NANO KAFFEE BERLIN

Nano Kaffee was founded in 2014 and is a hub for speciality coffee in Berlin. Their roasts are developed with perfectionism and they love to make speciality coffee accessible for everyone.

GIKIRIMA

The Gikirima factory is situated on the slopes of Mount Kenya and is one of the main coffee growing areas in the country. The one thousand members of Kibugu Farmers Cooperation Society take advantage of the land with its rich volcanic soils and favourable coffee growing conditions. These conditions give the coffee its intense fruity sweetness and clean character. The main goal of this washing station is to promote trust-based relationships with smallholder farmers, support them through training and seminars and introduce Kenyan coffee growers into sustainable farming.

CAJAMARCA

Peru is often considered as a newcomer to the speciality coffee scene but it has already proven its potential of growing some outstanding coffee. Cajamarca region has produced some of the most impressive coffees so far from Peru in which we find delicious blackcurrant and grapefruit hints. The farmers may encounter challenges when delivering their coffees to town and infrastructure on their land is also in need of attention. Because of this there is a stable movement among the producers: away from unprofitable subsistence farming and forward into seeing quality coffee production as a viable business.

CACHOEIRINHA

This coffee takes its name after a small waterfall and is grown in the mountain valley of Cachoeirinha in the southeastern part of Brazil. Three families farm their individual parts, but together they care for the springs and streams that run across the whole land. The growers also work together on a new coffee production model for the regionas they plan to bring more sustainable development to the farm and apply new technologies. Their main aim is to raise the potential of the coffee as of high-quality drink. This coffee has a smooth feeling with hints of macadamia and apricot as well as sweet notes of honey.

Hope you enjoy!

Gringo Nordic

Fresh from Gothenburg’s specialty coffee scene, let us introduce Gringo Nordic Coffee Roasters as our August’s roaster!

Gringo Nordic started roasting this year, but the team behind the roastery has many years of experience from other coffee companies such as Johan & Nyström and Gevalia. This month, we had the pleasure to ship three very special coffees.

LA SIBERIA HONEY

Origin: El Salvador
Process: Honey
Variety: Pacamara
Altitude: 1450 masl
Flavour: Peach, mandarine & milk chocolate

The team behind Gringo Nordic have known Carmen & Rafael Da Silva, the producers of this coffee, for 15 years and visited their farms several times. Gringo Nordic describes how they always surprise them with their improvements and experiments. This micro lot is a honey processed coffee on the large sized variety Pacamara. The coffee has a sweet and soft taste of peach, mandarine and milk chocolate.

GUJI ORGANIC

Origin: Ethiopia
Process: Natural
Variety: Local heirloom
Altitude: 1800 - 2130 masl
Flavour: Fruit, sweet berries & vanilla

The small region Guji in the south of Ethiopia produces some of the worlds most exciting coffees. The quality is incredible. This natural processed coffee from small-holder farmers at Dimtu Tero is one of them. The coffee has been dried in its pulp and has got notes of dried fruit, sweet berries and vanilla. Compared to what is often found in specialty coffee, this coffee is not only produced according to organic principles, it’s also certified organic.

Our tasting box members also received…

KIANGAI AA

Origin: Kenya
Process: Washed
Variety: SL28 & SL34
Altitude: 1700 - 1800 masl
Flavour: Green apple, lemonade & elderflower

This fine Kenyan coffee is from the region Kirinyaga in Nyeri. 900 small-holder farmers bring their coffee to the Kiangai washing station. The coffee of the varieties SL28 and SL34 is grown in red volcanic soil, a soil rich in minerals. This coffee has notes of green apple, lemonade and elderflower. An elegant and complex coffee that tastes just as good warm as it does chilled with ice.

We hoped you enjoyed this month’s box! Don’t miss out on our next box.

BALCK COFFEE

JULY'S COFFEE ROASTER

Balck Coffee wants to take a step in the opposite direction to what the commercial coffee companies do. This means that Balck Coffee keeps track of the whole process from plant to cup. Everything sums up in a café in Kalmar, Sweden. A café that's hard not to like.

RWANDA - HUYE MOUNTAIN PB
David Rubanzangabo is connected to 500 local farmers in South Butare where minimal impact on the environment and organic farming are important cornerstones in their philosophy of coffee. The farming is fully organic and the high quality is withheld partly thanks to microloans the farmers get to consistently have water flowing in the washing processing of the coffee. Huye Mountain grows amazing coffee with a philosophy that resonates with Balck Coffee's values as a roastery: fair conditions and a great respect for nature. Rwanda is one of Balck Coffees favourite countries for coffee. A real treat from the heart of Africa.

COLOMBIA - LA CONCHITA #2
Antioquia is typically known for large coffee estates serving the commercial grade market, and this is still much the case. However, things might be changing as the younger generation is beginning to take over the production. Juan David Cardona is one of the producers Balck Coffee are working with in Antioquia. Together with a group of other young producers they have formed a group led by Juan Saldarriaga and supported by Nordic Approach that is looking at coffee production in this region with a new perspective. This proves why Antioquia has a massive potential with a cup profile that is distinct and different from the other Colombians.

