After offering the public a sneaky peek at Manchester Coffee Festival back in November last year, we are proud to announce the official launch of our Blue Tin “Reserve Series”.
These beautiful tins will initially complement our Blue Bag “Producer Series” as we feel that is a fitting format for showcasing some of the rare and special coffees that we have available at the moment. These will represent unique micro and nano lots sourced from the world’s finest farms and producers.
There will be five releases in total, two of our ‘house’ blue tins – with year round availability - and three very special releases from Sebastian Ramirez in Colombia!
/ Yemen - Fawaz Ali Wahab – Mokha – (Natural)
This particular lot of Mokha from Fawaz Ali Wahab won a 2 Star Great Taste Award in the espresso category in 2022 and we’re all really proud of this partnership and achievement. The ripe coffee cherries were sun-dried on raised beds, with the support of Abdulrahman Hayel Saeed and the Mokha not Mocha team.
Flavour notes: ripe stone fruits, chocolate, red grape. Great for espresso and for soft brew.
/ Panama La Huella – Café de Panama – (Anaerobic Natural)
A year on year favourite for the Dark Woods team and customers alike, this is Pedro’s classic anaerobic natural, using high altitude Catuai arabica cherries that are carefully processed and sun-dried at La Huella’s micro-mill. It’s won multiple awards over the past 5 years, including a Great Taste Golden Fork.
Flavour notes: plum, damson, cocoa. Also great for espresso and for soft brew.
This is complemented by these highly anticipated releases from El Placer in Quindio– not one, but three coffees from Sebas, and all 100% Pink Bourbon arabica with unique process styles: IPA, Extended and Session Culturing.
Working with Sebastian and El Placer started as a new relationship for us in 2021, and we’ve continued to buy a range of his unique micro and nano-lots. We were introduced by our friend and supply partner, Roger Zapata of Los Cafes Del Arriero. Here we have three very special coffees.
/ Session Culturing – An extended carbonic maceration in the cherry, using cherry must inoculated with lactic acid. This is the rose scented “Session” version of Sebastian’s culturing series / Silky texture and berry fruit sweetness. Floral. Stunning, and a 3 Star Great Taste Award winner in 2022.
/ IPA – 200-hour anaerobic honey process, and the addition of yeast and hops creates the “IPA” coffee character / Mango, bramble and hops on the nose; sweetly tropical in the finish.
/ Extended – Undertaken an extended carbonic maceration in the cherry, using cherry must inoculated with lactic acid. Funky / Deep aromatics and flavours: soy, stone fruits and spice. Sweet and savoury.
All of the above are available via our web shop in 150g blue tins and 500g bags. Sebastian’s coffees can also be purchased as a special limited edition triple selection.
Photos by Steve Lovatt
