Freak & Unique IX | Bolivia | Rodriguez Family Farm

REGION : Jinotega ALTITUDE : 1,100 - 1,400 MASL VARIETAL : Catuai PROCESS : Natural FLAVOUR NOTES : Strawberry, , Black Grape, Blueberry The Cerro Datanlí - El Diablo Nature Reserve is a high massif rising between Matagalpa and Jinotega, part of Nicaragua’s Isabelia mountain range. It is a magical landscape, where birds and butterflies move through lush cloud forest and coffee trees cling to impossibly steep, shaded mountainsides. Datanlí is an indigenous word meaning “where water falls”, a fitting name for one of Jinotega’s richest and most diverse ecosystems. Water sources originate high in the mountains before flowing down through the reserve to the coffee farms below. Combined with favourable climatic conditions, fertile land and generations of agricultural knowledge, this abundant water helps create exceptional conditions for specialty coffee production. Coffee is the primary source of income for the farmers of the El Diablo community, many of whom manage medium-sized farms alongside crops grown for their own consumption. Catuai and Caturra remain the principal coffee varieties, while producers are increasingly planting Pacamara and hybrid varieties such as Catimor to bring greater diversity to their farms. The region has gradually shifted from large-scale commercial coffee towards specialty production, building on agricultural systems already well adapted to its particular landscape and climate. Today, producers combine careful processing with environmentally conscious practices, including wastewater treatment, using coffee pulp as fertiliser and planting living barriers and windbreaks around their farms. The result is a distinctive expression of this remarkable landscape, with notes of chocolate and red fruit, a medium body and bright malic acidity.

Chess is one of the oldest games in the world, holding deep cultural and intellectual significance. Oftentimes it can be seen played in cafes, the players drinking coffee to keep astute and alert during the challenge. The chequered board and the gingham tablecloth play with the grid and hint at the illusion of recessive space towards the opponent just out of frame. Exploring flatness, monochrome and perspective, 'Dancing with the Devil' is a freeze frame of a final move. "Check Mate" and Queen traps King, subverting the power dynamics of the past. Our very limited series, Freak & Unique continues with this k01 process coffee from producer Diego Bermudez in Colombia. This coffee is paired with the artwork "Dancing with the Devil" by Fleur Yearsley. PRODUCER: Diego BermudezFARM: Villa Esperanza Paraiso REGION: El Tambo, Cauca, Colombia ALTITUDE: 1700 MASLVARIETAL: CastilloPROCESS: K01 Process Diego Bermudez has been producing exceptional speciality coffee for over 13 years. Working alongside his family at Villa Esperanza Paraiso, he continuously refines processing techniques to create unique flavour profiles. Their on-farm lab has been key to developing fermentation protocols, earning Diego multiple awards. He has also achieved the CQI Level 2 Processing qualification, deepening his expertise in cup profiles, microorganisms, and temperature control. For the KO1 process, ripe coffee cherries undergo ozone disinfection before a 12-hour anaerobic fermentation in water with saccharomyces cerevisiae. After pulping, cardamom seeds and yeasts are added with the coffee to a rotative fermenter to enhance aromatics, followed by a thermal shock wash to preserve delicate notes. Finally, the coffee is dried in a dehumidifier to ensure a clean, refined profile. * Please note due to the extremely limited availability of this coffee, we will be roasting once weekly. This may add a small delay to online orders. *

A Freak & Unique natural anaerobic lot from La Pastora in Tarrazu, Costa Rica, built around Catuai and Caturra. Cinnamon, warm nutmeg, and spiced rum notes make it a striking, spice-heavy cup.

A natural Colombia variety from Cafe Granja La Esperanza in Valle del Cauca. Controlled fermentation and dehumidifier drying create a microlot with the clean precision and fruit focus this producer is known for.