer these exceptional coffees to you. The passion, skill, and dedication of the producers shine through in every sip, and we're honored to play a part in sharing their stories. So get ready to savor the Colombia Amigos del Huila and the Natural-processed Western Select Blend from Rwanda. Stay tuned for more exciting updates, as we continue our mission to bring you the finest coffees from around the world. Cheers to new flavors and memorable coffee experiences!
-Jer, Head Roaster
Hello folks! Things have been cooking up in the roastery, and we are going to have a busy few weeks in the world of coffee launches!!
This week we’re bringing you two lovely African coffees, both of which you may be familiar with: Ethiopia Demeka Becha and Kenya Mukarimu AB! These are both washed coffees, and you can expect a nice clean cup with some excellent classic flavors.
Starting with Demeka Becha, if you ask folks in the coffee industry what flavors most coincide with Washed Ethiopian coffees, you’ll probably notice a trend: Bergamot, but what is it? If you enjoy the flavor of Earl Grey tea, you’ve probably tasted bergamot before! Bergamot is a citrus fruit grown primarily in Italy and it has a stark green appearance. Flavor-wise it lies somewhere between a lime and bitter orange.
Many coffees from Ethiopia have this similar flavor, even though smallholders in Ethiopia grow a bunch of different coffee varietals. This is similar to how wine enthusiasts describe Terroir, or the many environmental and economic variables to go into how a coffee plant grows, takes nutrients from various soil types, and overall how it tastes! Interesting, right? You may have noticed this yourself if you feel you can always tell which coffees come from Colombia, or from Guatemala, based on their characteristic flavors.
Moving on to our other release this week, we have another favorite from Kenya - Mukarimu AB! This is another coffee we’ve had before, and we liked it so much that we bought it again! This one is fun because we have a close relationship with the importer - Francis - who actually works on the farms that produce these coffees in Kenya! It may be one of our most direct farm-to-cup coffees, and you can really taste the quality!
Kenyan coffees have a reputation of nuance of flavor, ranging from stark and savory to punchy fruit! I would recommend this coffee if you are an adventurous coffee drinker who looks for a fun flavor experience! Over all; this is a solid, clean tasting cup with some awesome spicy and citrusy notes - I’m super stoked to roast it up for you all!
Thanks again for tuning in to our little world for a moment, enjoy the hot days ahead while we can!
-Jer, Head Roaster
Another month has come and gone over at Dapper & Wise, and we have some exciting Colombian coffees returning to our line-up! These are some coffee producers we have a long ongoing relationship with, and are super stoked to see again.
Cupping wonderfully on our table, first up we have the coffee from Edilma Piedrahita’s farm in the Nariño region of Colombia. This coffee has a complex pallet of sweet, tangy notes that we nailed down to something akin to red grape, lime candy, and green apple. Her and the Los Guácharos Association (of which she is the leader member) work together to secure agricultural support, research into flavor discovery (so that they can better determine the quality and overall worth of their product), and of course combining lots of coffee to meet export minimums (250 bags).
Next up, with some of my favorite tasting notes of Dragonfruit, Rye Whiskey, and Jasmine Tea is another returning favorite - Colombia Darabiel Osorio! Darabiel does some really cool things to make their coffee taste so good, such as using natural bacteria and composted organic waste to lower the nitrogen levels of the soil coffee is grown in as well as fermenting their coffee in a low oxygen environment. If you’ve ever tried Anaerobic processed coffee, you will see that lowering or removing the oxygen during fermentation has a very interesting and complex effect on the flavor.
At Dapper, we feel it’s important to maintain relationships with producers since it’s super easy for competitive markets to completely gloss over smaller producers due to the unavoidable fact that it’s extremely difficult to produce a very consistent product, so by sticking with producers like Edilma and Darabiel year after year, we are able to ensure that we are part of a steady source of income for those folks, and while they are often stellar coffees on their own; it’s important for us to continue to support them even when they may not be the best tasting coffee on the table since they work just as hard to produce the coffee and we want to ensure that their efforts are made worth the time so that they can continue to develop their methods and research better and better ways to make coffee sustainable for our future generations!
Enjoy!
-Jer, Head Roaster
And just like that, February is almost over! We’ve got two new coffees welcome into our cozy cabin, and to help you push back that bitter cold that seems to just want to hang on.
