In My Mug

In My Mug

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In My Mug episodes

  • Episode 635: Nicaragua Finca Mama Mina Washed Orange Bourbon

    This coffee first came to my attention in 2008 when I got to try a small sample of the new farm whilst travelling in Nicaragua and visiting the sister farm, Limoncillo. The year before we had bought the amazing Limoncillo coffee for the first time and we needed to follow that up with something equally spectacular.

    There was one coffee that really shone through that table, and it was from this newly formed farm. At the time the farm was called La Minita, and because they had just taken over the production, it was next to nothing. I never forgot this cup and every year I sent repeated requests to the family to be allowed to buy it. But again, because the farm was so newly formed and because of many many new plantings, there just was not enough of it to go around.

    For those in the know, La Minita is also the name of a very very famous farm in Costa Rica, and the family was worried this would cause confusion. So the following year it was renamed, and they changed it to something very fitting: Finca Mama Mina. Owned by the Miresh family, this farm is affectionately named after Erwin, Stephen, and Eleane's grandmother, Mina McEwan. Mina passed away in 2008 and it was seen as a fitting tribute to this amazing lady who gave so much to the coffee industry. The farm is surrounded by trees and mountains, and in every direction you can look at the vastness of the forest that covers each of the high mountain ranges. It also has a huge amount of flowers planted around the farm, which, as far as I can tell, is because they wanted to make it the most beautiful farm they could. The smell when you're there is amazing, and it's something the Mierisch family have also started to do on some of the other farms they own, like Los Miligros. I like this, as when something looks amazing it means that the workers on the farm take huge pride in their surroundings, and this is the cleanest and most organised farm I have visited in a long time.

    Despite Mama Mina being one of the younger farms, I think it produces one of the best coffees; partly down to its altitude and its soil, which is rich in nutrients, but mostly down to the care and attention that's taken during the whole picking to processing stage.

    A well balanced and easy drinking coffee, it’s milk chocolate up front, but as it cools you’ll find a little sweet peach juiciness coming through. On the finish is sultanas and a little sweet maltiness. 

    • Farm: Finca Mama Mina
  • Farmer: The Mierisch family
  • Region: Jinotega
  • Altitude: 1250-1375 masl
  • Varietal: Orange Bourbon
  • Processing System: Washed
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Milk chocolate, peach, sultana, malt
    Clean Cup: (1-8): 6
    Sweetness: (1-8): 6.5
    Acidity: (1-8): 6
    Mouthfeel: (1-8): 6
    Flavour: (1-8): 6.5
    Aftertaste: (1-8): 6
    Balance: (1-8): 7
    Overall: (1-8): 6.5
    Correction: (+36): +36
    Total: (max 100): 86.5
     
    Roasting Information:

    Medium Dark - keep it steadily developing, through first and steadily through the gap to finish the roast just as you reach 2nd. 

    10 min
  • Episode 634: Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama Pulped Natural Yellow Bourbon

    This farm and its coffee sparked a massive change in what I thought I knew about coffee. I remember the first time I ever cupped this coffee: time stood still as the cup opened my mind to what great coffee is and can be. Gabriel de Carvalho Dias, the farmer, continues to produce great coffee year on year, and this coffee still holds a very special place in my heart.

    Gabriel is one of Brazil’s leading agronomists. His family owns several farms, all of which border one another. Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama is 417 hectares in size – that’s 4 square kilometres! That sounds huge, but it’s not uncommon for farms to be more than 1,000 hectares.

    Because of the mountainous terrain, however, only 64 hectares are planted with coffee, and it's all picked and maintained by hand. The mill is located close to the spa town of Poços de Caldas, which is 45 minutes away from the farm.

    Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama has been in the Carvalho Dias family since 1890. It's located in São Paolo state, just three miles from the border with Minas Gerais state. It enjoys the typical characteristics of the mountainous Mogiana and Sul de Minas regions, and it's located at an altitude of 1,100–1,250 metres above sea level.

    Their farm has a school, a club and a full-sized soccer field for the employees and workers, and 47 houses – all with modern facilities. The wastewater is treated in order to avoid polluting the stream that runs across the farm. The farm has a small hydroelectric plant, and the farmers only buy energy during the peak harvest.

