Kenya: Kiriga, AB

El Salvador: Argentina, Centroamericano, Washed Think of freshly brewed black tea with a slice of lemon and white sugar. A warming spoonful of nutmeg comes in on the finish of this comforting and sweet cup. Roland last visited El Salvador in February as the harvest at Finca Argentina was just coming to an end. The farm is at a lower altitude than other producers we work with in El Salvador, so that shifts the harvests a little earlier than San Jose or Nejapa for example. He travelled with Mauricio to visit the Los Ausoles mill to cup the various seasonal coffee beans available to purchase this year and deciding to buy this Washed Centroamericano coffee was an easy yes. On The Farm Near the town of Turin, in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador, you’ll find Finca Argentina. It’s located in the Apaneca-Ilamtepec mountain range, surrounded by natural hot springs at an altitude of 1,300 metres above sea level. The farm’s 35 hectares are separated into 7 distinct areas or 'tablons'. Each of these individual plots have their own character, shaped by the landscape and the small peculiarities of microclimate that come with changes in altitude, aspect, soil, and even local volcanic activity. Over time, the team at Finca Argentina have put a lot of effort into exploring different varietals, discovering what grows best on each of the farm’s 7 tablons. The Guachipelin tablon spans 6 hectares and was replanted in 2016 with H1 (Centroamericano), Yellow Bourbon, Icatu, and a small amount of SL-28. The Martinez Family The farm was first acquired by the Martinez family in 1967. Dr Luis Guillermo Martinez bought the estate, and it quickly became his favourite and produced well. By the time his son, Mauricio, inherited in 2008, the cherry yields had dropped significantly and he was unsure how best to proceed with his newly owned farm. It was here that his son (and our now, good friend) Alejandro, stepped in. He had just relocated back to El Salvador after working as a city banker in New York and decided to lend a hand to his father’s business interests while looking for work. Ale’s interest was pricked when he saw that the farm had been classified for a Q auction in 2005, showing it had the potential for great coffee. He and his cousin based in London set about sending green coffee samples to roasters anywhere they could, seeking a specialty buyer. One of those landed with us in 2008 and we’ve been buying ever since. Mauricio and Alejandro both now live in Canada, but Mauricio still owns and oversees the farm remotely. He relies on his farm manager and the on-site team to handle day-to-day operations and to keep him up to date, while visiting El Salvador regularly to check in. The Martinez family employ 50 people during the harvest and 30 the rest of the year. Mauricio's daughter Beatrix, who hadn't previously been involved in coffee, is also now stepping in to help with the family business. Processing of the coffee is carried out at the Los Ausoles dry mill, a cooperative facility in Ahuachapán. They have a very good relationship with Mauricio and have shown great consistency and reliability for us as buyers. Highly Skilled Workers Throughout the growing season at Finca Argentina, individual workers are given a lot of responsibility over pruning and managing trees. On many farms, pruning would be quite regimented (e.g. every other tree gets a skeleton prune in this section) whereas Finca Argentina are leaving these decisions much more up to the knowledge of the staff, deciding on a plant-by-plant basis what kind of pruning is needed when they work through an area. It is easy to ruin coffee production on trees if you don’t make the right pruning choices, so this shows a lot of trust and is only possible when they retain and develop their workers’ skills long term. El Salvador has been hit hard by the wider labour shortage impacting other Central American countries. Luckily Finca Argentina are currently managing well, but they are having to consider more ways to retain necessary numbers of staff during harvest season. The Martinez family employ 50 people during the harvest and 30 the rest of the year. They contribute labour and materials to improve infrastructure in their community’s towns, and grow 25 kg of corn annually for each person. They’re also implementing more ecological management: using compost and other organic products to minimise environmental impact, and intercropping beans to enrich the soil. Their work has improved the land’s biodiversity and cup quality, and the future for sustainable coffee beans from Finca Argentina is looking very bright! Centroamericano H1 The Centroamericano varietal might not be the best known, but we think it's certainly worth paying attention to. Sometimes misunderstood, Centroamericano H1 is actually one of the more exciting developments in coffee breeding, offering resilience for farmers and the potential for exceptional tasting coffee when grown in the right place. To give it its full name, Centroamericano H1 F1 Hybrid is a Sarchimor. The Catimors and Sarchimors are a huge group of coffee varietals created from crossing Arabica varietals with the Timor Hybrid - a naturally occurring hybrid of Arabica and Robusta discovered nearly 100 years ago in Timor. In the case of Centroamericano H1, its parents are T5296 (a Timor Hybrid crossed with Villa Sarchi) and Rume Sudan, an Ethiopian landrace. H1 is part of a new generation of F1 hybrids, developed through collaboration between CIRAD (France), CATIE (Costa Rica), PROMECAFE, World