Dive into our Coffee Categories
We’ve crafted simple but effective guidelines to breakdown each of the 'flavour categories' we've assigned to our single origins repertoire: Light & Floral, Bright & Juicy, Wild & Funky and Rich & Comforting...
A brief guide to our Producers Series
We’ve crafted simple but effective guidelines to breakdown each of the 'flavour categories' we've assigned to our single origins repertoire: Light & Floral, Bright & Juicy, Wild & Funky and Rich & Comforting... It's a system we feel can help deliver what you truly want to get out of a cup of coffee. Read on, as we break down our categories, and how you can pick the right one for every moment, every time!
LIGHT & FLORAL
A coffee that’s subtle, tea-like and indicative of a place where coffee grows slowly and healthily.
Regions/varietals that generally fall into this category: high-altitude Ethiopians, Geisha, Papua New Guinea, Arusha, Panama and Bourbon.
Common tasting notes: jasmine tea, honeysuckle, lychee, black tea and green tea.
Best paired with: straight forward dishes: Avo on toast, a plain pastry or even a bowl of seasonal fruits and yoghurt. Let the subtleties and aromatics shine through.
Current Light & Floral: Philippe Sinoyobye (Rwanda) - BUY NOW
Light & Floral classics: , Cyarumbo Women's Coffee (Rwanda), Mutsinda (Burundi), Biftu Gudina (Ethiopia), Yasinamo (PNG) and Minani (Rwanda).
A word from the Roaster: floral flavours are an elusive feature in coffee, and they can’t be created by any roasting trickery. They come straight from the soil, and speak of the way the coffee grew on the farm and the careful light touch of a producer, hence our obsession with finding and preserving those flavours in special lots of coffee by roasting as gently as possible. Perfect for filter brews and mindful, considered sipping.
BRIGHT & JUICY
When a coffee exhibits up-front fruity flavours in the cup, we consider it to be worthy of the Bright & Juicy category.
Regions/varietals that generally fall into this category: most Kenyan coffees, high-altitude lots, Caturra, Narino, Colombia, Santa Barbara, Honduras, Sidamo and Ethiopia.
Common tasting notes: Berries, citrus, rhubarb, tropical fruits, cherries, cola and lemonade.
Best paired with: A Bright & Juicy coffee is a great companion to heavier dishes like our MFC Roll or Barramundi Schnitzel, as its higher acidity cuts through the fats and cleanses the palate between bites.
Current Bright & Juicy: Asman Arianto (Indonesia)
Bright & Juicy classics: Maria Olimpia (Honduras), Riakiberu (Kenya), Victor Barrera (Colombia), Maraba Sovu (Rwanda), Gachatha AA (Kenya).
A word from the Roaster: acidity is an underrated aspect to a satisfying cup of coffee: without it, a coffee would be flat and bland. But too much of it… well… I think we can all agree nobody wants a sour cup to start their day. There are all sorts of acids that can present themselves in coffee, but the golden rule is that they need to be balanced with the overall sweetness and mouthfeel. That’s why we use the term ‘Juicy’ - it should be the kind of coffee that’s refreshing sip after sip!
WILD & FUNKY
A coffee that commands attention with unexpected flavours: fruity, boozy or just weird enough to not fit into any other category.
Regions/varietals that generally fall into this category: experimental process beans sourced from: Colombia, Indonesia, Sumatra or PNG.
Common tasting notes: fermented fruits, berries, white chocolate, tobacco, spiced rum, Christmas cake and passionfruit.
Best paired with: double down on the wildness and try some pickles on the side of your Trout Pancake, a hash-brown or with your favourite choc-chip cookie.
Current Wild & Funky: Luciano Vicente (Brazil)
Wild & funky classics: The Roots Project (PNG), Carmelita Honey (Bolivia), Mantis Blend, Finca Veracruz (Colombia), Jabanto (Ethiopia).
A word from the Roaster: there are plenty of producers out there pushing the envelope when it comes to finding new flavours in coffee. It might be discovering new, mind-blowing cross-bred varietals but fermentation is also a big one: There are all sorts of experimental and traditional methods out there that imbue coffee with unexpected flavours, something we love to challenge ourselves to tackle in the roastery!
RICH & COMFORTING
A coffee humming with bass notes, full of smooth and approachable charm - giving us a warm & fuzzy feeling, and particularly easy to brew for both espresso and filter.
Regions/varietals that generally fall into this category: lower-altitude / lower-acidity coffees; Typically from: Brazil, Guatemala, Colombia and Honduras.
Common tasting notes: creamy, caramel, dark chocolate, nutty, caramelised sugar, stewed fruit. This is such an easy going brew that we bet you'll be drinking whole pots of it.
Best paired with: sweet food, pancakes, waffles and specially hangovers.
Current Rich & Comforting: Fernando Heringer (Brazil)
Rich & Comforting classics: Fernando Heringer (Brazil) , Clayton Barossa (Brazil), Hunapu (Guatemala), Sitio da Torre Natural (Brazil), Finca los Bellotos (El Salvador), Campos Altos (Brazil), Javier Golondrino (Colombia).
A word from the Roaster: Rich & Comforting could be considered the most ‘classic’ of coffee flavour profiles, given that most coffees present caramelised and rich flavours once they’re roasted to a certain point. The goal for us, however, is to find coffees that offer up all their generous body and sweetness without needing to be roasted too dark, making for a clean and smashable filter brew or - even better - a viscous, complex espresso.