    As well as providing support to the workers, the family have also invested in the farm's coffee processing facilities. This has allowed them to produce one of the most consistent and delicious coffees. They grow mostly Yellow Bourbon, but also Canario and Mundo Novo. It's well-established plant stock, and some of the original Bourbon varietal trees are as much as 108 years old.

    They’ve also invested in trying new things, including planting some new varietals and trialling new fermentation experiments with the involvement of experts from the University of Lavras (UFLA) in Minas Gerais.

    The Carvalho Dias family consider social and environmental sustainability to be very important. The farm has a programme of planting native species of trees to maintain a better ecological balance.

    This one is super sweet and velvety - it’s all milk chocolate and hazelnuts, for the classic Brazilian coffee. There’s a little twist with some sweet red apple in there, but it’s classic again on the aftertaste with a gentle toffee.

    • Country: Brazil
  • State: São Paulo
  • Municipality: São Sebastião da Grama
  • Farm: Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama
  • Owner: Lidolpho de Carvalho Dias and family
  • Altitude: 1,100–1,250 m.a.s.l.
  • Processing: Pulped Natural
  • Varietal: Yellow Bourbon
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Milk chocolate, hazelnut, red apple, toffee

    Clean cup: (1–8): 6

    Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5
    Acidity: (1–8): 6
    Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5
    Flavour: (1–8): 6.5
    Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5
    Balance: (1–8): 6.5
    Overall: (1–8): 6.5
    Correction: (+36): +36

    Total (max. 100): 87

    Roasting Information

    Medium-dark - don't rush this, through first and push through the gap, dropping just as you're approaching second.

    4 min
  • Episode 633: In My Christmas Mug

    It's Christmas, It's Christmas at Hasbean! Hip hip, oh hip hip hoorray, it's Christmas Day! (nearly!)


    This year we wanted to treat all you lovely In My Mug subscribers with your very own, very exclusive (oooooh!) Christmas Blend! This special blend started with the wonderful San Jose Elefante, which gives it a crisp Champagne-like note. Then we added El Limon Washed Pacamara, for a sweet creamy base and citrus notes, and then a little Ana Sora Washed to accentuate the lemon and bring it all together. The perfect coffee to enjoy whilst you unwrap your Christmas gifts. 

    • 40% El Salvador San Jose Washed Elefante
  • 40% Guatemala El Limon Washed Pacamara
  • 20% Ethiopia Ana Sora Washed
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Champagne, lemon, cream

    Resting Recommendation

    We recommend a 5-7 day rest after the date of roasting before brewing this coffee as espresso, but there's a lot of personal preference in that so, by all means, please brew whenever you like!

    Roasting Information

    Medium Dark - Although the flavours are light and bright here, the roast needs to be pushed up to the edge of second before it's dropped out, but keeping a fairly quick pace.

    5 min
  • Episode 632: El Salvador Finca Las Brumas Washed SL28

    Juan Jose Ernesto 'Neto' Menéndez Argüello belongs to the fourth generation of coffee farmers in his family. His father died in 1995. After completing his studies at university, Neto had the opportunity to start working in the coffee industry at J. Hill & Cia in 2000. He left J. Hill & Cia after five years and began his second coffee experience at JASAL.

    Both companies gave him the opportunity to meet 'Grano de Oro' from another perspective, allowing him to learn the art and passion of cupping. He says those are very important in his life, and that they give him the opportunity to apply the coffee knowledge and experience he's gained through the years.

    During his time in the coffee world, he has participated in various events like the Cup of Excellence (National Jury from 2003 to 2011), Q Auction, Q Grader, and the Star Cupper program organised by SCAA and CQI.

    Las Brumas is located between 45 to 60 minutes from Santa Ana city. It has a cultivated area of 60 hectares' worth of coffee yield, all of which is at an altitude ranging from 1,450 to 1,700 metres above sea level (m.a.s.l.). It produces around 600 bags of coffee each year, and has an area of 35 hectares of virgin mountain at an altitude from 1,700 to 2,000 m.a.s.l.

    The farm is located in the Sonsonate department near the area known as San Blas. Las Brumas has very rich volcanic soil; it's deep and very fertile, and has been generated by different Ilamatepec and Izalco volcanic eruptions throughout history.

    One of the most important elements is the microclimate. It's very misty at the farm for most of the year, and that's why Neto decided to name the farm Finca Las Brumas. This amazing microclimate is generated when the warm air from the Pacific Ocean collides with the high peaks of Los Volcanes National Park (which comprises of the Santa Ana, Cerro Verde and Izalco volcanoes).