Our Tasting Box members also recevied↓

ETIOPIA - DIIMA #4
In Denbi Uddo in the Guji districts of southern Ethiopia, coffee farmer Faysel Abdosh runs Gigesa, a young coffee plantation cooperative which started in 2014. Since then Faysel and his team have built a school to support 1,000 students. They have future plans for building more schools and also dare to dream about generating a source of clean water for their community. This farming method gives the Diima Lot #4 a clean cup with sweet flavours and characteristics of tropical fruit. Balck has developed great respect and seen Faysel’s intentions firsthand to select and process only the highest-grade coffee. Balck Coffee loved this coffee so much that they decided to purchase the entire crop!

Enjoy!

Fortitude Coffee Roasters

Summer started early in Europe this year, as June arrived we had already had a couple of months of summer’s heat. Luckily, June’s box tasted just as good cold as it did warm. For the month of June our featured roastery is Fortitude Coffee Roasters from Edinburgh, UK.

Fortitude Coffee roasters roasts all their coffees on a red Diedrich roaster. This is where the magic happens. Their first production roast hit the shelves late 2016. They have since roasted coffee of splendid quality.

CHIRINKU
This coffee has been dried in the sun on so called ”African drying beds” for approximately 12-15 days. In the daytime the cherries need to be raked permanently in order to ensure a consistent drying process. In the daytime, it will be covered from 12 to 3 pm in order to protect from hot sun, as well as, when the night comes, the beds are carefully covered to protect it from rainfall.

LA PALMA
La Palma is the town closest to the farms of this coffee’s both producers. Both farmers are members of the El Santuario Association which works with small scale producers in Catamarca to expand the presence of high quality Caturra, Typica and Bourbon. Large capacity solar tents will be installed to give producers a greater drying capacity since the climate in northern Peru is often wet and unpredictable. 

NGUGI-INI
Ngugu-ini Factory is part of the Kibirigwi Cooperative Society, together with another 8 washing stations. While the society is registered in Karatina Town (part of Nyeri), the factory is actually situated on the Ngugu-ini and Kiania Road side of the county line. The factory has 1,450 active members, making it the second largest cooperative in Kirinyaga County.

We hope you've enjoyed June's box!

Puchero

After a long journey, Paloma and Marco decided to start a roastery located in Valladolid. It's their life project, based on quality and attention to details. We're happy to introduce Puchero as May's roastery.

NGUGU-INI
Ngugu-ini Factory is part of the Kibirigwi Cooperative Society, together with another 8 washing stations.  This coffee comprises two varietals: SL28 and SL34, which both are mutations of Bourbon and Typica. This factory has 1,450 active members, and sadly their last season’s production dropped significantly due to adverse weather conditions. Luckily, this cup quality is high and the coffee has tastes of apricot and orange blossom and is delicate and sweet.

KELLOO
Kelloo comes from the region Guji. Family members of smallholder farmers pick small amounts of coffee and then sell and deliver it at the washing station.  At the wetmill, they are working to increase the quality and for better processing at the washing station. This Ethiopian coffee, Kelloo, develops a very floral aroma, with complex tasting notes of plum, violet, white chocolate and wild fruit. It is delicate and complex, full of brightness, with a buttery texture.

NYANGWE
Nyangwe is a farm located on the hills surrounding the town of Kayanza, northern Burundi. Nyangwe is one of many smallholder owned farms whose yearly crop is delivered to the nearby Mpanga washing station for processing. This season’s Nyangwe lot is fully washed and has undergone a single, 13-hour fermentation, before being dried on raised beds for 20 to 22 days depending on the weather. Nyangwe is sweet and full-bodied, with notes of red grape, raisin and brown sugar.

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Keen Coffee

The Netherland’s coolest roastery Keen Coffee has delivered some splendid coffees. Let us introduce you to February’s box!

Keen Coffee has one goal: to lift the coffee scene to an even higher level. This is seen in everything they do. Keen works directly with their farmers and only roasts the highest quality coffees, looking for the most unique flavor profiles.

Located outside of the capital, Keen Coffee follows their everyday quest, to strive for perfection and not settling for it. We hope you enjoyed February’s box! 

SHEMBATI
Origin: Burundi
Altitude: 1800 MASL
Varietal: Red Bourbon
Process: Washed
Flavour: Citrus & Berries

The team of Shembati washing station are working hard to produce and process the high quality coffee you are about to drink. It is a great example of a Burundian coffee, which are known to have a great sweetness. When brewed you will get a balanced cup with fresh citric notes and berries, together with a sweet chocolate finish.

LOS VASCOS
Origin: Colombia
Altitude: 1950 MASL
Varietal: Caturra
Process: Washed
Flavour: Caramel & Chocolate

Included in the 2x250 and 3x100 Tasting box.

Los Vascos’ coffee farmers originates from Spain's northern regions. Los Vascos translates to “The Basques”. The coffee importer of this coffee is known for investing a lot in the local farmers as well as in mills and cupping labs. With their aim at sustainability we hope you like this coffee which has notes of sweet caramel, milk chocolate and red fruits.

