The Coffee Life

 Skipping back to the September Dog and Hat Box, we are featuring Onyx Coffee Lab, this one I was super excited to try as they were quite high on my Instagram to try list. 

So who are Onyx Coffee Lab?

"It was some years ago that we, Jon and Andrea, began to dream of serving a sweet, black cup of coffee to our customers in Arkansas. 

Out of this dream is how Onyx Coffee lab was born in October 2012. Back then, we were struggling to get access to the kind of green coffee samples we were interested in. When no one knows who you are, no one wants to take a chance on you. We came out blazing with siphons, Kyoto cold brew towers and weekly cuppings and classes, anything we could do to get customers asking why. Today we consist of a roasting facility, three stores with another on the way, 59 baristas, 2 roasters, a delivery guy, a warehouse grandpa, and a toddler"

Roaster - Diedrich

The Coffee 

From Aman Adinew's Metad farm near Hambella in the Guji Zone region of Ethiopia.

The Hambella estate is now world-famous for producing he best coffees in Ethiopia, no small part to the commitment of the Adinew brothers to elevate these coffees to height unknown previously. METAD sets the standard for quality at each washing station they own, adapting practices from all over the world to grow and process coffee to the highest standard. Doing such great and harmonious work in the sometimes dissonant setting of Ethiopia is what sets them apart, and they strive to elevate not only the coffees but the people as well.

Over the past few years, they've adopted a local elementary school that provides over 400 students with supplies and financial support through Grounds for Health. It's clear that each action they take in Ethiopia elevates not only the coffees they grow but the people they work alongside. We are honoured to continue to work with them each season. 

Ethiopia Hambella Buku 

Process: Washed

Altitude: 2000MASL

Varietal: Heirloom

Tasting Notes: Apricot, Elderflower, Black Tea, Lemon

SCA Score: 88

Let's Brew!

Brewer: V60 

Recipe: 15g/225g

3 Minute Brew Time

Ratio: 1:15

Taste: 

This coffee hit with some delicious lemon zest notes, with sweet hints in the after taste and next to no acidity. Overwhelmingly this coffee was like a liquid lemon tart, absolutely delicious, and super refreshing, I reckon this would be delicious as an iced V60 too! As it cooled slightly it became more syrupy sweet with more honeydew melon notes, and a subtle sweet tea undertone. 

Onyx are clearly producing some incredible coffees out of their Roastery, and it's definitely made me want to try so many other coffees out from Onyx!

Find Onyx Coffee Lab

Website - here

Instagram - here

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 As were slowly catching up on Dog and Hat, we are skipping ahead to the November box! (Don't worry I'll be back with the rest of the October box back in a few days!)

This box included 3 great roasters, and the first up is Crankhouse Coffee!

This is the second feature of Crankhouse via Dog and Hat - you can read the first feature here!

If you've never heard of Crankhouse Coffee, I'll start by introducing them:

"Crankhouse Coffee are an artisan micro-roaster focusing on purchasing amazing coffees from around the world. Our coffees are selected from specialty importers who support and care about the farmers and cooperatives through ethical and sustainable practises.

As a roaster, my job is to develop the potential that exists in the green coffee as the farmer intended, coaxing out the natural flavours determined by the terroir and then the processing techniques adopted. My tools are a lovely Italian 1995 Petroncini TT7.5, my senses and a little science. 

Crankhouse Coffee was launched in 2014 and is based in Exeter in the South West of England"

Roaster - Petroncini 

The Coffee

From smallholders around Santo Domingo Teojomulco in the Oaxaca region of Mexico.

This fully washed lot is made up of a whole range of smallholder famers. Unlike in many other Central American countries, Mexico is full of very small coffee producers - some producing as little as 5-10kg per year. The limited quantities do not mean quality is low, often quite the opposite is true.

What makes Oaxaca an especially unique area of Mexico for coffee is that the internal market is also very willing to buy Oaxacan coffees. So the importer, Osito and their partners on the ground in Mexico have had to work hard and compete to be able to source these tiny lots, then spend considerable time and effort to put together the lots of similar screen size, moisture and water activity. For all the time and effort it takes to secure these lots, it is always worth the pay off - these coffees are exciting and showcase a side of Mexican coffee often unexplored and under appreciated. 