    Due to its location between these three famous volcanoes in El Salvador, this unique microclimate reduces the amount of daylight that the coffee trees receive. This helps the coffee trees have a very slow photosynthesis, improving the maturation process; this, in turn, improves some attributes that are closely related to maturity, like the aroma, sweetness, acidity and flavour.

    This is a medley of citrus and sugar. Up front it’s like lemon icing, before shifting into sweet clementines with a little hint of brown sugar in the background. The fruit keeps going on the aftertaste with passionfruit and orange.

    • Country: El Salvador
  • Department: Sonsonate
  • Nearest city: Santa Ana
  • Farm: Finca Las Brumas
  • Producer: Juan Jose Ernesto 'Neto' Menéndez Argüello
  • Varietal: SL28
  • Processing system: Washed
  • Altitude: 1,450–1,700 m.a.s.l.
  • Type of soil: Sandy loam
  • Average rainfall: 2,400 mm
  • Types of shade: Ingas, sunk, cipers and belloto
  • Flora and fauna present: Mountain trees, wildflowers, deer, squirrels, armadillos and snakes
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Lemon icing, clementines, brown sugar, passionfruit, orange

    Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5

    Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5
    Acidity: (1–8): 7
    Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6
    Flavour: (1–8): 7
    Aftertaste: (1–8): 6
    Balance: (1–8): 6
    Overall: (1–8): 6.5
    Correction:(+36): +36

    Total: (max. 100): 87.5

    Roasting Information

    Medium - keep this one before second gets going, to highlight the simple but intense sweetness and the citrus.

    7 min
  • Episode 631: Costa Rica Finca Licho Yellow Honey Geisha

    Buying coffee is simple, right? A farmer has coffee, you have money...easy! Well, not so much. One of the realities of coffee farming is unscrupulous coffee buyers turning up, promising the world and then not honouring their promises. For this reason, we never ask too much of the producers we work with for the first few years - you have to earn trust. Eventually, they trust us to be reliable and keep coming back. In the case of the Aguileras...well, it took them 8 years or so to warm to us. That’s just how it goes sometimes.

    Here at Hasbean, we love to celebrate the awesome things that happen when strong relationships are built between roasters and producers, and Finca Licho is a shining example of that ethos. We first bought from this farm way back in 2007 when it was awarded 4th place in the Cup of Excellence. Fast forward thirteen years (gosh I feel old now), and Licho has become a firm favourite – both with customers and our little Hasbean team. The arrival of coffees from Finca Licho is greatly anticipated every year.

    The farm is owned and run by Los Hermanos Aguilera. It's often translated as 'The Aguilera Brothers', but everyone is involved, not just the boys! The family of twelve brothers and sisters inherited the business from their parents, who started their coffee-growing career over 50 years ago. With the help of the third generation, the family work the farm with basically no hired labour except for during the harvest. They manage the mill and drying patios, fertilise, prune the coffee trees, and so on. They do it all themselves, and all year round. The Aguileras have a reputation for their deep understanding of quality at the farm and mill level, and this is why we are excited about working with them.

    Situated 1,500 metres above sea level in the region of Naranjo, the farm is located in the volcanic Northern Cordiles corridor of the Western Valley, which is an area famous for its excellent coffee production. The majority of the coffee grown at Finca Licho is Villa Sarchi variety, but there's a smidge of Caturra too (they're about 65% and 25% of production respectively). The remainder of coffee production is made up of a mixture of more unusual varieties, some of which (this Geisha lot!) we've been able to snag this year now that they're established enough to provide a crop.

    This coffee is yellow honey processed, which is just like the Pulped Natural method. The fruit is removed from the seed of the coffee bush and left to dry. The main difference is that there is no water involved when the cherry is removed, so mucilage sticks to the bean. This can be dangerous, but it's necessary in these parts of Costa Rica where water is limited: water is a precious commodity in this area of Naranjo, so this method suits the location very well.

    The coffee ends up clustering whilst drying because there is so much mucilage. So the coffee either needs to be turned regularly to stop this happening, or it has to be broken up. Over-fermentation can happen at this stage and you can end up with a not-so-good cup, but the Aguilera brothers are well-versed in this method and are some of the most skilled in Costa Rica.