Welcome in, new natural processed coffee from high up in the mountains of Ethiopia; Gotiti Gedeb Lot 3. Close that door behind you, it's cold out there! A late addition to our winter lineup, sweetly stepping in to perk you up for those chilly mornings with a gentle, fruity kick. This coffee has notes of blackberry pie, dried dates, and a little bit of red wine and cola (or as some may call it, a calimocho). This coffee is great for the connoisseur who looks for a lightly roasted touch and delicate flavors.
Already cozied up in the corner, hello old friend! We’re welcoming one of our favorite, most reliable decaffeinated coffees – Colombia Amigos del Huila – back into our humble abode. This coffee is a great, salt-of-the-earth kind of comfort in your cup. Cocoa, granola, and a hint of cayenne, you may be reminded of an Aztec mocha from Insomnia Coffee Company! Overall, a solid cup of decaf joe that features some of our favorite Colombian producers like Darabiel Osorio and Yamid Quinayas.
Let’s talk about coffee transportation (or even any type of goods transportation). We often hear about coffees grown ‘high up in the mountains of Ethiopia’ but how does it get down from these high altitude farms? There’s not much in the way of infrastructure and roads in these parts, so oftentimes coffee producers will literally carry their day’s harvest in a bag on their shoulders down the mountains to be collected and brought to a processing plant. If they have more than a bag to bring, donkeys can help, but otherwise it’s up to the farms to safely bring their product down the precarious journey.
As roasters, every year our jobs as a whole get a little easier with developments such as vacuum batch loaders to move green coffee up to the 7 foot hopper, automated bag sealers, assisted lifting technology, and more efficient and technologically advanced roasting machines– many roasters typically have it pretty good! It’s important to keep in mind that we only handle the coffee at the tail end of its long journey; there’s no fast, easy way to grow coffee beans. All of the hard work that is put into tending any crop, processing, and transportation all develops much slower than the ‘finishing touch’ technology in consumer countries. Here’s to supporting producers and pursuing sustainability within the wonderfully complex world that is coffee!
Until next time,
-Jer Packard, Roastery Manager
Whether you’re an avid traveler or a convenience queen, we’ve got you covered with an easy brew method: the AeroPress. From bean to cup in just 2 minutes!
Check out this video our team put together on how to brew a deliciously quick morning coffee. Don’t have an AeroPress or any yummy beans? Everything you need to brew a perfect cup can be found under the shop tab of this very website.
Cheers!
How to brew an AeroPress:
Everything you need to brew a perfect AeroPress can be found at dapperandwise.com. Cheers! ✨
]]>January has come and gone, gosh wasn’t that fast? It seems like every year goes by faster, with everything blurring around us, whizzing by; leaving us to spectate, gawking at the wonder of ‘just where did the time go?’ But we’re here together, reader, and I have something important to share with you…
Can you guess? That’s right, we have new coffee! Ethiopia Washed Wush Wush Ginbo, if that name sounds familiar, you’d be right! This is from the same farm as our previous launch, the Natural Wush Wush Ginbo from Keffa, Ethiopia, and it brings some wonderful fruity notes, though a bit more mild and tea-like than something naturally processed. Washed process coffee, as you may know, is when the producers run coffee cherries through a de-pulper to remove the mucilage (or fruit flesh) and then the coffee is pushed through a mechanical washing station, essentially a rough-floored basin with water running over it. This cleans the rest of the fruit off of the coffee seed (or bean) which is then left to dry on raised and shaded beds.
Additionally, we are seeing the return of one of our old friends from Guatemala, a lot from Benjamin Lopez! With warm notes of chocolate, cola nut, and plum, this coffee fits right at home in our comforting category. Just in time for you to cuddle up and watch the last of the chilly winter days go by your window. This coffee is also a washed processing method, so you can expect a nice clean cup with cozy, clear flavors without being overpowering!
Speaking of overpowering, it can be easy to fall into cyclical habits that make time feel like it's flying by. So break up your routine! Experience something new, go for a walk somewhere you haven’t been, pick up a new hobby, try a new coffee. Be adventurous!
Until next time,
-Jer Packard, Roastery Manager
It’s that time of year. Every year, people gather around to wait to hear the news with bated breath. As the clock ticks closer to midnight, there’s only one thing on their mind; yes, that’s exactly right, a new Natural-Processed Ethiopian coffee from Dapper! Now, you might be wondering, “Didn’t they just have a new Ethiopian Dur Feres Natural Process?” – to which I say, yes we did!
