Vietnam Lam Dong - Olam

Altitude: 900-1400 masl

Varietal: Catimor, Bourbon/Typica

Process: Wet Hulling

Flavor Notes: Cedar, Lime, Dried Fruit

This grade 1 coffee from the Lam Dong province of Vietnam is grown at a variety of altitudes between 900-1,400 meters above sea level.  This province is renowned for producing some of the purest teas in the world and is home to 60% of Vietnam's arabica coffee production. Vietnam primarily produces robusta coffee (arabica's more bitter, more resilient, and higher caffeinated cousin) and is actually the second largest producer of robusta in the world. In recent years there has been a shift towards growing higher quality specialty coffee in Vietnam in order to increase crop value and revenue for farmers. The varietals in this lot are 95% catimor and 5% bourbon/typica, and are all Rainforest Alliance certified. These beans are harvested between September and February and are wet hulled, a process that involves more fermentation and higher moisture content than typical coffee washing processes lending earthy and herb like notes to the coffee. This cup has notes of Cedar, Lime, and Dried Fruit making it a great fall season coffee.

Kenya Murang’a Peaberry Riakiberu Station - Olam

This Peaberry coffee comes from the Riakiberu washing station in Kenya’s Murang’a province north of Nairobi. Around 700 small holder farmers from the region bring their ripe cherries to this station to be washed and processed in the fully washed and wet processing method. The soil in which the coffee is grown is rich in volcanic minerals lending a unique and bright flavor to the beans. The Riakiberu Coffee Factory belongs to the Kamacharia Farmers Cooperative Society. They strive to cultivate a transparent relationship with local farmers and assist in maintaining sustainable industry growth in Kenya, while ensuring premium prices and quality to the farmers. The flavor notes you could expect to taste in this bright coffee are sweet lime, grape and grapefruit.

Finca El Cipres - Farm to Roast

Finca El Cipres is a small farm run by Jose Herrera and his family in Huabal, Jaen, Peru. Located adjacent to a protected forest and the Chorro Blanco waterfall, it rests at an elevation of 1800 meters above sea level. The farm is only accessible after a 30-40 minute trek on horseback or by foot through mountainous terrain. Because of this, Jose and his family live on the farm during the harvest season. Along with coffee, there is an abundance of cypress trees (the farm’s namesake), sugarcane, and banana trees. The family of Jose Herrera has been growing coffee for several generations, his father and his grandfather currently work alongside him on this property. Sourcing from their 90% Red Caturra and 10% Yellow Caturra beans, this coffee was the winner of a regional coffee competition between over 50 farms. Once harvested, the fully ripened cherries are wet-processed and sun-dried on concrete patios for 7-12 days. A cup of this light and airy coffee may bring up notes of citrus, caramel, and strawberry.

Edgar Prudencio – Pisonayniyoq Farm; Cusco, Peru – Campesino Mateo

Region: Cusco
Producer: Edgar Prudencio
Farm: Pisonayniyoq
Altitude: 1,800 – 1950 masl
Varietal: Typica and Bourbon
Process: Fully washed
Harvest Period: July-September
Flavor Notes: Aromas of caramel, red berries – mild acidity nicely balanced with the sweetness of cocoa nibs and sugarcane juice 

Edgar Prudencio’s farm sits in the Quellouno valley within one of the smaller sub-valleys formed by creeks and gullies that run through the landscape. He was born on this farm and relies heavily on the coffee he produces. Apart from growing coffee, he takes care of his mother who still lives on the land. Unknowingly, he has been producing specialty coffee for many years and now is excited at the opportunity to reap the rewards from it. In addition to coffee, he grows bananas, cherimoya, yuca, taro root and other vegetables, with hopes of expanding into other markets. He uses natural farming practices to get the most he can out of his trees, by making his own organic compost out of coffee cherry skins, guano de isla, phosphoric rocks, and decomposing organic matter. He processes all his coffee using a fully washed method, with the beans drying in their parchment on raised beds in his greenhouse. 