    We’ve loved the Licho Villa Sarchi Yellow Honey since we first tried it, but this year we’ve got loads of other coffees from the Hermanos Aguileras! Two naturals from Licho, Villa Sarchi from Finca Toño, Pacamara and this, their Geisha. We’re super proud that we pay fair prices for all our coffees, but it isn’t just about a price per kilogram - it’s about how much you buy. Because we’re buying loads of coffee from them, it makes a bigger difference than if we just wanted to buy the Geisha on it’s own. With less coffee they’ll have to risk selling elsewhere (and not sure how much they’ll get for it), they’re doing better, so they share that back to us too with a little discount on this spectacular coffee - and we in turn pass that on to you.

    P.s. did I mention, it was a lot from Licho which finished 11th in this year’s Cup of Excellence competition in Costa Rica? :)

    Geisha is a varietal that has attracted lots of attention among coffee buyers and farmers, with some super high prices being paid for tiny lots. The name comes from the Gesha village in Ethiopia, where it’s said to have come from. I say 'said to' because it’s believed that coffee stock from this region made its way to Costa Rica (and then on to Panama) in the 1950s, but didn’t find much favour in its new home.

    As with other experimental varietals that didn’t do particularly well, the plants were largely ignored or forgotten. Some grew wild or mixed into difficult-to-reach corners of farms. That means it’s difficult to be sure how close what we now call 'Geisha' is to those seeds from Ethiopia many years ago. Regardless, Geisha’s reputation suddenly hit the big time around 2004 as it attracted praise (and high prices) in the Taste of Panama competition, and it became a must-try for all you coffee geeks out there.

    There has been talk of the name – Geisha vs Gesha – and we like to listen to the people that grew the coffee. It says 'Geisha' on our bags from the farm, so we're going with 'Geisha'.

    This coffee is super sweet with big juicy mango. A lime acidity balances that and there's a floral edge to it all which adds an interesting complexity. On the finish I get yellow plums, moving in to orange on the aftertaste.

    • Country: Costa Rica
  • Region: Western Valley
  • Province: Alajuela
  • Nearest city: Naranjo de Alajuela
  • Farm: Finca Licho
  • Producers: Los Hermanos Aguilera
  • Farm size: 28 hectares
  • Coffee growing area: 9.10 hectares
  • Altitude: 1,500 m.a.s.l.
  • Varietal: Geisha
  • Processing system: Yellow Honey
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Mango, lime, floral, yellow plum, orange

    Clean cup: (1–8): 7

    Sweetness: (1–8): 8
    Acidity: (1–8): 6.5
    Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6
    Flavour: (1–8): 6.5
    Aftertaste: (1–8): 6
    Balance: (1–8): 6.5
    Overall: (1–8): 7
    Correction:(+36): +36

    Total: (max. 100): 89

    Roasting Information

    Medium – give this a little extra time to develop in the gap, dropping it once you're most of the way through the gap and definitely before you reach second crack.

    10 min
  • Episode 630: Costa Rica Toño

    Grown by the Aguilera brothers (of Finca Licho fame) in the province of Naranjo, in the volcanic Northern Cordiles corridor of the Western Valley, this coffee is cultivated at an altitude of 1,450 metres above sea level. Like on Licho, most of their coffee is of the Villa Sarchi variety, which is native to the area and excellent in the cup. Villa Sarchi is a Bourbon mutation (similar to Caturra and Pacas) originally found in Naranjo. It's a dwarf variety with short internodes and (usually) higher-yielding production.

    The Aguileras are twelve brothers and sisters, all of whom are involved in coffee as inherited from their parents. The brothers work the mill and farms themselves with basically no hired labour except for pickers during the harvest. With the help of the third generation, they work the mill and drying patios, prune the coffee fields, fertilise, and so on; and they do it all year round. The Aguilera brothers understand quality at the farm and mill level, and this is why we are excited about working with them. We first met them through the Cup of Excellence competition and they’ve continued to do well in that - in fact this year they had a lot from Licho finish 11th and a lot from Toño narrowly missed out on being included (it was top of the National Jury, meaning it did super well in the first stage but was a hair's breadth short of making it into the all-important International Jury which is the second stage of the competition!).

    This coffee is honey processed, which is like the pulped natural method. The fruit is removed from the seed of the coffee bush and left to dry. The main difference is that there is no water involved when the cherry is removed, so mucilage sticks to the bean. This can be dangerous, but it's necessary in these parts of Costa Rica where water is limited: water is a precious commodity in this area of Naranjo, so this method suits the location very well.