Welcome to the lineup, our new Ethiopia Natural Wush Wush Ginbo from the Keffa region. That’s right! Keffa (or Kaffa), the origin of coffee itself! For those of you who don’t know, the story of coffee as we know it originated with a sheep herder named Kaldi and his dancing goats. He noticed one day that his sheep seemed extra energized after eating some cherries, so he decided to try some himself. A few steps down the line and now coffee is a beverage enjoyed world-wide! Imagine being the person to stumble upon a hit like that?
Speaking of hits, our Winter Wonderblend is doing so well we’re keeping it active in our catalog for the rest of January! This blend actually features our new Natural Wush Wush, which brings a lovely bright note to an otherwise deep and comforting blend. Draw whatever parallels you may like from that!
Going into this new year 2023, we could all stand to learn a little from Kaldi. To observe, to question, and to welcome new experiences into our lives, maybe even just to dance like some hyper-active goats! You may just find yourself the next pioneer of a world-wide hit. Take care of yourselves! Drink water (and coffee)!
Enjoy!
-Jer, Head Roaster
Hello hello! Today is a post for the real coffee connoisseurs, the ones who don’t just drink coffee to get out of bed in the morning, the ones who are throwing down mug after mug of that good old bean juice, not for the caffeine addiction slowly taking us all, but for something even wilder - the flavor. That’s right, we’re talking about Decaf Coffee. At Dapper we have prided ourselves on having, and I quote, “actually pretty dang good” decaf coffee, and it’s one of those things that people typically don’t put much thought into, but I do!
Some of the very important distinctions that make a good coffee are the source and the processing method. When sourcing as with any other single origin coffee, we try to find a balance between high quality specialty coffee and supporting small family-run operations (smallholders) throughout the importing process. I could go on writing a whole new article about our selection processes, but I digress!
The other important feature of any coffee is the processing, and decaf has a few different methods. You may have heard terms such as EA, Swiss Water, Mountain Water, etc! Today we’ll dive into one of our favorites, Ethyl Acetate(EA)! Most people see the term Ethyl Acetate and think “whoa - chemicals? Not in my coffee!” but the truth is, everything around you is chemicals! Chemistry is what we use to describe the building blocks of every plant, animal, and carbon-based construction in and out of our lives!
Even better, the compound we describe as Ethyl Acetate isn’t even as chemical-y as you might think, as it’s made from a very simple process of fermented sugarcane combined with acetic acid (found in vinegar). Combined, this makes Ethyl Acetate. Fun fact, this is the primary compound (or ester) found in both beer and wine! Coffee is filtered through this compound a few times since it binds with caffeine (also a chemical) and then washed clean with steam and re-dried. All this to leave you with a tasty coffee bean with 97% less caffeine!
This week we’re launching a new EA Decaf, our Colombia Meseta de Popayan along with another new Colombian coffee, Fidencio Castillo. Try them both side-by-side and see if you can tell which one is decaf by taste! It might be harder than you think!
Until next time,
-Jer Packard, Roastery Manager
Who out there has heard of The Myth of Sisyphus, the essay by Albert Camus? In this essay, he reflects on the Greek legend of Sisyphus, who is condemned to pushing a boulder up a mountain, just for it to roll back down and do it again for all of eternity. In Camus’ interpretation, despite the repetition, Sisyphus should be stoked on life and enjoy the process.
When we buy coffee from the same producers each year, I always think of Sisyphus.
In the same way that Sisyphus rolls that boulder back up the mountain over and over, we buy, roast up, and enjoy Javier Martinez’s coffee year after year. However, there are some pretty significant differences between our situation and that of Sisyphus.
To start, we are in no way condemned. Far from it actually! Rather, we are genuinely lucky and grateful for the opportunity to buy coffee from Javier Martinez each year. (Shout out Shared Source for facilitating this relationship!)
Another big difference between D-dub and Sisyphus is that while the act of rolling a boulder up a mountain for eternity is debatably not that cool, coffee on the other hand is obviously one of the best things in the world.
So, ya, my analogy is kinda faulty. But at the end of the day (eternity?) I’m writing to inform you that we have just launched one of our returning faves: Guatemala Javier Martinez, along with a tasty new coffee called Mexico La Concordia.
These are some solid additions to our coffee lineup. We hope you love them, even more so than Camus believes that Sisyphus should love rolling that boulder up that mountain.
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
A thoughtfully curated collection of our favorite items for everyone on your list.
]]>Big month here at the D-dub roastery with a handful of new (and returning) coffees comin’ right atcha.