Heber Moscoso, Chintamocco Farm – Campesino Mateo

Heber’s farm is located 1,850 meters above sea level, in the Quellouno Valley of Cusco. He grew up in this region working on coffee farms alongside his family. They rely heavily on the income they get from their production and sale of coffee, however they now have plans to expand their crop to include other fruits and vegetables. Heber used a traditional fermentation method this year that resulted in a clean and balanced cup of coffee. The trees on his lot are all of the Typica variety and are selectively harvested by picking the highest quality beans. Although this coffee is not certified organic, Heber and his family follow natural and organic practices. When drinking this coffee you can expect to taste notes of lemon, cocoa, and caramel.

Eusebio Ayequipa & Ilda Alvarez, Quellounuyoq Farm – Campesino Mateo

Located 2,400 meters above sea level in Peru’s Valley of Saxsara, Eusebio and Ilda’s farm is considered to be one of the highest elevation farms in the world. Climate change and the melting of nearby glaciers has sped up the growth of their coffee, yielding a plentiful harvest. The location of their farm also benefits from many streams that keep their soil fairly humid year round, which sustains them through the dry season extending their growing period to 9 months in total. On their property, Eusebio and Ilda also produce avocados, passion fruits, sugarcane, bananas, guinea pigs, chickens and ducks. In this coffee you can expect a clean and balanced cup, with flavor notes of orange, cocoa, and caramel.

Gregorio Quispe Mamani; Cusco, Peru - Campesino Mateo

Snowy Owl is proud to present this Limited Edition Direct Trade Coffee from the farm of Gregorio Quispe Mamani. The passion Gregorio and his family have for their coffee is as rich as its flavor. Gregorio only hand selects the ripest cherries and manually pulps and processes them on his farm located in the Cusco region of Peru. This attention to detail and quality yields a deliciously sweet cup that offers notes of lemon and cocoa with a nutty finish.  We are thrilled to be partnering with Campesino Mateo to bring this delicious coffee from Gregorio’s home in Peru to our home here on Cape Cod.

Honduras CAFESCOR

Region: Copan

Growing Altitude: 1400-1600M

Arabica Varietals: Caturra, Catuai

Process: Washed

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:15

Flavor Notes: Cocoa, Cherry, Pear

This Honduran coffee is a blend of certified organic coffees coming from the CAFESCOR co-op located in the Copan region. The co-op has a membership of 131 producers made up of 37 women and 94 men across 400 hectares of land. The founder of CAFESCOR, Joel Lopez, is part of a family that has been selling and producing coffee for 4 generations, starting with his great-grandfather in 1865. CAFESCOR was created to help local farmers in the Copan region to sell their coffee to a broader market. This co-op practices Fair Trade and is a member of the Rainforest Alliance. It is part of their mission to promote sustainable social and environmental practices; reducing pollution and conserving water sources while also enhancing the region’s biodiversity. Aside from using this coffee for our cold brew we love it’s notes of cocoa, cherry and pear in a regular drip or pour over as well. 

Mexico CESMACH - Olam

This delicious coffee from the CESMACH Co-op (Campesinos Ecológicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas) in Chiapas, Mexico is certified Fair Trade and Organic. It’s a perfectly smooth cup for the upcoming fall season offering rich notes of cocoa, roasted nut, and brown spice. Our red label coffee (our full body label) is from the CESMACH Cooperative (Campesinos Ecológicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas). CESMACH is located in the buffer zone of the El Trufino Biosphere in Chiapas Mexico. El Trufino is one of the largest cloud forests in Mexico and protects many endangered species of both plants and animals. It is home to some 390 bird species and contains the largest diversity of tree species in Central and North America. The almost 700 members that make up this Co-op organized themselves in 1994 and have dedicated themselves to organic farming practices to protect the fragility of the biosphere they neighbor, and to create a sustainable income for their families. Certified Organic and Fair Trade, this Mexican coffee offers notes of cocoa, roasted nut, and brown spice which makes a rich, smooth coffee.

