WILD NEW YEAR

GESHA VILLAGE NATURAL | JORGE RAUL RIVERA NATURAL | EL EDEN JAVA NATURAL

NOTES: FRUITS, GOOD VIBES, FRESH STARTS

Coffee is not only a drink, but a social encounter, and at times a tool for social good; opening minds through conversation, and even helping to build a future for coffee producers.

This year for our third and final Holiday blend variations, we are blending three of our direct relationship coffees, Gesha Village Natural, Jorge Raul Rivera Natural, & El Eden Java Natural. This coffee is vibrant, fruity and delicious. 

For all three of our Holiday coffee iterations, we are partnering with Gesha Village to help give back this year! Gesha Village has always had a special place with us here at Black & White Coffee. The Gesha Village is a project with a clear and distinct vision to produce the most amazing coffees possible. It started as a coffee documentary project from Rachel Samuel and Adam Overton, who after gaining permission from the local Meanit Shasha Woreda people to plant wild seeds harvested from the Gori Gesha Forest. 

The Meanit people, the local inhabitants and ancestral protectors of the land on which Gesha Village is build, account for a considerable portion of the Gesha Village workforce. The money they’ve made from coffee production has helped them enrich their community.

$1 of each Pound of coffee will go towards building a high school in the area that will serve five kebele (neighborhoods); this is a multi-year project that Gesha Village began in 2018. The school will be a vital addition to the community: Currently, education in the area continues only to eighth grade, and the closest high school is located more than 60 km away. The school will be built to the government standard in Ethiopia, with four classrooms for grades 9 and 10 (with 40 students per classroom), an administration room, library, laboratory, meeting hall, restrooms, and teacher and staff rooms. 

We are excited to be apart of such an important project. 

Regions: Bench Majo, Gesha, Ethiopia | Tolima, Colombia | Chalatenango, El Salvador 

Process: Natural (Gesha Village) & Natural (Jorge Raul Rivera) & Anaerobic Natural (El Eden Java)

Elevation: 1450 - 2100 masl

SINGLE ORIGIN

SANTA BARBARA, HONDURAS

NOTES: APRICOT, RAISIN, ALMOND

Edgar Erazo's coffee was our first step towards selling directly sourced coffees, with the help of our friends Kevin Bohlin and Benjamin Paz. We are super excited to have this amazing example of a clean and sweet Santa Barbara Honduras Pacas variety coffee back this year for the 3rd season. This lot is a bit smaller than last year as it has been a difficult year for Santa Barbara coffee production, but we are excited to continue to show this amazing example. This coffee will please almost everyone with clean citrus, stone fruit, and an amazing sweetness.

Farm: El Filo

Producer: Edgar Erazo

Variety: Pacas

Process: Washed

Elevation: 1580 masl

SINGLE ORIGIN | DIRECT PARTNERSHIP

BENCH MAJI, GESHA, ETHIOPIA

NOTES: WHITE FLOWERS, VIBRANT CITRUS, HONEY

Gesha Village has always had a special place with us here at Black & White Coffee. The Gesha Village is a project with a clear and distinct vision to produce the most amazing coffees possible, and have been wildly popular in the competition circuit. It started as a coffee documentary project from Rachel Samuel and Adam Overton, who after gaining permission from the local Meanit Shasha Woreda people to plant wild seeds harvested from the Gori Gesha Forest.

The farm is home to more than 30,000 native shade trees and 700,000 coffee trees with half descended from the Gori Gesha forest seeds. The lot we were able to obtain through last year from our friends at Genuine Origin was the highest scoring coffee we have brought into the Black and White Coffee family. We are excited to offer this amazingly clean and complex natural processed coffee, that we were able to work directly with Adam at Gesha Village to buy direct with help from Trabocca.

Kyle and Adam have cultivated a friendship of sharing information and chatting about the possibilities of the speciality coffee market. Both of them share an amazing love for Ethiopian coffee along with the Gesha Variety that they both love so very much. All of this adds to the beautiful complex and juicy cup with notes of soft fruit, delicate florals, intense tropical citrus and an even syrupy sweetness throughout.