First three new yum-yums will be available to the masses beginning Tuesday 11/15, and they’re gonna be a crew of African goodies: ✧ two Ethiopian coffees and a Kenyan coffee ✧ So, I guess not 'every coffee', but instead, three African coffees.
These Ethiopian coffees are some returning classics for us, and we are always stoked to have them back. Natural Ethiopia Dur Feres is a community lot from the Keffa region of SW Ethiopia. A textbook natural process Ethiopian flavor profile that we can’t get enough of. (Berries!) Additionally, we’re bringing back another favorite - the washed process Ethiopia Shantawene. It may sound a little weird, but for me, my fave washed Ethiopian coffees have a lil note of black pepper, or peppercorn, in the cup. Mixed together with the other citric, berry and floral notes that this coffee serves up, and the result is a top notch coffee sipping experience.
Last up for now is a washed process Kenyan coffee that comes from the Igegania Cooperative in Kiambu County. In my (Joey’s) opinion, this is the most ‘Kenyan’ Kenyan coffee DW has had in years. And by this I am referring specifically to the flavor profile. Sweet, tart and ya, let’s be honest, a little savory. If you’ve been following the coffee memes lately (or is that just me?), then you know: Kenyan coffees can taste kinda like tomatoes. Whether it’s the coffee varieties, the soil, the processing method, or something else to thank for this fun flavor note, we won't deny its presence!
Maybe not the flavor you’re looking for in your go to morning cup, but i’ma argue that it's unique and fun, and a cool reminder of just how many different flavors we can experience in a cup of coffee.
So, tl;dr we have coffees that taste like black pepper and tomato and we’d love for you to try them out!
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
Welp, spOoOoOoOoky season is officially over, and if you’ve gone to the grocery store any time the past few weeks, judging by the Thanksgiving and Christmas displays that just couldn’t wait until Halloween ended, we all know that it is now time for the holidays.
Here at DW, this is big news! What it means is the return of our seasonal classic:
✧・゚: *✧・゚:* Winter Wonderblend *:・゚✧*:・゚✧
Since we only offer this blend for a few months out of the year, not only is its return like seeing an old buddy again, but it's also an opportunity for your favorite roastery crew (that’s us, Dapper & Wise, right?) to revisit it and see if we can make it tastier than last year.
We’ve previously had this blend in our robust category, but we’re gonna argue that the recipe we landed on this time around moves it on over to our comforting category. Just like last year, Winter Wonderblend will be serving up some of that roasty, bittersweet goodness (let us thank our Stag Espresso Blend for its contribution) balanced and lightened up a bit with a berry sweet natural processed Ethiopian coffee. The difference this year is that we sprinkled in a lil bit more of that Ethiopian coffee to compliment all the sweet treats we will soon be eating during the holidays. Another difference this year is that this blend is also available as an instant coffee!
Happy holiday season from your friends in the DW roastery :)
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
]]>Hey hey - it’s roastin Joe here! With some news of yet another new coffee for this spooky month of October. For those of you following along, we recently dropped the return of our classic fave: Guatemala Vizcaya. Now, with the launch of the Decaf Mexico San Cristobal, October has turned out to be a spoOoOoOoOoOky double feature!!
With hints of white chocolate, cashews and pears, this coffee fills the shoes, or should I say mug, of our ol’ reliable Decaf Colombia Amigos del Huila.
Why does D&W love you decaf coffee drinkers so much? Well, for many (most?) of us, we love coffee for two big reasons: it wakes us up and gives us energy, motivation, and makes the weight of existence a little more pleasant ( ❤ Caffeine ❤ ). Additionally, coffee is a tasty beverage, the direct result of the hard work of farmers, who grow the plant and carefully transform it into a high quality green coffee bean, and of our roasting, where we turn that green bean into a brown bean.
But when it comes to decaf coffee, it’s all about that tasty flavor. Decaf drinkers are some of the true coffee connoisseurs out there who are in it for a delicious and comforting beverage, not for the magnificent and glorious and life-giving and magical and breathtaking and spectacular effects from caffeine that I’m obsessed with and cannot live without. Hats off to you decaf drinkers!
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
It’s mid October and if you’re like me, you’ve been binge watching horror movies all month. So, after about two weeks of nightmares and feeling like you’re being followed home from your local Insomnia Coffee shop, something we can all use is ~a bit of comfort~.
