Crankhouse Coffee Coffee Beans

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!

Our latest Colombian masterpiece is yet another release from the famous Inmaculada Coffee Farms and their 'Fellows' project in Huila and Cauca. This project with partnering farms which began in 2022 not only allows them to preserve the distinctive quality of the coffees but also expands the Inmaculada portfolio with exotic varieties that they might not grow themselves. With this project they are actively contributing to improving the livelihoods of partner coffee growers and strengthening their agronomic and processing practices in these regions. We first tasted a range of Inmaculada coffees at an event in 2025 and they were exceptional coffees. These are not generally accessible in the UK but luckily through our import partner DR Wakefield we were able to purchase two particular gems which were both amazing. We wanted more, and luckily we had the pleasure of hosting Jorge and Juan Pablo from Inmaculada on our stand at this year's World of coffee event in Brussels. They'd brought with them some stunning coffees to brew including a Bourbon Aji, which is also known as 'Pepper or Chilli Bourbon'. The plant has a distinctive pepper like aroma as the coffee cherries are picked, hence the “Aji” name (Aji is the south American word for chilli peppers). It was quite special so we immediately booked some and hey presto.. it was milled, packed and shipped to be here at Crankhouse within a couple of weeks. Research performed by plant geneticist Dr. Christophe Montagnon has shown that Bourbon Aji is not actually a Bourbon at all (just like Pink Bourbon), but a descendant of the Ethiopian landrace coffee group. It's the first time we've had this particular variety in the roastery but not the first time we've heard of it. It's one of the new 'exotic' varieties that has come out of the Huila region of Colombia. Inmaculada is based in Santiago de Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia and they process the Fellows partner coffees through their own state of the art mill for quality and consistency purposes. This Bourbon Aji is processed as a washed coffee with a short anaerobic fermentation after depulping. For us it has some tropical notes, with a juicy citrus acidity and a sweetness that reminded us of dry vermouth. It's a complex cup for sure.

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.

Our latest decaf coffee is from Chiapas in Mexico and uses the Mountain Water decaffeination method at the Descamex facility in Córdoba, Veracruz. The water used in this process comes from the Pico de Orizaba, the tallest volcano in Mexico located in Veracruz. This water is used to extract caffeine from the green coffee beans under controlled conditions of flow, temperature, pressure and vacuum in combination with a green coffee concentrate and a sophisticated filtration system (much like the Swiss Water decaffeination method) in combination with special filters. Mountain Water Decaf Quetzal originates from 24 communities located across the VI Frailesca region and the Sierra Mariscal, traversed by the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Mexico. This coffee is influenced by the favourable microclimates of the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, which benefits local biodiversity and the economy. The coffee farms, situated between 1,200 and 1,800 masl, are developed in polycultures that offer significant environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Our third year with this stunning natural from the Rumudamo station which was one of the stations we visited back in 2025. Arbegona is one of the 30 district in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Sidama Zone, Arbegona is bordered on the south by Bona Zuria, on the southwest by Bursa, on the northwest by Gorche, on the north by the Oromia Region, and on the east by Bensa. The major town in Arbegona is Arbegona. This coffee comes from small plots in the highland area of Arbegona in a specific village called Rumudamo, which benefits from the very high altitudes up to 2300 MASL. Coffee is the main cash crop in this area, though many other crops grow here such as sugar cane, false banana, spices and vegetables. Cherries are sorted based on density and quality by floating them in large water tanks. After flotation, the cherries are transferred to African raised beds with mesh nets. The coffee is rotated every 30 minutes for even dryness and to control the fermentation process. The average drying time takes about 12-15 days based on the temperature and humidity. Then the dried cherries are stored in warehouses for flavour development.

Yes folks, it's time for the return of this washed beauty from our trip to the home of coffee back in January last year with Atrie from Coffee Legends to the Daye Bensa operation. Rumudamo is the jewel in the Daye Bensa crown and coffees from this washing station in the Arbegona area within Sidamo have placed highly in CoE competitions in previous years (2nd and 3rd spots in 2020)! Arbegona is one of the 30 district in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Sidama Zone, Arbegona is bordered on the south by Bona Zuria, on the southwest by Bursa, on the northwest by Gorche, on the north by the Oromia Region, and on the east by Bensa. The major town in Arbegona is Arbegona. Just like it's naturally processed sibling that we have available too, this coffee comes from small plots in the highland area of Arbegona in a specific village called Rumudamo, which benefits from the very high altitudes up to 2300 MASL. Coffee is the main cash crop in this area, though many other crops grow here such as sugar cane, false banana, spices and vegetables. Cherries are sorted based on density and quality by floating them in large water tanks. After flotation, the ripe cherries are pulped and transferred to fermentation tanks for 72 hrs before being taken to the raised beds with mesh nets for 9-10 days drying.

A washed Colombian community lot from Villa Maria in Caldas, part of Raw Material's long-running project for stable prices and quality, with red plum and milk chocolate notes.

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.