Sumatra Crowned Garuda – Olam

The Sumatra Crowned Garuda beans are grown and harvested in the North Sumatra and Aceh regions of Indonesia at an altitude between 1,100 and 1,300 meters. Over the past 6 years, our importer, Olam, has done extensive work at identifying the best practices in this region to ensure a close relationship with the farmer. Through this practice they carefully select and process by wet hulling to create a flavor unique to these grade 1 beans. This coffee has a full body profile with herbal and earthy notes including tobacco, cedar and peat moss.

Costa Rica Don Otto

This microlot from producer Otto Esteban Bonilla Avila is grown in the village of Palmira, Costa Rica. It produces a unique cup of coffee with winey notes of citrus and red fruit. We love the complexity of this light bodied coffee, especially when brewed via Chemex or pour over. Our green label (our lighter body label) is a microlot grown by Otto Esteban Bonilla Avila in the village of Palmira, Costa Rica and is 100% Venecia coffee. Otto is a part of the Vistas del Buru micromill which is a family business located within the Brunca region of Costa Rica, the same region in which Palmira is located. Coffee producers from Vista del Buru participate in a program called “Casas de la Alegria” a cooperative operation started by UNICEF in collaboration with the Costa Rican government, international organizations and a number of regional micromills and cooperatives. The mission of “Casas de la Alegria” is to provide education and healthcare to the pickers’ children during the coffee harvest. This unique coffee offers complex winey notes of tropical red fruit and citrus.

Colombia Nariño Aponte - Honey Process

Region: Nariño

Producer: Aponte Community 

Farm: Various Smallholder Farms

Variety: Caturra

Process: Honey

Harvest Period: April-June

Tasting Notes: Strawberry, Blueberry, Lemon

Elevation: 2150 masl

The Inga community of Aponte is located in the province of Nariño, which has three ranges of Andean mountains and shares its southern border with Ecuador. The community is comprised of descendants of the Incas and was isolated high in the mountains from much of the world until the mid-nineteenth century. In the 1990’s, its remote location combined with its proximity to the coast and borders made the community a target for guerilla groups, drug traffickers and paramilitaries who forced the Ingas into poppy and heroin production. Within the last decade the area has returned to a peaceful state with the eradication of illegal crop and new growth of coffee. This particular coffee is grown at an average altitude of 2,150 meters above sea level and is sourced from various smallholder farms. The high elevation along with nutrient-rich ash from the nearby Galeras Volcano provide ideal conditions for coffee growth. The harvest period here is short, starting in April and ending in June each year. The method of honey processing lends a somewhat sweeter and fruity profile to the coffee. A cup of this coffee can yield notes of strawberry, blueberry, and lemon. 

Peru APROSELVA

Region: Junin

Growing Altitude: 1,200 to 1,800 meters

Arabica Varietals: Typica, Catimor, Bourbon, Caturra and Catuai

Process: Fully washed and dried in the sun or mechanical driers

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:15

APROSELVA (Asociacion de Productores Cefetaleros Selva Central) is a producer cooperative located in the region of Junin of Peru. APROSELVA is made up of 530 members from over 15 small communities in the Provinces of Chanchamayo and Satipo. Many of the growers speak Quechua and have preserved a rich indigenous lifestyle and culture. APROSELVA was established in 2012 to support coffee producers by providing training and micro-financing to growers who want to improve coffee-quality and sell within the specialty coffee niche. These small-lot farms are, on average, 10 hectares and incorporate several types of citrus fruits and vegetables. The crop diversity enriches the soil and provides shade for the coffee plants. Some of the vegetation found includes peppers, pineapple and papaya. The coffee is creamy and smooth and offers notes of dark chocolate, hazelnut, and lemon.

Colombia Flor de Apia

Region: Apía Risaralda

Growing Altitude: 1,800 meters

Arabica Varietals: Caturra

Process: Fully washed, Dried on Beds.

