Our coffees

For all coffees we buy we have an extensive description with background information about the farm or partner where the coffee is sourced.
We roast several times a week and keep limited stock of roasted coffee to guarantee freshness.

Coffee can be stored for years, however, the best results are achieved between about two and eight weeks after roasting. That’s why we don’t mention an expiry date, but a roasting date on the bottom of our bags.

SANTALUCILA
Nicaragua Santa Lucila

– click here to read more

DOIPANGKHON
Thailand doi Pangkhon

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LA CRISTALINA
Colombia la Cristalina

– click here to read more

SANTALUZIA
Brazil Santa Luzia

– click here to read more

SILVERIODASILVA
Brazil Silvério da Silva

– click here to read more

ELPLACER-WHITEHONEY
Colombia el Placer Geisha

– click here to read more

COLOMBIA-JESUS
Colombia Jesus Ceron

– click here to read more

HUACHANG
Thailand Hua Chang

– click here to read more

TELILAYUKRO
Ethiopia Telila Yukro

– click here to read more

WILDERLAZO
Colombia Wilder Lazo Sidra

– click here to read more

Kenya Sakami AA

Kenya Sakami

Around the world, Kenyan coffees are some of the most coveted and buyers are used to paying higher prices for them than any other African specialty, yet most of this price goes to a corrupt auction system and farmers are both unseen and earn extremely low farm gate prices. Many young people therefore choose to abandon an undignified future in coffee farming and move to the city. The sad truth is that because of the amazing quality of Kenyan coffee we as an industry accept these high prices – keeping this system and this lack of social justice in place.
Luckily, with the help of This Side Up, we found a way to trade directly with Kenyan farmers. Kenyan entrepreneur Gloria and her Finnish husband Jarmo run Sakami Coffee, one of the most environmentally sustainable farms in the country, with a wet mill fully powered by solar panels. They grow SL28, Ruiru 11, Batian and K7 varieties according to permaculture principles and help surrounding farmers obtain better prices and processing knowledge. Following the lead of Gloria and Jarmo to a more sustainable coffee world, both financially and environmentally.

The Sakami farm is creating “agroforestry” by intercropping macadamia trees between coffee, protecting all indigenous trees in and around the farm, protecting the wetland by not interfering on it, leaving natural bush sections in and around the coffee trees, having beehives around the farm, and avoiding the use of pesticides or herbicides. All “waste” such as coffee pulp and macadamia husks are fed to earth worms and worm castings are returned back to field as manure or used to make foliar feed. Water from pulping and washing the coffee is treated in a settling pond with lime and then used to irrigate the pasture below the ponds. Next to all this, Sakami uses mineral fertilizers to replace the nutrients taken away when harvesting cherries.

Sakami’s Coffee has the typical bright fruit notes that you would expect from a Kenyan coffee, but because of more cultivars than just SL 28, and because Sakami is located in a less common terroir and climate, you find somewhat thicker body and more chocolaty, praline notes in these washed gems. Only fully ripe cherries are accepted for pulping, each cherry is hand picked by their dedicated women, up to over 100 during picking season. All this is done at the farm and only dry milling is so far done with commercial millers.
In near future Sakami intends to get dry milling equipment at the farm, to have 100% control of each green bean leaving the farm and being able to offer full growing and processing information for each bag.

Region

Trans Nzoia County

Plantation

Sakami Estate

Altitude

1.800 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Batian

Process

Washed

Tasting notes

blackcurrant, dark chocolate & plum

Curious about this coffee?
Colombia-lacristalinanatural-klein
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Colombia la Cristalina

The La Cristalina plantation is located near Quimbaya in the Quindo department. The plantation has been owned by the Grajales for over 100 years. Maria Mercedes Grajales is now the 5th generation at the helm of La Cristalina. The total plantation is approximately 19 hectares, of which 14 hectares are planted with coffee. about 5 hectares of the plantation are planted with other trees such as orange, ‘platano’ and ‘cafatero’. The majority of the plants on the Cristalina plantation are of the Castillo variety.

 

Natural lot 

The pickers are encouraged to pick the coffee at its optimal maturity. For that selective picking process La Cristalina works with the long-term pickers that get paid far more than normal. Most pickers come to this farm for 10+ years.

After picking the cherries are floated intensively to remove the less dense and defected cherries.