DANILO
Origin: Costa Rica
Altitude: 1800 MASL
Varietal: Caturra & Catuai
Process: Anaerobic Fermentation
Flavour: Cinnamon & Sugar cane

Exclusive for the 3x100 Tasting box.

On top of a mountain ridge in West Alley, you will find the beautiful location of Danilo’s plantation. Danilo has previously delivered the coffee that Keen Coffee has used in the World Brewers Cup. The cinnamon notes are very distinct in this microlot. You will also find notes of sugar cane, yellow stone fruit and passion fruit.

Do you want to get freshly roasted coffee to your doorstep? Join our coffee subscription!

Cloud Picker

How can a year possibly start better than with great coffee? Our first roaster 2018 is the fantastic coffee roaster Cloud Picker Coffee from Dublin, Ireland.

From Cloud Picker we sent three fantastic coffees from Rwanda, Guatemala and Costa Rica. What a month!

Don't miss out on our next box!

Don Gallo

We’re proud to introduce you to our December’s roaster Don Gallo. Our first ever shipment from Spain! 

For the month of December the following coffees were sent out:

MORMORA ESTATE
Origin: Ethiopia
Altitude: 1900 - 2000 MASL
Process: Natural
Flavour: Floral & Strawberry

Hundreds of families grow their coffee cherries in the area around Mormora Estate, located in the region of Guji, Shakisso, in Ethiopia. The farmers gather their coffees for sorting and processing. This natural processed coffee has notes of floral, strawberry, lime and chocolate.

DOLMIN MORENO
Origin: Honduras
Altitude: 1550 - 1600 MASL
Process: Washed
Flavour: Blackberry & Peach

Included in the 2x250 and 3x100 Tasting box.

Dolmin has been managing his own farm since 2013. Through hard work, he has managed to place this coffee in the top 20 during the 2014 and 2015 Cup of Excellence competitions. Together with his father, the family has built a coffee farming dynasty in Santa Barbara, El Cedral in Honduras. This coffee has notes of blackberry, lemon soda and peach.

NILO MARTINEZ
Origin: Colombia
Altitude: 1950 - 2200 MASL
Process: Lactic
Flavour: Passion fruit & Milk

Exclusive for the 3x100 Tasting box.

Nilo’s farm Jalisco is located in El Naranjal in Colombia. It is one of the neighbouring farms to La Palma & El Tucán, a famous Colombian coffee farm, where this coffee is processed. The lactic process is what brings out the distinct flavours of this special coffee. Expect notes of passion fruit, peach, milk and chocolate.

Don't miss out on our next shipment! Join for the next month's box

Nord Brenneri

We had a chat with Roast Master Nikolai at our August's roaster Nord Brenneri from Oslo, Norway.

How did Nord start?

The concept behind Nord was born several years ago, when Joakim Strand and his two companions opened a restaurant and deli at Bjølsen in Oslo. The idea was to purchase as much as possible directly from local Norwegian farmers and to give the customers extraordinary and unique products and food. The business went well, and they opened their first bakery. Soon, several coffee shops followed and a coffee roastery, located in the basement of the shop at Grünerløkka. The different locations had, at that time, all individual names, so to unite everything into one concept, Nord was founded in 2015. The same year the roastery moved to a more spacy location at Tveita and a brand new Diedrich coffee roaster was bought. Today Nord consists of 10 coffee shops, where one is also a wine bar, the bakery and the coffee roastery.

What drove you to the specialty coffee business?

My journey into specialty coffee started in 2009, when I started working as a barista. I instantly got fascinated by the complexity of flavors in the different coffees and was impressed by the immense amount of dedication that was invested in every single bean. I soon got inspired by the idea of direct trade and understood how inhumane the conditions are in the conventional coffee marked. A combination of this drove me further into the business, from barista to cup tasting champion, green buyer and now roast master.

How has Nord changed if you compare today, with the day you started roasting?

When I started roasting for Nord, in 2015, the roastery had just moved to Tveita. Joakim and I were doing the roasting on an old Probat P12 and there were only six coffee shops. My focus since the beginning has been to improve the quality of the coffee and to always have traceability to the farms and cooperatives that produce it. One of the first steps in improving the quality was the installation of a Diedrich CR-25, which has given us the opportunity to get more control of the roast and to develop profiles which give more distinct flavors and complexity to the cup. The increased capacity of the roaster has also made it possible to expand, and today we are steadily growing, getting new customers and hiring more staff. Last year, former Norwegian Barista champion, Lise Rømo also joined the team. She is both roasting coffee and educating our baristas with the goal of being the best in town.

How do you think Nord will evolve in the future? Have you got any specific goals?

Even though the competition in Oslo’s coffee scene is really tough, with other roasteries like Kaffa, Tim Wendelboe, Supreme Roast Works and S&H, we have been able to get a great reputation and solid customer base. Many of the most exciting new startups in Oslo wants to have our coffee, which I think is great. I hope that we will continue on the same track, inspiring people to focus on some of the same values as us; buying local foods and products directly from small producers, excluding unnecessary middle men, having traceability in everything from our coffee to the grains in our bread and vegetables in our salads.

