Maria and Plinio Ruiz now run the century-old family farm, and have turned it into a formidable, dynamic operation in Panama. In addition to producing some of the best coffee around, Casa Ruiz is also responsible for co-founding the Ngäbere literacy program, which provide education and support for the indigenous Ngäbe people who work during harvest season. Maria and Plinio take great care of their employees and the land, committing their entire operation to sustainable environmental practices.
The Estate is seemingly self-sufficient, in that the shade trees canopying their crops provides natural fertilizer, which promotes the well-being of the native insect ecosystem. The trees are also home to various birds that, although living rent-free in coffee paradise, help producers by eating species like the coffee borer beetle and coffee leaf miner. This reduces the need for pesticide spraying, making Casa Ruiz a name to look out for in international coffee markets. Casa Ruiz sits between Volcán Barú National Park and La Amistad International Park, giving it prime, high-elevation real estate and rich, volcanic soil for their coffee.
Our Panama Boquete is fully washed and sun-dried on patios and in mechanical dryers. Fully washed is typical of high-quality coffee. Washed coffee is all about the seed, not the cherry. Most specialty coffees are washed because this process gives the most true-to-origin experience, as the mucilage can impart syrupy flavors if left intact during processing. Washed coffee dried on cement patios takes about 6 - 7 days until it’s ready. The beans are spread out thin in layers in rows and shifted every 30 - 40 minutes. When the weather isn’t favorable, producers may opt to dry their harvests in mechanical dryers, which help them repeat successful harvests and control temperature.
Because this coffee grows so high up, we roast to preserve its naturally delicate, spiced wine, and fruit notes. Roasting to a Medium level adds a little Maillard flavor to the palate in the form of brown sugar and velvety pecan, balancing out the profile.
]]>Sadly, Matagalpa’s and all of Nicaragua’s history is rife with struggle, from civil war to natural disaster to restrictive import bans, but coffee producers have fought hard to preserve their way of life. That’s where Kenia Ubeda, a coffee farmer and agronomist, comes in. She established the Union de Cooperativas de Cafes Especiales Cordillera Isabelia (UCCEI) in 2009 and got to work building a thriving operation. Ubeda helped restructure the financing for her 900 smallholder members in the region, from whom she sources the highest-quality coffee.
UCCEI rewards producers’ hard work with access to farming best practices training, education, healthcare, better prices for their harvests, and an internal credit fund focused on investing in individual farms and families.
UCCEI increases their world marketability by maintaining their organic and Fair Trade certifications. These certifications translate to quality, environmental stewardship, and fair wages. The benefits of organic certification for the producers and the roasters are huge. Certifications give access to markets that might be otherwise unavailable, premium pricing, and eligibility for grants and financial assistance. Fair Trade also ensures better financial compensation for their coffee, with a minimum Fair Trade market price plus up to a 20¢ premium per pound.
All UCCEI coffee is fully washed, which is typical of high-quality coffee. Washed coffee is all about the seed, not the cherry. Most specialty coffees are washed because this process gives the most true-to-origin experience, as the mucilage can impart syrupy flavors if left intact during processing. The beans are then spread out in rows to dry in the sun and shifted every 30 – 40 minutes.
Our fair trade Organic Nicaragua coffee receives high marks in both body and character and is balanced by a medium acidity and sweetness. The smooth body of this Nicaraguan coffee is highlighted by candied lemon flavors topped off with a notable walnut and cocoa finish.
]]>These factors make our Organic Mexican Chiapas a standout single-origin coffee. We taste brown sugar, cashew, and pear.
Not only are La Concordia’s people devoted to growing top-quality coffee, but they’re also careful stewards of the environment. The coffee is shade-grown, which creates a naturally pest-repellent ecosystem. The presence of endemic species, such as jaguar and quetzal, make conservation crucial. Organic certification holds La Concordia to high operational standards, forbidding the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
Ripe cherries are picked, depulped, and fermented for 12 – 17 hours. After, they’re washed and sun-dried on farmers’ yards or zarandas. Washed coffee is all about the seed, not the cherry. Most specialty coffees are washed because this process gives the most true-to-origin experience, as the mucilage can impart syrupy flavors if left intact during processing. Sun-dried coffee is spread out thin in layers in rows and shifted every 30 - 40 minutes to promote even drying.
Our Organic Mexican Chiapas has undergone a full screening for mold and mycotoxins and has been declared toxicologically safe and compliant. Our certified laboratory was unable to detect any trace levels of mold, aflatoxin, or ochratoxin.