The coffee is placed on “carros corredizos” and drying tunnels with direct sun exposure for the first 48 hours. After the humidity is down to about 40% it is placed in GrainPro for 36 hours to create its fruity punch in its cup. During fermentation the temperature and PH is monitored and documented every 3 hours. After fermentation the coffee goes back to the drying beds where it is also moved every 3 hours. The total process takes around 15 days, depending on the weather.

The coffee is very fragrant and expressive, with flavours of cherry, mandarin and strawberry.

 

Decaf lot

The La Cristalina coffee is decaffeinated by means of ‘Sugar Cane’. A characteristic of this decaf process is that the coffee retains many of its aromas. In addition, it often produces a very sweet coffee. The result is a sweet coffee with flavor of orange molasses and milk chocolate.

Region

Quimbaya, Quindio

Plantation

La Cristalina

Altitude

1.450 – 1.500 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Castillo

Process

Washed Decaf

Tasting notes

Milk chocolate, molasses & orange

Curious about this coffee?

Region

Quimbaya, Quindio

Plantation

La Cristalina

Altitude

1.450 – 1.500 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Castillo

Process

Natural

Tasting notes

Cherry, mandarin & strawberry

Curious about this coffee?
DOIPANGKHON_ZAK
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@beanspire

Thailand Doi Pangkhon

Doi Pangkhon has come a long way in a short time. We partnered with this farmer group in Chiang Rai in 2016. While the coffee is still relatively new to the international market, the 300 Akha Hilltribe farmers at Doi Pangkhon (which means Timberland Peak) have been growing and milling coffee for almost 40 years in this area, respecting their old traditions and their natural environment.
The mineral-rich soil and next-to-perfect growing conditions give not just their old varieties, but even their Catimor shrubs a surprising complexity and spicy punch. This sparked Ata and Pupae, brother and sister and third generation coffee growers, to actively seek the involvement of specialty buyers. Each farmer typically produces about 1-2 tons of parchment. We are working with about 20 families from Doi Pangkhon. Essentially, these are microlots grouped together. All of the villagers belong to Akha Hilltribe and they are very young for coffee farmers, mostly aged 25-35 years old. This is something very unique about Thailand as an origin since it’s an upper middle income country. It is a coffee growing industry that’s actually working and attractive to the next generation, relative to other origins.

One of only a few groups in Thailand to employ a Kenya-style washed, double fermentation: all coffee is hand picked, depulped, dry fermented for 48 hours, wet fermented for 8 hours, washed with mountain water, then sun dried on raised bamboo beds.

The result is a very clean coffee with typical ‘Asian’ spicy flavors, but combined with a sweetness not often found in other Asian coffees.

Region

Chang Rai

Plantation

Doi Pangkhon Group

Altitude

1.250 – 1.500 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Typica, Bourbon & Catuai

Process

Washed

Tasting notes

Salted caramel, spice & chocolate

Curious about this coffee?
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Schermafbeelding 2022-08-29 om 13.17.32

Brazil Sitio Santa Luzia

Sitio Santa Luzia is located in the region of Matas de Minas. One of the oldest and most traditional Brazilian coffee regions. Ana Maria Ribeiro is a third generation coffee farmer. All knowledge about coffee and coffee processing was passed on from generation to generation.
For many years the cultivation and management of Sitio Santa Luzia were directed towards producing commodity coffee. In 2013 they discovered the possibilities of producing specialty coffees, but it was only in the 20/21 harvest that they decided to improve their harvesting and processing techniques.

Continuously they seek to improve the quality of their coffees, the quality of picking and the environment.

The harvest is predominantly manual and semi mechanized due to the slope of their plots. In the post-harvest period after floating the cherries, the batches are de-hulled. After hulling the coffees are dried in paved terraces, suspended terraces or rotary driers.

The result is a very refined classic Brazilian coffee: good body and sweetness, with pronounced flavours of almond and hazelnut and mild fruit notes.

Region

Matas de Minas

Plantation

Sitio Santa Luzia

Altitude

750 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Catuaí 144

Process

Pulped Natural

Tasting notes

Hazelnut, almond & creamy

Curious about this coffee?
Brazil-Dulce
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@fazendacalifornia

Brazil Dulce

Quality and consistency. It’s not easy when you’re a farmer, with changing weather and different circumstances on a yearly or even seasonal basis, to match the exact same flavor profile as last year. It might even be impossible. For this reason, the team of Q-graders of Capricornio Coffees cup all the coffees of the more than a dozen partner fazendas and farmer groups, grade them according to their flavor and quality, and then make farmer blends, solely based on taste. For example, the Dulce Signature blend is described as dark chocolate, with a sweet and round thick body. One year, this might consist of more coffee from Fazenda Terra Preta and less from Sítio Teixeira. The year after, this might be the other way around.