Good thing that here at the D-dub, we like to offer a cauldron of different categories of coffees - Monsters, Apocalypse, Ghosts, Slashers, Witches… oh wait, these are scary movie categories. I meant to say, Robust, Fruity, Nuanced, and you guessed it: Comforting - just what we need this time of year. But the big twist at the end of this scary movie (are we talking about movies or coffee?) is that our returning comforting coffee, Guatemala Vizcaya IS TO DIE FOR!!!
With tasting notes of zombie eyes, spider eggs, ghoul breath, and graveyard rituals, this is one of my favorite horror movies I’ve seen all year. But Vizcaya is also one of our favorite coffees of the year because it reminds us of that comforting cup of coffee that we all grew up on. This chocolatey and nutty cup will be there in your time of need - in that spooky, disorienting and uneasy state you find yourself in between waking up from a nightmare and watching yet another scary movie.
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
You will need:
Coffee
Filtered water
Scale
Mason jar (32 oz.)
(Paper) towel
Rubber band
Mesh colander
Stirring utensil
Steps:
1. Grind 125g of your fave coffee on a medium-coarse grind. For this recipe, we used Colombia Luz Dary Polo. Throw it in a mason jar, add 600g of room temp filtered water, and stir.
2. Cover your mason jar with a (paper) towel and a rubber band. Let sit for 18-20 hours.
3. Place a pre-wet (paper) towel over a mesh colander and bowl. Remove the mason jar covering and stir the grounds thoroughly.
4. Pour entire contents of mason jar (including saturated coffee grounds) into the colander/wet towel.
5. Add about 4-6oz of filtered water to the mason jar to catch all remaining grounds. Pour into colander, smooth grounds, and allow the coffee to completely drain into the bowl.
6. Once drained, remove grounds and toss into the compost. Pour the cold brew concentrate back into the mason jar and fill all the way up to the top with filtered water.
7. Serve in separate glasses over ice. The remaining cold brew can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed for up to 7 days. Cheers!
Hey there dear reader. First off, thank you for reading :)
Secondly, new coffee! But first, a Q4U: Do you remember the first time you tasted a natural processed Ethiopian coffee? Or, even better, the first time you tasted one of these fruity lil delights next to a more chocolatey or nutty lil delight - aka a more coffee-like coffee? For many coffee industry folk, experiences like this will go on to become a pivotal moment in their life and maybe even in their coffee career.
But y tho. Well heck, give this brand new Ethiopia Natural Checho Bitta a try and find out for yourself! Or even better: brew it up next to your normal Cup of Joe(y) and have yourself one of those aforementioned pivotal moments.
We’ve been slurpin’ this coffee every day since we did our first lil trial roast. Yes, I’m biased because I (and the rest of the amazing roastery team here at D-dub - shoutout Jer, Bryce and Anthony) roast this coffee, but it really has tasted better and better each day.
Roasted coffee, in a way, is kinda like ice cream. Right out of the freezer, it’s great, but give it a few minutes to thaw, and things get better. Leave it out too long however, and it melts and becomes a big bummer. Similarly, a day or two after being roasted, that coffee’s going to taste delicious, but give it a week or two, and you know those flavors are boutta pop. Wait too long (hot topic in the coffee industry!) and we’ll have to say goodbye to some of that sweetness, and maybe even a hello to some stale notes.
Anyway, we decided to use these three ✧・゚: * tasting notes *:・゚✧ to describe what this coffee has to offer: mandarin, caramel and strawberry syrup. Everyone’s flavor experiences are valid and unique to their own experiences, so this coffee may serve up something a little different for you.
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
It’s a great day all around when we get to start playing with a new Kenya coffee here at the D-dub roastery. You know, we all have that thing in our lives - whether it’s a hobby (like skateboarding), a cute doggo (like my dog, Shredder), maybe a cat (like my li’l Jinx), or a beautiful old coffee roaster (like our Probat UG22).
(Pictured: Shredder sportin’ the D&W bandana)
I’m talkin’ about that thing that’s not only amazing right off the bat, but the more time you spend with it, the more you learn about it, appreciate it, and love it. For us at the roastery, these Natural processed coffee beans from the Thuura Women Group in Kenya are just that. This one is sparkly and fruity and everything else that we’ve learned to love about Kenyan coffees, and we’re stoked to share it with you.