The benefits of organic certification for the producers and the roasters are huge. Certification gives you access to markets you wouldn’t have otherwise, premium pricing, eligibility for grants and financial assistance, and the ability to purchase organic products and market them as such, among many other things.
Coffees grown in Mexico are on the sweeter side, sporting notes of citrus, vanilla, berries, and caramel, flavors imparted thanks in part to their higher growing elevation. Our Organic Mexican is medium roasted to showcase its origin notes of pear and nuts and we balance it by adding a little depth with brown sugar notes. Fresh Roasted Coffee also roasts a Dark Mexican which intensifies the caramel flavors and adds a smoky, chocolatey finish.
]]>Making the transition from conventional—or non-organic—to organic farming is no easy task, but 62 Honduran farmers banded together in 2000 to do just that. A year later, Bio Latino granted COMSA their organic certification, and thus, opened up many new doors for the organization. This includes access to markets to which they wouldn’t otherwise have access, premium pricing, eligibility for grants and financial assistance, among many other things.
Being able to fetch better prices for their coffee added increased stability to COMSA’s operation, which was only strengthened by the Fair Trade certification status they were granted in 2006. This ensures fair financial compensation for their coffee, with a minimum Fair Trade market price plus up to a 20¢ premium per pound. COMSA uses this money to fund social projects, supplement teachers’ salaries, and purchase school supplies. The excellence of COMSA’s coffee is rewarded and reinvested in its community’s future.
Interestingly, COMSA isn’t your typical coffee producer. How not? Two words: La Fortaleza. This is an experimental farm where COMSA hosts workshops and promotes positive open-mindedness to help farmers become better people. COMSA believes societal change starts with personal change, so farmers work with agronomists and social workers to learn about “the interconnectedness of our world […] and the role we can play in creating a future we believe in.”
The Organic Honduran Marcala we receive from COMSA is fully washed and mechanically dried. Fully washed is typical of high-quality coffee. Washed coffee is all about the seed, not the cherry. Most specialty coffees are washed because this process gives the most true-to-origin experience, as the mucilage can impart syrupy flavors if left intact during processing. Mechanical dryers function a lot like coffee roaster cooling trays, in that they utilize a rotating arm that turns the coffee continuously.
Because this coffee comes from such a high elevation, we medium roast it to maintain its origin notes. Our fair trade, organic Honduran Marcala coffee highlights the nutty and bright complexities that make coffee beans from Honduras so excellent. With additional flavor notes of milk chocolate, you get a smooth and sugary-sweet body with an acidic lemon wedge finish.
]]>Abbreviated AAPICUC, this organization of coffee growers and beekeepers is simply dedicated to producing better coffee. Founded in 2013 and over 20 member producers strong, AAPICUC runs a self-sufficient operation that respects and benefits the environment. They reduce waste on the farms and in Unión Cantinil by composting coffee pulp and cow manure for use in their fields. In five months, the compost will be nutritious enough to be reintroduced into the soil, but the positive environmental practices don’t stop there.
It’s true. AAPICUC is always working on newer, better ways to be more sustainable and eco-friendlier, which is where bees come in. About half of the producers are also beekeepers. According to NPR, bees contribute a significant amount to coffee. These pollinators are responsible for 20% to 25% greater coffee yields.
The association’s micro-warehouses and direct buying stations across the region help cut associated transportation costs while simultaneously giving smallholders access to a stable market for their products. The Unión Cantinil micro-warehouse, in particular, is situated in the heart of the community and receives some of Huehuetenango’s best and brightest coffees.
All AAPICUC coffee is fully washed, which is typical of high-quality coffee. Washed coffee is all about the seed, not the cherry. Most specialty coffees are washed because this process gives the most true-to-origin experience, as the mucilage can impart syrupy flavors if left intact during processing. The beans are then spread out in rows to dry in the sun.
AAPICUC is certified Fair Trade and organic, which is great for the community in Huehuetenango and for consumers all over the world. These certifications translate to quality, environmental stewardship, and fair wages. The benefits of organic certification for the producers and the roasters are huge. Certification gives access to markets otherwise unavailable, premium pricing, and eligibility for grants and financial assistance, among many other things. Fair Trade also ensures fair financial compensation for their coffee, with a minimum Fair Trade market price plus up to a 20¢ premium per pound.
Our Organic Guatemalan is revered for its balanced flavor and velvety smooth body. With mild and citric acidity and a balanced flavor profile of milk chocolate and orange, this is a delectable cup you’ll keep coming back to.
