Two Chimps Coffee - Honduras

 Welcome back to the second post from Two Chimps Coffee! If you missed the first blog post about these guys, click here to read.

Two Chimps Coffee have kindly gifted me three coffees in their coffee subscription, so there will be one more post all about them very soon!




Who are Two Chimps Coffee?

"Awesome coffee. No nonsense. Freshly roasted, ethically sourced coffee and coffee subscriptions tailored for you from a climate positive coffee company. 
What's more, with your first order, we will plant a tree"

Two Chimps are on a mission to fill the gap between pod machine coffee drinkers and speciality coffee drinkers by offering fresh, hand roasted, speciality coffee straight to your door. 
Two Chimps focus on hand roasted, ethically sourced, single origin coffees direct from their roastery in Rutland. Their coffees come from small farms and cooperatives from around the globe. This makes their coffee extra special because when a coffee runs out, it's gone for good. 
They pay between 30-150% more than the "going rate" for green coffee to make sure that farmers that lovingly grow and harvest such superior coffee are paid correctly for their work and effort. 






There's a Chimp in my Kitchen - Honduras

Produced solely at San Isidro III, Copan, this outstanding natural was produced during a year when rain and a lack of pickers made harvesting difficult. To process, this coffee was macerated in barrels before sun drying for 20 to 30 days, where it was turned hourly.

Honduras - Francis Arturo Romero - Single Farm
Process - Macerated Natural
Altitude - 1200MASL

A really interesting coffee. Find a thick, fudge-like body followed by an abundance of cherry and plum-like acidity. Yeah baby!




Lets Brew

Brewer: V60

Recipe
20g of Coffee
300g of Water
3 Minute Brew Time

Process: Bloom 30 seconds, 40g of water, agitate - further 3 pours to reach total brew weight with a total time of 3 minutes.



This coffee came out incredibly fruity, with some punchy stone fruit (more specifically plum and cherry) acidity - it felt super syrupy on the tongue, which was welcomed with more dark, ripe plum notes. 
I haven't had a coffee as fruity as this in a while, and some of my favourite notes to find in coffee are stone fruit, so this coffee was a definite treat for me.




Look out for the next Two Chimps post coming soon!



Where to find Two Chimps Coffee

Website (which has amazing graphics!!) - Here

Instagram - Here









Cafe Shroom - Peru

 Today we have a super exciting coffee on The Coffee Life - A coffee infused with Mushroom Extract (wow, I'm surprised there was mush-room for that!! I'll see myself out)

Dan got in touch with me over Instagram and asked if I wanted to try out a bag of his coffee, and of course I said yes, so this coffee was kindly gifted to me. 


So, who are Cafe Shroom?

While living in Australia, Cafe Shroom's founder Dan was introduced to the world of functional mushrroms. Initially just adding a little Lion's Mane to his coffee every morning, Dan was amazed by his increased focus and lack of mind fog. Excited by this discovery he took a dive into the world of funghi. Dan's vision then became clear - to make this incredibly powerful superfood accessible for everyone. The Cafe Shroom mushroom coffee bag was born!

We work with global suppliers who provide the very best quality medicinal extract



For thousands of years, mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine to help keep the body functioning at its best, but they're not the easiest superfood to introduce into everyday life. 

Instead of selling "just another superfood", Cafe Shroom's founder Dan wanted to find an easy, one-stop-shop that would neatly fit into busy daily schedules. Given that coffee is one of the most popular beverages on the planet, he had an idea to combine the two, without ever sacrificing on taste or effectiveness.

Supporting Global Coffee-Growing Communities

"We only work with products and suppliers that pledge to support farmers, their workers and their communities because we believe in giving back to the people who make our delicious cup of coffee possible."






SCA Score: 84
Altitude: 1300-1800MASL
Varietal: Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra 
Process: Fully washed


The Shrooms

Lion's Mane Mushroom
Referred to as the smart mushroom by leading Mycologist Paul Stamets. This is down to its claimed benefits in brain function and memory retention. This is due to Lions Mane ability to stimulate nerve growth factor synthesis in the brain. Nerve growth factor is a protein in the brain that plays a huge role in the health of your neurons. Specifically, it helps to maintain as well as regenerate neurons.

Chaga Mushroom
Chaga mushroom is wildly sourced from the Siberian forest where it naturally grows on the tree trunks of Birch Trees. Scientifically proven to be packed with anti-oxidants it is also used to support your immune system and general health.

Cordycep Mushroom
Although only becoming known in the West over the last thirty years, the Cordycep Mushroom strains have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. Before artificial fertilisation they were only found growing from the carcasses of dead insects at high altitudes. Today its many uses are being widely recognised, making the Cordycep Mushroom a highly valuable nutrient in your diet. Villagers living in the high mountains of Tibet claim consuming Cordycep Mushrooms gave them increased endurance at high altitude.



