Finca Santa Elena Natural Bourbon

This coffee comes to us from a project born out of a meeting between coffee friends on one of Lucia Solis's fermentation camps. Mike, then of Red Bank Coffee, was on the camp in Kenya at along with Eustache from Muraho trading company based in Rwanda. We'd visited Muraho back in 2023 with importer Raw Material Coffee and Eustache was manager for a number of Muraho's processing stations including Kilimbi. During the camp Mike and Eustache hatched a plan to use the fermentation techniques they were learning during the camp to process a small lot of coffee at Kilimbi and bring it to the UK. Lucky for us there was a little extra to Red Bank's requirements and we were able to get hold of a few sacks. All cherry is hand sorted before a pre-pulp float, where under-ripe or damaged cherry is removed, along with any foreign objects. Cherry is then floated in pre-pulping tanks removing any floaters, and then pulped. The next step is the magic applied by Eustache and Mike based on their FTC experience. Lactobacillus var. plantarum (bacteria) and Pichia kluyveri (yeast) were then introduced and mixed with the coffee. The lot was fermented for 24 hours, with agitation every six hours, before being washed, graded in serpentine channels, and dried on raised beds.

An anaerobic washed Geisha from Wilder Lazo at Bella Alejandria, named Lady Geisha after his wife Laidy. Passionfruit, honeysuckle and bergamot notes show the delicate fruit and floral character of this competition-level lot.

Our latest Colombian decaf coffee comes to us from the Cooperativa de Caficultores de Manizales which was founded in 1960 and a part of the coffee community in the region of Caldas. Located in part of the renowned Coffee Triangle, the cooperative was created to support local coffee growers by improving market access, strengthening livelihoods, and promoting collective action. The cooperative helps farmers secure better prices, attain fair trade certifications, and access technical training, financial services, and sustainability programs. These services improve members’ economic stability and enhance community well-being. Sustainability is central to its mission. The cooperative encourages organic farming, reduces pesticide use, and supports water conservation, biodiversity, and renewable energy. It also invests in social initiatives, including education, healthcare, and fair labor practices, to improve living standards in coffee-growing communities. Each farm produces its own levels of volume and types of varieties, and the main varieties grown are Castillo, Caturra, and Supremo. Most of the members of the association process their coffees using traditional washed processing practices; 16 hours fermentation followed by sun-drying for 15 days. The Sugar Cane EA Decaffeination method Sugar cane decaffeination is often termed as a natural process decaf. Ethyl Acetate is an organically existing compound (C4H8O2) and by-product found most commonly in the fermentation of fruits, and is present in both ripe bananas and beer for example. The DESCAFECOL decaffeination plant in Manizales uses water from the Navado del Ruis (a volcano between Caldas and Tolima) and natural ethyl acetate from fermented sugarcane sourced in the southern region of Palmira, Colombia. This process begins with steaming of the coffee, increasing its porosity, beginning the hydrolysis of caffeine, which is usually bonded to salts and chlorogenic acids in the bean. The beans are then submerged in an ethyl acetate solution until 97% of the caffeine is removed. A final steam is then used to lift residual traces of the compound. The ultimate residue which remains is ≤30 ppm, which is a level dramatically less than that of a banana!

A washed Colombian regional blend from farms around Oporapa in Huila. Creamy body, caramel sweetness, and gentle mandarin-like acidity make it a classic, balanced cup.