    The coffee ends up clustering whilst drying because there is so much mucilage. So the coffee either needs to be turned regularly to stop this happening, or it has to be broken up. Over-fermentation can happen at this stage and you can end up with a not-so-good cup, but the Aguilera brothers are well-versed in this method and are some of the most skilled in Costa Rica.

    Want to know a little more about honey processing? Here's a video you might enjoy!

    There's a fruit sweetness to it which reminds me of yellow plums, but in a jammy kind of way. As it cools, there's a creamy flavour coming forward too - think of a custard cream biscuit. Then on the aftertaste is just a little shoulder of cranberry.

    • Country: Costa Rica
  • Region: Western Valley
  • Province: Alajuela
  • Nearest city: Naranjo de Alajuela
  • Farm: Toño
  • Producers: Aguilera family
  • Altitude: 1,450 m.a.s.l.
  • Varietal: Villa Sarchi
  • Processing system: Yellow Honey
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Yellow plum, custard cream, cranberry

    Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5

    Sweetness: (1–8): 7
    Acidity: (1–8): 6.5
    Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6
    Flavour: (1–8): 6.5
    Aftertaste: (1–8): 6
    Balance: (1–8): 6.5
    Overall: (1–8): 6.5
    Correction:(+36): +36

    Total: (max. 100): 87.5

    Roast Information

    Medium – through first crack, slow it a little to let the sweetness develop fully, but drop it before second crack gets going.

    11 min
  • Episode 629: Thailand Doi Pangkhon Natural

    Our sourcing partners Beanspire have been working in Doi Pangkhon for 7 years now. Doi Pangkhon, in Chiang Rai, has 300 households, each typically producing about 1-2 tons of parchment. In the past years, Beanspire worked with each house individually on their wet processing and bought their parchment before hulling and grading at our mill.

    During the 2017-2018 season, there was substantial investment in a new wet mill and is currently being operated by a few trusted partner producers and allows for more control of the coffee processing. In 2018-2019 season, the mill was improved with the addition of a new roof, new pulpers and improved workflows. This harvest season, the mill received a new electricity generator, a cupping lab was built for the farmers, and new concentrate flooring was put down too.

    This is a natural processed micro lot. Coffee cherries were floated and then laid on bamboo raised beds in a one-inch layer. Under-ripes and fermented cherries were sorted out throughout the drying process and the cherries were raked multiple times each day. After the cherries were dried, they're bagged to cure for two months before milling at the dry mill.

    All of the villagers belong to Akha Hilltribe and they are very young for coffee farmers, 25-35 years old, mostly. The elevation at Doi Pangkhon is from 1,250-15,00 meters above sea level. This area is 19 degrees north of the equator, which means that this elevation is really high (e.g. Colombia Narino is 1 degree north, Costa Rica Terrazu is 9 degree north so coffee can grow beyond 1,600m there). Coffee cannot grow in Thailand above 1,550m.

    The varietals here are a mixture of Typica, Catuai, and Chiang Mai (with many unknowns as well). Chiang Mai is a local hybrid that is a cross between SL28 x Caturra x Hibrido de Timor. So it's a catimor variant (like Colombia and Castillo varietals!) that's backcrossed with SL28 in order to improve the cup quality. It's a rust-resistant cultivar that's been developed by the late Thai King as part of his effort to eradicate opium plantation by the hill tribe in the North.

    In terms of green preparation, the coffee went through a destoner, huller, size grader, density table and ended with hand-sorting. The green passed through density table multiple times. The coffee was shipped coffee in a triple-layered bag, which includes a cotton bag in the outer layer, High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) in the middle layer and Grain Pro in the innermost layer.

    Boozy Christmas pudding meets sticky toffee pudding right here. There's a hit of fruity booze which reminds me of sherry with a bit of orange peel. That's backed up by a sweet, velvety body with a big toffee sweetness and a sprinkle of raisins.