The Beans

Mexico Santo Domingo

Process: Washed

Altitude: 1300-1500MASL

Varietal: Typica, Bourbon, Mundo Novo

Taste Notes: Green grape, macadamia, milk chocolate

Lets Brew!

Brewer: V60

Recipe: 15g/225g

Ratio: 1:15

This coffee came through with some sweet biscuit notes, and a hint of chocolate in the aftertaste, as it cooled down you definitely get hit with a delightful grape acidity, and a smooth sweetness with a hint of melon. I got some really biscuitty notes from this coffee, which is ironic seeing as the taste notes are completely different - but that is one thing I love about coffee tasting, you can taste something completely different to what the taste notes get you to expect. 

When it was completely cooled (lets be honest, who gets to drink an entire hot coffee now adays?!) it gave me proper digestive biscuit vibes, with a subtle sweet syrup taste. I haven't tasted a lot of Mexican coffees, but after this one I think I'll definitely be researching into more! 

Find Crankhouse Coffee

Website - here

Instagram - here

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 It's the last bag in the Birthday celebration box from Dog and Hat!

The last bag in this box is an exciting one, they have been on my to try list since Dog and Hat last had them in their box. 

Yellow bags just hook me in.

Who are Rabbit Hole Roasters?

"We know very little about coffee, and we are okay with that. 

That's one of the reasons we called this company Rabbit Hole. It's because we want to dive infinitely deep in all thing’s coffee, from sustainability to tasting notes, from equality across the chain to brew ratios, etc.

We can all be interested in coffee for different reasons and that’s ok.

But what we know, we are willing to share. We are trying to create a company where there is no gatekeeping, where all drinkers are welcomed and where any questions can be asked.

The truth is we are too small to go to the farm yet and too new to pretend to be the best. We are figuring it out as we go and we do our best to share our journey with you as openly as possible.

Our goal is to build an honest business and dear we say, different.

We want the general public to be more curious while also satisfying the coffee geeks."

Roaster: Loring S15

The Coffee

From Ms Nanu's farm near Kaku in the Yunnan Province area of the Menglian region of China.

Kaku is in a Wa region bordering Myanmar. Traditionally, the Wa people lived mid mountain, with the Dai living on the plain level and the Lahu higher up.

The name Kaku is the new name we will use since the farmers decided it was what represented the coffee best. Kaku is a reference to the Lahu people who pick this coffee.

In 1998, a severe frost killed 90% of the cherries, making lots of farmers abandon coffee production altogether. Ms Nanu persevered and now offers what might well be the cleanest and tastiest washed coffees in all of Yunnan.

The Wa people have a close relationship to the land, and they are always looking for new processing techniques with what is available to them. 

The Beans

Processing: Washed

Altitude: 1400MASL

Varietal: Catimor

Cup Score: 85

Tasting Notes: Cherry, Almond and Vanilla

Brewer: V60

Recipe: 15g of Coffee, 240g of Water, total brew time 3 Minutes

Tasting: This coffee hit me with an incredible stone fruit acidity, with some definite nutty after tones. As it cooled, the nut flavour was more distinctive, like sugared almonds, and the whole cup became a sweeter brew, with vanilla tones with a lovely chocolate finish. This was a super lovely Chinese coffee - and I'm glad I've frozen a few brews worth of beans for a later use.

Find Rabbit Hole Roasters

Website - here

Instagram - here

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Phew its been a little while since we finished off the last Dog and Hat box, like I always say, better late than never! 

My favourite thing about the Dog and Hat box will always be discovering new roasters that I typically wouldn't discover on my own (top perk of having a subscription coffee box!)

Who are Gold Box Roastery?

The simple philosophy at the centre of our business is less swagger, more substance; Our coffee speaks for itself.

