Beyond Blend

What is Beyond? 

Beyond is a Spot Seasonal Espresso Blend, made up of coffees that we believe could represent the future of Espresso blends. Our aim is to push the boundaries of what is expected of an espresso coffee. When we think of the word “Beyond” we think about the possibility of something that is greater than the current. It represents the countless flavours that origins have to offer. 

To fall in line with the harvest seasons of coffee, we change up the components that make up Beyond regularly. With the availability of an interesting array of coffee origins and processing methods, you can always expect a bright, fruit-forward, highly interesting cup of coffee from this blend. 

A note from James, Head of Coffee

We are excited to bring you our latest edition of Beyond Seasonal Blend. Beyond is a 2 origin blend, currently made up of Guatemala Los Pinos (washed) and Costa Rica Hacienda Sonora (Honey Natural blend). Before we get stuck into the details of the origins I would like to go over a few of the coffee terms/language we use every day. If you would like to know more about the coffees we are always happy to chat!

Flavour Profile: Orange, Cola, Berries 

Coffee terms/language

What is a Spot Seasonal Blend? 

A Spot Seasonal Blend is to offer an exciting and complex coffee that is linked up with the coffee harvest season. This allows us to bring you a coffee that is always fresh and flavour driven. 

Cup/Quality Score

Scoring coffee is used to define the quality of the coffee. Scores are given to the individual origins. To be considered “Specialty” a coffee must score a minimum of 80/100. Most Specialty coffees score between 80 – 87. Only a few outstanding coffees will score higher than this.

Roast Degree/Type/colour/style

Back in the days of old, coffee roasts were (and still are by some) only described as being light, medium and dark. These descriptions are still relevant to a point but coffee is no longer as straight forward. These days ones interpretation of colour can vary from roaster to roaster. We try to triangulate roast degree (Temperature) Colour and Development of the roast not just the colour (as different origins can colour differently)

Styles: Spot Seasonal Espresso, Seasonal Espresso, Modern Espresso, Classic Espresso, Filter. 

The Origins

Now we can get stuck into the coffees themselves!

Guatemala: Los Pinos

Process: Washed 

Named after the large, old pine trees visible from the great height of the farm, Los Pinos sits in the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. The owner of Los Pinos, Renardo Orvalle, is a third generation coffee farmer and part of the family business, Vides58, who own several farms in the region and have a long history of coffee farming.

Renardo’s grandfather Jorge Vides, a doctor and humanitarian, founded his first coffee farm, Finca La Bolsa, in 1958 as a hobby. Jorge founded a school that still runs on the farm, which has since been named after him. In 2001, the second and third generation of farmers in the family, including Renardo, started to focus on cultivating specialty coffee, tasting to differentiate qualities and improve processes. Renardo began planting several plots on Los Pinos with Caturra, Bourbon, and Pacamara in 2013 as an experiment, which proved to have a distinct and unique character owing to the soil and height of the farm.

Today, Renardo and Vides58 continue their work with a profound sense of tradition and innovation. They pride themselves on their social, agricultural and environmentally conscious processes, and work with neighbouring communities to support the development of coffee cultivation. Renardo is a quality and consistency focused, passionate farmer who believes in fostering transparent, long term relationships with roasters and importers that benefits everyone in the supply chain.

Costa Rica Hacienda Sonora

 Process: Honey Natural Blend

Hacienda Sonora Estate has been in Alberto Guardia’s family for over a century, and its history is deeply rooted in coffee cultivation. When Alberto took over the farm in the 1970s, he made the strategic decision to dedicate most of the land to planting coffee. It soon became their primary source of income, and Alberto's passion for the industry grew. In 2011 Alberto's son Diego became a co‑manager of Hacienda Sonora.

Hacienda Sonora is located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, 1200 metres above sea level  at the foot of the Poas Volcano. The farm’s area is approximately 100 hectares, which is composed of 55 hectares of shaded coffee, 35 hectares of wild forest reserve, and 10 hectares of sugarcane. Growing coffee amongst exotic trees and vegetation improves the already naturally rich volcanic soil and provides great conditions for growing quality coffee.

The family is passionate about growing coffee in a sustainable way; the energy used on the farm, including to power their processing mill, is 100% renewable, harvested within the farm. The green energy is harvested from a natural water stream with a special turbine, known as a Pelton Wheel. They also care deeply about their staff; free housing is provided for each worker and their families at the farm’s houses, along with covering part of their living costs.

This Honey Natural blend represents the culmination of Sonora's diverse varieties and process styles. Carefully selected and processed with exceptional efficiency, this coffee offers a truly special experience, embodying the expertise and dedication of Hacienda Sonora.

Recipe

10+ days after roast date

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