We purchased this coffee from Jamii Coffee, our #1 favorite Kenyan coffee importer here at D&W. Jamii partners up with a coffee farmer by the name of Charles Mutwiri who, in 2018, began this project to help women earn an income through coffee farming. The group now has over 70 members and is registered as a women self-help association, many members of which are widowed, divorced or abandoned by their husbands. Unfortunately, in many cases in the coffee supply chain, women do not get compensated fairly for the work they do– but in this case, Jamii Coffee is able to get the money directly to the women who grew this delicious coffee for us. The coffee we present to you today is this group’s first ever harvest! It is amazing and we are lucky to have it, and humbled to share it with you. :’)
Click here to add this brand new roast to your cart now.
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
Welp, say your goodbyes to Colombia Amigos del Huila for the year, and say *~ hello ~* to another delicious coffee that is making its big debut on the D-dub shelves (and maybe in your morning mug??)
I’m talkin’ ‘bout, none other than, Peru Yanacocha! We’ve partnered up with our friends at Red Fox Coffee Merchants to bring you this STANDOUT Peruvian coffee. While we’ve purchased other Peruvian coffees through Red Fox before, this is the first that we’ve purchased from the Puno region, which is located in SE Peru, bordering Lake Titicaca. Specifically, this coffee comes from the Sandia Valley, which is a li’l more on the remote side of things, and known for that high quality good-good.
Because of this, Red Fox charges us a premium, which helps them continue to provide the necessary financing to these producers who can then continue to invest in quality if they want! We’re gonna nuzzle this coffee right into our ‘nuanced’ category, as it definitely represents that high quality reputation of the Puno region.
Change can be tough, but it can also be a good thing, ya? Anyway, more change: the time has come (for this year at least) to bid our farewells to our roast/interpretation/appreciation of the Washed Processed Ethiopia Demeka Becha. This coffee truly tastes better each year, and the roastery team is already looking forward to its return next year.
In its place, we’ll be getting to know the Washed Processed Ethiopia Hateso Dambi Uddo, which comes straight from the Guji region of Ethiopia. I’ll be honest - we don’t know this coffee very well yet. It’s been a few months since we last tasted it (it tasted like sparkly red wine and bright fruits and flowers and also a lot like coffee), and it basically just arrived in our roastery last week (yay freight delays!) Join us as we welcome and get to know this bright and fruity Ethiopian coffee!
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
Cool announcement this time around with a brand new coffee to the D-dub lineup: a delicious Colombian coffee, produced by Luz Dary Polo and brought to us by one of our favorite suppliers, Shared Source!
Luz Dary Polo is a member of the Los Guácharos producer group, and if that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because we’ve been purchasing coffee from one of their members, Edilma Piedrahita, for years now. (Edilma’s coffees though - if you know, you know.)
Luz Dary Polo’s coffee is super balanced and makes a great addition to our comforting coffee lineup. Not too bright, not too light, not too much anything. But! It’s got everything, and it’s all just perfectly balanced in that cup. If we had to choose three ways to describe it, we’d go with vanilla, toasted almond, and orange. It’s sweet, it’s creamy, it’s filled with those comforting sugar browning notes that go great with or without milk, all rounded out with a touch of acidity to tie it all together.
Yes, in bean form, Guatemala Lirios de Belén will now be off our menu. However, we stocked up on a bunch of these in Swift Cup instant coffee form! If you are yet to dip your toes into the world of ✧・゚: *✧・゚:* specialty *:・゚✧*:・゚✧ instant coffee, now may be a good time to belly flop right in!
Today’s news is a double feature! Like a sequel, but both at the same time, and actually not quite the same story line either. So not really a sequel, but it is another coffee! The Luz Dary Polo is not the only fresh crop Colombian coffee you’ll find on our shelves, because we are bringing back one of our all time favorites, Colombia Yamid Quinayas.
This coffee is a stellar example of what we mean by ‘nuanced’. Sip this one slowly, let it cool down in your cup; it’s got a story to tell, and it's worth getting comfortable and enjoying the ride! We are grateful to be connected to this coffee and producer through our importing partner Shared Source, and we are stoked to invite you into the story at the other end of the supply chain as the final coffee sipper <3
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
Welcome to this week’s Coipa Joey, where you can read all about the newest addition to our coffee lineup:
A truly comforting coffee filled with what reminds us of milk chocolate, honey and red apple. You're looking at what just might be your next morning go-to. This particular coffee is pulped (fruity layers removed), fermented for 28 hours (this adds flavor as well as loosens up the cute lil sticky bits left on the bean), cleaned (bye cute lil sticky bits), and then dried on raised beds for 13 days (resulting in a shelf stable lil bean ready to travel across the ocean on a big boat filled with other commodities.)
