At Origin: Damarli Estate - Boquete, Panama
We had the great opportunity Damarli Estate in Panama. Staying at the farm offered us a clear, comprehensive look at how specialty coffee is grown, processed, and developed at origin. Located in the Boquete Valley between Palmira Arriba and Volcancito, the...
Why Altitude Matters in Coffee
Altitude is one of the most defining variables in specialty coffee, not because higher is always better, but because elevation changes how a coffee develops, and ultimately, how it expresses itself in the cup. At its core, altitude is about...
How Many Hands Touch Your Coffee Before It Reaches Your Cup?
The Journey From Farm to Cup When you drink a cup of coffee, it’s easy to forget how many people were involved in bringing it to you. Coffee travels a long journey from the farm to your cup, and along...
A Guide to Specialty Coffee: From Dark Roasts to Nordic Style
Leave the Dark Side Behind For many people, coffee begins with a familiar experience—dark, strong, and consistent. It’s the kind of cup that tastes the same no matter where you are. For decades, this was the standard: darker roasts made...
Nordic Roasting: A Lighter Approach to Coffee
In the world of specialty coffee, Nordic roasting refers to a style of roasting that emphasizes lighter roast levels to highlight the natural flavors of the coffee itself. Instead of developing heavy, roasted flavors, Nordic roasting focuses on clarity, brightness,...
Single Origin Coffee — A Small Window into the World
What Is Single Origin Coffee? Single-origin coffee refers to coffee that comes from one specific place. This could mean a single farm, a cooperative of farms, or a particular region within a country. Unlike coffee blends, which combine beans from...
Two Main Types of Coffee: Arabica & Robusta
Arabica vs Robusta Although coffee is grown in many countries around the world, most of the coffee we drink comes from just two main species of coffee plants: Arabica and Robusta. These two types of coffee differ in flavor, growing...
The Specialty Coffee Association
The Specialty Coffee Association: Setting Standards for Quality Coffee The world of specialty coffee is supported by organizations that help maintain quality, education, and standards across the industry. One of the most important of these organizations is the Specialty Coffee...
The Coffee Tasting Wheel: Understanding the Many Flavors of Coffee Many people grow up thinking coffee has only one basic flavor—strong, dark, and bitter. But once you begin exploring specialty coffee, you quickly discover that coffee can have an incredible...