Costa Rica Don Rolando

These are the men, women, families, communities, cooperatives, and organisations we admire. They cultivate, harvest and process the coffees we source and roast, to share with you.

Tasting notes describe the sensory qualities of the coffee; batching aroma, flavour, body, acidity and finish together to provide a snapshot of what you can expect. It's a subjective shortcut, but it's our take on it.

Higher altitude generally means tastier coffee. Cooler mountain air slows coffee cherry growth, leading to denser beans with more complex flavours. This translates to brighter acidity, fruitier notes, and a richer overall experience. The sweet spot is between 1,220 and 1,850 metres above sea level (masl). Below 920 meters, coffee tends to be milder with earthier, savoury tones.

Coffee processing methods refer to the techniques used to remove the fruit from the coffee bean after harvesting. The most common methods are; washed processing, natural processing, and honey processing.

The washed process involves pulping, fermenting, and drying the coffee cherries, resulting in clean, bright flavours. The natural process dries the entire coffee cherry, producing coffees with a sweeter, fuller body, and often fruity notes. The honey process is a hybrid method that partially pulps the coffee cherry before drying, offering a balance between the washed and natural processes. The processing method significantly impacts the final flavour profile of the coffee.

A coffee varietal refers to a specific type or cultivar of coffee plant. Like grape varieties for wine, coffee varietals play a significant role in determining the final flavour profile of the coffee. Different varietals have unique characteristics, linked to acidity, sweetness, body, and aroma.

We aim to work with coffee producers for as long as possible, forging relationships where they can depend on us to purchase their coffee and we can rely on them to produce exceptional beans. It's a two way street, and truly enables sustainability of the supply chain.

This refers to the process we use to transform green coffee beans into roasted coffee. It involves factors like temperature, time, the rate of heat application, and bean density. Different roast profiles result in varied flavour profiles and we roast our own way here at Craft House. Our profiles are unique and give our coffees character. As a specialty roaster we tend to avoid the darker end of the spectrum but we do crowd please.

A lighter roast emphasises the bean's origin and acidity, while a medium roast balances acidity and sweetness. A darker roast, brings out bolder flavours like chocolate, caramel and nuts.