    • Country: Thailand
  • Region: Doi Pangkhong, Chiang Rai
  • Altitude: 1,250–1,500 m.a.s.l.
  • Processing method: Natural
  • Varietals: Catuai, Typica and Chiang Mai
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Sherry, orange, toffee, raisins

    Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5

    Sweetness: (1–8): 7
    Acidity: (1–8): 6
    Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5
    Flavour: (1–8): 7
    Aftertaste: (1–8): 6
    Balance: (1–8): 6
    Overall: (1–8): 6.5
    Correction: (+36): +36

    Total: (max. 100): 87.5

    Roasting Information

    Medium to medium-dark - through first and keep this going steadily towards second, looking for the first pops of second in the cooling tray.

    13 min
  • Episode 628: El Salvador Finca La Ilusion Washed Bourbon

    One of our all-time favourite farms returns once again!

    I was visiting some of the farms we buy from during a buying trip to El Salvador in 2008. I actually arrived on the evening of the Cup of Excellence awards, and after the ceremony I was walking around when this guy who seemed very popular came over to me and introduced himself. He was Ernesto, or Neto, as I would come to know him. He'd just won the Cup of Excellence competition with his 'La Ilusión' farm, which is the sister farm to 'Alaska'. Alaska is a farm we had bought from via the Cup of Excellence the year before. Ernesto invited me to visit La Ilusión the next day, and it was so great to finally meet someone I had communicated with so many times via email!

    Neto bought La Ilusión many years ago. The farm has coffee trees averaging 20+ years of age and is growing 95% Bourbon (70% is Red Bourbon and 25% is Orange Bourbon). The remaining 5% is a combination of other varietals, and it's possible to spot some Typica and Kenya trees too.

    The farm is run using environmentally friendly practices because Neto is trying to maintain a balance with the surrounding ecosystem, which is part of a natural fauna corridor crucial to migratory and native birds. This is very important for Ernesto because La Ilusión neighbours one of the most important national parks in El Salvador, known as 'Los Andes'. It is nestled on the Santa Ana volcano and delineates his farm with dense pine and cypress forest, which itself provides a special micro-climate for La Ilusión.

    The naturally processed version of this coffee was used by the 2011 World Barista champion, Alejandro Mendez. He caused a bit of a stir at the WBC by using a naturally-processed lot in his milk drinks and his signature drink, and then using the washed version (this coffee) as his espresso. It caused such a stir that he won! That year I'd roasted the coffee for Alejandro, and it had been grown by Neto. There was a magical moment backstage in which I was stood, polishing glass, with Alejandro and Neto; the grower, roaster and barista all stood together, preparing for the presentation. It's not too often you get such wonderful things happening! Aah, the wonders of barista competition. 😊

    This begins with a big sweetness which reminds me of a Fruit Salad sweets. Then comes a clean pear in the finish, but with a delicate milk chocolate behind it and, on the aftertaste, a grating of lemon zest.

    • Country: El Salvador
  • Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range
  • Department: Santa Ana
  • City: Santa Ana
  • Farm: La Ilusión
  • Farmer: Juan Jose Ernesto Menéndez Argüello
  • Altitude: 1,750–1,850 m.a.s.l.
  • Variety: Bourbon
  • Processing system: Washed
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Fruit Salad sweets, pear, milk chocolate, lemon zest

    Clean cup: (1–8): 6.5

    Sweetness: (1–8): 7
    Acidity: (1–8): 6
    Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6
    Flavour: (1–8): 7
    Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5
    Balance: (1–8): 6
    Overall: (1–8): 6.5
    Correction:(+36): +36

    Total: (max. 100): 87.5

    Roast Information

    Medium to medium-dark - through first and slow it a little, pushing it towards the second but finishing the roast before second gets going.

    6 min
  • Episode 627: Nicaragua Finca Limoncillo Natural Red Bourbon

    The story of Hasbean and Finca Limoncillo is a long and exciting one - we've been working together for 13 years now! A bakers' dozen of coffee harvests shared between Matagalpa and Stafford make us very happy customers. I've been telling the story of this relationship for many years now and I don't intend to stop any time soon because it's such a big, big, big relationship for me 🌟 So much of where we are today has come from this relationship. I'm really proud of everything that's happened in the past, and super excited for where we can go in the future.