Farm composition in the coffee bag might change, but the farms don’t sit still themselves either. Being part of Capricornio’s 4 Seasons Project, they get free agronomical support, with an agronomist visiting them every 60 days. Together, they look at plant and soil health and do soil measurements, that are used to advice on which parts of the farms need extra attention. It’s high-end knowledge and solid partnership to provide a sustainable future.

Since 2017, we have been working with the Dulce blend and they have since proven to be the stable factor for many cafe’s. It comes with its own traceability report, so we know in detail which farms contributed to which blend, year after year.

The cup profile gives us everything we want in a good Brazilian coffee: good body and sweetness, mild acidity and heavy chocolate and nutty flavours without any fruit notes. A true crowd pleaser.

Region

Parana

Plantation

Regional blend

Altitude

700 – 900 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Yellow Catuaí, Mundo Novo, Obatã.

Process

Pulped natural

Tasting notes

Walnut & chocolate

Curious about this coffee?
Silverio da Silva 1

Brazil Silverio da Silva

We have sourced this coffee through our friends at Farmly.  Silverio da Silva is a third generation farmer of the Cunha e Silva Family. They have been producing coffee since 1914 in the Matas de Minas region. Like many farms in Brazil, Silverio’s coffee is cultivated at lower altitude, around 740 meters above sea level.

For years the family only produced commodity coffee, but the last couple of years they have made the switch to specialty production. In 2021 Siberia started producing anaerobic coffees.
When we received this coffee on the cupping table, we were immediately drawn to this coffee. It combines the best worlds of traditional Brazilian coffee; good body, mild acidity with nutty and chocolaty flavours and some nice fruity (pineapple) flavours from the processing.

We enjoy this coffee most as espresso and it will also work well for milk based drinks.

 

 

Region

Agua Boa, Matas de Minas

Plantation

Sylverio da Silva

Altitude

740 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Catuai 785/15

Process

Natural anaerobic

Tasting notes

Almond, chocolate & pineapple

Curious about this coffee?
elplacer
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Colombia El Placer

Finca El Placer by Sebastian Ramirez, a fourth-generation coffee producer, who has been running his family estate for over a decade.
The farm is located in Calarca, Quindio, at the altitude of 1,750 masl. At El Placer, sustainable farming is practiced, for example by avoiding herbicides and cutting weeds every two months.  Soil health is a priority, and taking good care of it results in healthy plants and contributes to great flavour profiles. Sebastian has access to a well-equipped microbiological laboratory, crucial for the El Placer team in developing innovative and exotic coffees.
A few months ago we received a set of samples from El Placer and were very impressed with the amount of flavour they pumped into these coffees.
White Honey Geisha
The Geisha variety does not need a lot of introduction. It is renowned for it’s great cup quality potential. Geisha was originally collected from coffee forests in Ethiopia in the 1930s. From there it found it’s way to Panama where it made it’s name.
This lot is super fragrant. Unlike s lot of other geisha coffees it has a good structure and body. It’s got very distinct lavender and earl grey flavours and hints of peach.
Natural SL28 – SOLD OUT
SL28 is among the most well-known and well-regarded varieties of Africa. It has consequently spread from Kenya, where it was originally selected in the 1930s, to other parts of Africa (it is important in Arabica-growing regions of Uganda, in particular) and now to Latin America. The variety is suited for medium to high altitudes and shows resistance to drought, but is susceptible to the major diseases of coffee.
This natural processes SL28 lots is bursting with forest fruit flavours – black current, blueberry jam and some caramel notes.

Region

Calarca, Quindío

Plantation

El Placer

Altitude

1.750 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Geisha

Process

White honey

Tasting notes

Lavender, pearl grey & peach

Curious about this coffee?

Region

Calarca, Quindío

Plantation

El Placer

Altitude

1.750 metres above sea level

Plant variety

SL28

Process

Natural

Tasting notes

blueberry jam, blackcurrant & caramel

Curious about this coffee?
Telila Yukro 2
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Ethiopia Telila Yukro

This coffee is cultivated in the Western part of Ethiopia near the forests that are the birthplace of Arabica coffee. Limu and Djimma, another popular coffee producing region, overlap. The region shares many characteristics with the Southern regions, especially Yirgacheffe and Sidamo, coffees from the three regions also share the floral notes and citric acidity. Limu is known for having a fuller body than the other two regions.