Lets Brew 


Brewer: Clever Dripper

Recipe
20g Coffee
300ml Water

Process: Full water in, coffee in, agitate for 10 seconds
Brew Time: 3 minutes
30 second draw down time




The first aromas I got from this coffee was a mix of chocolate and biscuits (much like a digestive!) 
The coffee came out tasting very chocolatey whilst still warm, and once cooled became much more mellow, with flavours of subtle berries and earthy tones taking the place of chocolate. 
I let Dom taste a sip without tasting what it was, and he agreed that it was more earthy than most coffees (which wasn't unpleasant at all!) the earthiness added a huge depth that I don't think I've had in a speciality coffee blended with anything else before, and it was a delightful surprise! 

If you were to give me this coffee and not tell me what it was, I would never guess that it had been infused with mushrooms, and I can recommend anyone to try this, whether they're into mushrooms or not! The coffee being a high quality speciality bean makes it an incredible cup, and infused with mushrooms made it even better (it definitely gave me the zoomies when I had it in the morning!)




Please check out Cafe Shroom, a speciality coffee blended with Mushrooms!

Find Cafe Shroom 
Website - here
Instagram - here









Steampunk Coffee - Tanzania (Dog and Hat Box)

 Last but not least in the June Dog and Hat Box, we have Steampunk Coffee Roasters, another coffee company that has been popping up on my Instagram and quickly made it onto my list of companies to try from, so what a treat to have it in the first box I subscribed back to Dog and Hat in!


Who are Steampunk Coffee Roasters?

Based in the beautiful Scottish seaside town of North Berwick, we roast fully traceable and ethically sourced coffees with a focus on quality, sustainability and community and ship worldwide.

The business was founded by Catherine Franks in 2012, it all started with Mavis the 1976 WV Campervan primarily used for events, festivals and markets. This very quickly led to Cath roasting in her garage, from there she ran a few pop up cafes in special places and museums. In 2014 they moved to the location they are in today, and love the space. 

Meeting customers and supporting Berwick upon Tweed are a primary focus for Steampunk, they love their local area!

Roaster used by Steampunk: Probat LP12, modified for airflow control.






From the Lunji estate near Ihombe in the Mbeya region of Tanzania

This coffee's origin story touches on the complicated colonial history of the coffee industry. Lunji Estate was first planted with coffee in 1898, when Tanzania was a German colony. Since then there have been several owners including for some time German Colonial Administrator, who ran the estate until the 1970's. When the current owners, Clemens and Stella Maier and Thomas Plattne, purchased the Estate in 1994, it had fallen into disrepair. Clemens, a German, and his wife Stella, who is Tanzanian, worked to bring the farm back into production.

According to the information from our importer, Mercanta, Stella's ability to speak the language and develop a relationship with the local community proved crucial for the wellbeing of the farm. Today, many of the people who work on the farm have been employed there for 20 years or more, and some of them are descendants of the same people who worked there in previous eras. Lunji Estate employs 27 people year-round, and this increases dramatically during the harvest and processing times. 



SCA Score: 85

Process: Washed

Altitude: 1600-1650MASL

Variety: Various

Taste: Cola, Lychee and Elderflower



For this brew I used the trusty V60, I felt the recipe brought out the best flavour.


15g of Coffee

250g of Water

30 Second Bloom with 35ml of Water, with agitation

3 Minute Total Brew Time



I've never had a Tanzanian coffee before, so I was super pumped when this beauty arrived in the box. The brew came out incredibly floral, with some fruity acidity which settled as the coffee cooled more. The floral hits coming from this coffee were incredible, it was super bright with a sweet hit right at the finish, making this an absolutely delightful cup.
If this is what Tanzania coffee is like, I will take 12. (cups or boxes, I'm not fussy)



Little Extras
This box also surprised me with a sticker! You know I always love a good sticker, this will be going straight on my coffee table! 


Find Steampunk Coffee 

Website - here

Instagram - here




That's the end of the June Dog and Hat box! 3 amazing coffees - if you missed the other two blog posts that included the other coffees from this box you can find them below










Kiss The Hippo - Peru (Dog and Hat Box)

 The second coffee we are highlighting from the June Dog and Hat box is Kiss The Hippo, who I have previously blogged about in one of the One Click Coffee Boxes. 


If you're unsure on who Kiss The Hippo are, let me introduce them!

Based in the neighbourhood of Richmond, London. Kiss The Hippo Coffee was established in 2018 and is managed by a dynamic and passionate team united by a shared love of coffee.