Coffee Research, and other partners. After years of trials, it was officially released to Central American coffee farmers around 2010, with the goal of combining high yields, disease resistance, and excellent cup quality. There are clear reasons it's become popular on specialty coffee farms across the region: the plant is quick-growing, resistant to leaf rust, and high-yielding. Trials have shown H1 can produce 22-47% more yield than traditional varieties, with hybrid vigour often leading to 30-50% more output and earlier fruiting. While Catimors and Sarchimors as a group sometimes suffer from a reputation for lower flavour potential, Centroamericano H1 has proven it can deliver excellent brews in the right conditions. A lot from Nicaragua scored 90.5 in the 2017 Cup of Excellence, earning a Presidential Award - proof that resilience and quality can go hand in hand. This balance of practicality and potential is why we're excited to share the Centroamericano H1 from Finca Argentina. For the Martinez family, H1 is both insurance against leaf rust and a proven success in the cup. The coffee produced is comfortably on par with the farm's other varietals, and we hope you really enjoy this lesser-known varietal from our wonderful friends. Traceability Country: El Salvador Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec Department: Ahuachapán Municipality: Ahuachapán Nearest town: Turin Farm: Finca Argentina Producer: The Martinez Family Dry mill: Los Ausoles Elevation: 1,300 m.a.s.l Variety: Centroamericano (H1) Processing method: Washed GPS: 13°56'29.4"N 89°47'04.1"W Cupping Scores Cupping Notes: Black tea, white sugar, lemon, nutmeg. Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores Clean Cup: 6/8 Sweetness: 6.5/8 Acidity: 6/8 Mouthfeel: 6/8 Flavour: 6.5/8 Aftertaste: 6.5/8 Balance: 6.5/8 Overall: 6.5/8 Correction: +36 Total: 86.5/100 If you'd like to find out more about how we score coffees, make sure to read our blog post “What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?” and if you'd like to try cupping yourself, we've got a guide to that too! What is Coffee Cupping. Roasting Information Medium dark, and we mean it. This one runs through first crack and keeps going, right to the edge of second - further than we'd usually take a washed Central American. That extra stretch is where the sweetness comes from. Hold a coffee there and the sugars caramelise properly, which is what gives you that white sugar quality and the warm nutmeg on the finish. The trick is knowing when to stop. Push much past that point and you'd lose the delicate stuff, the black tea and the lemon lift that keep the cup from turning heavy. So we ease off just before. Darker in the bag than you might expect, brighter in the cup than it looks.

Nicaragua: Finca Limoncillo, Ethiosar, Washed A delicate yellow plum acidity keeps this super fudgy coffee lively and unctuous with a handful of creamy pecans on the finish. The coffee we have here hails from the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua, grown and processed for us by our good friends the Mierisch family. This is one of our longest continuing producer relationships as we’ve been buying coffee from their farm Finca Limoncillo since 2007, and we foresee that continuing for many years yet. The first single origin coffee we’re releasing from this year’s harvest is a Washed Ethiosar. On The Farm All of the Mierisch Nicaraguan coffee farms are sprinkled across the Jinotega and Matagalpa regions in the north west of the country. They’re dotted up either side of the mountain range on the border of the 2 departments. When Roland travels to visit the farms, generally he’ll see Limoncillo on the same day as La Huella and Mama Mina as they’re close to each other. You start at Mama Mina first, then through La Huella, before heading on to Limoncillo, the biggest, to finish. Finca Limoncillo is a premium coffee farm and jewel of the Mierisch family nestled at 1,200 metres above sea level in the lush mountains of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Spanning 171 hectares (109 of which are dedicated to coffee cultivation) the farm is known not only for its breathtaking landscape, with nine waterfalls crossing its terrain, but also for its role as a benchmark in Nicaraguan specialty coffee. Owned by the Mierisch family, highly respected producers known for their experimental processing, varietal work, and exceptional coffee. Limoncillo is home to a wide range of varietals, including Caturra, Red Bourbon, Pacamara, and Java. The Mierisch Family The very first of the Mierisch farms was founded in 1895 by German émigré Ernst Bruno Mierisch Boettiger. He was compensated by the Nicaraguan government for his engineering work on the construction of the pacific railroad between Masaya and Diriamba with a parcel of land - a goldmine and a farm he named “Sajonia” (the Spanish spelling of his home region back in Germany, Saxony). In 1908 he planted his first coffee tree, today Fincas Mierisch have 9 coffee farms in Nicaragua and 3 in Honduras. Over 100 years later the family business is now run by his grandson, Dr. Erwin Mierisch Buitrago (3rd generation), and great-great-grandson, Erwin “Wingo” Mierisch Jackman (5th generation). Wingo has been involved with the farms since 2017, contributing to everything from post-harvest processing, to roasting, cupping, and green coffee sales. His passion for innovation and research has led him to head development of new post-harvesting processing methods at the mill, and fine-tuning QC lab