A lot has happened in specialty coffee the last few years. What are you most excited about regarding the growth and development of specialty coffee? Will there be a ”fourth wave”?

I think that the most exciting thing is that there are a lot more people buying and enjoying specialty coffee. At least in Oslo there is a shift towards more focus on sustainability, environment, quality of food and products and on health. Drinking specialty coffee is something that contributes in a good way to all these ideas. I would love to see that the results of the fourth wave were that everyone bought coffee that was purchased for a fair price, grown in a sustainable way and roasted and brewed with care.

In Sweden we like to drink our coffee with a piece of cake or a cinnamon bun. What is the best way of enjoying a cup of Nord?

Our bakery also makes fantastic cinnamon buns which are a super combo with the coffee. I personally like to drink it pure and black, by itself. If I should pair it with anything, it would be a piece of dark chocolate.

Many of our members are trying Nord for the first time. What can they expect?

They should expect clean and flavorful coffees. Roasted light, but given enough time to develop sweetness and a lot of interesting flavors.

Don't miss out on our next box! We ship delicious coffees from Europes specialty coffee roasters every month.

Nordbeans

This summer we had the fortune to ship from our first ever Czech roaster. Very welcome Nordbeans! We couldn't be more excited.

Nordbeans gives us their story:

We're based in Liberec, just in the north of the country – hence the name of the company. We pride ourselves in working closely with growers, millers, cafés and other wonderful people who are working hard to grow, source, develop and serve unique coffees to customers in Czechia and Europe.

Though we have worked in coffee since 2007, we started roasting coffee only in 2015. The origins of the company are bound with brothers Martin Kozel and Karel Kozel, we maintain family-like spirit despite growing a little bit in last 2 years.

We’re very happy to do go the “extra mile” with our partners in coffeeshops – when travelling Czechia, you can find our customers proudly serving espresso we’ve custom-tailored with their baristas and perhaps provide on exclusive basis to them.

Two out of three coffees showcased through Bean Portal come from growers we’ve visited personally and where we aim for long term relationships. Though we work closely with growers in several countries, our main origin involvement remains in Colombia.

This month's box included the Rwandan Nyungwe Pb #35, Kiumu Estate AB from Kenya and last but not least, for our Tasting Box customers only - Cocondo Organico, a very limited natural processed coffee from Colombia.

Nordbeans was featured in our July's box - sent out 28th July.

Don't want to miss our next box?

Man Vs Machine

The month of June was quite a remarkable one. We featured Man Vs Machine from Munich, Germany!

For the month of June we sent coffee from the different origins. Maria Suyapa La Flor from Honduras, Yobani Ramos from Colombia and exclusively for our Tasting Box customers - the beautiful Jaguara PB from Brazil. This was the very first time we shipped a Brazilian coffee!

JAGUARA PB
Origin: Brazil, Minas Gerais
Farm: Jaguara
Varietal: Yellow Catuai
Processing: Natural
Altitude: 1.040 m
Cupping Notes: Toffee, Sweet, Creamy 

YOBANI RAMOS
Origin: Colombia, Huila
Farm: Finca La Fuente
Varietal: Caturra
Processing: Washed
Altitude: 1.800 m
Cupping Notes: Nectarine, Lemon, Delicate

MARIA SUYAPA LA FLOR
Origin: Honduras, Poso Negro
Farm: La Flor
Varietal: Catuai
Processing: Washed
Altitude: 1852 m
Cupping Notes: Fruity, Juicy, Lime 

If your not yet a member - don't miss out on our next box!

LIPPE

For the month of May we visit our neighbour in the west, Norway. This month's roastery is Lippe. We had a chat with founder Alexander.

What’s the story behind Lippe and where does the name Lippe come from?

It is the family name of the founders of the company  (Alexander and Pia Von der Lippe)

You’ve been in the coffee business for quite some time, how has the Oslo coffee scene changed since you started?

Our company was initially established in 1998 and we have been roasting and marketing coffee under the Lippe brand name since 2007 so we have of course seen a lot of changes and have proudly worked with many great local and international personalities over the years.

During that time we have grown steadily and have seen Oslo’s coffee scene go from strength to strength so much so that many now, throughout the world, look to the Norwegian/Scandinavian light-roast style as a benchmark in specialty coffee roasting. Besides this we have seen cafes right across Oslo and Norway embracing specialty coffee. It’s great to see specialty coffee now reach such a larger audience.

What is your best coffee experience? Do you have a favourite cup of coffee that you can’t forget about? 

One coffee that stands out in Pia and Alexander’s minds are those produced by Brazil’s Heimen Coffee. Harvested at around 2000masl.

What is the best part about working with coffee?

Not wanting to sound cliché but offering a product that we are passionate about, working with this product in an industry that is constantly evolving, improving and progressing is always exciting.

What is the vision for Lippe, where will you be in 5/10 years?

