The Beans

Our roaster is Barrington Coffee Roasting Co. of Lee, Massachusetts.  They are, much like us, that rare bread of a small, local business, who has become world renowned for their quality and craftsmanship.  They source their beans directly from individual farmers, which is where many of the beans’ names come from.  While different types of beans do rotate seasonally from time to time, these are the strands we are currently brewing:

Yirgacheffe :: Ethiopian :: Light roast

Origin- Yirgacheffe, Ethiopian Highlands
Altitude- 5900-6500′
Varietal- Native heirloom varietals
Process- Washed, sun dried
Roast- LightHoney and flowers, juicy clementine, bergamot.This beautiful, washed Yirgacheffe was prepared at the Alemu Washing Station in the Mendero Mountains just to the south of Sidama. Alemu is one of several coffee preparation stations that is a part of the Kochere Coffee Cooperative, comprised of approximately 500 farmers. We are big fans of coffee from the Kochere Cooperative as the care and pride the members take in the cultivation and preparation of their coffees shows beautifully in the cup, year in and out.Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Coffee trees are native to Ethiopia and coffee grows wild throughout the countryside. Ethiopia has an incredibly broad diversity of coffee growing regions, of which Harrar, Sidama, Yirgacheffe and Djimmah are the best known. A great Yirgacheffe such as this Kochere possesses focused citrus flavors that are offset by herbal qualities. These flavors and soft impression of body evoke a coffee with pronounced tea like characteristics.

Sidama :: Ethiopia :: Medium Roast

Origin- Sidama, Ethiopia
Varietal- Mixed heirlooms
Process- Natural, dried on raised beds
Roast- MediumCandied wild blueberry, deeply earthy, lingering spice.This coffee pulls out all the stops; wonderful and focused when served black as either drip or press, like an incredible dessert when combined with condiments, and intensely saturated when served as an extraction through the espresso machine.“The Natural” refers to the manner in which this coffee is processed. The coffee cherry is dried in the sun on elevated tables. Once dried, the seeds are extracted from the dried fruit and hull. Careful hand sorting throughout the process keeps the cup clean. The beauty of this method is that when properly executed it develops elaborate fruit and berry flavors. In this case, intense, candied blueberry is the result.After drying, the seeds are sealed in Grain-Pro barrier packaging in Ethiopia and then sent on their way to our Roastery where we preserve the green coffee under hermetic seal until it is roasted.

Kalledevarapura :: India :: Medium Roast

Origin- Karnataka, India
Altitude- 3800-4400′
Varietal- S-795
Process- Washed, sun dried on patio and raised beds
Roast- MediumSweet, delicate, buttery and creamy with filbert and milk chocolate flavors.This super smooth cup is basked in classic Indian character. It is grown in the Western Ghat mountains by D.M. Purnesh who owns and stewards this land. His complex approach to poly-culture farming includes providing a dense shade canopy of silver oak, jack fruit and fig with companion planting in the understory of vanilla, cardamom, and pepper vines. The orchard is home to a broad diversity of fauna including Jungle Pigeon, owl, deer, fox and wild boar.The farm dates back to 1865 when it was first established by the British. In 1950, the farm changed hands to Purnesh and, in turn, has undergone several changes regarding the coffee varieties planted there. The S-795 variety is now the primary cultivar. S-795 was created in the 1940’s by crossing two older Indian varieties, Kents and S-288.

French :: Costa Rica :: Dark Roast

Origin- Central Valley, Costa Rica
Farm- Doka Estate
Producer- Vargas Family
Altitude- 4430-4790′
Varietal- Caturra and Catuai
Process- Washed, sun dried
Roast- DarkOur French Roast is smooth, rich and seductive with a dark chocolate finish. We have purchased this coffee direct from the Vargas family farm through the Coffee Source since 1996. Don Rodrigo Vargas represents the fourth generation from the Vargas family to produce coffee at Doka and he currently oversees all of the Doka production. The farm is located from 4,430-4,790 feet in altitude and is right next to the Poas Volcano in Sabanilla de Alajuela. The Poas Volcano is the largest volcanic crater in the world. This coffee has won our hearts for many years. In addition, it has been recognized at the Sinter Café Cupping Competition as the First Place Winner in 2000.

Decaf French :: Mexico :: Dark Roast

Origin- Chiapas, Mexico
Farm- Unión de Ejidos Prof. Otilio Montaño (UDEPOM)
Altitude- 4800 -5400 FASL
Varietal- Typica & Bourbon
Process- Washed, sun dried
Roast- DarkRich and smooth with a dark chocolate finish.This coffee is grown in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Southern Mexico in the Chiapas region. It is grown by a cooperative group of farmers who work together as the Unión de Ejidos Profesor Otilio Montaño, or UDEPOM, for short. Ninety-nine percent of the Union members are native Mayan, indigenous from Mache, Tzotzi, Tojolaba, Jaleco and Tzeltal origins. The coffee is grown at between 4,800 and 5,400 feet in altitude and is comprised of family farms between one and ten acres. Each worker in the Union is paid on a work-share basis, rather than by farm yield.An interesting word of note is that this coffee has the smallest carbon footprint of all of our decaffeinated coffees. It is both grown and decaffeinated in the mountains of Mexico. All of our other decaffeinated coffees that hail from farms outside of Mexico must make a stop here at the best decaffeination facility in the the world prior to being shipped to our Roastery in the Berkshires.The Royal Select Water Process removes caffeine from the coffee bean without the use of harmful chemicals or byproducts. We are big proponents of this process because it quite seamlessly removes the caffeine and leaves all of the great coffee flavor.