FARM: Gesha Village, Chaka Selection Lot 93 

VARIEITY: Gori Gesha Forest, Gesha 1931, Illubabor Forest 1974

PROCESS: Washed

ELEVATION: 1,909-2,069 masl

DIRECT PARTNERSHIP

PITAL, HUILA, COLOMBIA

NOTES: BLACKBERRY, WHITE WINE, CITRUS ZEST, BROWN SUGAR

Ferney Macias is a beautiful coffee with balanced acidity of blackberry, white wine and citrus zest. We loved this coffee so much that we put it into our Holiday Blend this year. 

Producer: Ferney Macias

Farm: Finca Lote El Progreso

Process: Anaerobic Washed

Variety: Castillo

Elevation: 1800 masl

SINGLE ORIGIN

CHALATENANGO, EL SALVADOR

NOTES: BLACK RASPBERRY, ORANGE TROPICALS, COCOA NIBS

J. Raul Rivera and Kyle met at an SCAA training in California years ago. Kyle had no idea J. Raul Rivera was a coffee producer until about halfway through the class when he, quite humbly, informed us about what he did for a living. Kyle and J. Raul became friends on Facebook, and kept up a bit. A few years later J. Raul Rivera took 3rd place in the El Salvador Cup of Excellence, which is a competition for coffee producers to submit coffee and them be judged by an outside panel of judges.  It is a big deal to place in the top 10. The coffees go up for auction fetching prices up to 150 times the commodity price for coffee. 

Last year Raul, and his Honey Process Pacamara took 1st place overall at COE, and commanded a record $95 a pound for his beautiful coffee. Kyle was lucky enough to get to taste this winning coffee from Jonathan Mendoza the 2018/2019 El Salvadorian Barista Champion in Amsterdam. It was one of the most memorable espressos Kyle has ever been served. Quote Kyle, “It is on my Mount Rushmore of Espresso; floral, super fruity, bright, juicy, clean, but a bit funky too. It was killer.” When Jonathan told Kyle it was a Honey Process Pacamara from Raul, He was blown away. We are excited to bring in some of his Natural Pacamara also. 

Pacamara coffees are intensely polarizing, as they are at times savory, even in some places tasting like onion (which some people love). Both Lem and Kyle are not in to the onion pacamara coffees at all, so for this one to be super fruity, and clean with none of those off flavors, they were pumped on it.

This Lot is #37 is from his farm in northern Chalatenango mountains of El Salvador. Not only is his processing on point, but with pretty intense elevation for El Salvador. This coffee along with the natural lot coming later is super bright and fruity. We think you will all love it like Kyle and Lem does.

Farm: Finca Santa Rosa

Variety: Pacamara

Process: Natural

Altitude: 1850 masl

YEAR ROUND

EL EDEN JAVA WASHED & NATURAL  

NOTES: JUICY, TROPICAL, COMPLEX

Anaerobic coffees have rewritten the rules for Barista Competition's around the world. In the last two years the top 6 Competitors at both the USBC (United States Barista Championship) and the WBC (World Barista Championship) have utilized coffees with this style of fermentation.

As a result, this new method of processing has inspired us to create our own product that focuses on highlighting the complex acidity and vibrant fruit flavors found in these coffees. Not simply concerned with cupping scores and competition points, we believe for a number of reasons that this style of fermentation truly is the future.  

In a time when the Commodity Market value for coffee is dropping lower and lower, producers are always looking for ways to maximize their earnings on a given crop. However, in order to do so they are forced to produce high scoring coffees in order to make these premiums. This is made even harder when a lot of these coffee farms do not have the high elevation required to produce the complex flavors and  boutique varieties found in specialty coffee (such as Gesha, Pink Bourbon, Java).

However, in the last few years many more farms have had access to anaerobic processing, which done simply can add acidity, and complex fruit character to the cup. Anaerobic processing, in its most basic form is holding the coffee (either in cherry, or pulped) in an oxygen free environment (which can be achieved a number of ways) for an extended time in order to promote the growth of bacteria, Lactobacillus. Where, Lactobacillus is the agent that promotes acidity by producing lactic acid. The result of this is the acidification of the coffee pulp, which translates to a more vibrant coffee both on the cupping table and in the cafe. 

This main benefit of this unique style of processing is that it can make coffees that are grown at low elevations taste very similar to coffees grown at higher elevations. As the global climate warms, farmers must go higher and higher up the mountain in order to achieve the same results, but for most producers this simply is not possible.