At Kiss The Hippo they want to make the journey from farm to cup as direct, ethical and sustainable as possible. They believe in transparency in our supply chain and expect their suppliers to uphold to their standards. They are committed to supporting producers at origin who share their values by developing long-term relationships with them. 

They are proud to have become a totally carbon negative coffee company, with all of their coffees, coffee pods and coffee products certified carbon negative. What does this mean? Well they offset all of the carbon they produce with international reforestation initiatives.

Roaster used by Kiss The Hippo: Loring S15





From Gloria, Elmer and Elvis Arevalo's farm in the Cajamarca region of Peru.

On two hectares of land high up in Northern Peru, where the wind from the Pacific collides with the Andes, sits Gloria Rafael Arevalo's coffee farm. Her husband Elmer and son Elvis run the farm, growing a mix of Peruvian coffee staples like this lot of Catuai. Peru is one of the most rugged coffee growing environments, with extremely high altitude farms on challenging mountains. Produces like the Arvalos reveal their considerable skill as they work to create exceptionally unique and delicious lots in place with such dramatic geography.

This is our (KTH) first natural process from Peru, a country that typically produces almost exclusively washed coffee. With the explosion of speciality coffee has come an interest from progressive producers like the Arvalos in experimenting and creating adventurous lots like this one.

Bursting with sweetness, it still holds on to a sense of balance with a refreshing acidity and the synergy of flavour notes giving it incredible structure. The coffee becomes more complex when brewed at a lower ratio, while a higher ratio amplifies its intensity. 


SCA Score: 87.5

Process: Natural

Altitude: 1700MASL

Variety: Catuai

Taste: Caramelised Pineapple, Haribo




I chose the V60 to brew this coffee, with my basic go-to recipe


15g of Coffee

250g of Water

30g Bloom for 30 Seconds, with Agitation

3 Minute 10 Second Total Brew Time





This coffee had some super sweet, zesty tangerine notes, with a sugar syrup feel. Super smooth going down, this coffee delighted me with more citrus notes with the sweet and subtle hint of pineapple. 
A delicious brew overall, I always enjoy everything I've had from Kiss The Hippo!



Find Kiss The Hippo

Website - here

Instagram - here




The last coffee from the June coffee box will be Steampunk Coffee!




UE Coffee Roasters - Rwanda (Dog and Hat Box)

 I recently re-subscribed to my favourite subscription box - Dog and Hat (if you don't know who they are by now, do you even like discovering coffee?!) Check out lots of previous posts including them here


Dog and Hat Subscription mail out delicious coffee straight to your door each month, I used to do one box in one blog post, but we're going to change things up a bit, and showcase each coffee individually over the space of a week.

There are a few reasons for this;

1. Dog and Hat week on The Coffee Life sounds pretty cool

2. The coffees Su and Dave send out each month are so incredible, I feel like they deserve a whole post to showcase each coffee

3. That's it, that's all the reasons I have


Anyway, enough rambles 

The coffee I'll be showcasing today is a very exciting one - UE Coffee Roasters

A company that I am always seeing all over Instagram, and one that has been on my list to try for a long while, so .. Who are UE Coffee Roasters?






UE Coffee are an independently owned and family run business, who are forever curious and ready to transform the way coffee is served.

Established in 2009 by Dominic and Daniella Boyett, the mission was to offer great coffee whilst making it accessible to everyone. They have dedicated the last decade and more to learning, working hard and building more than just another coffee brand. They have learned that it takes a team with passion and determination in the pursuit of excellence to make a company great.

Experience is something they cherish and harness to be the best they can be, whether it is from the experience from their customers, in their own retail stores or through their wholesale partners. It takes time and considerable training to learn how to get the best from coffee, to understand the roasting process, the science and to be able to offer first-rate support to their customers.

A great deal of work is involved in sourcing speciality grade and experimental micro-lot coffees ensuring that they buy both ethically and sustainable from growers with direct longstanding trading relationships

"It is our responsibility to honour the hard work already invested in the coffee by roasting it to showcase its distinctive qualities. Roasting is one of the most delicate and critical parts of the process that leads to a great cup of coffee. We want to ensure that we focus on showcasing what makes a particular variety, origin or farm so thrilling"

Roaster used by EU Coffee: Giesen


UE Coffee Box with "Your Greatest Adventure Begins Here" written on


 

From David Rubanzangabo's farm in the Huye District of Rwanda.
Some of Rwanda's highest quality quality coffee has been grown in the micro-region of Huye, including some high placing lots in the Cup of Excellence competition. Huye Mountain Coffee is an organisation run by David Rubanzangabo devoted to increasing the quality of coffee grown in the Huye region. This includes training sessions for the local farmers in using the best agronomic practices and is largely focused on benefitting the communities in which they operate as production of better coffee means higher prices will be achieved.