5-10 years is a lot of time in specialty coffee but, we plan to be here at the forefront of the specialty roasting scene in Scandinavia. We will be roasting some of our favourite coffees, offering them to an even larger international audience. In the short-term we have many exciting things coming up, including a pop-up cafe with our friends Mobil Kaffebar in a hidden inner-city garden which will have table tennis, boules, badminton, lots of fun and great hot and cold coffee. We are also preparing to launch our own bottled cold brew coffee for the summer, we have a new webshop in the works and we are looking forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary next year. 

Have you got a favourite brewing recipe?

Right now we are most enjoying cold brewed Gathaiti and Fabian Zarama! 

Many of our members will try your coffee for the very first time. What can they expect?

The Fabian Zarama microlot from Colombia, the Gathaiti AA and the Mbrizi from Burundi are all outstanding coffees we really hope that your subscribers will like the coffees! They will be experiencing the true Norwegian taste of lightly roasted coffee which think lets the coffee taste its best. It allows the complex and fruity flavours of these truly special coffees to stand out. We would recommend brewing at around 65-70g per liter.

Do you want to explore Europe's coffee scene? Join our coffee club!

Kafferostare Per Nordby

For the month of April it feels good to be back in Göteborg, Sweden’s second largest city. We are happy to introduce Kafferostare Per Nordby as our April’s roaster.

From Per Nordby we shipped three very diverse coffees from three different continents: South America, Africa and Asia.

NINGA HILL

Origin: Burundi
Producer: Ninga Hill farmers
Altitude: 1900 masl
Varietal: Bourbon
Process: Washed
Flavour: Sweet aromatics, peach, red grapefruit & orange blossom

On one of the thousand green hills in the province of Kayanza, Burundi, is the small society Ninga located. This coffee comes from a quality focused micro lot program started by Long Mile Bukeye washing station together with the farmers of Ninga Hill. This sweet coffee has notes of peach, red grapefruit and orange blossom. 

LA PICONA

Origin: Nicaragua
Producer: Olga Marina
Altitude: 1300 - 1500 masl
Varietal: Maracaturra
Process: Washed
Flavour: Juicy, hibiscus, almond & black tea

Included in the 2x250 and 3x100 Tasting box.

Finca La Picona is located in the middle of a nature reserve in Dipilto, Las Manos, Nicaragua. The area has a unique micro climate. Doña Olga runs the farm together with her husband. Their son Samuel runs a plot of the farm on his own. This is a juicy coffee with notes of hibiscus, almond and black tea. 

JAVASUNDA

Origin: Indonesia
Producer: Klaski Bean Coop
Altitude: 1200 - 1500 masl
Varietal: Tipica & Catimor
Process: Semi-washed
Flavour: Raisins, dired fruit & fresh tobacco

Only included in the 3x100 Tasting box.

Indonesia’s island Java is the world’s most populated island and is famous for its coffee. This is, however, the first time we tried specialty graded coffee from Indonesia. We are stoked to see what they will bring us in the future. This is a taste of Indonesia’s specialty movement.

Don't miss out on our next coffee box. You deserve better coffee!

Good Life Coffee

This month we’re in the capital of Finland, Helsinki, at the roastery Good Life Coffee. With the motto "Avoid Bad Life" they do everything to make your life better serving some of the best coffee you can get in Finland.

We had a talk with Samuli, the owner of Good Life Coffee.

How did Good Life Coffee start?

Good Life Coffee is the brainchild of Lauri Pipinen (3 times Finnish champion, barista, brewers and latte art). He had just won the barista championship and at the time was working at Kaffa Roastery and looking for opening his own place. The cafe opening day was five years ago 18.4.2012. 

In the early days the cafe was a fairly typical multi-roaster cafe but Lauri had the idea of an own Good Life Coffee roastery and asked if I was interested. After some time of planning what we would want to do the roastery was established in early 2014 and the first coffees were out in October. 

What drove you to the coffee business?

Coffee is very interesting and multifaceted. At first it's mostly about the effect than about the taste which evolves to social responsibility. Personally I felt that Finland was lacking a top notch roastery with a focus on delivering the best quality coffees possible while doing it responsibly. 

There are many great specialty coffee bars in Helsinki. How was the Helsinki coffee scene when Good Life Coffee started compared to now?

When the cafe opened there were very few good cafes in Helsinki and therefore a quite small scene. Customers were also surprised about the price of the filter coffee which was 3€ and made with Aeropress. 

Nowadays there are more good cafes and more customers that understand better quality coffee and are willing to pay for it. 

How has Good Life Coffee changed if you compare today, with the day you started the roastery?

We understand coffee more thoroughly and deeply. From the origin and trade to roasting and brewing. We also understand better that there is a lot to learn. More than we know at the moment. 

How do you think Good Life Coffee will evolve in the future? Have you got any specific goals?

From the roastery perspective we'll begin to move towards relationships with coffee producers in comparison to shopping around the best coffees of the season. 

A lot has happened in specialty coffee the last few years. What are you most excited about regarding the growth and development of specialty coffee? Will there be a ”fourth wave”?