It's the creativity, warmth and mastery of the farmers we meet along the way that inspires our approach to speciality coffee. They're the real heroes of our trade. From Ecuador to Bolivia: Kenya to Ethiopia, each new origin we visit teaches us something new. Reinvigorating our passion to create coffees as unforgettable as the locations they originate from.

It's not simply the country of origin that factors unto the flavour of your coffee. Everything from the altitude it's grown at, to the soil and the techniques used to farm it can distinctly change the flavour. We only select ripe beans from altitudes where they grow at their finest to bring you incredible coffees with chocolate to fruity notes, and everything in between. 

Roasting coffee is an art form. That's why we use watercolour paintings to represent the complex flavour profiles of each new specialty roast. 

Roaster - Probat P25

From the Pegasing washing station in the North Sumatra region of Indonesia. 

This washing station and farm belonging to Hendra and his family is an island of specialty experimental processed coffee in a sea of conventional wet hulled coffee the area is typically known for.

Hendra and the family have invested heavily in the farm and post harvesting facilities where they have built a small wet will with two pulpers, gravitational washing channels and several raised beds in large poly tunnels for drying coffee.

Hendra has continued to experiment and now has around 8-10 different processes that he produces. The small washing station will produce up to 40 tons of green coffee every year. The coffee is purchased from 70 farmers around the area who want to work with Hendra and pick ripe cherries as he has incentivised them to do this by rewarding good picking. If any farmers have travelled further to get to Hendra's farm then they are paid extra for this as well.

Process - Anaerobic Natural

Altitude - 1300-1500MASL

Varietal - Typica

Taste Notes - Tropical Fruit and Spice 

Let's Brew! 

Brewer: V60 

Recipe: 15g / 225g 

Total Brew Time: 2 Minutes 3 Seconds

Ratio: 1:15

Taste: This coffee was unlike any other Indonesian coffee I've had (in the best way!). The initial taste was a wave of dark brown sugar tartness. When the cup had cooled slightly, I got notes of fruit that is super rare to find in coffee (my favourite kind of coffees!) super sweet honeydew melon, with sweet pineapple notes to accompany. It was super tropical in flavour which is an absolute delight (and haven't had a coffee like this since Bailies released Stephens World Brewer Cup roast!) it was a pure delight to have an absolutely delicious coffee and it's safe to say that this bag of coffee went down very quickly!!

Find Gold Box Roastery

Website - here

Instagram - here

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 It's certainly been a while since we've featured Girls Who Grind Coffee on The Coffee Life (if you want to check out posts previously on GWGC click here)

Now if you've somehow been living under a rock and don't know who the wonderful ladies over at GWGC are, let me introduce them:

"We are an all female specialty coffee roasters based in the wild South-West of England. We source our coffees specifically and exclusively from women producers, seeking out those coffees that are creating positive change through the empowerment of women.

We're here to do two things. Create awesome tasting coffee and empower women in the coffee industry. And have fun. That's three things. Deal with it."

Casey, originally from Upstate New York, and Fi, originally from Melbourne Australia, met and became from in now hometown of Frome, Somerset.

"While our kids played, we often got chatting about our love of coffee and our various experiences within the industry, discovering that we both felt as though there was definitely room for change and improvement, in short - we wanted ti see more equality!

As women, we had felt a little pushed out of an industry that we had loved so much and had so much to give to. Rather than simply complain about it, we thought we would make the change we wanted to see! We wanted to create an industry where women felt empowered and celebrated for everything they bring to the table and have their voices heard. Hence why we made the conscious decision to focus solely on buying coffee from female producers, sharing their stories to the world, giving them the recognition they rightly deserve for the incredible work that they do."

The Coffee 

After having her first baby, Monse unsurprisingly didn't have much time to process a lot of coffee. She did however process a tiny lot specifically for Girls Who Grind Coffee.  

"We are incredibly proud to partner with Bean Voyage and bring you this wonderful for coffee from innovative, first-get producer Monse Prado."

Bean Voyage is a feminist organisation building an equitable value chain with smallholder women farmers in Costa Rica.