Telila is a newer washing station in western Ethiopia. It is owned and operated by Mike Mamo of Addis Exporters. This particular mill – Telila Washing Station – is situated near Kecho Anderacha in Gera woreda. the washing station is owned by Mike Mamo. Mike is a coffee exporter and also partner in the importer for this coffee, but in 2019 he decided to buy this Washing Station.

Like most Washing Stations in Ethiopia, Telila takes coffee cherries from local smallholders. Unlike many Washing Stations, Mike has focused on controlling and separating the coffee cherries the mill takes in lots can be kept apart. That’s where the second part of this coffee’s name comes in – this lot has come from one day’s worth of coffee processed from the nearby Yukro village.

Region

Yukro, Limmu

Plantation

Telila CWS

Altitude

2.000 metres above sea level

Plant variety

JARC74110 & JARC74112

Process

washed

Tasting notes

Apricot, lemongrass & marzipan

Curious about this coffee?
Wilder Lazo

Colombia Wilder Lazo Sidra

Because of his passion for coffee and family history in coffee production, Wilder entered the coffee world in a unique way. He started not only with specialty coffee right away, but with his background in genetics, and also his relentless energy of learning, he began a varietal program in Tocora. Nowadays this program includes more than 12 different varieties, which have been carefully selected from different origins.

Wilder Lazo’s family is made up of a group of passionate coffee producers in San Adolfo (Huila). Throughout the years, they have faced many challenges to achieve their dreams. After a devastating fire, they left their farm, but because of father’s determination, they came back to rebuild their crops and the entire farm.

The whole family is involved in coffee production. Mum finds joy, gardening, while kids specialise in different aspects of the business from drying, processing and commercialization. They turn their farm into a platform for specialty coffee, with exceptional and exquisite flavours and aromas. Despite the hard times they never gave up. Their dedication and passion have allowed them to provide a way of living and education for their children’s better future. Now the entire family continue this legacy, making sure Wilder Lazo’s coffee is distinguished among many strict palates.

Wilder Lazo’s history it’s a reminder of the importance of perseverance and working hard with love. His farm is a charming place where they cultivate specialty coffee. Being that the result of an entire family effort and passion.

Wilder is a well of knowledge when it comes to genetics and processes. He focuses on bringing out the true characteristics of each varietal with fermentations and post-harvest processes that only highlight the varietal’s own attributes. Wilder recently joined the El Placer Farms Project, because he is a close friend of Sebastian Ramirez and he wanted to have a more direct contact with the people who roast and drink their coffee.

When we tasted this Sidra lot, we all raised our eyebrows; this is definitely not your usual cup of coffee. It has a quite unique flavour profile, with notes of anise, rosehips, fennel and lemongrass.

Region

San Adolfo, Huila

Plantation

Bella Alejandria

Altitude

1.500 – 2.100 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Sidra

Process

White honey

Tasting notes

Anise, rosehips & lemongrass

Curious about this coffee?
JESUSCERON

Colombia Jesus Ceron Honey

This is our oldest direct relationship, with first purchase back in 2016. One of the first projects with our sourcing/import partner This Side Up. Back then it was from JP Argote. Production, harvest, wet- and dry-milling are all done by the Argote family. Produced without pesticides, the Argote family inspects all coffee trees visually for signs of leaf rust. Transition to regenerative agroforestry on its way. Actively creating a village of specialty coffee producers.

As the sales of their coffee grew, more of the surrounding farmers joined the project. Since 2019 we decided to buy the coffee from one single farmer of the Argote group: Jesus Ceron.
Jesus has been a coffee farmer all of his life. He came from a family of farmers and lives with his mother, wife and brother. They all work together to maintain the coffee fields and process the coffee at their own small mill. He has been selling coffee to the FNC for most of his life but after meeting Juan Pablo Argote, found out that his coffee is of exceptional quality. This is mainly due to his meticulous way of working.
He is healthy again after surviving cancer and chemotherapy some years ago, making his feat of high quality production even more astounding.

This lot is a washed coffee with notes of chestnut, chocolate and blueberry.

 

 

 

Region

Genova Colon, Narino

Plantation

Jesus Ceron

Altitude

2.100 metres above sea level

Plant variety

Castillo

Process

Washed

Tasting notes

Chestnut, chocolate & blueberry

Curious about this coffee?