I'm very happy that more people are interested in coffee as a drink itself and not just as fuel for functioning. I believe it will keep on growing to become the more expected norm but without the extra show and hassle. 

In Sweden, we like to drink our coffee with a piece of cake or a cinnamon bun. What is the best way of enjoying a cup of Good Life Coffee?

The best way of enjoying our coffees is whatever is the favorite way of enjoying coffee for you. Personally I like black filter coffee that has cooled down. There are many ways of drinking coffee and sometimes it's fun and interesting to try something different. Maybe you will discover your new favorite style. 

What are you looking for in a coffee when you taste it for the first time?

If I'm cupping coffee samples for buying I'm looking for clean flavor without defects. I also search different flavor profiles so that our range will be versatile and customers can try different things or stay at their comfort level. The coffees have always had to be interesting and something we enjoy also. 

If I'm tasting production coffee, be it my own or somebody else,  I look for balance (acidity, sweetness, mouthfeel, aftertaste), clarity and if there is roast defects or coffee defects. Flavors usually come last. 

Do you have any favorite coffee origins?

At the moment Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania are my favorites. Last harvests from all those origins have been really good! They are also really interesting mix with similarities to Kenyan or Ethiopian coffees but with a twist. Many of them are really satisfying coffees that you enjoy drinking a lot. 

Many of our members are trying Good Life Coffee for the first time. What can they expect?

Clean, balanced and interesting coffee. 

Do you want to explore Europe's coffee scene? Join our coffee club!

Neues Schwarz

Let us introduce our February’s roaster Neues Schwarz from Dortmund, Germany. We have had an interview with co-founder Benedikt!

What’s the story behind Neues Schwarz?

I found my interest and passion in specialty coffee in Nürnberg almost 7 years ago. I was still working as an urban planner and lived next to a specialty roastery. After a while I made friend with the owner and started working for him as a barista and roaster. I learned a lot about the business, the roasting and expertise of specialty coffee. As my wife and I always planned to go back to our hometown we decided to build up our own business. My brother joined the adventure as head of finance and as a team of three we started elaborating our business plan. In March 2014, after 3 month of rebuilding a former furniture store, we opened our Specialty Roastery & Café in Dortmund.

Two years later we’re blessed with a great team of 10, very open-minded and cherishing clients, while still living our dream :-)

What are your thoughts and philosophies when roasting?

In general we’re dividing between espresso & filter roasts. The filter roasts are always as light and fruity as possible, for the espresso roasts we aim to develop them more balanced. That makes it a bit easier for our conservative customers to drink our espresso roasts.

What is the vision for Neues Schwarz?

At Neues Schwarz, we set ourselves several different goals. First, our aim is to express our appreciation for the farmer’s work through fair payment. Second, we value the diversity of aroma that different geographical areas and processes promote. Third, we want to give the possibility of choice to our clients by providing coffee from a single origin. By building a direct, fair coffee trade company, we could strengthen our efforts in achieving our aims. 

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

Still sourcing fantastic coffees, helping farmers building a sustainable business & still developing a new coffee culture in Western Germany

What is the most rewarding part of roasting?

While roasting I imagine the aromas I want to highlight. However, of course every bean has different potentials, different characteristics and you can never exactly foresee the final coffee. So the next reward for me is the first sip of the current charge – to discover the aromas that I have developed by roasting. But, the most rewarding is maybe to see our customers during the open cuppings we offer: how is the coffee perceived and accepted? Luckily, we have very open-minded customers who value diversity.

Is there any project you are working on right now that you are extra excited about?

Right now we’re working on a ‚cup project’ with a german/japan design combo. They just started their own business creating minimalistic cups produced in Japan. We’re always looking for interesting, unique & highest quality products that fits our own concept.

Would you mind sharing your favourite brewing recipe?

I prefer V60. Here’s our receipt:

- 16 g coffee

- 250 g water (95 C°)

- brewing time 2:00 – 2:30

1. clean the paper filter with hot water

2. pour 30 g water as preinfusion for 30sec

3. pour slowly up to 150 g water

4. pour in two more steps with 50 g water each

There are many of our subscribers who are trying Neues Schwarz for the first time. What can they expect?

Three coffees with quite diverse cupprofiles, all of them sweet and fruity, but different.

We hope you have enjoyed the coffees from Neues Schwarz. Be sure not to miss out on March's box, get you subscription going now! :-)

All photos shot by Tobias König

April Coffee Roasters

It’s time to present January's roaster. We're back in Copenhagen and with us this month is the youngest roastery in the capital of Denmark, April Coffee Roasters!

The founder Patrik Rolf has a lot of experience as a coffee roaster. He started his journey at da Matteo in Gothenburg and before he decided to start his own business he spent two years as Head of Roastery at Five Elephant in Berlin. When he’s not roasting coffee for April, he does consultancy for other roasteries around the world.

We had a short talk with Patrik Rolf.

What drove you to the coffee business?

Matts Johansson, founder and owner of da Matteo. We worked together on a communication project and during that time he got me hooked on coffee. He made me see the potential of the Specialty Industry.