David's experience has been significant in the improvement of coffee quality here; coffee cherries are carefully handpicked and then floated in water tanks to separate the high density, high quality cherries that sink from the lower density ones that floats. In this naturally processed coffee the cherries are laid out  to dry in their fruit skin on raised beds for 3 to 4 weeks before being further processed for export. This produces a very high scoring coffee that is juicy and sweet with some delicious tropical fruit and cherry-like characteristics.


SCA Score: 87

Process: Natural

Altitude: 1600-2300 MASL

Variety: Bourbon

Taste: Tropical Fruit, Dark Chocolate





I found my favourite way to brew this coffee was through Kalita Wave, the flat bottom brewer giving a more even extraction throughout the brew, bringing out as much flavour as possible.


Recipe

30g of Coffee

500ml Water

70g Bloom, 45 Seconds with Agitation

4 Minute Total Brew Time



The first sip of this coffee gave me huge mango bursts, a super smooth and silky mouthfeel with next to no acidity, it had some definite stone fruit complexity with a slight chocolate after tone. 

This coffee is absolutely delicious, the box went super quickly, and I'm sad that it's gone, but it proves how delicious it really was. I'm super pleased that UE Coffee Roasters have lived up to all of the expectations I had from this coffee, and I can definitely see why EVERYONE in the coffee industry has been raving about this company.

I've even placed an order for a new and exciting coffee they had on pre-release, so stay tuned for when that arrives!! 



Find EU Coffee Roasters

Website - here

Instagram - here





The other two coffees to look forward to from this box are Steampunk Coffee Roasters and Kiss The Hippo




Find me on Social Media

Support The Coffee Life

Two Chimps Coffee

 *this coffee was kindly gifted to me by the team at Two Chimps*



The lovely Ellie at Two Chimps got in contact with me and asked if I would like to try their coffee, of course it was a no brainer after doing a little research of what amazing things they do and create. 


Who are Two Chimps Coffee?

"Awesome coffee. No nonsense. Freshly roasted, ethically sourced coffee and coffee subscriptions tailored for you from a climate positive coffee company. 
What's more, with your first order, we will plant a tree"

Two Chimps are on a mission to fill the gap between pod machine coffee drinkers and speciality coffee drinkers by offering fresh, hand roasted, speciality coffee straight to your door. 
Two Chimps focus on hand roasted, ethically sourced, single origin coffees direct from their roastery in Rutland. Their coffees come from small farms and cooperatives from around the globe. This makes their coffee extra special because when a coffee runs out, it's gone for good. 
They pay between 30-150% more than the "going rate" for green coffee to make sure that farmers that lovingly grow and harvest such superior coffee are paid correctly for their work and effort. 


The Coffee


OODLES OF ONGLES


A single origin coffee from the farm Ibisi in Rwanda. Grown at 1700 MASL, this washed coffee is juicy and bright with a toffee sweetness as it cools. 


More about the coffee - behind the scenes:
After the success of the Gitega Hills washing station, Bernard Uwitije has set up the Ibisi Mountain Hills washing station too. He loved the outcome of fully washed speciality coffee and wanted to do more; which is why he set up this second washing station - with the same high quality as that of Gitega Hills.
After the coffee cherries arrive, they are floated and separated before being pulped and fermented. When the mucilage is loose enough, it is washed off. The beans are then dried under shade netting for a couple of days and then moved onto raised beds to dry in the sunshine for a further 15-22 days. 
Located in Southern Rwanda close to the source of the river Nile, this fantastic coffee certainly lives up to Bernard's reputation.
This washed African coffee is a real treat.



For this coffee I brewed it in the classic V60 (and look at me investing in a server!!) 

The recipe

20g of Coffee
300ml of Water
30 second bloom and agitation, 45ml water
3 minute 25 second total brew time



(lets just pretend I didn't spill this everywhere, being your own photographer is hard)

This coffee came out tasting super bright and fruity with more of a particular grapefruit acidity. As it cooled, it became more syrupy sweet with the acidity becoming more subtle and punchy.
Overall this was a delicious brew, and I cant wait to finish this bag in a few days (it's been going down real fast!)



Two Chimps Coffee kindly gifted me a subscription to their coffee meaning that in a week or so there will be another blog post showcasing another one of their fabulous coffees - stay tuned for that! 

In the meantime, please go and support these guys, they do incredible work and their traceability for their coffee is absolutely incredible. WE LOVE TRACEABLE COFFEE!! 
The passion these lovely people put in shines through their coffee, and they have definitely made it on to my list to order from in the future. 



Where to find Two Chimps Coffee

Website (which has amazing graphics!!) - Here

Instagram - Here