We’ve learned a lot in our eight years together, but one thing specialty coffee has really driven home for us is this: not everything in life needs to be efficient. From perfecting our at-home pourover to dialing in an espresso course on the World Barista stage, minuscule changes in speed, timing, and technique can make the difference between a cup of coffee that is good and one that is extraordinary.

In 1950, formula racing made its international debut at a world championship event held in Silverstone, England. Its roots trace back to the European Grand Prix of the ‘20’s and ‘30’s, but newer iterations of formula racing became increasingly popular among the rich and the famous throughout post-WWII Europe. More recently, however, the sport has enjoyed global penetration and widespread popularity. Nevertheless, it remains a sport that is elitist by nature, fueled by passion, precision, and prestige.

(Before you start thinking we binged a certain Netflix series a littttllleee too hard, there’s a connection to be made here. We promise.)

A couple of decades earlier, a team of scientists at Scott Agricultural Laboratories in Kenya sought to identify and propagate coffee cultivars that thrived in dry, high-altitude climates, while also maintaining an exceptionally high cup quality. While their trial observed dozens of varieties, perhaps the most delicious and renowned of the project is a variety which they affectionately (though not very creatively) named SL28. Although once confined to the highlands of East Africa, SL28 is now grown in several Latin American countries and is praised throughout the coffee-growing world for its bright acidity, fruit-forward complexity, and high cup quality. It has soared in popularity in recent years, despite its relative rarity and high price tag, making its way into Cup of Excellence winners’ circles all over the globe. 

Whether on the track or at the cupping table, both racing and specialty coffee demand precision, obsession, and minute adjustments to attain excellence. In each case, that excellence is personified in our two subjects. Both formula racing and the SL28 variety are anything but efficient—rather, they are obnoxiously time-consuming, risky, and expensive. Nevertheless, they have each reached a level of global revere and renown which cannot be easily explained or ignored. Whether you’re watching racing royalty fly around the track or tasting an exquisite washed SL28 on the cupping table, you’re experiencing the thrill of something that wasn’t built for the middle lane.

In our attempt to celebrate and showcase the SL28 variety in a fun and unique way, we crafted a cocktail of washed and natural lots from three different countries and a host of our favorite producers: 

• Thunguri - Natural (Karatina, Nyeri, Kenya)
  
• Kirinyaga - Washed (Kenya)
  
• Benjamin Paz - Natural (El Cedral, Santa Barbara, Honduras)
  
• Benjamin Paz - Washed (El Cedral, Santa Barbara, Honduras)
  
• Sagastume Family - SL28 (Santa Barbara, Honduras)
  
• Wilder Lazo - Natural (Acevedo, Huila, Colombia)
  
• Wilder Lazo - Washed (Acevedo, Huila, Colombia)
  

Vibrant and complex, this blend was constructed as a cocktail and tastes like just that—it’s bursting with complex citrus character and tropical fruit punch vibes. A lingering sweetness like raw turbinado sugar keeps the fruit notes fun rather than funky, reminding us of fruity indulgences like homemade blackberry jam. It’s a wildly different expression of the variety that’s grown close to our hearts, and our sincere hope is that—like the sport for which it was named—this coffee thrills, excites, and inspires you. Cheers to the next eight years, friends.