You used to roast for Five Elephant in Berlin, how is roasting for your own roastery compared to roasting for Five Elephant?

Both were/are great in two different ways.

What sets April apart from other European roasters?

At the moment it's probably the smallest roaster I guess. And I put a lot of focus on the roasting. I want to progress the way we roast coffee. I roast to discover more than anything else.

What are your thoughts and philosophies when roasting?

You can always do better. Do your homework, understand your machine and keep the systems clean. Everything is connected, miss or change one thing and you will change everything.

What is your vision for April?

To progress the way we roast coffee.

Where do you see yourself and April in 5 years?

In 5 years April will have a new production site and hopefully placed itself as one of the more important roasters in terms of pushing roasting forward. Let's see. It is a long way to go and a lot of work ahead.

What is the most rewarding part of roasting?

The feedback I get from the people that take time out of their day to taste what I do.

Is there any project you are working on right now that you are extra excited about?

Yes. And it will be launched before the summer.

When at home, how do you like to brew your coffee?

I don't brew coffee at home. If I would I would buy a Nespresso machine and do Colonna capsules.

Would you mind sharing your favorite brewing recipe?

Recipe for the V60

1. 1:17 brewing ratio

2. Start by pouring double the amount of the dry does on the coffee stir.

3. Pour the remaining part of the water in a circle (should be done within 1:00).

4. Tap the filter.

5. Let it go down.

6. Aim for 1:32 TDS.

There are many of our subscribers who are trying April for the first time. What can they expect?

I always aim to make transparent and sweet coffee. Every coffee has its distinct quality.

Thanks for your time Patrik Rolf and good luck with your future roasting!

We hope you will enjoy January’s box! Don’t miss out on our next roaster, be sure to join for February’s box!

Love Coffee Roasters

We are very excited to let you meet our December’s roaster, Love Coffee Roasters. The roastery was our first ever featured roaster back in September 2015. Now they’re back, and we have shipped some very special coffees.

Love Coffee Roasters from Lund, Sweden, have been roasting coffee since 2009, but the founder Daniel has more than 16 years of experience in the field. Love Coffee Roasters have a must visit coffee bar in the centre of Lund, a unique spot with a great courtyard.

For December’s box we shipped three very different coffees, from three different countries. When brewing these coffees you will be able to experience the great diversity between them.

INGA APONTE

Origin: Colombia, Narino, Tablon de Gomez
Producer: Various Cooperative Members
Process: Red Honey
Harvest: 2016
Soil: Volcanic
Altitude: 2150 masl
Variety: Caturra
Tasting notes: Fresh Tobacco, Mint, Ripe Yellow Fruits, Red Berries, Milk Chocolate & Brown Sugar

Almost all Colombian coffees are fully washed, but there are a few exceptions. This Colombian coffee is a honey-processed coffee, which results in a cup that is very sweet, full bodied with a soft acidity.

Love Coffee Roaster’s words about the coffee:

“The indigenous tribe Inga Aponte was for a long time forced by guerrilla groups to cultivate coca in their territory and they have historically also been driven away from their place of origin. Today, through efforts by state and the governor of the Inga Aponte, they aspire to produce the Colombian Caturra variety. The soils of the Narino region are made up by volcanic ash and the area is highly elevated with lower temperatures than average. This unique terroir gives long maturation and excellent growing condition for the coffee trees. We love it and are showcasing our second harvest with these coffees. Many more to come!”
 

MAGARISSA

Origin: Ethiopia, Danbi Uddo, Shakiso
Producer: Gigesa Washing station
Process: Washed
Harvest: 2016
Soil: Red Volcanic
Variety: Ethiopian heirloom
Tasting notes: Lemonade, Rose Water, Bergamot & Brown Spice

Included in the 2x250 and 3x100 Tasting box.

This sweet Ethiopian beauty is as delicious as a perfectly ripe fruit. About 850 farmers deliver their coffee cherries daily to the washing station in Shakiso. The production is organic and this lot is a grade 1 coffee.

Love Coffee Roaster’s words about the coffee:

“This coffee comes from a new washing station in Shakiso. The station is privately owned by Faysel Abdosh and about 850 small scale farmers deliver their coffee to his mill. By default the production is organic and this lot is a grade 1 coffee. Processing is done by using clean water from the area and drying is done on raised beds. We chose this coffee because of its clarity and very sweet character. It will leave you wanting more and more.”

LA ESPERANZA

Origin: Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Finca La Esperanza
Producer: Eleodoro Villatoro López
Process: Washed
Harvest: 2016
Soil: Limestone
Altitude: 1400 - 1600 masl
Variety: Caturra & Bourbon
Tasting notes: Dark cherries, Cranberries & Dark Chocolates

Only included in the 3x100 Tasting box.

This is the first time we’re shipping a coffee from Guatemala, and when you’ve had your try you will see why. It has taken the farmer Fransisco Morales 39 years to reach the quality you are about to brew.

Love Coffee Roaster’s words about the coffee:

“Fransisco Morales started farming coffee in 1977 on a small plot of land. Year by year he managed to buy a little more and today he has a good size farm which produces great coffees. It has taken him 39 years to reach his destination, of which he is very proud.