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:16

Our first “direct trade” micro lot, the Colombian Flor de Apia comes from a small finca in the Apia Risaralda Region referred to as “La Compania.”  The finca has been in the Bedoya Family for many years but was abandoned due to a plant illness that spread rapidly and killed off many of the coffee trees.  After spending many years abroad, Julian Bedayo returned several years ago and replanted the finca with high-end Caturra plants, along with Guamo, Nogal, Guayacan trees for shade. It is a delicious coffee with bright citrus flavors and notes of cherry. 

Costa Rica Hacienda El Poeta

Region: La Guaria, San Isidro

Growing Altitude: 1,100 - 1,300 meters 

Arabica Varietals: Caturra, Red Catuai, Villa Sarchi

Process: Washed

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:16

The El Poeta Lot is run by the Cafe de Altura de San Ramon cooperative, and is grown in the San Isidro region of Costa Rica. The cooperative is owned by 580 small coffee farmers who focus on quality, sustainability, and best practices. El Poeta, or "the Poet" offers notes of raspberry, cocoa, and caramel.  It is a light-bodied coffee packed with flavor and complexity.  This is our first coffee from outside of the Tarrazu region, and the quality of this bean makes us excited to keep exploring the insanely delicious varietals of Costa Rican coffee.

Organic Honduras Santa Rosa de Copán

Region: Intibuca

Growing Altitude: 1,990 meters

Arabica Varietals: La Paz, Marcala

Process: Washed

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:15

Intibuca, which means “high plateau”, sits at 1,990 meters above sea level. Coffee from here is produced in a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable way. This Honduras produces a balanced and well rounded cup of coffee, making it a great "regular" cup. Smooth, with notes of caramel, cocoa, and roasted hazelnuts.

Malawi Mzuzu Women's AAA/AA

Region: Northern Malawi

Growing Altitude: 950 - 2,000M

Arabica Varietals: Nyika Catimor, Geisha

Process: Fully Washed, Sun Dried

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:16

Mzuzu Women’s Coffee is traceable to women farmers who own their own coffee fields.  Altogether, the Malawi Mzuzu Cooperative is made up of approximately 4,000 small scale farmers spanning over five coffee districts. The proceeds are paid directly to those women in order to give them decision-making power over their income. This coffee is smooth and bright with notes of citrus, dry fruit and brown spice.

Burundi Gomba Natural: Kirundu

Region: Kirundu

Growing Altitude: 1,400-1600 meters 

Arabica Varietals: Burbon

Process: Natural

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:15

Yet again, a coffee from Burundi has won over our hearts and taste-buds. This coffee was grown on a microlot in the northern province of Kirundu in Burundi. A the Gomba washing station, this coffee was processed using the natural method, resulting in super sweet and fruity flavors, with bright notes of lime, cherry and plum. This is probably the sweetest coffee we have offered to date and simply can’t wait to share it with our Snowy Owl Coffee lovers. We think you’ll love this as a pour over or prepared via Chemex. Those sweet fruit flavors will make this a great cold brew as well, just in time for summer!

Ethiopia Sidamo Nansebo

Region: Sidamo

Growing Altitude: 1600 meters 

Arabica Varietals: Heirloom

Process: Washed

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:15

Our newest Ethiopian offering is a Grade 1, wet-processed coffee from the Nansebo Washing Station, which is located in the Sidamo region of Ethiopia. Offering a consistent and clean cup with warm notes of orange, chocolate, and a touch of lime, this Sidamo coffee is perfect for a daily morning brew; or try it via Aeropress for a smooth, rich cup!

Brazil Santa Luzia - Cerrado Mineiro

Region: Cerrado Mineiro

Growing Altitude: 1,200 meters 

Arabica Varietals: Red Catuai

Process: Natural

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:17

The Santa Luzia farm in the Cerrado Mineiro growing region (Minas Gerais) has brought our love of Brazilian coffee to a new level. This Red Catuai is a high-grown, naturally-processed bean with flavors of peach, creamy nut, and sugar.  This coffee is as balanced as it gets when it comes to single-origin cups.