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Sidamo GUJI
Single Origin
Sweet caramel; buttery and very fruity (berries, dried apricots) with a clean citrus acidity.
Region: Guji zone, Southern Ethiopia
Altitude: 1700-1850m ASL
Varieties: various heirloom
Harvested: Jan-Mar 2011
Processing: natural
The coffee fruit (cherry) was sun-dried whole - two coffee beans within the sweet red fruit - in the traditional "natural processing" manner. It's hard to emphasise how difficult it is to get this process right, but this particular lot is stunningly clean, with all the benefits of natural processing (sweetness and body) without any of the drawbacks (dirty, fermenty flavours).
In the cup you'll find a huge up-front fruitiness, some elegant acidity reminiscent of wine, and a rich, sweet chocolatey aftertaste. This one is all about fruit - hints of dried apricot and berries.
As an espresso this is a potent bean, and not for the faint-hearted! Huge in flavour and massively rich in body. As a brewed coffee you will really enjoy the fruitiness, the smoothness, and the acidity. -
Colombia LOS NARANJOS
Single Origin
It's got dark caramel sweetness, superb aromatics, and a mouth-watering fruity acidity.
Region: Huila, near town of San Agustín.
Altitude: 1350-1900m ASL
Varieties: Caturra, Typica, Bourbón, Castillo
Harvested: Apr-May 2011
Processing: fully washed
Surrounding the town of San Agustín there are about 50 coffee-farming families that have formed the Asociación Los Naranjos de San Agustín. They are a quality-focused group, which is why they caught the eye of our supplier. This is what you'd call a relationship coffee - a great example of our supplier working with farmers in improving their livelihoods through producing quality coffee.In terms of sweetness, there's plenty. A nice dark caramel base with a hint of licorice. Creamy mouthfeel that made me think of coconut. The acidity is everything fruity - I got plum, berries, red grape, apple, mandarine & orange peel.This is the kind of coffee we're proud to stock: it's 100% traceable and 100% delicious!
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AUTUMN Blend
Blend
A deceptively simple blend of Brazil & Colombia yielding wonderful balance of sweet/acid.
We love how simple this blend is:
50% Brazil Fazenda Laranjal
50% Colombia los Naranjos
It's a bit of a throwback to 5-10 years ago when espresso blending was the science of "adding interesting flavours to a Brazil base". On paper this blend obeys that formula, but certainly not for the sake of tradition! This blend is all about using fresh ingredients of impeccable quality.
Laranjal is the epitome of what we want in a natural-process Brazil - it has all the richness and boldness you expect but is utterly clean and sweet.
Los Naranjos is a stunning Colombian - sweet and bright, with a buttery body and some fantastic fruity acidity.
Together they make a really well-rounded and complete blend. Designed for espresso but will certainly work as a brewed coffee, owing to the modest roast level.
This blend will be with us until June 2012.
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Brazil LARANJAL
Single Origin
Rich and chocolatey; syrupy body (almost fluffy) with an impressively clean fruit & nut finish.
Region: Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais
Altitude: 1250m ASL
Variety: Yellow Bourbón
Harvested: Jun-Sep 2011
Processing: natural
This was the needle in the haystack that is Brazilian coffees! They are the world's biggest producer of coffee and while I really love Brazils, there are a lot of mediocre examples out there. We're so happy to have found such a clean and sweet Brazil natural.
This is a natural process coffee, where the cherries are dried whole and the beans are only separated from the fruit once it is fully dry. If it is done well (like at Fazenda Laranjal), natural processing increases the body and richness of a coffee, yielding buttery, fruit and chocolate notes.
Perfectly suited to espresso, where you'll get a really sweet and viscous coffee. As a brewed coffee (not a usual choice for Brazils) you'll get a surprising choc-nut cup - subdued but very tasty.
We've got several tonnes of this bad boy, so it will be with us until Spring 2012.