The farm is run with the help of his family and he now employs other families nearby to help with the farming practises. Fransisco strives to produce coffees of the highest quality and has been doing so for a long time. 18 years ago he formed an alliance with neighbouring farmers to share knowledge and gain technical support from the agronomists at the National Coffee Organization of Guatemala. This has helped him understand what his trees needs to prosper and produce better coffees. He is particularly interested in soil biology and the surrounding environment and he wants the future generations to be gifted with the wonderful coffees he feels so fortunate to have.”

We hope you will enjoy the coffees for this month. If you don’t want to miss out on our next box, be sure to join for January’s box! Subscribe here, or buy a gift box!

We're making some changes

We love surprises. That's why we’ve decided to make Bean Portal all about surprises too. From now on, not only will the selected coffee be a surprise, the monthly roaster will too. The coffee will be just as delicious as before, you just don’t know who will roast it until it’s at your doorstep. 

Our December’s roaster will be a familiar face. One of our absolute favourites. But you won’t know who until your box arrives.

Don't miss out on our next box! Get your subscription going now at Beanportal.com/subscribe

Stay brewing,

Jakob & Tobias
Bean Portal

October's Shipment

Last Friday, October 14th, the box of October was shipped! In the box were coffees from the roastery Rocket Bean from Riga, Latvia. Our first collaboration with a roastery from the Baltics! For this month we selected three coffees from Africa. We hope you’ll like them!

Rocket Bean packing the coffee for our subscribers

Rocket Bean roasting this month's box

BURTUKAANA LOT #3

Origin: Ethiopia, Sidama
Producer: Smallholders
Process: Natural
Harvest: Dec 2015 - Jan 2016
Altitude: 1900 - 2000 masl
Varieties: Ethiopian Heirloom
Tasting notes: Dried Apricot, Melon, Toffee, Red Bilberry

Included in the 250g coffee box

Rocket Bean's words about the coffee:

"650 to 750 smallholder farmers delivering cherry to the wet mill. This washing station is located near by the river Hamile in the Southern region of Ethiopia. The local village or Kebele is called Balo. The total production from this washing station this year (2016) is 5 container of green coffee." 

KAINAMUI #141

Origin: Kenya, Kirinyaga
Producer: Kainamui factory
Process: Washed
Harvest: Jan 2016
Altitude: 1750 masl
Varieties: SL28 & SL34
Tasting notes: Sweet Cherry, Red Currant Jam, Blackcurrant and the sweetness of the Muscovado Sugar

Included in the 2x250g coffee box

Rocket Bean's words about the coffee:

"Coffee is fully washed at Kainamui wet mill. After cherries were de-pulped, they went trough fermentation for 16-20 hours in shade.Dried on African beds for 15 days." 

HEZA GITWE

Origin: Burundi, Kayanza
Producer: Heza Washing Station
Process: Washed
Harvest: Jul - Sept 2015
Altitude: 1960 masl
Varieties: Bourbon
Tasting notes: Raspberries, Gooseberries, Honey, Dried Plums, Red Currant

Only included in the 3x100g tasting box

Rocket Bean's words about the coffee:

"Heza Washing station was built by Long Miles Coffee Project, initiated by two Americans; Ben & Kristy Carlson. Heza means “beautiful place” in Kirundi. Growers – 1876 different farmers deliver to the mill, which supplies 5 different hills, or “colline”, Gitwe is one of them."

Don't miss out on our next shipment with Copenhagen Coffee Lab in November, subscribe now!

COPENHAGEN COFFEE LAB

We are happy to introduce you to our November’s roaster. For November we have hooked up with the Danish roastery Copenhagen Coffee Lab, from Copenhagen.

Allan Nielsen’s, owner of Copenhagen Coffee Lab, interest for coffee came when he together with his friend started a café. He couldn’t let go of the thought of creating his own coffee brand, and after a few years he chose to start his own roastery.

Allan’s interest for coffee wasn’t just a good cup. The whole process of the coffee, from farming to roasting was what made Allan start the roastery. In 2013 the roastery opened in an old factory in Amager (Copenhagen) together with one café in central Copenhagen and another in Lisbon, Portugal.

Copenhagen Coffee Lab's café in central Copenhagen

Two partners, Peter and Christian, joined the team, and at the start of 2014 the roastery was too big for the old location that they had to move to a larger one where they still are located, at Lindgreens Allé in Amager.

Copenhagen Coffee Lab roasts coffee from all over the world, but only the best beans. When roasting they aim to enhance the coffee’s unique characteristics and the natural flavours of the bean, which varies from coffee to coffee. All their coffee is roasted on a Giesen.

Copenhagen Coffee Lab roasting on a Giesen

If in Copenhagen or Lisbon, be sure to visit their café.

We shipped Copenhagen Coffee Lab in November's box, mid-November.

Don't miss out on our next coffee box. It will be a secret roaster. We're shipping mid-January. Get yours now! Subscribe here: http://beanportal.com/subscribe