We are proud to present DAK from Amsterdam, Netherlands, in our April’s box!
Founded in 2019, you are quite a new player on Amsterdam’s coffee scene. What’s that like?
Yes, we have only been operating for about 9 months, and Amsterdam has a lot of good roasters and cafes. One of the things that attracted me to the specialty coffee industry, however, is the importance that variety and choice play in driving demand. Consumers are more than willing to try new roasters and new coffees, so we try to focus on the quality of the coffee first. But then again so does everyone else, including the famous and renowned roasters! We then have to find innovative ways to get our coffees in front of (or in the cups of) customers. We try to use eye-catching branding and limited edition coffees so that customers remember DAK!
What inspired you to start the roastery? Have you got any tips for someone who wants to start roasting?
I have always been a heavy coffee drinker, but I have to confess that used to drink plenty of Tim Hortons (Canadian cheap coffee) with lots of sugar and cream (oups)... It was when I lived in Milan and then in London that I got exposed to different coffee cultures and really became obsessed with specialty coffee (brewing different ways, roasting at home, etc.). From that point on, coffee was the main focus in my wife’s and my trips, we loved trying coffees in different ways and in different settings. Eventually, the obsession was too much to handle and we had to start our own thing.
In terms of tips for someone who wants to start roasting, I would advise to understand the chemical reactions that occur inside the bean and are responsible for the flavours of the end-product. Apart from that, like all roasters would advise: cup cup cup!
What’s the vision for Dak Coffee Roasters?
Dak coffee roasters prides itself in its sustainable approach to coffee selection, packaging, shipping, etc. We think coffee is such an important industry across the world that it is really the only way to approach it, as I am sure most specialty coffee roasters would say the same. We also think that coffee is a unique product in how comforting and emotional it is for a lot of people. Our vision is really to explore and push coffee as a lifestyle, and really to celebrate what we believe is the best beverage in the world!
We are currently roasting in a co-roasting facility so one of our dream would be to have our own roastery with a coffee counter, but let’s see where the next years bring us!
We have three delicious coffees from you in our April's box (Sonora from Costa Rica, Chelelektu from Ethiopia, and Nemba from Burundi). What makes these coffees special to you?
• Sonora: this particular natural Costa Rican is one of our all-time favorites. We always cup samples blind and this particular coffee completely blew us away! With a juicy mouthfeel and notes Raspberry, Mint and Peach it is hard not to like.
• Chelelektu: a washed Ethiopian that has a clean cup with floral aromas and notes of Dark Chocolate and Mango. This is actually the first coffee we selected when we started Dak. We were a bunch of friends around my kitchen table doing a cupping and the Chelelektu was unanimous.
• Nemba: Our most recent addition. I became really interested in coffee from Burundi when I found out that 20% of the total population of the country is involved in coffee, fascinating. It is a Red Bourbon natural with a very pleasant citrusy sweetness and notes of strawberry.
In April we sent the following coffees…
Sonora
Origin: Costa Rica
Process: Natural
Altitude: 1200m
Varieties: Bourbon
Tasting notes: Raspberry, Mint, Peach, Juicy, Caramel
Hacienda Sonora is located at the foot of the Poás volcano in Costa Rica. The vegetation and rich volcanic soil creates perfect conditions for growing great coffee. Producer Alberto has had his farm here for more than 45 years, and today he runs the farm together with his son Diego. With a focus on natural and honey processed coffees, their coffees obtain high sweetness with enhanced fruit notes. This coffee has notes of raspberry, mint, peach and caramel.
Chelelektu
Origin: Ethiopia
Process: Fully Washed
Altitude: 1850m
Varieties: Heirloom
Tasting notes: Dark Chocolate, Blackberry, Mango, Honey
The Chelelektu washing station is located in the Kochere region of Ethiopia. It was established in 2010 and now processes almost 1000 tons of coffee cherries from 360 neighbouring producers. The farmers bring their ripe cherries to Chelelektu for processing. The altitude ranges between 1300-2200 meters making it one of the most altitudinally diverse washing stations in Yirgacheffe. This particular coffee offers a clean cup with notes of dark chocolate, blackberry, mango and honey.
Nemba
Origin: Burundi
Process: Natural
Altitude: 1700m
Varieties: Red Bourbon
Tasting notes: Blood orange, Blueberry, Strawberry, Chocolate
The Nemba washing station is located in the province of Kayanza in northern Burundi. More than 3000 smallholder farmers deliver coffee to the station, which has over 200 drying tables and can process up to 750 tons of coffee cherries annually. The government tightly controls the coffee industry to maintain exceptionally high quality. This natural processed coffee is a great example of a coffee from Burundi and has notes of blood orange, blueberry, strawberry and chocolate.
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