Now, however farmers can add acidity and complexity through processing and thus combat the effects of climate change, at least in the cup.

This Blend will showcase these coffees and their varying profiles from around the world. Most of these coffees that we are currently sourcing are coming from Colombia, but we are also sourcing some from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, and Peru. With some being washed, some natural and some honey.  

This version is a blend of an Anaerobic Honey Process from Sidama, Ethiopia; blended with the ever vibrant El Eden Washed Java from Tolima, Colombia.  This is a juicy and clean cup represented by the orange corner on the label. This corner will change as the flavor profile and blend components shift throughout the year.

We hope you all enjoy this adventure into what we believe to be the future of specialty coffee.

 - Kyle Ramage (Co-owner | Green Coffee Buyer)

Regions: Tolima, Colombia

Process: Anaerobic Washed & Natural (El Eden Java)

Elevation: 1450 

SINGLE ORIGIN | DIRECT PARTNERSHIP

TOLIMA, COLOMBIA

NOTES: CITRUS ZEST, TAMARIND, CANE SUGAR

The Crew at Colombian Coffee Club continue to innovate and utilize feedback from the specialty coffee industry. We are so excited to see some of our direct feedback given and utilized in this Lot of El Eden - Java.  

Instead of drying this coffee as a natural, which adds a ton of big fruit flavors, they dried this one as a washed, which involves removing the fruit (cherry) and drying as clean parchment.

We wanted to see what the Anaerobic processing of this coffee could do with a more traditional washing.  We are excited to share this beautifully clean and Ethiopian like coffee with you. This coffee has notes of big citrus, and sweet tropical fruit flavors.  

Farm: El Eden

Variety: Java

Process: Anaerobic washed

Altitude: 1450 masl

Farm: Finca El Diviso 

SINGLE ORIGIN

CHALATENANGO, EL SALVADOR

NOTES: PEACH TEA, RASPBERRY, DARK HONEY

J. Raul Rivera and Kyle met at an SCAA training in California years ago. Kyle had no idea J. Raul Rivera was a coffee producer until about halfway through the class when he, quite humbly, informed us about what he did for a living. Kyle and J. Raul became friends on Facebook, and kept up a bit. A few years later J. Raul Rivera took 3rd place in the El Salvador Cup of Excellence, which is a competition for coffee producers to submit coffee and them be judged by an outside panel of judges.  It is a big deal to place in the top 10. The coffees go up for auction fetching prices up to 150 times the commodity price for coffee. 

Last year Raul, and his Honey Process Pacamara took 1st place overall at COE, and commanded a record $95 a pound for his beautiful coffee. Kyle was lucky enough to get to taste this winning coffee from Jonathan Mendoza the 2018/2019 El Salvadorian Barista Champion in Amsterdam. It was one of the most memorable espressos Kyle has ever been served. Quote Kyle, “It is on my Mount Rushmore of Espresso; floral, super fruity, bright, juicy, clean, but a bit funky too. It was killer.”  When Jonathan told Kyle it was a Honey Process Pacamara from Raul He was blown away.

Pacamara coffees are intensely polarizing, as they are at times savory, even in some places tasting like onion (which some people love). Both Lem and Kyle are not in to the onion pacamara coffees at all, so for this one to be super fruity, and clean with none of those off flavors, they were pumped on it.

This Lot is #31 and another Honey Process Pacamara, which Raul specializes in, from his farm in northern Chalatenango mountains of El Salvador. Not only is his processing on point, but with pretty intense elevation for El Salvador. This coffee along with the natural lot coming later is super bright and fruity. We think you will all love it like Kyle and Lem does.

Farm: Finca Santa Rosa

Variety: Pacamara

Process: Honey

Altitude: 1850 masl

SINGLE ORIGIN

HUILA, COLOMBIA

NOTES: HONEYDEW MELON, CITRUS, BROWN SUGAR

Not every coffee we buy at Black & White has an amazing story to go along with it. Sometimes we get a coffee purely on how it surprises us or tastes and this is one of those coffees. Jose's coffee came across an offering table at Caravela Importers. It was placed on the end of a cupping table during a "Cup of Excellence" tasting and our friends at Caravela knew that we had a soft spot for Maragogype coffees. 