Holding the door open for La Coipa is good ol’ Darabiel Osorio’s coffee, which happens to be on its way out of the building. You’re probably saying, “See you next year, Darabiel, and great to meet you La Coipa.” (So am I.)
We look forward to Darabiel’s return next year, but in the meantime, let’s spend some time and get to know this new Coipa coiffee.
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
Dalgona Coffee AKA Whipped Coffee AKA the viral TikTok challenge of 2020 AKA a very delightful summer treat. The Korean word ‘dalgona’ directly translates to ‘honeycomb toffee’ and it originates from a traditional Korean sponge candy. It preceded the whipped coffee trend.
As summer begins to heat up once again, we are inspired by that recipe and wanted to share it with you today. Plus, use code *DALGONA* for 15% off instant coffees until 6/30/22. Happy first week of summer!
INGREDIENTS:
STEPS:
If you’re a coffee lover, chances are there is a special place in your heart/coffee mug for Kenyan coffees.
Beginning Wednesday June 15, we are stoked to share our first Kenyan coffee of 2022. We talkin’ bout none other than the Rui Ruiru Grade C Natural!
Starting its journey in Nyeri, Kenya, this coffee comes from over 200 farmers, delivered to the Rui Ruiru washing station, then across oceans all the way to our roastery in Hillsboro, OR. A journey made possible thanks to Jamii Coffee.
Jamii Coffee deserves all the shout outs for all the reasons. To start, this particular coffee is truly delicious. It checks all those boxes for us Kenyan coffee lovers out there, while introducing us to even more checked boxes we never knew existed. Additionally, and more importantly, Jamii is actively working to improve an opaque and often inequitable system in Kenya. We at the Ddub still have much to learn, but we do know that coffee passes through many hands before even leaving Kenya, and historically, the farmers themselves have taken on much of the risk and financial burden throughout the process (AKA not always a very fair system). Jamii challenges this system by offering an alternative avenue for farmers to sell their coffee. Jamii’s route offers farmers transparent and timely payment structures, and by covering the costs for milling, farmer’s do not have to shoulder so much risk!
Maintaining quality while supporting smallholder farmers is no small feat. We’re proud to be working with such a humble and well intentioned importer such as Jamii Coffee, and are just as proud to share this coffee with you <3
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
...and Dad’s Day is just around the corner. We asked Owner Tyler and Owner Evan to give us a little inspiration when it comes to gifts for Dad. Here’s their top 10 favorite gift ideas for Father’s Day! Plus, receive 10% off on all D&W featured items 😉
TYLER –
EVAN –
We hope this list helps inspire you with ways to celebrate all of the dads and dad-like figures in your life this year. From now until June 19th, enjoy 10% OFF all D&W Father’s Day products listed above.
]]>This coffee comes from a producer named Gereno Bore (“Geh-Reynoh Bor-ay”) straight outta the Sidama region of Ethiopia.
If you’re one of those coffee drinkers who reads those labels on the bag, then you may begin to notice some patterns for how certain coffees tend to taste. For instance, for some people, Colombian coffees tend to have a green apple acidity, and for others, natural processed Ethiopian coffees, with their berry sweetness, are just the GOAT. Of course there are countless exceptions to these patterns, which can be fun, but it’s like seeing an old friend again when a new coffee brings you back to that cup profile you’ve grown to love and expect.
So, if you’re a fan of natural processed Ethiopian coffees, consider Gereno Bore’s coffee an old friend, and I know that it’s been too long since y’all have seen each other. Fruit forward, heavy body, all rounded out with muffiny notes (we get bran muff muff). Nice to have you back, you GOAT of a coffee.
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
Is the D-dub roastery bringing back a D&W classic? You Becha. Is this particular coffee sweet and fruity? One could say, “ya, you Becha.” Is this coffee the Ethiopia Washed Demeka Becha? Yup - you Becha.
This coffee comes straight out of Ethiopia’s famous Sidama region, and if this is not a region you are familiar with, one sip is all you’re gonna need to appreciate what the coffee plants and the people there have to offer. Last year, when I first met this coffee, it was what some coffee people would label as ‘past crop’. This is one of those loosely defined terms in the coffee world, but I understand it to refer to coffee from last year’s harvest that is still around when the current year’s harvest is coming in (or has already come in.)