    Limoncillo (and a handful of other fantastic farms) are owned by Dr. Erwin Mierich. Having previously lived and worked in the USA, he returned to Nicaragua in the mid-1990s. He explained, "While I was living in the United States, I worked as a gynaecologist, but then I had to come back to Nicaragua and lead this farm. Coffee has been my passion since I was a little boy". In the years we have worked together Erwin has visited Stafford many times, and it's always a pleasure to have him around. Last time he was visiting we ended up at a Weird Beard tap takeover in Manchester, talking to two Weird Beards about crazy brewing/coffee farming ideas! A coffee from Finca Limoncillo (the 'Funky Red Pacamara') is used in two of Weird Beard's beers: Black Perle and Double Perle, both of which are mighty delicious beers! A fitting collaboration to evolve from our continued business dealings when you consider how much time the family have dedicated to showing me how Latin American people like to party! On my very first visit to Nicaragua, the two people who showed me around were Erwin Jr and Steve Mierisch, the sons of the farmer. It was really cool, lifelong friends were made, and they taught me a lot about coffee production in the region.

    Our relationship with Finca Limoncillo began in 2007, and back then we were buying their delicious coffee as part of a buying group. I cupped the coffee and instantly loved it - I knew I had to have it. It was a wonderful surprise to discover after the auction closed that it was owned by a family in Nicaragua who were already good friends of mine, and indeed probably the only people I knew from the whole country! The following year I visited the farm with our Nicaraguan importers and through my phenomenal Steve Pester Powers I got them to agree to bring the coffee into the UK for us (probably just to stop the flow of emails and phone calls from that annoying ginger bloke!)

    A few years ago we were notified by the importers that they would not be buying the coffee again (for reasons other than the cup quality) which led to some frantic phone calls on my part, and a dig down the back of the sofa for enough loose change to fund buying 12 months' worth of coffee all in one go. There were many, many obstacles in the way of doing this deal, but we were lucky in that we were able to pull everything together in a very short amount of time. The upside of all of this is that we now work directly with Finca Limoncillo instead of going via anyone else. This coffee has gone from a one-off Cup of Excellence buy to a fantastic long-term relationship that I'm so very proud to have.

    Finca Limoncillo is located in the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua and it's a whopping 171 hectares in size, which is heckin chonky! 109 hectares of this is used for coffee cultivation, with the remainder used to raise cattle and horses, and left to natural woodland. The family have heaps of policies and initiatives to make everything as sustainable as possible on this vast farming area: their use of chemicals is minimal, and the impact on the environment is always minimised by careful and considerate land management. It's owned and run by the Mierisch family who are, by now, very close friends, and well-respected producers in Nicaragua. They're known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee.

    The family employ over 3000 staff during the harvest, and at Limoncillo over 60 families live on the farm full time. They are seriously loved by the guys who work for them, more than any other producer we buy from there is genuine love and respect between the family and their workers. The fact that the family are our friends helps us drill down into the details of what they do for the people who work for them. This information continues to prove to me that good people grow good coffee. My last visit was February this year (right before the world went into lockdown!) and it was truly memorable - myself and Joanna (of Drop Coffee fame) sat up with Eleane until 2 am chatting and drinking rum together... the farm visit the next morning was a very quiet one! Luckily Limoncillo is a beautiful location, it boasts nine waterfalls within the farm, which is exactly the sort of place you want to be when you've had too much fun with friends the night before.

    On the farm, the family:

    • The employers pay their staff 30% more than what is typical minimum wage, as well as:
  • Provide free housing for 60 families on their farms
  • Provide free electricity and running water for their homes
  • Provide free food for all workers
  • Have free daycare facilities for families to use
  • Provide free health care facilities on the farms
  • Employee on-site teachers who educate their staff and teach other skills such as pottery and weaving. The goal is to help staff diversify their skills. The teachers are also paid twice the wages they would receive in the cities.
  • Rather like a slice of fruitcake, this is full of juicy raisins and sultanas, with a dark sweetness of brown sugar wrapping it up and a layer of marzipan to finish it off. The aftertaste goes back to the dark fruit, but with a delicate black grape.

    • Country: Nicaragua
  • Municipality: Yasica Norte
  • 
Region: Matagalpa

  • Farm name: Limoncillo
  • Producers: The Mierisch family
  • Farm size: 171 manzanas (hectares)
  • Coffee growing area: 109 hectares

  • Altitude: 1,200 m.a.s.l.