This coffee stood out with its larger than life tactile, citrus zest, and honeydew melon profile. Jose’s coffee is beautifully sweet throughout with an acidity that is both comforting and exciting. 

We cannot wait to share this very limited release coffee with you as a single variety selection. Also, Maragogype varieties have gigantic beans themselves which tend to amaze even the seasoned coffee professional. 

Process: Washed

Variety: Maragogype

Producer: Jose Edwin Cuellar Quiceno

Altitude: 1540 masl

SINGLE ORIGIN

HAMBELA, GUJI, ETHIOPIA

NOTES: CITRUS, MIXED BERRIES, CHOCOLATE

There is just something about that classic Ethiopian Natural profile that seems to catch and empower coffee professionals and enthusiasts alike to dig deeper. Deri Kojowa is exactly that. Classic heavily fruited character, with a huge body, and vibrant acidity. Whats not to like.

This coffee comes from 416 coffee farmers around the village of Dabaye in the larger community of Deri Kojowa. This natural coffee processing site was bought by Negusse Debela in 2018, to focus on this well known part of the Hamebla Wamena district.

Negusse Debela has not been in the coffee industry long. Nugusse is known in Ethiopia as a computer guy, running a large successful computer part import company. While coffee does not seem like a natural leap, Nugussie was inspired on trip to Minnesota where at a cafe he had a pour-over that changed his whole mindset. At that moment he realized the potential of coffee in his home country and upon his return he got right to work. Nugusse started off by touring coffee processing sites throughout southern Ethiopia to understand the farming and processing better. From that initial tour, Nugusse was determined to set SNAP on acourse to be one of the best quality coffee exporters in Ethiopia. To do this Nugusse started by hiring Abenezer Asafaw, an energetic young coffee professional, as his quality and coffee manager. Nugusse, with Abenezer by his side, has since bought land for SNAP to process coffee themselves, but have also started managing processing sites in Nensebo, Yirgacheffe, and Guji. In early 2019, SNAP finished the final touches on their own export dry mill, giving them full control of their product and quality.

Farm: Guji Highlands Estate

Process: Natural

Elevation: 1800 - 2000 masl

SINGLE ORIGIN | DIRECT TRADE

BENCH MAJI, GESHA, ETHIOPIA

NOTES: FLORAL, MANGO, POMEGRANATE, HONEY

Gesha Village has always had a special place with us here at Black & White Coffee. The Gesha Village is a project with a clear and distinct vision to produce the most amazing coffees possible, and have been wildly popular in the competition circuit. It started as a coffee documentary project from Rachel Samuel and Adam Overton, who after gaining permission from the local Meanit Shasha Woreda people to plant wild seeds harvested from the Gori Gesha Forest.

The farm is home to more than 30,000 native shade trees and 700,000 coffee trees with half descended from the Gori Gesha forest seeds. The lot we were able to obtain through last year from our friends at Genuine Origin was the highest scoring coffee we have brought into the Black and White Coffee family. We are excited to offer this amazingly clean and complex natural processed coffee, that we were able to work directly with Adam at Gesha Village to buy direct with help from Trabocca.

Kyle and Adam have cultivated a friendship of sharing information and chatting about the possibilities of the speciality coffee market. Both of them share an amazing love for Ethiopian coffee along with the Gesha Variety that they both love so very much. All of this adds to the beautiful complex and juicy cup with notes of tropical fruit, delicate florals and intense berries and an even syrupy sweetness throughout.

FARM: Gesha Village, Chaka Selection 

VARIEITY: Gori Gesha Forest, Gesha 1931, Illubabor Forest 1974

PROCESS: Natural

ELEVATION: 1,909-2,069 masl

 SINGLE ORIGIN

CALDAS, COLOMBIA

NOTES OF CARAMEL, MILK CHOCOLATE AND SUBTLE CHERRY

The Sugar Cane Decaffeination process is a natural process that not only maintains the integrity of the coffee flavor, but allows complete traceability with our coffee since both the growing/ processing and decaffeination all occurs in Colombia, the coffee’s source. Colombian Coffees are commonly known to be big, rich, chocolaty coffees with exceptional fragrance and often great acidity. Since Colombia has many diverse growing regions, the coffee varies mildly from region to region.

Origin: Caldas, Colombia

Process: Sugar Cane/ EA