After working in San Jose, Monse returned to Tarrazu to live with her partner. As a young professional with endless dreams and strong work ethics, Monse began her journey into the coffee production world. Her partner's family have been life-long coffee producers and she wanted to help them to see that there is more to coffee production beyond farming. Her partner, an agricultural engineer, designed a micro-mill for Monse to manage everything on her own. This innovative micro-mill has a uniquely vertical design and is certified by the local government for its efficient water and energy usage. Monse's ethos for Ditso is built around coffee quality and ecological preservation and is a member of the NAMA Cafe Project, a unique worldwide project that seeks to measure and mitigate the environmental impact of coffee activity. As one of the region's younger coffee producers, she collaborates with the others in the group to bring more innovative ideas.

"I believe that the constant challenge as a woman is to be able to show that we can contribute to the world of coffee and develop in the activity, and that we can also do it in an excellent way" Monse says.

Click here to watch a short video all about Monse Prado

The Beans

Farm - Ditso Coffee Farm

Region - Tarrazu, Costa Rica

Varietal - Caturra, Catuai

Process - Honey

Altitude - 1800MASL

Brewer: V60 

Recipe: 15g / 225g 

Ratio: 1:15

Total Brew Time: 3 Minutes

The brew came out looking like sweet tea, which only added to the excitement of drinking this cup. The first thing that hit was the zesty acidity, and definite lemon mouthfeel with a stone fruit undertone.

As it cooled, it became more defined in peach flavour, and a super sweet melon taste at the back of the mouth. It was a delicious and smooth cup (and went down way too quickly!) 

Find Girls Who Grind Coffee

Website - here

Instagram - here

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 After getting a taste for UE Coffee Roasters in the Dog and Hat box (read here) and reading up on one of their exclusive upcoming roasts, of course I had to get my hands on some. 

If you're new to 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

Grown in the famous Huila department of Colombia by a pioneering producer named Luis Anibal, this microlot is his next in a series of exploratory and high-end coffees productions. It is also our next in the experimental microlot range whereby we source extraordinary coffees with distinct characteristics as a special treat for our valued followers. 

By carefully maintaining the harvested coffee at specific temperatures and in the absence of oxygen, Luis created an environment for fermentation to develop a higher concentration of lactic acid in the coffee. The chosen variety, Pink Bourbon, is naturally sweet and complex so when exposed to this style of processing the resulting coffee is remarkably creamy with great depth of body and guaranteed to pull you back for another cup.

Farm - Finca Villa Betulia 

Grower - Luis Anibal

Location - Huila, Acevedo, Colombia

Process - Honey Lactic Acid Fermentation

Altitude - 1500-1600MASL

Variety - Pink Bourbon

Taste - Marshmallow, Toffee, Vanilla Ice-Cream

Lets Brew

Brewer: V60

Recipe - 15g of Coffee

250g of Water

30 Second Bloom, with agitation

Total Brew Time of 2 Minute 30

Brewer: Espresso Machine

Recipe - 17g of Coffee / 35ml Out

28 seconds

As a V60, this brew came out super bright. It came through really sweet, which almost dissolved in your mouth (much like marshmallows!) 

As it cooled, it became super smooth and creamy, with all the sweetness tasting like fudgy toffee (yum!)

I ended up making this into a flat white, and boy am I glad I did. 

The espresso itself came through super sweet and punchy, and with added milk, it became a deliciously smooth flat white, with next to no acidity. 

Find UE Coffee Roasters

Website - here

Instagram - here

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 Today's guest on The Coffee Life is someone who has recently entered the coffee industry with his new coffee blog. James first introduced himself to me on Instagram and since then I've loved reading all his posts (please go and check him out!) - I've also done an interview about The Coffee Life on his blog which you can read here

How are you?

I'm doing well. I have not yet had a coffee for the day, but one is coming soon. I have two cups each day but there is something special about that first cup. I'm trying Cojones from The GOOD Coffee Cartel which has some of my favourite flavour notes: cherry, raspberry, and dark chocolate. (I like taking questions in the direction of coffee!)

What do you do for a living?

I'm a technical content manager. This is far away from the coffee world but I've found that many people who are interested in coffee do not themselves work in coffee.

