HEX: Masha
If you didn’t know- I work for Hex coffee. Masha was a standout for me when JM, Tanner and I cupped Burundi samples back in the fall- but for a slightly different reason than why it stands out now. In the fall the coffee was sticky sweet, almost like blackberry jam, and denser than what we perceive now. As we’ve been profiling Masha in the roastery we find it to be much less sticky and much more floral- one of the most floral coffees we’ve roasted this year in fact- though still exhibiting a ton of purple fruit quality. This one is a stunna.
Junto: Kilimanjaro Estate
To have such a lovely Tanzanian coffee from both a green and roast evaluation is truly a delight. We don’t taste a lot of specialty grade coffee from Tanzania, despite it being the country’s #1 exported crop. We’re loving the complexity and cleanliness of this coffee; the lighter, delicate fruit quality pairs nicely beside the sweet, purple fruit quality exhibited in Masha.
Junto Edwin Norena- Pink Bourbon: Carbonic Maceration
“Carbonic Maceration” has become a widely used fermentation technique across coffee farms over the last couple of years. While this technique was borrowed from the wine industry- an industry miles ahead of coffee in the way of fermentation techniques- we tend to find coffee’s processed this way to taste rather novelty, lacking clarity and character. This is, however, not the case for this specific Pink bourbon variety grown by Edwin Norena. It is a truly unique aromatic experience; showcasing expertise in processing with clarity and character- you all got a special one here.
Junto is one of our fav roasters, and it doesn’t hurt that their roaster Matt Patch might be the sweetest homie you ever could meet. Look out for Junto in future boxes this year.
Luna: Nougat Mint Chip and Orange Crunch
Laura and Nate have established themselves as one of the most interesting coffee companies in the world: Luna Coffee. A team of two cranking out the quality and volume that they do is incredible and seemingly impossible, but even more important and notable is their push for more ethical buying practices. Laura told me that one of the best things about owning Luna was that she didn’t have to answer to anybody for how high they paid for coffee- they can always scale that price to make sense for them. We selected two Peruvian coffees from Luna known as Nougat Mint Chip- produced respectively by Facundo Pintado Ysabel, and Orange Crunch- a collective harvest between producers Walter Rodriguez Huamani, Amancio Ñahui Vargas, and Nilo Medina Simon. We confidently expect you to enjoy whichever coffee you receive between these two, as they both display lovely sweetness and soft acidity that pairs well with the rest of the box.