]]>Finca Hungria, the farm from which we source our El Sal, has been fortunate enough to dodge disaster twice since its establishment in the 1930s. The October 2005 eruption of Ilamatepec (also called Santa Ana Volcano) and the coffee leaf rust epidemic of 2012 came and went, with little damage done to the farm. Sadly, the same cannot be said for all Salvadorian coffee farmers, whose lives depend on successful harvests. First detected in the 1970s, coffee leaf rust continues to be an issue for farmers.
Canopied by cedar, oak, and balsam trees, Finca Hungria’s coffee plants luxuriate in the shade, creating a natural rainforest habitat for local birds. In return for a place to live, the birds feed on potentially hazardous insects, leading to better overall health for the coffee lot. Finca Hungria has also been designated a Denomination of Origin status, a symbol of high-quality specialty coffee.
Organic certification gives access to markets otherwise unavailable, better pricing, and eligibility for grants and financial assistance, among other things, while the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal ensures that coffee is regularly audited to meet strict standards of social, environmental, and economic sustainability. These standards seek to promote and continuously improve biodiversity, natural resource conservation, effective planning and farm management systems, and improved livelihoods and human well-being.
Our El Salvador Finca Hungria is fully washed and mechanically dried. Fully washed is typical of high-quality coffee. Washed coffee is all about the seed, not the cherry. Most specialty coffees are washed because this process gives the most true-to-origin experience, as the mucilage can impart syrupy flavors if left intact during processing. Mechanical dryers function a lot like coffee roaster cooling trays, in that they utilize a rotating arm that turns the coffee continuously.
We light roast this Strictly Hard Bean (SHB)—aka Strictly High-Grown—coffee to underscore its origin notes of clementine with brown sugar and praline to balance out the roast and bring in a little depth. Exceptionally mild and dynamic, these coffee beans produce a mellow cup with bright notes and a clean finish.
]]>Fresh Roasted Coffee’s Costa Rican offerings come from two areas separated by the capitol, San José: Tarrazu and Alajuela.
]]>Well known for its intense flavor with peaks of bright acidity and depths of sweet honey and chocolate, coffee from Tarrazu is always a treat. San Rafael RZ is located between the Pacific Coast, Central Valley, and the central mountain range, enjoying optimal sunlight, rainfall, and temperature. Tarrazu was made for coffee. All these factors contribute to flavorful coffee that’s bright, clean, and lasting, aided also by its processing.
San Rafael RZ Tarrazu is washed. This is typical of high-quality coffee. Washed coffee is all about the seed, not the cherry. Most specialty coffees are washed because this process gives the most true-to-origin experience, as the mucilage can impart syrupy flavors if left intact during processing. After washing and fermentation, the green coffee is then dried in rotary dryers, which are large, mechanical drums that apply low heat to the beans as they are constantly turned. Rotary dryers allow producers to replicate successful harvests, control temperature, and perhaps most importantly, avoid unfavorable weather completely.
The Las Lajas farm is located in Sabanilla, within the Alajuela Province, and sits on the foothills of the Poás Volcano. It is owned by the Chacón Solano family. Oscar Chacón Ugalde sowed the seeds for Las Lajas’ future success back in 1963 when his family chose to plant coffee on the foothills of Poás, an active stratovolcano. When we say active, we mean it. According to Oregon State University’s Volcano World documentation, the Poás Volcano “has erupted at least 39 times since 1828.” While that doesn’t sound like a lot, it’s important to consider that stratovolcanoes don’t erupt very often.
Upon his untimely passing in 1988, Ugalde willed 50 hectares of land to his children. The Chacón brothers had big plans for the land, and in 2000, they began industrializing the farm, bringing it into the modern era of production. With this change came the planting of 12 varietals, multiple processing methods, ecological milling, and mechanical demucilization, as well as the separation of the land into separate small lots. This allowed Las Lajas to diversify their high-quality offerings and raise the quality of living in Sabanilla. They do this through environmental conservation, stable employment, and continuing the legacy of their father within the community.
Costa Rica grows some of the most delicious coffee the world has ever tasted, and the backstories of the Tarrazu and Alajuela areas only make it better. To preserve the fine flavors of our Costa Rican Tarrazu and Organic Costa Rican, we bring them to a medium roast. This highlights the coffees’ fruity and sweet origin notes with subtle chocolatey depth for a velvety mouthfeel you’ll love hot and as cold brew. We turn up the heat a bit for our Dark Costa Rican Tarrazu to bring semi-sweet red honey flavors to the brew. With a bolder body and all the soul of a medium-roast Tarrazu, this coffee is a delightful cup.
]]>