protocols to increase quality and consistency. With Wingo’s input, the team at the Don Esteban mill have heavily invested in experimentation with processing coffee. Erick Lopez is the Head Agronomist of the Mierisch farms, he started his career at entry level 22 years ago with their team working in the fields. He showed talent and commitment, so they promoted him and financed his further education to enable him to move up to his current position. He now oversees most of the practical day-to-day operation of the farms. The Fincas Mierisch team has an abundance of employees who have been with them for many years, their expertise and skill are what make the great quality of product and service they provide possible. The family employ over 3,000 staff during the harvest, and at Limoncillo over 60 families live on the farm full-time. They are seriously loved by the folks 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 Mierisches 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 us that good people grow good coffee. Sustainable Coffee Beans The family have scores 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. In 2024, the farm completed a 15 kW hydroelectric plant, furthering its commitment to sustainability by supplying renewable energy to both operations and the 60 on-site families who live and work at the farm. Alongside its coffee-growing area, the estate also supports cattle and horses, with large swathes of preserved forest maintaining biodiversity. The Mierisch family’s focus on social responsibility is equally impressive - they provide housing, meals, childcare, education, and healthcare for workers year-round, and pay wages that exceed the local minimum by 30%. Don Esteban The Don Esteban mill, located on Finca Limoncillo, is the central processing hub for the Mierisch family’s farms in the Matagalpa region. Named in honour of the family patriarch, the mill is engineered with precision and flexibility in mind, allowing the team to adapt processing methods to suit each varietal and lot. Coffee cherries are carefully hand-picked before being depulped using state-of-the-art eco-pulpers, which significantly reduce water usage while offering control over the amount of mucilage left on the bean, crucial for precise processing. Depending on the desired outcome (washed, natural, or honey) coffees are either fermented in tiled tanks or dried slowly on covered African-style raised beds, allowing for clean, traceable expressions of origin. What is Ethiosar? We’ve been roasting Ethiosar coffee from Finca Limoncillo for several years now, and it’s a varietal with a fascinating backstory rooted in innovation and resilience. It was developed through the collaborative efforts of the Mierisch family and their cousin Ricardo, who owns a nearby farm at a much lower altitude - just 800 metres above sea level. Ricardo noticed his coffee plants were struggling. Yields were dropping, and disease pressure was increasing. He attributed this to a combination of factors: climate change, increased rainfall, and the inherent challenges of growing Nicaraguan specialty coffee at lower altitudes in the country. But amidst these challenges, one experimental plant stood out. It was thriving - producing more fruit and showing strong resistance to disease. That plant was Ethiosar. Ethiosar is a stable hybrid varietal, carefully crafted to combine the best of both worlds: exceptional cup quality and strong disease resistance. It begins with a cross between: Sudan Rume – an heirloom Ethiopian coffee variety known for its complex, floral flavours Sarchimor – a hybrid of Villa Sarchi and Timor, bred for resilience This hybrid is then crossed again with Villa Sarchi, a dwarf mutation of Bourbon from Costa Rica, prized for its sweetness and compact growth. The result? A varietal that’s not only resilient and high-yielding, but also delivers a delicious, nuanced cup profile - perfect for lovers of single origin coffee and specialty Nicaraguan coffees. Traceability Country: Nicaragua Region: Matagalpa Municipality: Yasica Norte Farm: Limoncillo Producers: The Mierisch Family Farm size: 171 hectares Coffee growing area: 109 hectares Protected Rainforest: 54 hectares Varietal: Ethiosar Process: Washed Elevation: 1,200 masl Harvest Months: October-February Diurnal Temp. Cycle: Avg High 25C, Low 17C Awards: Cup of Excellence 2008 (2nd Place) Cupping Scores Cupping Notes: Fudge, pecan, yellow plum. Cup of Excellence Cupping Scores Clean Cup: 6/8 Sweetness: 6.5/8 Acidity: 6.5/8 Mouthfeel: 6.5/8 Flavour: 6/8 Aftertaste: 6/8 Balance: 6/8 Overall: 6.5/8 Correction: +36 Total: 86/100 If you'd like to find out more about how we score coffees, make sure to read our blog post “What Do Coffee Cupping Scores Actually Mean?” and if you'd like to try cupping yourself, we've got a guide to that too! What is Coffee Cupping. Roasting Information Medium Dark - fudgy, and deliberately so. Steady through first crack, good consistent pace into the gap between the cracks, then off the heat just before second. That steadiness is where the body and the creamy pecan finish come from. The early drop is what saves the yellow plum acidity from disappearing under all that richness. Rich and lively at once, which is a harder balance than it sounds.

A dry fermented washed Bolivian coffee from Los Rodriguez at Finca El Arcangel. Lime cordial, raspberry, and milk chocolate notes make it bright, creamy, and balanced.

A washed organic single origin currently centred on Cajamarca, Peru, with milk chocolate, cookies and cream, and caramel notes.