  • Varietal: Red Bourbon
  • Processing method: Natural
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Raisin, sultana, marzipan, brown sugar, black grape

    Clean cup: (1–8): 6

    Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5
    Acidity: (1–8): 6
    Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5
    Flavour: (1–8): 6.5
    Aftertaste: (1–8): 6.5
    Balance: (1–8): 6.5
    Overall: (1–8): 6
    Correction: (+36): +36

    Total: (max. 100): 86.5

    Roast Information

    Medium-dark - Through first and push this right up to the first pops of second. This needs a bit of extra development time and may need a bit more heat than most coffees to get there too.

    8 min
  • Episode 626: Thailand Doi Pangkhon Black Honey

    Thailand is not traditionally known as a country that produces specialty coffee, yet it has been producing Arabica coffee since the early '80s. It started off as part of the Thai King’s opium eradication project. Because Arabica coffee thrives in conditions similar to those favoured by opium, it was selected as a substitution crop against the cultivation of the illicit plant.

    Today, Thailand produces about 8,000 tonnes of Arabica coffee, mainly in the mountainous north of the country. On top of that, Thailand produces about ten times as much Robusta coffee, making it the third-largest coffee producer in Asia. Thai specialty coffee is rarely seen in the top specialty roaster segment abroad.

    Thailand is a middle-income country and has a thriving local coffee market. That means relatively high production costs for a relatively undemanding coffee market.

    Having said this, a strong specialty coffee segment is emerging. At least on the consumer side, the Third Wave is quite well established, with artisan roasters and cafés in Bangkok and Chang Mai. These roasters have recently begun to develop and buy local coffees too, not least because of import tariffs on foreign coffees.

    However, this scene is still very small and hardly creates enough incentives for farmers to improve the quality of their coffee to specialty grade – at least for now. So even though they have been doing a great job at pushing the limits of Thai coffee, the specialty coffee scene would be greatly aided with more specialty coffee knowledge and global integration.

    Our sourcing partners Beanspire have been actively assisting the farming families of Doi Pangkhon to improve the quality of their coffee. For this lot, they specifically worked with two entrepreneurial siblings of the Becheku family from the Akha hilltribe: Ata and Pupae.

    At 31, Ata is the oldest of the three siblings. His entrepreneurial spirit and leadership is a force for change in his community. Pupae is Ata’s 27-year-old sister. She worked in both Korea and Taiwan before returning home to Doi Pangkhon to help her brother produce coffee. Pupae speaks fluent Chinese, and she's a Chinese language teacher at a local school.

    The young Bechekus are third generation coffee farmers at Doi Pangkhon, and they represent one of the most inspiring aspects of the Thai coffee scene.

    The future of the entire specialty industry around the world is unclear, because farmers and their children are quitting coffee manufacturing for other more lucrative opportunities. 

    Pupae and other people like her are returning home to work on coffee because they see a bright future in it, and they are farming coffee by choice; not because they lack other opportunities.

    Doi Pangkhon’s coffee farms, at 1,250–1,500 metres above sea level, contain Caturra, Catimor, Bourbon and Typica cultivars. Such a mixture of cultivars allows farmers to mitigate various risks. For example, Bourbon and Typica tend to be weaker plants and sometimes come under attack from leaf rust and other diseases, but they have great cupping potential. Caturra and especially Catimor are more rust resistant and have a higher yield.

    Due to the famously fragrant soil in the Chang Rai area, even these hybrid varieties are capable of producing complex and delicious coffees, yet they could struggle if grown in different areas.

    Imagine a Cadbury's Wholenut - lashings of milk chocolate with a hefty sprinkle of hazelnut - and you're pretty much there with this coffee. Now throw in a sprinkle of macadamia nuts too and just a hint of caramel for a super moreish hug in a mug.

    • Country: Thailand
  • Region: Doi Pangkhong, Chiang Rai
  • Altitude: 1,250–1,500 m.a.s.l.
  • Processing method: Black Honey
  • Varietals: Catuai, Typica & Chiang Mai
  • CUPPING NOTES
    Milk chocolate, hazelnut, macadamia nut

    Clean cup: (1–8): 6

    Sweetness: (1–8): 6.5
    Acidity: (1–8): 6
    Mouthfeel: (1–8): 6.5
    Flavour: (1–8): 6.5
    Aftertaste: (1–8): 6
    Balance: (1–8): 6.5
    Overall: (1–8): 6.5
    Correction: (+36): +36

    Total: (max. 100): 86.5

    Roasting Information

    Medium to Medium Dark - keep pushing it steadily through the gap, looking for the first pops of second as it cools.

    9 min

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