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Ethiopia YIRGACHEFFE
Single Origin
Sweet and bright and intensely aromatic: orange blossom and marmalade notes.
Region: Yirgacheffe, Southern Ethiopia
Altitude: 1800-2200m ASL
Varieties: various heirloom
Harvested: Oct-Dec 2011
Processing: washed
We can assure you that this coffee is stunningly good - one of the best coffees from Yirgacheffe that I've tasted - but we cannot tell you precisely where it came from or who grew it! Why not? Because the Ethiopian government regulates the coffee industry very closely in their country and one of the more questionable laws says that most coffee can only be labelled as one of a handful of appellations (in this case, "Yirgacheffe").
Regardless, you will love this coffee! It's so sweet and aromatic, with a wonderful warm acidity suggesting every citrus fruit. If you brew it right you should also conjure up some great florals - often people think of jasmine blossom. The aromatics are also a bit zesty, which gives me the impression of marmalade - or maybe Earl Grey tea.
This bean makes an intense espresso; it absolutely shines through milk; as a brewed coffee it's one of the best. A great all-round coffee.
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Thailand LA MAI
Single Origin
Hazelnut sweetness and an appley acidity, these beans support a great project in Northern Thailand.
Region: Northern Thailand
Altitude: 900-1300m ASL
Varieties: mostly Catimor
Harvested: Nov 2011-Feb 2012
Processing: fully washed
Our project partner Bright Hope World buys La Mai coffee from farmers in Northern Thailand who once grew opium poppies that were used to make drugs and to wreak havoc in countless lives around the world. In their poverty and desperation these farmers often sold their daughters into the sex trade in Bangkok to supplement their income and survive. Our Thai partners have helped these farmers convert their farms from opium to coffee and we buy our coffee from them at well above Fair Trade prices. Now, with a livable wage, these farmers are no longer tempted to sell their children into prostitution.
Profits from La Mai coffee are put into programs aimed at rescuing girls from the streets of Bangkok and providing them with education and skills training.
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AEROPRESS kit
Equipment
A simple and wonderful way to make coffee for home or travelling. Incl. bonus 250g bag of coffee!
The Aeropress is hands-down the simplest way to make delicious brewed coffee, and we find it more consistent than most other methods. Makes 1 or 2 cups at a time, and all you need is boiled water, a grinder, and some freshly roasted coffee.
You might like our blog post which describes how to use it.
Included with this item:
- one complete Aeropress including stirring paddle, funnel and coffee scoop,
- our detailed instructions for getting the best out of it,
- and a BONUS 250g bag of coffee to get you started.
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CLEVER DRIPPER kit
Equipment
Filter coffee maker - delicious and user-friendly! Incl. filter papers and bonus 250g bag of coffee
The Clever Coffee Dripper is a great way to make 1 to 3 cups of coffee with no mess or fuss. It's a filter coffee maker, with a "clever" valve which prevents the liquid from passing through until you're ready. In this way it is a "full immersion" method (like French press/plunger) giving a lovely rich coffee with a super clean taste.
All you need is hot water and freshly ground, freshly roasted coffee!
Included with this item:
- one complete Clever Dripper including coaster and lid.
- one packet of filter papers (50)
- our detailed instructions for getting the best out of it,
- and a BONUS 250g bag of coffee to get you started.
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Join the COFFEE CIRCLE
Subscription
Get a bag of our finest beans every month including free delivery to your door.
Once a month we pick a new and delicious coffee and roast it exclusively for our Coffee Circle subscribers. We'll then send it to your door (either 400g or 1kg) every month. This is a great opportunity to get to know some of the huge variety of flavours in the world of coffee.
Coffee Circle orders are roasted on the first Monday of every month and Express-posted that afternoon.
You'll get a monthly email telling you everything you need to know about your coffee (sign up here if you're curious!).
Price includes delivery (within Australia) which is a saving of over AU$20.
LOCAL PICKUP AVAILABLE: if you don't need it delivered, we'll give you 20% more coffee!