Anyways, as soon as we met, we hit it off right away. Demeka Becha not only made itself right at home in the roastery, but it also got along great with our Probat roaster. I even saw them holding hands when I came into work one morning! And, despite this coffee being ‘past crop’ at the time, it was definitely serving up that fruity cup profile that we know and love Sidama for. Now, we have that new-new on the shelves for you-you, and it’s tasting better than ever :)
Qore Biloya’s stay on our menu was short and sweet (and by sweet, you know I’m referring to our tasting notes of red berries and nougat.) We hope you enjoyed this coffee, and I hope that if I were to ask you if you’re excited about the Demeka Becha returning, you’d respond with a ‘you Becha’.
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re sharing our go-to Chemex recipe for two. Generally speaking, we use a 1:15 ratio and adjust as necessary, depending on the individual roast. If you’d prefer a visual we have linked a quick video tutorial here for you, and if you need a restock on beans or want to order an e-gift card– you know where to find us!
Enjoy!
]]>Where my classic coffee lovers at? I’m lookin at you, Alisa - who I know starts every morning off with that cup of coffee filled with chocolatey and nutty flavors. You too, Howard! I know how you love that solid and familiar Guatemalan coffee for your oat milk creamer on your walk to the park with your dog Penny. Did I just make these people up? We may never know, but we do know that we all see a little bit of ourselves in Alisa and Howard, don’t we?
As we welcome back this coffee, we must say our farewells to the Guatemala Vizcaya. Thank you for everything, Vizcaya, and we look forward to seeing you next year :) Keep your eyes open for our Guatemala Lirios de Belén. Give this coffee a shot.
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
Time to grab your cup of joe, sit yourself down, and read your Cup of Joey :)
The entire company is STOKED to get Edilma Piedrahita’s coffee back on our menu once again. This name may be familiar to some of you who have been joining us on our coffee journey for some time (thank you, we love you!), but for those of you who have not yet met Edilma’s coffee, we are so honored to introduce you. Today (4/5) is the official launch date of this year’s crop, so be sure to jump on it!
Now time for the sad news: As we say hello to Edilma, we must say goodbye to Yamid Quinayas. Don’t worry though, we’ll be sure to get more of Yamid’s coffee next year because this coffee is steadily becoming a crowd favorite.
If you’re one of those coffee people who’s really into Ethiopian coffees (is this not all of us?) then check this out!
As we’ve roasted through the last of our washed process Damo Shanta Golba, we’ve now moved straight into our washed Qore Biloya. I’ve recently seen this coffee being offered on a couple other roastery’s menus, and so I did what any other coffee roaster nerd would do - I bought some bags to see what I can look forward to workin’ with! We’ve got some (friendly) competition for sure, but I can promise you that the D&W roast will be up there with the others, and always with the goal of doing justice to all the hard work that helped bring this quality coffee to our roastery. We hope you love it!
In addition to all this, it is getting time to say our goodbyes to the fruit bomb that is Ethiopia Natural Bensa Screen 13. For those who have had this coffee, this may be some very sad news. “Screen 13” refers to the very ~ smol ~ bean sizes, and personally, I will miss seeing those cuties around the roastery, not to mention the delicious cup of coffee they create. But not all hope is lost, for, beginning this Thursday (4/7), we will be moving straight into a different (and also very delicious) natural Ethiopian coffee, namely, Tadesse Yonka Gamacho. Syrupy and fruity, this coffee is more than worthy to follow in Bensa’s footsteps.
Thanks for tuning into this week’s extra special version of Cup of Joey!
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager
Some exciting stuff is on the horizon over here at the D-dub roastery. Get ready to mark your calendars and prepare your mornings for some delicious new and returning faves over the next month.
For the past couple years, we have been buying a certain coffee called ‘Amigos del Huila’, which is a blend of coffees straight out of Colombia. The name ‘Amigos del Huila’ comes from the importer we work with to get this coffee, Shared Source, who creates this community blend by combining coffees from several producers. While the quality of each individual coffee in this lot may not be the best of the best, through intentional cupping and QC, Shared Source has created a blend that just might be better than the sum of its parts, in terms of quality.
Personally, this coffee is always a standout to me, and it just warms my morning mug to see it on our shelves again! This coffee will be filling the shoes of another community lot that we’ve been offering, namely, our Guatemala Highland Smallholder Blend.
Until next time,
-Joey Dolin, Roastery Manager