In terms of the Coffee Industry, how long have you been involved and what do you do?

I have been involved in the coffee industry since the middle of the year. I do not have an exact date because time seems to have warped quite a bit this year, a fact with which I am sure many of your readers can empathise. I started by writing the occasional blog post about coffee but I quickly found myself fascinated with more details about coffee, from how it is processed to how it is grown. The entire journey of a bean from farm to cup is complex and beautiful.

I have tried to write once per day on my blog over the past month. I am now reducing my schedule to three times a week, which I think will be more manageable. I do not have a massive list of ideas that I want to cover. I write about what I find interesting and what I think I have something to say about. I've written about the Aeropress, scales, the roasting process, and so much more. I also share my posts on Instagram.

How has Coronavirus affected your relationship with coffee during 2020?

I do not work in coffee and so I do not know the extent to which COVID has affected the industry, although I can surmise some of the impacts. I feel increasingly confident that speciality coffee will continue to grown.

This year coffee has brought me happiness. A cup can lift me up on a bad day. I remember waiting for coffee shops to open so I could go out and get a cappuccino (my first one was from Greggs). I've seen a lot of people get into speciality coffee during lockdown (including myself) and the more people who think about speciality coffee, the better.

I have enjoyed spreading what I've learned about coffee with others. I have spoken with many people who are passionate about coffee and it gives me hope that the industry will keep moving. What gives me hope is that the taste of coffee can lift people up. I brewed a cup of speciality coffee for a family member earlier this year and it bought us together. I told  them about the coffee and they enjoyed every sip. I loved that feeling.

In terms of coffee shops, I do hope people return, but I have no unique insights to share on this point.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in the industry this year?

The biggest challenge I've faced is figuring out how to educate myself. I would ideally like to go and visit cafes around the country in my free time and talk to baristas and owners but this is not possible. I've learned a lot through books, interviews just like this one, blogs, and videos, but there is only so much you can learn outside of a cafe. In the back of my mind, I've been telling myself that this is theory revision. There will be time for practical work in the future.

There are many wonderful resources on the internet. I've personally enjoyed your blog and Brian's Coffee Spot as places I can go to remind myself of how much there is to explore in the world of coffee. Book's are great. I'd recommend How to Make Coffee and Craft Coffee: A manual if you are already interested in coffee. I'd love to see more online classes. I attended an online cupping and it was great.

How have you felt about the Coffee Industry in 2020?

As someone who has only just started brewing speciality coffee this year, my perspective is somewhat limited. I am glad that I stumbled upon speciality coffee. I have found a community of people who are passionate about a craft -- an art -- that I can practise myself. It took me some time to find the right way to get started but there were so many resources to help me get started. This is part of the reason I write about home brewing. I want to share what I practise at home. 

I've felt welcomed by the speciality coffee community. One roaster from whom I've tried many coffees, Steampunk Coffee in North Berwick, encouraged me to join Instagram and follow some accounts. Through this medium I have met many great coffee people and have learned more about the contemporary coffee culture. Books are useful but Instagram brings a more visual dynamic to what I learn.

What is something you have missed in the Coffee Industry in 2020?

I was just beginning to explore new areas before the pandemic hit. I have been out to cafes a few times since lockdown restrictions were eased but in many cases I've been deterred from going out, even when allowed. I know there will be other years to explore different coffee scenes but it would have been nice to get out to a few new spots.

What are you looking forward to in 2021?

Ah, looking forward. I like this question! I am looking forward to hopefully being able to visit new cafes. I plan on going around Edinburgh and visiting many of the cafes who at the moment exist in my life as a social media presence. I love the Scottish coffee scene. There are many great cafes and roasters in Edinburgh, Glasgow and other areas. I'd like to visit new spots and take notes, perhaps even for my blog. I do not know yet.

I'd like to visit one of the coffee festivals in the UK next year, I they go ahead. I am looking forward to learning more about coffee, although that's a journey I am already on. I would like to keep up writing.

Find James!

Website - Click Here

Instagram - Click Here

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