Well, hello again! Surprised to hear from me again so soon? So am I! This summer, coffees are flying off of our shelves, so we’ve had to do some sneaky soft launches. Two of which I’m about to fill you in on, so come close and get HYPED for two more coffees from your fave roasters!
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